1on1 Milwaukee's Mission For Our Youth Teams: Define “Win”

Our mission with our youth teams is to develop every player to the best of their individual ability, preparing them for success in high school and beyond. We aim to inspire our athletes to take basketball as far as they can by creating a fun, positive, and challenging environment at the youth level.

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While we value competition and always play to win, our primary focus is player development. Our definition of a “win” goes far beyond the scoreboard. A true win is each athlete making progress toward their personal goals while continuing to grow as a basketball player.

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We believe success at the youth level is measured through improvement, confidence, effort, and long-term development. Winning a youth tournament is exciting, but years down the road, no one asks about your record. What people do remember — and what truly matters — is that you received high-level training and were properly developed during your youth years.

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1on1 Milwaukee's Basketball Philosophy: How We Train and Style of Play

1on1 Milwaukee began as an individual skill development program with a focus on player growth and building in-game confidence. Due to growing interest, the program naturally expanded into an AAU organization. We kept the name “1on1” because we believe true team success starts with each player committing to their own development. When players improve individually, the team improves collectively.

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Our practices are intentionally designed to balance individual skill development with game concepts. The first hour of every practice is dedicated to skills and drills—ball handling, finishing, shooting, footwork, and decision-making. The final 30 minutes are reserved for live scrimmaging, where players are encouraged to apply newly learned skills in game-like situations.

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When it comes to game play, we emphasize “free play.” While we do have structure and rules in place, we believe—especially at younger ages—that it’s important to let players play, explore, and learn the game naturally. Each coach may have a few set plays or quick hitters, but our overall goal is to avoid turning players into robots. Mistakes, turnovers, and moments of sloppiness are expected and encouraged as part of the learning and growth process.

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Defensively, coaching styles may vary. We allow coaches the flexibility to run different defensive concepts because we believe players benefit from learning how to adjust. As athletes move forward, they will encounter different systems, philosophies, and expectations, and adaptability is a critical skill.

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Through this style of teaching and development, we believe our players are well prepared for success at the high school and college levels. They develop a strong understanding of the game, learn how to make reads, play with confidence, and adapt to any system they are asked to play in.

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Playing Time: Fair But Not Always Equal 

Playing time and starting positions are earned. Consistent attendance, effort, attitude, and performance in practice all factor into these decisions. If a player consistently misses practices or games, this may impact their role. If a player misses a lot but still can perform the way coach needs them to its the coaches decision to still play them. Final decisions regarding lineups and starting positions are always at the discretion of the coaching staff.

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Each year, we host tryouts to place players on the team where they will receive the most opportunity to play and take on meaningful responsibilities on the court. While every effort is made to place players at the appropriate level, there are times when a player may be placed on a team that is either above or below their current development level. We reserve the right to move players during the season if we believe it is in their best interest.

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The maximum amount of players on a team is ten. We do not place athletes on teams simply to fill roster spots. Our goal is for every player in the program to grow, and that growth requires real court time and responsibility. That said, the amount of playing time a player receives is directly connected to the commitment, effort, and consistency they bring throughout the season.

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Commitment Level: Practice & Tournaments

At the youth level, we understand that players may miss practices or games from time to time. However, we do expect athletes to be present the majority of the time. Consistent attendance is essential for building team chemistry, individual development, and a successful season. Growth becomes difficult for both players and teams without a shared level of commitment.

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We often encounter scheduling conflicts due to participation in other sports. We understand situations where one sport is ending as our season begins, and in many cases players are able to attend at least one practice per week during that transition. We fully support and encourage multi-sport athletes, especially at younger ages. That said, we do not encourage athletes to play multiple sports throughout the same season. Based on our experience, overlapping commitments over an extended period often lead to physical and mental burnout. Balance is critical to long-term player success.

 

Repeated absences or a lack of understanding of team concepts due to missed practices may impact playing time during games.

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How We Decide Our Schedule: 

At the youth level, we prioritize balance, development, and putting our teams in the best position to be successful.

For our top teams, we believe competing exclusively in tournaments—rather than leagues—provides stronger competition, making it the best option for their growth.

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For our second-level teams, we’ve found that tournament directors don’t always place teams appropriately. Because of this, we are very selective about the tournaments we enter and often find that our Summer League is more beneficial. Our league allows us to control the level of competition and ensure players are consistently challenged without being overmatched.

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We also aim to keep our youth schedule as local as possible. Until a team consistently dominates its area, extensive travel isn’t necessary or productive. We may travel within the state at times, but we avoid excessive or unnecessary travel.

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Coaching Staff: Qualifications and Background

Our goal in selecting our coaching staff is to prioritize qualified female coaches whenever possible. While we are not opposed to male coaches, we believe there is tremendous value for our female athletes in learning from women who have walked the same path they aspire to follow—playing basketball at the next level.

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Every head coach within our program has played basketball at the collegiate level, bringing firsthand experience, knowledge, and perspective to player development. This background allows our coaches to teach the game with an understanding of what it takes to succeed beyond AAU basketball.

 

While we are not against parent coaches, we make a strong effort to avoid them whenever possible, as we believe this is often best for both the athlete and the team. In situations where a parent does serve as a coach, it is because we trust they are capable of coaching the entire team fairly.

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The maximum amount of teams we allow a coach to have is two. If both teams are playing at the same time it is up to the coach to decide what team they will take. Usually older teams take priority. We will always have a 1on1 coach fill in.

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Our coaching staff is committed to providing a positive, supportive, and development-focused environment where all players are challenged, encouraged, and held to high standards.

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Expectations for Parents & Guardians

We expect all parents/guardians and family/friends to represent our program with professionalism and respect at all times. Parent behavior matters, and we have passed on players in the past due to parent conduct. This is especially important for families whose daughters aspire to play at the next level.

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Our program places a high priority on culture, accountability, and ensuring players have a positive experience. Parents are expected to follow all program rules. Failure to do so may result in removal from the team without refund.

 

Parent Expectations:

• No coaching from the stands

• No harassing or questioning referees

• No approaching coaches before, during, or immediately after games

  • A 24-hour rule applies to all game-related concerns

• If concerns arise, parents must request a call or meeting with the coaching staff

• Parents are not permitted in practices or lingering in the lobby

• Players must be picked up on time from practices

  • Please do not enter the building—players will be dismissed and sent out

• Parents are responsible for completing GameChanger availability so coaches can plan accordingly

 

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Why Make the Investment Early On:

We believe our AAU program is a valuable investment for youth players because it helps set them apart through high-level coaching, training and a fun/positive environment. At the youth level, development should be challenging, engaging, and enjoyable—and we intentionally create all three.

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A player’s early years in sports are critical. Poor coaching experiences or a lack of enjoyment can quickly lead to burnout or a loss of interest in the game. We prioritize teaching the game the right way while making sure players love coming to the gym.

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Our ultimate goal is to develop players properly from the start—so when opportunities arise later, they are confident, prepared, and ready to take full advantage of them.​​