Skill development
Master the fundamentals through coaching in dribbling, shooting and defence. Keep learning with a growth mindset.
About North City Bruins
Developing players.
Building people.
Youth basketball programs, rep teams and skill development in North York, Vaughan and the GTA. Confidence, work ethic and a love for the game—on the court and off.
Meet the coachesSkillsLearn the fundamentalsCharacterBuild confidenceCommunityGrow together
The Bruins approach
More than basketball.
A supportive environment where mistakes are part of getting better, effort matters and players learn to trust themselves and their teammates.
Teamwork & spirit
Build confidence through communication, trust and working together towards a common goal.
Fun & community
Stay active, engaged and connected to the game. Celebrate effort, resilience and sportsmanship on and off the court.
Coaching & player development
Meet the coaches.
Teach, push and support every athlete. Who players become matters just as much as how they play.
Coach
Jeff Saltzman
Confidence. Work ethic. A love for the game.
Jeff has been around basketball his whole life. He started coaching at JCC before moving to Grassroots Basketball, helping develop some of Canada’s top young talent.
He has coached beginners and future professionals, including NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and James Kweku Teye. For Jeff, coaching has never been only about producing elite players.
He cares just as much about who his players become as how they play. At North City, he teaches, pushes and supports every athlete as they grow—on the court and off.
Assistant coach
Matti
Show up. Put in the work. Get better every day.
A former York Region All-Star, Matti played Toronto AAU when there were only a handful of teams in Ontario, then continued competing at college level.
After basketball, he moved into boxing under Boris Gitman, a former USSR and Canada Olympic boxing coach. Competing developed his discipline, mental toughness and resilience.
He went on to train younger boxers, passing on hard work, focus and perseverance. He now brings that same mindset to basketball: push through adversity and improve every day, wherever you’re starting.
Your player’s next step
Get to know the Bruins.
Questions about our coaching approach or finding the right basketball experience? Tell us a little about your player.
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