07/17/2026
There was a moment last night, after everyone had left the gym, when it finally hit,
our inaugural season of Full Court Hoops was officially over.
Sixteen weeks ago, this program was simply a vision.
A vision that youth basketball could be about more than wins and losses.
A vision that player development should come before trophies.
A vision that kids deserve coaches who genuinely care about helping them become better basketball players and better young men and women.
Like anything worth building, the road wasn’t perfect.
There were long nights, countless hours of planning, lessons learned, and plenty of challenges along the way. There were games we’d like to have back and tournaments where the scoreboard didn’t end the way we hoped.
But when we look back at this first season, that’s not what we’ll remember.
We’ll remember the first time a player did something in a game that they had worked on in practice for weeks.
We’ll remember the confidence that grew each week.
We’ll remember the smiles, the high fives, the encouragement between teammates, and the relationships that were built.
We’ll remember watching young athletes leave the gym as better players than when they walked in.
And that’s what Full Court Hoops was created for.
To every player who trusted us with your development,
To every parent who believed in a brand new program,
To every family who spent countless evenings and weekends in the gym,
Thank you!
A special thank you to Nate Forsyth and Ellsworth Community College for opening your doors and allowing us to use your outstanding facilities for the past 16 weeks. Your support made this season possible.
A heartfelt thank you to Coach Bryan Bender and the Ellsworth Community College Men’s Basketball program. Coach Bender has been much more than someone who opened the gym doors, he has been a mentor, sounding board, and a tremendous source of guidance as we worked to turn this vision into reality. From sharing his knowledge of player development to helping shape the foundation of this program, his willingness to invest in Full Court Hoops has been invaluable. We truly appreciate everything you and your program have done to help get us off the ground.
Thank you to Joich Gong for making the trip from Mankato, Minnesota every week to lead our six week Skills Night program. Your passion, knowledge, and energy made a tremendous impact on our athletes.
And to our coaching staff…
You gave these kids so much more than basketball instruction. You gave them your time, your patience, your encouragement, and your belief in what this program can become.
Congratulations to each of you as you begin your next chapter:
Christian (CJ) Johnson — Benedictine University (Lisle, IL)
Jonovan Wilkinson — University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN)
Tanner Berggren — Dallas Baptist University (Dallas, TX)
Ryland Ubben — Continuing the interview process for a position on the University of Iowa Men’s Basketball coaching staff while also considering the opportunity to play at Bethany Lutheran College.
Carson Allen — Returning to Ellsworth Community College this season.
We’re incredibly proud of each of you.
As one chapter closes, another one is already being written.
Over the next several months, we’ll be preparing for an even bigger second season. Our goal is to expand Full Court Hoops by offering boys and girls teams at the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and high school levels.
We’re also excited to introduce a tiered participation model, giving families the flexibility to choose what best fits their athlete, whether that’s player development through practices only or practices combined with tournament competition.
This is just the beginning.
The foundation has been poured.
Now it’s time to build.
We have some exciting announcements coming in the months ahead, and we can’t wait to share them with you.
Thank you to everyone again!
