Celebrating 10 Years of UPBasketball

4 minute read

By Andrea Aruino

Ten years ago, Bianca and Packie Turner had a vision for what UPBasketball could become: a community built around their shared love of basketball and a commitment to helping young athletes grow. Together they envisioned a space where athletes could learn, fail, celebrate successes, and grow together. Ten years later, UPBasketball is representative of all of those things plus so much more. While Bianca and Packie laid the foundation, the families, athletes, and staff are what continue to keep the gym and organization alive and thriving.

When Bianca and Packie set out on this journey, they were not sure how far it would take them. What remained clear, however, was Packie’s ability to positively impact the athletes he trained in a way they had never experienced before. As more athletes began training with Packie, word spread. Three clients became four, four became ten, and before they knew it, they were filling gyms with clinics that brought athletes together for days at a time, bringing in trainers who have worked with the best talent.

“I couldn't have imagined what this would become. I just knew that there were kids out there looking for a positive role model and he was so good with them. Finding good coaches is so difficult that I wanted to do everything I could to make sure that he could be there for the kids that wanted to learn and wanted to be in the gym,” Bianca said.

“We really grew from word of mouth. We didn't have any advertisements, we didn't have anything like that. We just allowed our clients to be our testimony and allowed the work to speak for itself,” Packie added on.

Now, Packie’s client list spans from athletes just beginning their basketball journeys to NBA and WNBA champions such as Kelsey Plum, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Jalen Williams, and many more. Building that kind of trust with athletes takes more than basketball knowledge. Packie has spent years learning how to coach in a way that helped him to connect with his players on a deeper level.

While Packie was focused on building out his coaching resume, Bianca held it down in areas that were not always on display. She started by checking kids in, answering information emails, and wearing whatever hat was needed to keep the business moving. As UPBasketball grew, so did her role, eventually shifting from the day-to-day operations to leading a team that could help the organization continue to evolve. Bianca credits the people around her for challenging her to think bigger, look beyond what UPB was already doing, and stay focused on what its clients needed and wanted.

“I think the reason why this business does so well is because we don't always agree on things, we push each other to think outside the box and try to think bigger and focus on our clients and what we know they need and what we know they want and how to best serve them,” Bianca said.

Behind all of this success is a team that works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep UPBasketball moving forward. Ruta Savickaite, UPB’s Director of Basketball Operations and Player Development Coach, has been part of the organization for more than seven years, while Director of Operations Madisen Carter has been with UPB for more than five. Alongside them is a group of coaches who have helped carry UPB’s standards into every session while growing in their own careers. Several coaches have gone on to coach at the collegiate and professional levels, making their time at UPB a meaningful part of their own journeys while contributing to the athletes and families they worked with along the way.

As Bianca and Packie reflect on the past decade, they look back not only on how far UPBasketball has come, but also on the challenges that made reaching this milestone so meaningful. Bianca recalls learning that only one in three small businesses make it to 10 years, and as competitors, they knew they would do whatever it took to reach 10 years. For them, it’s bigger than basketball. The goal is to have an impact so strong that they seek community within the people that occupy the gym. Having accomplished exactly that is something the two appreciate the most about this milestone.

“It's a pretty big accomplishment. It makes me feel a little bit older than I want to, but I'm proud of it. I'm proud that we've been able to do this as long and that we can have a strong impact on our community,” Packie said.

“This was always a goal to get this far. I know it's not something that happens often, so I'm really proud of it. Ultimately, we just want to thank our clients for sticking with us and helping us spread the word, as well as everyone on staff for making this all work,” Bianca said.

Although they were not sure how far it would go, they knew there was nothing else they wanted to do. For Bianca, Packie, and the entire UPBasketball team, reaching 10 years is a milestone that means so much. What began as a vision has grown into something far bigger than they could have imagined, and as they look ahead, they hope to continue giving athletes the same positive experience that started it all.