Neighbors launch Southside travel basketball program

A group of fourth through eighth-grade boys in matching Southside Bulldogs gear sat together in the stands at Roosevelt High School, watching a varsity basketball game. For the coaches who launched Southside Minneapolis’ new travel program, the moment represented something bigger.

Those boys weren’t just spectators. They were the next wave of neighborhood basketball.

This winter marked the first season of the Southside Minneapolis Youth Sports Association, a competitive neighborhood-based boys traveling basketball program league serving fourth through eighth graders. Unlike recreational park board basketball, which typically runs short seasons with limited practice, travel teams compete in tournaments across the metro areas and practice multiple times a week.

Longtime volunteer coaches and community members created SMYSA to fill what they call a growing gap in local youth sports.

“It’s really been an accumulation of several years,” said SMYSA Board President Steve Murray. “If we really wanted to create a strong community experience and develop players as people, we needed to do it this way.”
For years, many Southside players who wanted more competition had limited options. Park board basketball offers seasons that are usually about eight weeks, with one practice per week. Middle schools like Sanford and others in the area typically offer only one team per middle school level, leaving many sixth and seventh-graders without a school team.

“Development on these kids is kind of slim when you’re only getting them an hour a week,” said Marques Sanders, a board member and coach who has volunteered in the Longfellow neighborhood for a decade. “We knew we could give these kids more.”

Southside’s new program extends the season and increases practice time, with players averaging closer to three practices every week. The teams start playing tournaments in November and December, allowing players to participate in school basketball later in the winter and younger players to still join recreational leagues.

Over the past decade, Murray says more Minneapolis families have turned to travel programs outside the city. Many commuted to the suburbs for practices and tournaments. Murray and Saunders said they didn’t want Longfellow athletes leaving their community to compete.

“We were losing that community feel,” Murray said. “Kids were having to go outside the neighborhood to get that experience.”

Travel sports can also become expensive quickly. With tournament fees, uniforms and overnight trips, cost can become a concern for families.

Southside’s program aims to create what Murray calls a “low-barrier travel experience.” The teams only play six tournaments, and all are within 30 minutes of the neighborhood. There are also no overnight stays, and coaches seek tournaments that don’t charge admission fees for spectators. The program is designed to keep costs and travel manageable for families.

Fundraising and sponsorships help with costs. In one community outreach effort, players split into small groups and visited local businesses to introduce the program and ask for support.

“It wasn’t just about raising money,” Murray said. “It was about helping our players learn how to start conversations and represent something bigger than themselves.”

Marques said the response from families and businesses has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Parents love it,” he said. “It’s been nothing but positive on my end.”

For the players, the difference is noticeable, too.

Eighth grader Jasper Davis joined after friends encouraged him to fill an open roster spot. He said the coaching stands out.

“Coaches actually know what they’re doing,” he said. “They build me as a player. They think about the actual team itself, not just winning.”

Sixth grader Leo Johnson said he wanted to do “more challenging stuff” than rec basketball. After his team took first place in a recent tournament, he said he felt “happy.”

Malcolm Nelson, another eighth grader, called joining SMYSA “a bigger step” after years in rec. Though team chemistry is still a work in progress, he said that the practices are more serious and competitive.

Even the youngest players feel the shift. Fourth grader Ezra said he joined because the team is closer to his house and he can play with many of his friends. He notices the difference in the structure, too. “We have more practices,” he said.

Coaches emphasize that improvement isn’t just measured by playing time or points. Teamwork matters, too.

“One of the things I always tell my teams right away is we’re not making fun of nobody. We’re not putting our teammates down,” Sanders said. “We’re only as good as every player on the team, from first to last.”

One of the Southside Bulldogs eighth-grade teams won a consolation championship in double overtime against the Minneapolis Lakers on March 14.

Murray emphasized that building a team culture with growth and relationships takes intention. “It’s really about showing them their value is more than just their performance on the court,” he said.

Looking ahead, Murray said that Southside girls’ basketball teams are in the plan for the future. Coaches, families, and community members want more South Minneapolis kids to grow up playing together and eventually represent their neighborhood high schools.

The program’s spring season for current players began in early April, and tryouts for the 2026-2027 teams are expected to take place in mid-September. For more information about the Southside Minneapolis Youth Sports Association, visit www.southsidemplsyouthsports.org or contact southsidemplsyouthsports@gmail.com.
Amanda Reed is an upcoming senior at the University of Minnesota, majoring in journalism. She enjoys dancing, reading, and making jewelry in her free time.