Back in 2011, prior to his Playmaker Planner venture, when Coach Harris started ILL Basketball, it was just 1on1 training sessions. Then group trainings and skills camps were offered. After that, he and his coaches added select tournament teams to the mix of offerings. Then they started providing athleticism development to the equation. They were aiming to be a one stop shop for players. Skills, athleticism, and team play, all under one roof. Then Coach Harris learned a hard lesson, which was that no matter how skilled or athletic a player was, they would always hit a ceiling or plateau without having the correct character development programs to complement their on the court improvements. It wasn’t many that would slip through the cracks because they lacked the intangibles required to maximize their skill and athleticism development, but when it happened, Coach Harris would stay up many late nights wondering what he could’ve done differently. Then he built out a program teaching several life skills, like leadership or communication skills. He bagan thinking ok, he has got it now. He can’t help every player reach their next level on and off the court, but with programs in skills, athleticism, and character development simultaneously, he can get close. Then he was hit in the head with a hard lesson. There are several moving parts for players to max out their potential on and off the court, and many times they would get overwhelmed. They wouldn’t know what to focus on first, or how to balance their intentions effectively. On top of that, many parents weren’t clear themselves on what it took for their favorite player to reach full potential. This was the lesson that led to him being a leader in the field of developing student-athletes. Being the catalyst of connection between the moving parts that help athletes streamline their efforts towards achieving their goals on and off the court. The lesson of focusing on the overwhelm. At that moment, The Playmaker Planner, supporting products, and services were born.