How to Start a Youth Basketball Program

How to Start a Youth Basketball Program (Part II)

If you haven’t read Part I of “How to Start a Youth Basketball Program,” check that out first. In it, we cover the foundational questions anyone should ask before jumping into the youth basketball world: Why are you doing this? Who are you serving? What’s your purpose?

If you’re clear on your “why,” it’s time to move on to the more complex question: how do you actually do it—and make a living from it?

How Did Pro Skills Basketball Start Its Youth Basketball Program?

Pro Skills Basketball (PSB) officially started in 2009, while Logan Kosmalski and I were teammates playing professionally for the Düsseldorf Giants in Germany’s Bundesliga. We had both come through the college ranks at Davidson and spent summers working basketball camps, which we loved.

We saw a need back home in the Davidson, NC area for another quality youth basketball camp, and we wanted to give back to the community that shaped us.

The Initial Vision

Why start a youth basketball camp?
We wanted to serve kids, teach the game, and fill a gap we saw in the community.
Who were we to teach kids?
We were former D1 and pro players who had grown up attending—and loving—basketball camps.
What did we want to do?
Just a simple week-long summer basketball camp.
Where?
The Davidson area, which lacked camp options outside of the Bob McKillop Camp at Davidson College.

That was the seed. But turning that idea into a real youth basketball business was a different story.

Step 1: Forming a Youth Basketball Business

Once we decided to move forward, we quickly realized how many operational pieces were required.

We Had to:

Create a Legal Entity:
We used LegalZoom to form an LLC. This step was critical for legitimacy and liability protection.
Open a Business Bank Account:
We chose Wachovia (RIP), a local Davidson bank. Keeping personal and business finances separate is a must—especially for tax and accounting purposes.
Make an Initial Investment:
We each contributed capital to cover startup expenses like:
- LLC formation
- Website domain and builder
- Gym rental fees
- Camp equipment
- Insurance
- Marketing materials

Step 2: Building the Brand

Logo & Website

We had Logan’s sister-in-law design our first logo, and we used Yahoo’s website builder to create a simple site where people could learn more and register.

Nowadays, there are easier, better tools like:

Wix or Squarespace for website design
Canva or 99designs for logo creation
Stripe or Square for online payments

But in 2009? We were hacking it together.

Step 3: Securing Insurance

We had no clue what kind of insurance we needed. A quick Google search for “youth basketball camp insurance” led us down a rabbit hole of policy options.

Eventually, we found an option that would cover just the week of camp. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked. Today, many providers specialize in youth sports insurance—something you should definitely research early.

Step 4: Finding a Gym and Setting Dates

We reached out to contacts back home and booked the gym at Woodlawn School. We decided on:

Dates: Monday–Friday
Time: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Format: One-week summer basketball camp

Then came the hard part—getting people to register.

Step 5: Registration & Payments

This part was clunky.

We didn’t know of any online registration tools at the time, so we went old-school:

Created a printable form
Required families to mail it in with a deposit or full payment via check

It was inefficient—but it worked (barely). Today, we use online registration platforms like LeagueApps or Active that streamline everything.

Step 6: Marketing the Camp

We thought our “Davidson names” and pro basketball background would fill the gym.

It didn’t.

That first summer, we had just 12–15 kids sign up. We had to pivot from a full-on camp to daily 2-hour clinics. It was humbling.

What We Learned:

Marketing is about more than reputation.
You can’t wait until the last minute.
Direct outreach is critical. Relationships matter.
You need a real marketing plan—social media, flyers, emails, community partnerships, and word of mouth.

Step 7: Learning and Growing

We didn’t give up. The next year, we returned overseas to play another pro season—but this time, we hustled.

Logan made what felt like a thousand calls to promote the next summer’s camps.

We added a girls’ week and improved our communication. That summer, we had 30 kids per week—and received glowing reviews.

Year 3? We doubled it again.

Turning a Summer Camp Into a Full-Time Basketball Business

That’s when we asked the big question: Could this be our full-time job after pro basketball?

We had saved some money and decided to go all in.

Pro Skills Basketball evolved from one camp to a year-round youth basketball organization. Eventually, we expanded into:

Club Teams
Skills Academies
Camps
Clinics

We learned that building a youth basketball business takes:

Patience
Passion
Real systems and operations
Great people
And most of all… relentless consistency

Final Thoughts: The Grind Is Worth It

Starting a youth basketball program isn’t just about loving the game. It’s about being willing to learn business, operations, and marketing. It’s about delivering value to families and creating a real developmental experience for players.

And most importantly—it’s about doing it for the right reasons.

Ready to take the next step in your child’s basketball journey?

Pro Skills Basketball offers Club Teams, Camps, Clinics, and Academies in 25+ cities across the U.S.
👉 Find your city and sign up today to join a program focused on real development, experienced coaches, and a culture that puts players first.

📩 Contact us at admin@proskillsbasketball.com
📞 Call us at 866-996-3888

PART II: HOW TO START A YOUTH BASKETBALL PROGRAM