Karen and Gerard Iglesia,
co-founders

Since 2005, Gerard and Karen Iglesia have hosted FREE basketball camps and clinics for city youth who could not afford the high cost of summer sports camps.  The Iglesia Basketball Camp grew in popularity and in 2009 they opened it up to any Section 5 basketball player who was interested and who made it based on skill, not on ability to pay. Over 1,500 boys and girls have participated since its inception.

Through their love of basketball, Karen and Gerard started PrimeTime Ballers in February 2019. The Iglesia’s had been attending high school basketball games and recording them on Facebook Live. Karen’s unique personality and commentary became very popular on social media platforms. In February 2019, on a drive to Syracuse, Karen and Gerard did a Facebook Live show, breaking down high school basketball stats. The show was very well received and PrimeTime Ballers, as a sports media platform, was birthed.

Karen and Gerard began to attend high school basketball games on a nightly basis, providing analysis, and sharing video clips on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. As PrimeTime’s popularity increased, the Iglesia family used their social media following to bring the community together. In 2020, they created a Thanksgiving “Adopt a Family Program”, a Toy and Coat Drive, developed mental health forums for athletes, helped a few struggling families who became homeless, and created roundtable discussions between law enforcement and youth. 

Through years of helping the community in various ways, Karen and Gerard decided to formalize their efforts and become a not for profit organization. On November 19, 2021, PrimeTime585 Inc., was formed and is awaiting its tax exempt and not for profit status from NYS and the IRS.

Karen has a background in Chemical Engineering, and used her experiences to start an Engineering Program at Baden Street Settlement, Inc. This program introduced its participants to various occupations in the STEM fields. 25 students of color were randomly chosen to participate. After four years, all 25 students graduated. 23 completed the program. 17 went on to four year colleges and 11 entered into STEM careers. After Baden Street, Karen began Iglesia Education Services, a tutoring company that would serve tens of thousands of students in Rochester, Syracuse and Utica.

Gerard is a retired Physical Education Teacher and Coach from the Rochester City School District. He led School of the Arts to a Sectional title in Basketball in 2003, and was named Section V Class B Coach of the Year. He is one of the pioneers of AAU Basketball in Rochester, and coached several players who went on to the NBA, including Isaiah Stewart, John Wallace, Elton Brand and Lamar Odom. He has coached dozens of players who went on to play Division I basketball. Gerard’s AAU team (PrimeTime Ballers), became the first team from Rochester to win a National Championship. They went on to win several high level tournaments throughout the United States, as well as an international tournament in Rennes, France. 

Karen and Gerard are the proud parents of Anthony and Allen. Anthony is a 2018 McQuaid graduate and is currently a member of the University of Washington’s Basketball team. Allen is on the autism spectrum and is a senior at Webster Schroeder High School. He is employed at Wegmans.