ABOUT US

OUR MISSION

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Grow The Game provides college basketball student managers with free resources and opportunities in professional development and networking to kickstart their careers.

OUR STORY

Student managers are the backbone of college basketball programs across the country, doing everything from laundry, to driving players to class, to working out players, to helping prepare scouting reports.

However, many do this for little to no pay.

In the early stages of the pandemic, when the world was shutting down, Clemson Men’s Basketball Manager Jake Cerota and Kansas Men’s Basketball Manager Ashton Hopp saw a chance to make a positive impact amongst their peers. They collaborated to connect current and former student managers with a vision to give hardworking student managers free professional development and networking opportunities.

Cerota and Hopp came together to host weekly zoom meetings hosted by a former student basketball manager that were designed to teach current managers more about the game of basketball and the all-encompassing business. Following the presentation, attendees joined breakout rooms to connect 1-on-1 with other attendees. The backgrounds of our guests ranged from coaches, to scouts, to athletic administration, to media personnel. Grow the Game’s webinar series became a fast success, impacting hundreds of student managers and receiving countless positive reviews for the quality of guests, such as notable ESPN personality, Jay Bilas. See the full list of guests here.

In that first summer, we saw a real belief in student managers as the future of basketball. We were inspired to create a legitimate space to continue to exchange ideas.

Since 2020, we have grown to be established as an official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. While we continue to host zoom webinars, we have grown to include a mentorship program, summer development cohorts, GA Pathway and job fairs, events at the men’s and women’s final fours. Find more about our programming here.

Since Grow the Game’s inception, we have provided over $40,000 in scholarships all in thanks to our generous donors.

What started as an idea over text message between two student basketball managers has grown into an established non-profit making a positive impact on hundreds of student managers’ lives. As we continue our mission into 2025, we invite you to Grow the Game with us.

Grow the game’s 4 pillars

  • Grow the Game hosts several professional development cohorts including the DOBO Bootcamp, Coaches Cohort, Film/Analytics Cohort, and more!

  • Through “The Manager Connection”, student managers and graduate assistants build genuine relationships with mentors each month.

  • Graduating seniors can participate in Grow the Game’s Graduate Assistant Pathway program to become a GA or find entry level roles around basketball.

  • Scholarship opportunities for student managers to participate in the NABC Convention and for selected applicants, hotel accommodations.

  • "Grow the Game is a great resource for current and former managers across the country to network and brainstorm on how to be great at what they do and insight on how to make the next move."

    Jeff Boals, Ohio University Head Coach

  • "Grow the Game has created a community of student managers that takes care of each other, provides opportunities, and is growing constantly. There is so much to gain from joining this great community."

    Jeff Goodman, Basketball Analyst

  • "The best coaches are ongoing learners and people who want to continually develop. Grow the Game highlights the passion and relationships student managers provide to start their coaching career. "

    Dustin Kerns, Appalachian State Head Coach

BOARD MEMBERS

  • JAKE CEROTA

    CEO

    Read Bio

  • MEGAN BLACK

    COO

    Read Bio

  • ASHTON HOPP

    PRESIDENT OF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

    Read Bio

  • ADAM HOWARD

    PRESIDENT OF MEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

    Read Bio

  • HARRIS ADLER

    BOARD MEMBER

    READ BIO

GROW THE GAME AWARD RECIPIENTS

MANAGER OF THE YEAR

  • Drew Evenson: University of Minnesota Men’s Basketball

    Cali Mercer: Oklahoma State Women’s Basketball

  • University of Virginia Men’s Basketball

  • Indiana University Men’s Basketball

MANAGER ALL-AMERICA TEAM

  • MEN’S:

    Drew Evenson, Minnesota

    Ellis Spar, USC

    Ben Platt, Vermont

    Matt Suguitan, Washington

    Samantha Dotson, Utah Tech

  • MEN’S

    Will Corbin, Cal

    Drew Evenson, Minnesota

    Bennett Munds, Indiana

    Na’im Briggs, Howard

    Dillon Carson, Louisville

    WOMEN’S

    Tyler Lowder, Indiana

    Tamya Cann, UMKC

    Margaret Martin, Georgia

    Clary Pederson, Clemson

    Julia Bonasso, Alabama

  • Griffin Myers, Wisconsin

    David Siemer, St. Louis

    Nick Booth, Cincinnati

    Sheldan Christmas, Bellarmine

    Sam Back, Valaparaiso

    Mollie Patmore, Delaware

    Gabe Samangy, St. John’s

    Donte Johnson, Loyola Chicago

    Ethan Paff, Butler

    Peyton Mattingly, Lipscomb