
MEET THE COACHES
Taylor Cherris-Wilding
Founder/ Co-Director / Head Coach
Coach Taylor -"Coach Tay" has been dedicated to the game all over the basketball community for the past 20 years as a player, coach, and youth worker. Widely regarded as the best shooter and shooting coach on the West Coast. He is a true gym rat who values hard work, repetition, and passion, no gimmicks, just game reps, Taylor has brought those values to Raincity with the core focus being, every player getting better at basketball.
Coach Tay played his high school ball at the storied program Terry Fox Secondary learning the game from two of the best coaches in the province, Coach Rich Chambers, and Coach Don VanOs. Taylor was a BC high school all star with numerous awards on the way to a 2nd place finish in the 2000 AAA Championship (no Quad A then).
Coach Tay went on to a College/University career that saw him play in the biggest games in Canada. He led the country in all shooting stats on his way to All Star and All Canadian awards. After University Taylor turned his focus to the next generation, Coaching all over the lower mainland, working with youth on and off the court as a youth worker, and EA, it has become his true passion. Lets work, lets get better!
2000-BC High School All Star
2001-BC U-19 provinical team PG-Silver medal at the Canada Summer games, Tournament all-star
2001-Langara College, Pac West All-Rookie Team
2003-Douglas College, Pac West First Team All Star, CCAA All Canadian, Team MVP
2004-U of Manitoba, U Sports All Star, Team MVP
2007-Brandon University, U Sports National Silver Medal, Team Most Inspirational Award

JP Bahena
Co-Director / Head Coach
Coach JP played high school basketball at Vancouver College where he helped lead the team to a Juvenile Provincial Title, and Junior Bronze Medal. During his time at Vancouver College, he learned the game under the tutelage of legendary coaches Brian Lee, Vito Pasquale, and Bob Corbett. JP was also a member of the Basketball BC Vancouver Regional Team throughout his high school career.
He went on to play 3 years of post secondary basketball at Langara College where he was the team captain in 2003 and 2004 and Most Inspirational Player in 2004. It was during his time at Langara College where Coach JP met Coach Taylor. They were teammates together at Langara in 2002.
Coach JP has been involved with the Filipino Basketball community for over 25 years. He began playing in Filipino youth leagues at the age of 9 and has a wealth of experience playing in both local and national Filipino tournaments.

Our Team.

Coach Chris is one of the most accomplished players in B.C. basketball history. Former Provincial champion and MVP. After one of the most successful high school careers ever he played at the next level and had success there as well. Coach JP and Coach Tay have grown up with Chris playing against each other and with each other for the past 20 plus years. The past two years he has been a big part of RainCity Basketball coaching at all levels. Now we are very excited he is back in the mix this Spring/Summer season after a break while coaching the grade 8 boys at McRoberts Secondary in Richmond this year and leading them to a city championship. Coach Chris is about energy and effort over everything, and after the first day he is very excited about this roster for the Spring/Summer. Coach Chris works at Lord Tweedsmuir in the Surrey Safe schools program, and he is gearing up to launch an athlete assistance program helping young players transition from high school to college, and university. You guys are very lucky to have Coach Chris at the helm.

Coach Meng has been coaching kids and youth basketball for almost 20 years. He has been involved with programs through the Vancouver School Board, Strathcona Community Centre, Nighthoops, MoreSports and Basketball BC. He was a volunteer Big Brother for over 8 years and has extensive experience mentoring boys. Meng grew up in East Vancouver and played three years of varsity basketball at Gladstone Secondary where he was the team captain, starting point guard, and recipient of the Patrick Ma Memorial Award for outstanding leadership, athletics and academics. Meng graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor in Business Administration.

Penney comes to Vancouver from Guelph, Ontario where he grew up, and had an outstanding High school career. He is well known now as the recently graduated starting PG on the SFU men's basketball team that is the only Canadian NCAA school. "Penney '' as we call him is one of the top guards in the country, he is a self-made player by being one of the true gym rats of this generation. Coach Penney runs his own training sessions under his brand called "No Flukes" which is built around the philosophy of hard work and game speed reps over everything, which is something that aligns with RainCity perfectly. We are very lucky to have Coach Penney back this Summer, any player in our program will become a better player by getting in the gym with him on a regular basis.

Coach Lewis attended SFU where he graduated with a degree in communication and technology while training many notable players at SFU. This list includes Tayler Drynan (fomer starting PG for the women’s basketball team), Sophie Swant (First Team All-Conference player), Zach Stone (starting Centre for the men's basketball team), and David Penney (former starting PG for the men’s basketball team). Coach Lewis has been coaching with RainCity since 2024 and continues to excel with both our girls and boys programs.

Coach Josh Bahena is a highly accomplished basketball player with a decorated high school basketball career. Having experienced the thrill of victory as a player, Coach Josh understands what it takes to be a champion. He was a vital member of the Saint Patrick's High School basketball team, helping to lead them to three provincial championships. He has recently returned from a stint of playing college basketball in the Philippines at the University of Perpetual Help. His dedication, skill, and leadership on the court set him apart, earning him a well-deserved reputation as a standout player. Transferring his passion for the game into coaching, Coach Josh has continued to achieve success. Drawing on his own experiences, he brings a unique perspective to coaching, which has resonated with his players. His empathetic nature allows him to connect deeply with his team, fostering an environment of trust, support, and growth.

Coach Zach Stone was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario. He played both football and basketball in high school. Zach went on to play prep basketball in the United States after high school. Currently, he is a member of the SFU men’s basketball team that plays in the NCAA. Coach Zach has experience coaching teams back in Ottawa as well as running camps in Ottawa, and here on the west coast. We are very excited to have coach Zach back with us this season. We know that Coach Zach will continue to have a positive impact on our growing Raincity Community.

Coach Nico has a background growing up playing AAU in Seattle and 5-Star Basketball in Pennsylvania. Nico played his High School ball at Van Tech Secondary, leading the senior team to the City Championships and was inducted into the School’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Nico also played 3 years (as captain) playing post-secondary in the PACWEST and transferring to play abroad in Germany. Currently, Coach Nico works in Sports Marketing and is also a strength/conditioning/mindset coach. Nico leans on these specializations to coach high school basketball in East Vancouver with the goal of developing well rounded players on and off the court. We are thrilled to have Coach Nico return to our Raincty Fam this season.

Coach Ryan played his high school basketball at Britannia Secondary. He has always had a love for the game at a very young age. He helped his Britannia School team to capture a provincial title in his grade 11 year and placed second during his grade 12 season. After high school, coach Ryan was fortunate to represent Strathcona and Vancouver playing in the North American Chinese Basketball Tournament winning 4 out of the 6 appearances. After a successful Summer, we are very happy to have Coach Ryan back for the Spring Season!

Coach Spence is from North Delta and attended Delview secondary school. He was the starting point guard and team captain of his highschool team. Spence brought his team to provincials in both his grade 11 and 12 years. After high school, he attended Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), where he attained a full ride athletic scholarship, and played on the men's varsity basketball team. During his time at KPU, he was also the team captain, and by his 4th year he was 3rd in assists in the country. Spencer finished his bachelor's degree at KPU majoring in journalism/ communications studies. Coach Spence is a firm believer in the term "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard", and is very knowledgeable about ballhandling and dribbling skills.

Brendan has been a big part of the basketball community in B.C. for the past 15 years. He is a very accomplished PG that played at Byrne Creek, and Gleneagle Secondary schools picking up multiple all stars and MVPs along the way. He played college ball in the PacWest for Kwantlen University College where he was teammates with Coach Spence (U13 Girls). He also went on to play at Capilano College where he was a PacWest Second Team all-star and helped Capilano earn a trip to the CCAA Nationals in his final year. Brendan has been coaching high school teams at his alma maters and also has lots of experience training/coaching AAU (most recently with VSC). We are very excited to have Brendan Bailey join our coaching staff and community. A great player, and a great person, and someone that really knows what it takes to be successful.

Lincoln is another PG out of East Vancouver that was one of the best players in the city. He was a Vancouver All Star out of Windermere Secondary. He played club mainly for Athelite, but finished off his summer 2023 with RainCity Varsity Boys. Lincoln is fresh off a stint with Lennoxville Prep School in Quebec, and he is now back home coaching with Raincity and playing at Douglas College. Lincoln is a very skilled player that knows the value of hard work and reps over everything. He has done a great job passing that on to the next generation at all our skills training programs.

Coach Sophie is a North Vancouver local having attended Argyle Secondary before pursuing basketball and a BBA at Simon Fraser University. She represented SFU in the NCAA Div II for four years, during which she was awarded two All-Conference Second Team awards and one All-Conference First Team award. Upon graduating from SFU, she was repeatedly a top 10 stat leader for the GNAC in points, rebounds, steals, blocked shots, and free throw percentage. Sport took her overseas in 2019 where she competed in Newcastle, England while achieving a First-Class Honours MSc from Northumbria University.
Sophie has been coaching progressively over the past 10 years, having begun coaching the bantam team while still at Argyle Secondary. Today, she has coached high school, competitive club teams, and various group and individual training programs across the Lower Mainland. She emphasizes skill development within the context of a larger system, playing to one’s unique strengths and characteristics. She is passionate about fostering a safe space for all athletes to work collaboratively, build community, and fail upwards.

Coach Jaya is a passionate basketball coach with experience both as a player and a coach. She played competitively throughout high school in Richmond and for the G2 club team. As a coach, she has made an impact at Langley High School and has coached for several years in the Richmond Youth Basketball League (RYBL) and the West Richmond Summer Slam program. With a focus on skill development, teamwork, and a love for the game, she is committed to helping young athletes grow and succeed on and off the court. Her passion for the game drives her to instill confidence, teamwork, and a strong work ethic in players, helping them develop both as athletes and individuals.

Coach Arlie graduated from Windermere Secondary School, located in East Vancouver. She was the starting point guard for her high school team, as well as a Raincity Alum. Finishing her high school career as a 2x district All-Star, she’s currently pursuing a degree in kinesiology, in hopes of going into sports medicine. During her grade 11 year, Arlie found her passion for coaching, as an assistant coach for the junior girls’ team at Windermere. Last winter, she coached the grade 8 girls team at Windermere into the quarterfinals of district playoffs. She wants to continue sharing her passion for basketball with younger athletes in hopes that they’d enjoy it as much as she did.

Coach Jose Colorado brings over 15 years of coaching experience to Raincity Basketball, having coached in 5 countries and 3 continents to date. Jose - a former 7-year pro player - is a proven voice in the basketball space having worked with everything from future NBA prospects to grassroots programs. For his efforts, he was recently invited to coach at the prestigious NBA Academy in Sydney, Australia.
Here’s some other places Jose has coached at previously:
Peak No Borders Camp (China)
All Canada Basketball Camps (Future College/NBA prospects)
U14 El Salvador National Team
Isidro Metapan Pro Academy (El Salvador)
Babenhausen Wizards Pro Academy (Germany)
Zhicheng Basketball Club Pro Development Academy
In his spare time, Coach Colorado runs one of the largest Overseas Basketball consultations programs in the world, helping players achieve their professional dreams. Jose’s ability to motivate, teach, and inspire players of all levels makes him a standout coach and a welcomed addition to the Raincity Basketball community.

Coach Max is a dedicated athlete who recently completed two impressive varsity years with RainCity Basketball's U-18 boys team. As one of the best players we’ve had in our program, we’re thrilled to have him join our coaching staff. A 2023 graduate of Notre Dame, Max was a multi-sport athlete, excelling in Varsity Football and earning MVP honors on the Notre Dame Juggler Basketball team. He initially signed to play at Capilano College but has chosen to take a year off. Max is a natural leader with a strong work ethic and a genuine commitment to his community. Currently, Coach Max is the assistant coach with the Notre Dame Grade 8 Boys Basketball team.

