The Skills Factory (TSF) is an AAU basketball program that specializes in delivering transformative athletic experiences to athletes of all ages and their families. They have competitive basketball teams ranging from 14u to 17u that compete in AAU tournaments, in Atlanta, GA. I was a coach for TSF North which a program for the younger athletes (14u) that compete in AAU basketball tournaments.

As a basketball coach for TSF North, I recognized the need to expand the program's brand and enhance the overall experience for both coaches and players. The program included 4 teams, 8 coaches, and approximately 30 players. Coaches often faced challenges with time-consuming tasks such as team management, tracking player performance, and coordinating practice & tournament schedules. Observing these difficulties, I took the initiative to develop a solution that would streamline these processes, ultimately making the experience more efficient and enjoyable for everyone involved.

Streamline Communication: Allow coaches to communicate efficiently by posting announcements and updates for both players & parents, reducing the needs for individual messages

Simplify Scheduling: Provide a user-friendly platform for coaches to easily manage & share tournament/practice schedules, minimizing the effort to distribute information

Enhance Player & Parent Engagement: Create a platform that keeps players & parents informed about game/practice schedules and performance, promoting a more engaged basketball community within the program

An all-in-one AAU basketball app that helps coaches efficiently manage teams, gain insights on player performance and access essential scheduling information.

I conducted in-person interviews with parents, players, and coaches. After completing these initial interviews, I created surveys to validate the insights gathered from each group. The interviews included 14 primary parents, 30 players, and 8 coaches.

Feedback: Players expressed the desire to be notified of their stats after games and tournaments

Convenience: Coaches appreciated the convenience of managing their teams, uploading schedules, and tracking stats directly from their phones

Clarity: Parents found the need to download a different tournament app every weekend confusing, as they never knew which app to use to find the game schedules

Efficiency: Coaches found it bothersome to send scheduling information to parents and players individually

User Personas

Information Architecture

Based on my first-hand experience as a coach within the program, I gained valuable insights into the shared frustrations and challenges that coaches face. Recognizing certain pain points, I decided to prioritize the initial design iteration to cater to the needs of coaches. This approach will enable us to create a robust and tailored solution that directly addresses the issues faced by coaches, streamlining their tasks, improving team management, and enhancing their overall experience within the AAU basketball program. This approach allows us to lay the foundation for the application’s success.

Expand the player experience to gain a deeper insight into their interactions with the application. That involves conducting user testing tailored to the needs and preferences of the players. The feedback from the player will allow us to gather valuable insights to enhance their satisfaction