Lisa Willis played basketball as a child because it was fun. Her passion quickly grew for the game. She would study high school players’ games when she was only in elementary school. She had a daily workout that she crafted herself when she was eight years old. She had a basketball skills trainer when she was nine. She named her basketball Sammy and slept with him every night! She watched every single LA Lakers game on Channel 9 because there was no WNBA at the time. She did all of this for the LOVE of basketball. She wanted to be the best. There were no aspirations of fame attached to her love. Her love was pure. Her love was true. She took the time to learn the game of basketball because it made her happy. Beautiful story, right? Well that’s something of the past. Today, young girls are skipping over the hard work, dedication and passion components that paved the way for today’s game of women’s basketball. The fundamentals are being traded in for social media viewing audiences and hash tags. Mindful Development Hoops is determined to put the pure love back in the game. Fame is great. Don’t get us wrong. However, MD Hoops was inspired by the burning desire to help the continued growth of women’s basketball. It’s always great to be able to get paid for what you love doing, but MD Hoops is here to make sure we all are playing the game right!

Mindful Development Hoops recognizes that each player is a person first. Our mission is to advance the field of basketball, develop young women with active and creative minds, and be living examples of what all basketball (or any other passion) can provide with thought, hard work and fun. We stress the total development of each player: spiritual, moral, intellectual, social, emotional, and physical.

Education: We believe that while education isn’t the end all, we stress the importance as an athlete because we believe that through the love of learning one may find success.

Work Ethic: We believe in the ability to work hard for what you want stretches far beyond basketball. One day you will hang up your sneakers and will find that a player’s idiosyncratic ways will affect how they view the world and what they do with their life.

Sharpening the Tools: “What does it matter if you gain the world but lose yourself?” We cannot get caught up in the hard work so much that we forget (forfeit) enjoying ourselves. Integrity: We believe in always doing the right thing and standing up for what we believe to be right. No one wants to associate with a person who lacks moral values, who isn’t honest, and who isn’t sincere in their words. T.W.P! doesn’t want to either!

Perseverance: We believe that the ability to keep trying when things get tough is a quality that we all need. If we concede to defeat, that’s how we lose the war. But if we learn from our experiences and keep standing after a fall, we can win the war

Passion: We believe that passion is needed through the journey of life. Through the celebrations and learning experiences, passion will make it worthwhile. If there is an absence of passion, you’re wasting your time.

When it comes to the services that Mindful Development Hoops provide, once again, it’s all in the name. MD Hoops provide services that run parallel with our name. Because basketball may be a lifestyle for many, there is a great deal of basketball related concerns that have nothing to do a crossover or a pick and roll. There are a lot of things that players and their families have to be mindful about to ensure success for the player. Here, we provide Hoop Symposiums that may touch on the following:

• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Playing time
• Priorities
• Nutrition
• Goals
• Picking a college
• The Clearing House
• Mental fatigue
• Life after basketball
• College majors
• Dating
• Community service
• Extracurricular activities
• Psychology
• Resumes
• and much more.

Sometimes, one can give good advice on situations they have no experience with, but why take that chance with your child’s future? Here at MD Hoops we have successfully experienced almost any situation, difficult situations too, that you may think of. While we’re not claiming to have all the answers, we do have a network of other successful athletes that do! Our Hoop Symposiums have guest speakers, workshops, panel and more so that you can leave with your questions answered.When it comes to the services that Think. Work. Play! provide, once again, it’s all in the name. Once again, T.W.P! provide services that run parallel with our name. Because basketball may be a lifestyle for many, there is a great deal of basketball related concerns that have nothing to do a crossover or a pick and roll. There’s a lot of things that players and their families have to THINK about to ensure success for the player. Here, we provide Hoop Symposiums that may touch on teamwork, leadership, playing time, priorities, nutrition, goals, picking a college, the Clearing House, mental fatigue, life after basketball, college majors, dating, community service, extracurricular activities, psychology, resumes and much more. There are things that a players coach, parent, teacher, priest, or neighbor cannot help you with because they haven’t [successfully] experienced these things. Sometimes one can give good advice on situations they have no experience with, but why take that chance with your child’s future? Here at T.W.P!, we have successfully experienced almost any situation, difficult situations too, that you may think of. While we’re not claiming to have all the answers, we do have a network of other successful athletes that do! Our Hoop Symposiums have guest speakers, workshops, panel and more so that you can leave with your questions answered.

The developmental aspect is pretty straightforward. Here at MD Hoops we provide a great deal of services to allow players the platform to work on their game. We provide an environment that makes it cool to work hard. Through our Private Trainings, Group Trainings, Academies, Clinics, Camps and G.O. Sessions (Grind Out Session), any player can find a fit for them to improve his/her game.