Airborne Christian Academy · Martinsburg, WV
ACA
Basketball.
Faith. Character. Excellence.
A new chapter is beginning.
A varsity program. A greater purpose.
Inaugural season / 2026–2027The start of something special
More than
the scoreboard.
Our goal is not simply to build a team.
We want to build something special.
A new chapter is beginning at Airborne Christian Academy.
ACA Basketball is launching with a vision that reaches far beyond the scoreboard. We are building a competitive varsity basketball program committed to excellence on the court, growth in the classroom, strength of character, and an unwavering foundation of faith in Jesus Christ.
We believe student-athletes can pursue excellence, compete at a high level, develop their God-given abilities, and have a lot of fun doing it—all while representing Christ in the way they practice, compete, lead, win, lose, and serve others.
Building a different kind of basketball program
Who he becomes
matters.
ACA Basketball is being built around a simple conviction:
Who a young man is becoming matters just as much as the player he is becoming.
We want to develop skilled, disciplined basketball players who understand teamwork, accountability, leadership, sacrifice, perseverance, and responsibility. At the same time, we want our athletes to grow in their relationship with Christ and understand that the abilities they have been given can be used for a purpose greater than themselves.
The vision is ambitious. We want ACA to become known for excellent basketball and to build a program capable of competing at a high level.
But basketball will never be the foundation of who we are.
Our faith comes first.
That means character matters. Academics matter. How we treat teammates, coaches, opponents, officials, teachers, and families matters. The culture we build together matters.
At Airborne Christian Academy, student-athletes don't simply join a basketball team—they become part of a family committed to growing, competing, and pursuing excellence together.
Our vision
The whole
student-athlete.
The vision for ACA Basketball is to establish a first-class Christian basketball program that develops the whole student-athlete.
We are committed to:
Christ First
Creating a program where our identity and purpose begin with Jesus Christ.
Competitive Excellence
Training, preparing, and competing with the expectation that we will pursue excellence every time we step onto the court.
Character & Leadership
Developing young men who demonstrate integrity, discipline, humility, responsibility, and leadership.
Player Development
Helping athletes grow in their basketball knowledge, individual skills, conditioning, teamwork, and understanding of the game.
Academic Responsibility
Expecting our athletes to take their role as students as seriously as their role as players.
Team & Family
Building a culture in which players, coaches, families, and the ACA community support one another and pursue a common purpose.
A Lasting Program
Establishing a basketball tradition that can grow with Airborne Christian Academy and impact student-athletes for generations to come.
We want to win. We want to compete. We want to build something exceptional.
And through everything we do, we want God to receive the glory.
Experience. Purpose. Leadership.
Meet the coaching staff.
Head Coach
Kenny Roberts
Coach Kenny Roberts brings an accomplished playing career, a passion for developing young athletes, and a deeply personal commitment to building a basketball program centered on Christ.
A graduate of Hedgesville High School, Roberts was a 1,000-point scorer, First Team All-State selection, Martinsburg Journal Player of the Year, and was inducted into the Hedgesville High School Hall of Fame as a member of its Class of 2016.
He continued his basketball career at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where he earned a full scholarship and was part of four consecutive conference championship teams. Roberts started 121 consecutive games during his four-year collegiate career as his teams compiled a 97–24 record. He earned All-Conference honors four times and All-American recognition three times and finished his collegiate career among the school's all-time leaders in assists, steals, and scoring.
Read Coach Roberts’ full story
Following college, Roberts continued his playing career professionally, spending approximately five years playing primarily in the United Kingdom.
After his professional career, he remained connected to basketball through individual skills training and player development.
For Roberts, however, returning to basketball as a coach needed to be about much more than the game itself.
After committing his life to Christ, he desired that the next chapter of his basketball journey take place in an environment where faith would not be separate from coaching, but central to it. He prayed for the right opportunity to use his experience to give back, develop young people, and glorify God.
That opportunity became Airborne Christian Academy.
Today, Coach Roberts is passionate about building an ACA Basketball program where young men can grow as basketball players, students, leaders, teammates, and followers of Christ.
Coaching Staff
Emil Payne
Coach Emil Payne brings collegiate playing experience and strong ties to basketball in the Martinsburg community to the ACA coaching staff.
Payne played basketball at Martinsburg High School before earning a full scholarship to continue his playing career at Salem.
His experience as both a local high school athlete and collegiate player adds another valuable perspective to ACA's commitment to developing student-athletes and building a competitive basketball program from the ground up.
Coaching Staff
Shane Moats
Coach Shane Moats brings a history of athletic excellence, leadership, and firsthand experience competing alongside Coach Kenny Roberts.
Roberts and Moats shared the backcourt during their years at Hedgesville High School, where Moats distinguished himself as an exceptional three-sport athlete. He was a multi-year starter at quarterback in football, shooting guard in basketball, and shortstop in baseball.
More about Coach Moats
Moats has been selected as a member of the Hedgesville High School Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
More important than his athletic accomplishments, Coach Roberts describes Moats as a proven leader and the kind of person young athletes need influencing them both on and off the court.
That combination of competitive experience, character, and leadership makes him an important part of the culture ACA Basketball is building.
From Coach Roberts’ playing days
The inaugural season
2026—2027
Year one.
A tradition begins.
2026–2027 marks the beginning of ACA Basketball.
The program will compete at the varsity level from its inaugural season. A competitive schedule is already being developed, including road games and scrimmages, as our student-athletes begin establishing the foundation for ACA Basketball.
Preseason conditioning and player evaluation are underway as the coaching staff gets to know our athletes, assesses their abilities, and begins building the identity of the team.
This first season represents something larger than one schedule or one group of players.
It is the beginning of a tradition.
The Alpha Center · Under construction
A future home
for the Aviators.
At the same time, another exciting part of the future of ACA Basketball is taking shape: our new gymnasium.
Home competition is expected to begin after completion of the new facility, with the first home game currently being targeted for January.
Building for generations
More than a place to play.
A place for the ACA community to come together. A home for growth, competition, and a tradition just beginning.
Ask about ACA Basketball
More than what happens on the court
Brotherhood.
Growth.
Greater purpose.
We want families and the ACA community to experience the journey alongside our team.
Throughout the season, we plan to capture moments from practices, travel, team meals, games, locker-room preparation, prayer, celebrations, and everyday life together.
Because those moments tell an important part of the story.
ACA Basketball isn't only about what happens during 32 minutes on the scoreboard. It is about relationships. Growth. Hard work. Laughter. Adversity. Prayer. Brotherhood. Competition.
And ultimately, it is about young men learning how to pursue excellence while keeping Christ at the center.
This is year one.
Follow the journey with us.
Your next chapter starts with a conversation
Interested in
ACA Basketball?
Whether you are a current ACA family, considering Airborne Christian Academy for your student, or simply want to learn more about the new basketball program, we would love to hear from you.
Questions about ACA Basketball?
Contact Airborne Christian Academy at info@airborne.school
ACA Basketball
Compete with excellence.Lead with character.
Live for Christ.