Winning Wednesday The Night I Stopped Just Selling leagues

David Paz

4d • General discussion

A mom walked into the center one evening, daughter in tow, both still in school clothes.

“Hi, we want to sign her up for the basketball league,” she said.

Her daughter stood half‑behind her, clutching a water bottle, eyes wide at the courts.

Ten years ago, I would’ve gone straight to:

“Great, here’s the form. We ll add her to a team?”

This time, I slowed down.

I remembered how this usually goes when I just say yes:

- Kid’s never played before.

- First game is chaos.

- They feel lost.

- Parent gets frustrated.

- Child becomes intimated and no longer wants to play the sport.

So instead, I ran the

Right-Fit Pathway Framework

I smiled at the daughter first. “Awesome. I’m glad you’re here.”

Then I turned to mom.

“Before we put her anywhere,” I said, “can I ask three quick questions so we can make sure she’s in the right spot, not just any spot?”

She nodded.

Dream Check:

“What are you hoping she gets out of this season?”

Mom didn’t even hesitate.

“I want her to learn the basics, build some confidence, and just be around other kids. She’s never really done organized sports before.”

That’s not “win the championship.” That’s “please don’t crush her.”

Skills Check:

“Has she played basketball before? On a team, in a clinic, or just for fun?”

“No,” she said. “She shoots around at the park sometimes, but she’s never been on a team.”

Brand new. Straight to league would be a baptism by fire.

Life Check:

“How does your schedule look for practices and games right now? How many days a week can you realistically get her here?”

She thought for a second.

“We can do 2-3 practices and one game a week. Anything more gets tough with work and homework.”

Now I had the picture:

- Dream: confidence + basics + friends

- Skill: true beginner

- Life: 3 days a week available

So I said:

“Here’s what I recommend. We’ll absolutely get her into the league so she gets that real game experience. But to make sure she doesn’t feel lost, I also want to put her in our Fundamental Basketball 101 class.

It’s a smaller, more controlled environment where we teach dribbling, passing, spacing… all the basics. That way, by the time she’s in games, she’s not just surviving, she’s actually playing.”

Mom exhaled.

“That sounds perfect. I didn’t even know that was an option.”

Her daughter actually smiled.

“That sounds less scary,” she said.

That’s the moment I realized:

I’m not here to just fill leagues.

I’m here to build right-fit pathways.

She came in asking for “league.”

She left with a Path.

Skills class + League = Confidence.

💡 Leadership Principle:

-Don’t be a signup clerk. Be a guide.