AAU Basketball Program Management Software: EBC Basketball's Switch From EZ Facility to Playbook
How one of the Pacific Northwest's largest AAU programs replaced a patchwork of tools—and found a partner who sketches expansion blueprints alongside them.
Read the Case Study Contact Us
EBC Basketball: AAU Program Overview
EBC Basketball is one of the Pacific Northwest's largest AAU youth basketball programs, operating a multi-court training facility in Kirkland, Washington. Founded by Mookie Fonoti, EBC runs year-round programs including AAU competitive teams, a skills academy, speed and agility training, camps, private coaching, court rentals, and the annual Valentine's Day Classic tournament. The organization became a Playbook partner in April 2024 and is currently planning a three-court expansion facility in Woodinville, WA.
EBC Basketball
Kirkland, Washington
Organization Snapshot
Claim to fame
One of the largest AAU programs in the Pacific Northwest, with a multi-court training center offering year-round competitive and developmental basketball.
Programs offered
Year-round AAU, skills academy, speed & agility, leagues, camps, Valentine's Day Classic tournament, private training, and court rentals.
Expansion underway
New three-court facility planned for Woodinville, WA—with Playbook ready to clone all workflows on day one of opening.
Switched to Playbook
April 2024
Why AAU Programs Outgrow EZ Facility: 4 Gaps That Slow Growth
Before Playbook, EBC ran on EZ Facility plus a half-dozen add-ons that never talked to each other — a pattern common to fast-growing AAU basketball programs.
Disconnected systems
Separate tools for web hosting, email marketing, SMS, memberships, app notifications, and facility booking — none of them synced. A problem familiar to most growing AAU programs.
Manual data management
Every roster update triggered a chain of manual exports. Staff spent hours per week keeping systems in sync instead of serving players — time that an all-in-one platform eliminates entirely.
Training academy limitations
A growing private-training business needed flexible credit packs, rolling memberships, and revenue tracking — none of which EZ Facility could handle cleanly.
No growth partner
Early conversations about a Woodinville facility expansion were gaining momentum, but no software vendor was willing or able to assist — a common ceiling for growing basketball organizations.
The tools sorta worked, but nothing talked to each other. Planning for growth felt risky. Mookie Fonoti — Co-Founder, EBC Basketball (Kirkland, WA)
Why EBC Chose Playbook Over EZ Facility
Four factors made Playbook the clear choice over continuing to patch EZ Facility with more tools.
All-in-one pricing
One subscription covers registration, scheduling, payments, web, email & SMS marketing, and a branded mobile app. No more paying for six separate platforms. See Playbook pricing.
Marketing depth
50+ out-of-the-box campaigns—flash sales, birthday offers, cart-abandon nudges, camp reminders—activated from day one with no additional setup.
Dedicated CS team
A named dedicated customer success coach, weekly check-ins, and same-day support replies—not a ticket queue. EBC staff always know who to call.
Future-proof AI roadmap
Early access to Teammate AI features: lead generation, highlight-reel generation, sponsor outreach agents, and AI-powered SMS fills slow time slots automatically.
EZ Facility vs. Playbook: Feature Comparison for AAU Programs
| Feature | EZ Facility | Playbook |
|---|---|---|
| Facility booking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Email marketing | ✕ (requires add-on) | ✅ Built-in |
| SMS marketing | ✕ (requires add-on) | ✅ Built-in |
| Branded mobile app | ✕ | ✅ iOS & Android |
| Marketing automation | ✕ | ✅ 50+ pre-built campaigns |
| AAU tournament registration | Limited | ✅ Team-based flows |
| Dedicated CS manager | ✕ | ✅ Named coach + weekly check-ins |
| AI-powered tools | ✕ | ✅ Roadmap active |
The platform checked the boxes, but the people sealed it. It's a family business that acts like part of ours. Mookie Fonoti — Co-Founder, EBC Basketball (Kirkland, WA)
How to Switch Basketball Management Software: EBC's 2-Week Migration
EBC's launch in spring 2024 was fast—two weeks—but the real story is how the partnership has deepened since.
Phase 1 — Quick Start (April 2024)
Two-week data migration
All rosters, membership records, and mailing lists were imported in 14 days. Staff arrived at work the following Monday and everything was already there—no manual re-entry of player data. See how sports software migration works.
Website relaunch
Playbook's web team rebuilt EBCbasketball.com on a faster, mobile-first template—replacing the patchwork of hosted pages that were slowing down registration conversions.
Marketing jump-start on day one
Pre-built email flows—welcome series, camp reminders, re-engagement sequences—were switched on immediately. EBC had never had automated marketing; they had fifty campaigns running within their first week.
We went from basically no automated marketing to having fifty campaigns running in our first week. It was a complete flip. Briana Crossan — EBC Training Centers, Kirkland, Washington
Phase 2 — Custom Workflows (Mid-2024 Onward)
As EBC's programs grew more complex—adding private training packages, speed & agility, and a full tournament division—the Playbook team built custom workflows to match.
Academy credit system
Custom credit-pack and rolling-membership workflow for private training—smoother coach-side check-ins and cleaner revenue tracking.
Tournament division launch
Team-based registration flow for the Valentine's Day Classic and future tournaments—coaches register entire squads, not individual players.
AI promo engine (beta)
Automated SMS offers targeting late-night and slow-hour rental slots—filling gaps that would otherwise sit empty.
We're expanding into a whole dedicated speed and agility area in August — and Playbook already has the category structure built. We didn't have to start from scratch. Briana Crossan — EBC Training Centers, Kirkland, Washington
They don't just answer tickets—they brainstorm with us. Even pulled in an architect to map future courts. Mookie Fonoti — Co-Founder, EBC Basketball (Kirkland, WA)
Phase 3 — Facility Expansion Partnership (2025)
When EBC began seriously planning their new three-court Woodinville facility, the conversation with Playbook went well beyond software. In a March 2025 strategy call, the two teams worked through operational modeling, AI-powered front-desk concepts, staffing structure for a second location, and long-term fundraising strategies—including an annual scholarship fundraiser projected to bring in $20,000+ per season.
Architectural drawings coordinated
Playbook connected EBC with architects to produce professional floorplans—giving the team investor-ready materials months before breaking ground.
AI check-in system scoped
Playbook is building a camera-and-AI check-in system—camera-side player identification to automate attendance logs across both facilities.
Virtual staffing model
Playbook introduced EBC to a Philippines-based virtual assistant model to handle inquiries, account help, and back-office tasks at Woodinville without the cost of additional on-site headcount.
Fundraising infrastructure
Playbook's fundraising tools—including peer-to-peer campaigns gamified with EBC swag rewards—are being activated for the facility buildout, with an ongoing annual scholarship fund following.
Incorporating AI for check-ins and having a virtual assistant who can handle inquiries — it just makes sense as we grow into Woodinville. The volume of questions alone is going to multiply. Briana Crossan — EBC Training Centers, Kirkland, Washington
We've built a strong personal connection with the Playbook crew. They work hard, they listen, and they make growth feel doable. Briana Crossan — Director of Operations, EBC Basketball (Kirkland, WA)
How an AAU Program Manages 6 Program Types on One Platform
Every part of EBC's business—from a three-year-old's first skills class to a competitive AAU tournament—now runs through a single platform.
Leagues & AAU
Interactive scheduler with a live family portal. Coaches manage rosters, parents see game schedules and standings in real time—no phone calls to the front desk.
Training Academy
Credit packs, auto-renew memberships, and coach payroll exports. The speed & agility expansion (August 2026) has its own category structure already built in Playbook.
Marketing
Drag-and-drop email campaigns, built-in SMS, and social posts queued in advance. A/B testing on subject lines is managed directly inside Playbook—no Mailchimp integration required.
Court Rentals
Real-time calendar with a utilization dashboard that highlights slow hours. The AI promo engine fires automated SMS discounts to fill gaps before they sit empty overnight.
Branded App
The branded EBC mobile app (iOS & Android) gives families schedules, payment links, and push-alert notifications under EBC's own branding—not a generic sports-app experience.
In-Person POS
Wireless POS devices (currently one, two planned for the August expansion) accept in-person payments for merchandise, training packages, and walk-up camp registrations—all synced to the same backend dashboard.
EBC Basketball Results: 35% Camp Registration Growth After Switching From EZ Facility
EBC is a little over a year into its Playbook partnership — camp registrations grew 35% year-over-year compared to their last full year on EZ Facility. Here's what else has changed.
One Dashboard
Staff no longer switch between EZ Facility, a separate email tool, an SMS platform, and a third-party app. Everything is in one place.
Consistent Brand
EBC's identity is consistent across the website, mobile app, email campaigns, and SMS — a cohesive experience families recognize instantly.
4–5 Hours Recovered Weekly
Staff recovered an estimated 4–5 hours per week previously spent on manual roster exports and cross-platform data syncing—time now redirected to coaching and member service.
Expansion-Ready
Architectural plans in hand, fundraising infrastructure active, and Playbook workflows already templated for the Woodinville opening.
EBC Basketball's Next 4 Initiatives with Playbook (2025–2026)
AI Highlight-Reel Generator
Turning on the Teammate AI highlight-reel generator for EBC showcase and AAU events—automatically clipping and distributing player moments to families and recruiting audiences.
Sponsor Outreach Agent (Beta)
Playbook's AI-powered sponsor outreach agent is identifying partnership opportunities in the Seattle-area market—automating outreach emails and tracking response rates on EBC's behalf.
NBA Player Summer Camps
Modeling after Playbook's NYC summer camp program—$25K in Facebook/Instagram spend generating 1.5M+ impressions, 2,000+ new family leads, and $200K+ in direct camp revenue per summer—EBC is planning to pilot NBA-player camps in Seattle.
Woodinville Facility Launch
Three new courts opening in Woodinville, WA. Playbook will clone all existing EBC workflows—registrations, marketing automations, court calendars, membership tiers—so the team is operational from day one without rebuilding anything from scratch.
Is Playbook Better Than EZ Facility for AAU Basketball Programs?
EBC's switch to Playbook replaced a patchwork of tools with one platform—and uncovered a partner invested in every step, from day-to-day marketing automation to future-court blueprints and AI-powered growth strategies. For fast-growing AAU and youth basketball programs, that combination of software depth and genuine human support can be the difference between staying stuck and actually scaling.
See how Village Pickleball runs facility operations on Playbook →
Explore Playbook for AAU & youth basketball programs →
AAU Basketball Software FAQ: EZFacility vs. Playbook
Common questions from AAU programs and youth basketball organizations exploring Playbook.
Ready to transform your basketball program?
Join EBC Basketball and hundreds of other sports organizations that have moved to Playbook's all-in-one platform.
Streamline Operations
Replace 6 tools with one platform
Enhance Experience
Modern tools for families and staff
Leverage AI
Automate marketing & operations
AAU Basketball Program Management Software: EBC Basketball's Switch From EZ Facility to Playbook
How one of the Pacific Northwest's largest AAU programs replaced a patchwork of tools—and found a partner who sketches expansion blueprints alongside them.
Read the Case Study Contact Us
EBC Basketball: AAU Program Overview
EBC Basketball is one of the Pacific Northwest's largest AAU youth basketball programs, operating a multi-court training facility in Kirkland, Washington. Founded by Mookie Fonoti, EBC runs year-round programs including AAU competitive teams, a skills academy, speed and agility training, camps, private coaching, court rentals, and the annual Valentine's Day Classic tournament. The organization became a Playbook partner in April 2024 and is currently planning a three-court expansion facility in Woodinville, WA.
EBC Basketball
Kirkland, Washington
Organization Snapshot
Claim to fame
One of the largest AAU programs in the Pacific Northwest, with a multi-court training center offering year-round competitive and developmental basketball.
Programs offered
Year-round AAU, skills academy, speed & agility, leagues, camps, Valentine's Day Classic tournament, private training, and court rentals.
Expansion underway
New three-court facility planned for Woodinville, WA—with Playbook ready to clone all workflows on day one of opening.
Switched to Playbook
April 2024
Why AAU Programs Outgrow EZ Facility: 4 Gaps That Slow Growth
Before Playbook, EBC ran on EZ Facility plus a half-dozen add-ons that never talked to each other — a pattern common to fast-growing AAU basketball programs.
Disconnected systems
Separate tools for web hosting, email marketing, SMS, memberships, app notifications, and facility booking — none of them synced. A problem familiar to most growing AAU programs.
Manual data management
Every roster update triggered a chain of manual exports. Staff spent hours per week keeping systems in sync instead of serving players — time that an all-in-one platform eliminates entirely.
Training academy limitations
A growing private-training business needed flexible credit packs, rolling memberships, and revenue tracking — none of which EZ Facility could handle cleanly.
No growth partner
Early conversations about a Woodinville facility expansion were gaining momentum, but no software vendor was willing or able to assist — a common ceiling for growing basketball organizations.
The tools sorta worked, but nothing talked to each other. Planning for growth felt risky. Mookie Fonoti — Co-Founder, EBC Basketball (Kirkland, WA)
Why EBC Chose Playbook Over EZ Facility
Four factors made Playbook the clear choice over continuing to patch EZ Facility with more tools.
All-in-one pricing
One subscription covers registration, scheduling, payments, web, email & SMS marketing, and a branded mobile app. No more paying for six separate platforms. See Playbook pricing.
Marketing depth
50+ out-of-the-box campaigns—flash sales, birthday offers, cart-abandon nudges, camp reminders—activated from day one with no additional setup.
Dedicated CS team
A named dedicated customer success coach, weekly check-ins, and same-day support replies—not a ticket queue. EBC staff always know who to call.
Future-proof AI roadmap
Early access to Teammate AI features: lead generation, highlight-reel generation, sponsor outreach agents, and AI-powered SMS fills slow time slots automatically.
EZ Facility vs. Playbook: Feature Comparison for AAU Programs
| Feature | EZ Facility | Playbook |
|---|---|---|
| Facility booking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Email marketing | ✕ (requires add-on) | ✅ Built-in |
| SMS marketing | ✕ (requires add-on) | ✅ Built-in |
| Branded mobile app | ✕ | ✅ iOS & Android |
| Marketing automation | ✕ | ✅ 50+ pre-built campaigns |
| AAU tournament registration | Limited | ✅ Team-based flows |
| Dedicated CS manager | ✕ | ✅ Named coach + weekly check-ins |
| AI-powered tools | ✕ | ✅ Roadmap active |
The platform checked the boxes, but the people sealed it. It's a family business that acts like part of ours. Mookie Fonoti — Co-Founder, EBC Basketball (Kirkland, WA)
How to Switch Basketball Management Software: EBC's 2-Week Migration
EBC's launch in spring 2024 was fast—two weeks—but the real story is how the partnership has deepened since.
Phase 1 — Quick Start (April 2024)
Two-week data migration
All rosters, membership records, and mailing lists were imported in 14 days. Staff arrived at work the following Monday and everything was already there—no manual re-entry of player data. See how sports software migration works.
Website relaunch
Playbook's web team rebuilt EBCbasketball.com on a faster, mobile-first template—replacing the patchwork of hosted pages that were slowing down registration conversions.
Marketing jump-start on day one
Pre-built email flows—welcome series, camp reminders, re-engagement sequences—were switched on immediately. EBC had never had automated marketing; they had fifty campaigns running within their first week.
We went from basically no automated marketing to having fifty campaigns running in our first week. It was a complete flip. Briana Crossan — EBC Training Centers, Kirkland, Washington
Phase 2 — Custom Workflows (Mid-2024 Onward)
As EBC's programs grew more complex—adding private training packages, speed & agility, and a full tournament division—the Playbook team built custom workflows to match.
Academy credit system
Custom credit-pack and rolling-membership workflow for private training—smoother coach-side check-ins and cleaner revenue tracking.
Tournament division launch
Team-based registration flow for the Valentine's Day Classic and future tournaments—coaches register entire squads, not individual players.
AI promo engine (beta)
Automated SMS offers targeting late-night and slow-hour rental slots—filling gaps that would otherwise sit empty.
We're expanding into a whole dedicated speed and agility area in August — and Playbook already has the category structure built. We didn't have to start from scratch. Briana Crossan — EBC Training Centers, Kirkland, Washington
They don't just answer tickets—they brainstorm with us. Even pulled in an architect to map future courts. Mookie Fonoti — Co-Founder, EBC Basketball (Kirkland, WA)
Phase 3 — Facility Expansion Partnership (2025)
When EBC began seriously planning their new three-court Woodinville facility, the conversation with Playbook went well beyond software. In a March 2025 strategy call, the two teams worked through operational modeling, AI-powered front-desk concepts, staffing structure for a second location, and long-term fundraising strategies—including an annual scholarship fundraiser projected to bring in $20,000+ per season.
Architectural drawings coordinated
Playbook connected EBC with architects to produce professional floorplans—giving the team investor-ready materials months before breaking ground.
AI check-in system scoped
Playbook is building a camera-and-AI check-in system—camera-side player identification to automate attendance logs across both facilities.
Virtual staffing model
Playbook introduced EBC to a Philippines-based virtual assistant model to handle inquiries, account help, and back-office tasks at Woodinville without the cost of additional on-site headcount.
Fundraising infrastructure
Playbook's fundraising tools—including peer-to-peer campaigns gamified with EBC swag rewards—are being activated for the facility buildout, with an ongoing annual scholarship fund following.
Incorporating AI for check-ins and having a virtual assistant who can handle inquiries — it just makes sense as we grow into Woodinville. The volume of questions alone is going to multiply. Briana Crossan — EBC Training Centers, Kirkland, Washington
We've built a strong personal connection with the Playbook crew. They work hard, they listen, and they make growth feel doable. Briana Crossan — Director of Operations, EBC Basketball (Kirkland, WA)
How an AAU Program Manages 6 Program Types on One Platform
Every part of EBC's business—from a three-year-old's first skills class to a competitive AAU tournament—now runs through a single platform.
Leagues & AAU
Interactive scheduler with a live family portal. Coaches manage rosters, parents see game schedules and standings in real time—no phone calls to the front desk.
Training Academy
Credit packs, auto-renew memberships, and coach payroll exports. The speed & agility expansion (August 2026) has its own category structure already built in Playbook.
Marketing
Drag-and-drop email campaigns, built-in SMS, and social posts queued in advance. A/B testing on subject lines is managed directly inside Playbook—no Mailchimp integration required.
Court Rentals
Real-time calendar with a utilization dashboard that highlights slow hours. The AI promo engine fires automated SMS discounts to fill gaps before they sit empty overnight.
Branded App
The branded EBC mobile app (iOS & Android) gives families schedules, payment links, and push-alert notifications under EBC's own branding—not a generic sports-app experience.
In-Person POS
Wireless POS devices (currently one, two planned for the August expansion) accept in-person payments for merchandise, training packages, and walk-up camp registrations—all synced to the same backend dashboard.
EBC Basketball Results: 35% Camp Registration Growth After Switching From EZ Facility
EBC is a little over a year into its Playbook partnership — camp registrations grew 35% year-over-year compared to their last full year on EZ Facility. Here's what else has changed.
One Dashboard
Staff no longer switch between EZ Facility, a separate email tool, an SMS platform, and a third-party app. Everything is in one place.
Consistent Brand
EBC's identity is consistent across the website, mobile app, email campaigns, and SMS — a cohesive experience families recognize instantly.
4–5 Hours Recovered Weekly
Staff recovered an estimated 4–5 hours per week previously spent on manual roster exports and cross-platform data syncing—time now redirected to coaching and member service.
Expansion-Ready
Architectural plans in hand, fundraising infrastructure active, and Playbook workflows already templated for the Woodinville opening.
EBC Basketball's Next 4 Initiatives with Playbook (2025–2026)
AI Highlight-Reel Generator
Turning on the Teammate AI highlight-reel generator for EBC showcase and AAU events—automatically clipping and distributing player moments to families and recruiting audiences.
Sponsor Outreach Agent (Beta)
Playbook's AI-powered sponsor outreach agent is identifying partnership opportunities in the Seattle-area market—automating outreach emails and tracking response rates on EBC's behalf.
NBA Player Summer Camps
Modeling after Playbook's NYC summer camp program—$25K in Facebook/Instagram spend generating 1.5M+ impressions, 2,000+ new family leads, and $200K+ in direct camp revenue per summer—EBC is planning to pilot NBA-player camps in Seattle.
Woodinville Facility Launch
Three new courts opening in Woodinville, WA. Playbook will clone all existing EBC workflows—registrations, marketing automations, court calendars, membership tiers—so the team is operational from day one without rebuilding anything from scratch.
Is Playbook Better Than EZ Facility for AAU Basketball Programs?
EBC's switch to Playbook replaced a patchwork of tools with one platform—and uncovered a partner invested in every step, from day-to-day marketing automation to future-court blueprints and AI-powered growth strategies. For fast-growing AAU and youth basketball programs, that combination of software depth and genuine human support can be the difference between staying stuck and actually scaling.
See how Village Pickleball runs facility operations on Playbook →
Explore Playbook for AAU & youth basketball programs →
AAU Basketball Software FAQ: EZFacility vs. Playbook
Common questions from AAU programs and youth basketball organizations exploring Playbook.
Ready to transform your basketball program?
Join EBC Basketball and hundreds of other sports organizations that have moved to Playbook's all-in-one platform.
Streamline Operations
Replace 6 tools with one platform
Enhance Experience
Modern tools for families and staff
Leverage AI
Automate marketing & operations