The Play it Forward Story
Starting in Philadelphia, PA
Play it Forward Sports was founded by Ben Daugherty, a former Division I basketball player at Elon University. Ben has been passionate about training kids in basketball since high school, running clinics to share his love for the game.
After graduating from Elon, Ben continued training young athletes while working full-time. After a workout one day at the Upper Merion Community Center in King of Prussia, PA, the facility approached Ben asking if he would partner with them to run a weekly fall program. This led Ben to create "Philadelphia Basketball School" and learn many of the operational logistics surrounding running a succesful youth sports program.
Philadelphia Basketball School's Growth
Philadelphia Basketball School started with 26 kids in a weekly Sunday clinic in Upper Merion. The program quickly gained popularity, leading to partnerships with six different facilities across greater Philadelphia. Over 200 kids have participated, benefiting from expert coaching by former players from schools like Cornell, Villanova, Elon, William and Mary, and more.
Expanding the Vision
The success of Philadelphia Basketball School sparked a bigger idea: to create a company that could bring affordable, community-based sports programs coached by former players to families nationwide. With the help of some teammates from Elon University, Ben launched Play it Forward Sports.
National Presence
Today, Play it Forward Sports operates in five cities: Philadelphia, New York, San Diego, Charlotte, and Austin, TX. Our mission is to empower former athletes and inspire the next generation through high-quality, accessible sports programs.
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