Key Takeaways
- Community Playbook Academy launched in November 2025 as a subscription-based online resource for aspiring youth sports organizers priced at $65 per month.
- Lucas Armstrong built Pine Bluff’s Youth Basketball League from a struggling program to a community hub serving youth athletes since 2017.
- The platform offers weekly online lessons covering nonprofit setup, talent development, and organizational structure.
- Armstrong’s mentorship model has already produced new youth sports operators, including Ryan Hayes, who launched the Dribble Academy training program.
From Local League to National Resource
Lucas Armstrong spent nearly a decade building the Youth Basketball League in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Now he’s packaging that experience into an online course designed to help others replicate his community-centered approach.
The Community Playbook Academy, which launched in November 2025, offers a subscription-based curriculum at $65 per month. The platform includes modules and weekly lessons covering the fundamentals of starting and operating a youth sports organization.
“It covers everything I’ve done over the last 10 years,” Armstrong said. “There are people out there who aspire to help kids through sports, but don’t know how just like I didn’t know at one point.”
Rebuilding a League Through Community Focus
Armstrong’s credibility stems from his track record in Pine Bluff. When he took over the Youth Basketball Association in 2016, participation had declined significantly. His solution centered on community engagement rather than basketball alone.
“When I looked at it the first year, it had gone down. We didn’t have that many kids,” Armstrong said. “When we took it over that first year, and we brought it back up instantly. I brought the community in, and that’s how we started to build the league back up.”
Under his leadership, the league expanded programming to include back-to-school events and recognition programs honoring community members. The organization also established a scholarship program, with Lakeith Smith becoming the first recipient of a $500 award.
A Model for Replication
The Academy’s curriculum addresses practical startup challenges including nonprofit formation, talent development, and organizational structure. Ryan Hayes, who trained under Armstrong and now runs the Dribble Academy, described the approach.
“It’s basically showing you step by step how to create your organization, how to get it under a non-profit, and really show you how important it is to develop the talent within the league,” Hayes said.
Armstrong’s stated goal is to expand beyond digital courses. “My goal is to go around the United States speaking and helping build communities through the youth sports industry,” he said.
The Community Playbook Academy enters a market where grassroots sports organizers often lack formal training or operational resources. Whether Armstrong’s local success translates to a scalable national model will depend on the platform’s ability to address the varied needs of communities beyond Pine Bluff.
via: KATV
photo: Lucas Armstrong
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