Basketball is the most popular sport in the U.S. and several collegiate and NBA players began their athletic careers in travel basketball, where tournaments are held across the country and can host hundreds, sometimes thousands, of athletes over the course of a few days.
One common challenge in the industry, however, is the lack of a centralized event location. Coaches, players and families often travel across towns to multiple venues to compete in one tournament. This was a problem Blake Thompson (UT M.S., ’12) aimed to solve when he founded Teammate Basketball in 2017.
While volunteering with a youth basketball organization in 2012, Thompson — a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a Master of Science in Recreation and Sport Management from the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences — began envisioning ways to enhance the overall experience. From coordinating multi-court facilities to streamlining online schedules and logistics, he wanted to make tournaments more efficient, organized and enjoyable for everyone involved.
Empowering Athletes, Impacting Communities
Teammate Basketball is a grassroots organization that empowers young athletes through events focused on basketball development and life skills such as teamwork, respect and communication. The organization hosts around 50 events annually in approximately 15 states, culminating in a national championship each summer.
In the company’s early years, Thompson faced challenges convincing facilities to host his tournaments. He spent hours cold-calling venues across the region, often hearing “no” more than “yes.” Over time, his persistence paid off. Those early efforts helped him build relationships that have since turned into continuity and consistency for Teammate Basketball’s events.
A surprising discovery for Thompson after hosting these tournaments was the economic impact they had on local communities. With hundreds of teams traveling in for each event, families book hotel rooms, dine at local restaurants and shop in the area, boosting revenue for the host city.
“One thing I didn’t realize early on in my travel basketball hosting experience is the impact that we were able to have on the host community, economically speaking,” Thompson said. “These events turned into big, economic engines. We are infusing a local host economy with 100-200 teams.”
Now, potential host cities reach out to Teammate Basketball to express interest in hosting tournaments, an arrangement that benefits both the organization and the local economies.
A major milestone approaching for Teammate Basketball is its 10th anniversary, coming up in 2027.
“That’s an anniversary that seemed just unapproachable at first,” Thompson said. “But we’ve hosted hundreds of events and hundreds of thousands of young athletes, and it’s been really rewarding to be a small part of their basketball journey and having them go on and play in college, play professionally or get jobs in basketball or sports related occupations.”
Teammate Basketball will host its eighth annual National Championship from June 18-21, 2026, in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Previous championships have taken place in cities such as Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
From Collegiate Athlete to Volunteer to Sports Entrepreneur
A native of Cartersville, Georgia, Thompson grew up playing basketball and went on to compete collegiately as a point guard for Georgia Southern University, where he earned a degree in finance in 2010. Thomspon then came to UT for a graduate degree, which he credits with giving him the foundation to launch a business like Teammate Basketball.
“The strengths and the resources the university provides right from the start and completing the master’s in sport management program really set my trajectory,” Thompson said.
UT students have served as interns for Teammate Basketball over the company’s 10 years, a partnership Thompson says has been an important part of the company’s growth.
About the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, housed in the UT Haslam College of Business, is the front door to entrepreneurship at the university, connecting entrepreneurs and innovators at every stage with the resources, networks and expertise needed to solve real challenges. By cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset across campus, connecting entrepreneurs with resources and mentorship they need to grow and collaborating with the UT and regional ecosystem, the Anderson Center is developing an entrepreneurial culture where Volunteers are empowered to identify unmet needs and take bold action to create value through new ventures.
Author
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Kelsey Craighead, marketing and events coordinator, kcraigh2@vols.utk.edu
Contact
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Leah McAmis, senior editor, leah@utk.edu
Contact
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