Inside the League That’s Changing Chicago, One Game at a Time
For too many young men in Chicago, survival is a daily challenge. The wrong street, the wrong glance, the wrong moment—it can all go bad fast.
Inside One City, the rules are different. Rivals become teammates. Beefs get squashed. Safety is the standard.
From war zones to safe spaces
Chicago’s streets don’t offer many second chances. One City does.
Step inside a One City gym, and the noise of the streets fades away. No guns. No gang politics. No outside drama. Just the game, compassionate coaches providing mentorship, and a wealth of support resources.
This isn’t just about basketball. It’s about reprogramming mindsets, rewriting futures, and rebuilding trust—one pass at a time.
The mindset shift
A bad call could become a real problem in any other gym. At One City, players are coached with a different mentality:
"Let that sh*t slide."
It’s not just a phrase—it’s a survival skill. It teaches young men how to de-escalate conflict, not just on the court but in life. The lesson is simple: if you can let a foul call go, maybe next time, you can let something go outside, too.
This shift is intentional. One City isn't just hoping players learn how to handle conflict; they are training them to think, react, and ultimately live differently.
And it's working.
That change doesn’t stay within the walls of the gym. That connection is still there when players leave the tournament and run into each other in the neighborhood. As one coach explains, “Man, I’ve seen dudes who wouldn’t even look at each other before One City now dapping each other up in the neighborhood. It’s different when you’ve played together. Now it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s dude from One City.’ They let things slide that could’ve turned into something way worse.”
A chance meeting that once might have led to violence now turns into a head nod, a conversation, a moment of peace.
When enemies become teammates, everything changes
One City doesn’t let players stack teams with their boys. Every roster is built with guys from different sides of the neighborhood—even different sides of active conflicts.
At first, the tension is undeniable. Players are hesitant, some even resistant. Then, the game takes over. They’re forced to pass to someone they would never have spoken to. They take a screen from someone they were raised to see as an enemy. Slowly, they start to win together.
And that’s when it happens—the dap-up after the game. The text in the group chat. The moment in the neighborhood where someone who once would have been a target is now just another hooper.
It starts with a shared jersey. It becomes something more.
Beyond the game: building a future
One City isn’t about making NBA stars. It’s about making leaders.
That’s why One City players get more than just a gym. They get financial literacy workshops, career coaching, and access to trade certifications. One City provides new opportunities to go to school, start businesses, and land jobs in industries they never imagined possible.
Most of these young men won’t go pro, but every single one of them will leave One City with something bigger than basketball: opportunity.
The proof is in the peace
Neighborhood tensions are shifting. Players who once wouldn’t talk are now mentoring the next generation together, and lives are being saved.
A One City coach sums it up best:
"We’ve had guys who were one argument away from a funeral, and now? They’re in classrooms, job sites, and businesses. That’s the real win."
The real evidence for success, though, is that these games are reaching a tipping point toward peace, which can be shown in how players hold one another accountable. “You can see the shift—guys are checking each other now. ‘Don’t do anything that can mess this up for the rest of us.’ They know what One City means, and they’re making sure nobody brings drama into the gym.”
That is a powerful shift. The proof is in the peace.
One City is growing—fast.
What started as a series of annual tournaments in Chicago is now a national movement. Memphis has joined the game with NBA legend Tony Allen leading the charge. More cities are lining up, ready to bring One City to their streets. The State of Illinois just invested $2 million, backing what the streets already know: this program works.
And no matter how big One City gets, the mission stays the same: create a culture of safety where none existed before, use the game to break barriers that nothing else could, and give young men a future they can see, touch, and believe in.
Because when former enemies become teammates, the whole city wins.
And this is just the beginning.
A PATH TO OPPORTUNITY
Basketball is the hook, but the goal is economic opportunity, mental wellness, and better conflict-resolution skills.
For many young men stepping onto the court at One City, the game draws them in. It’s the thrill of competition, the chance to hoop, the adrenaline of a close game.
What keeps them coming back, though—what changes their lives—happens off the court.
One City isn’t about creating the next NBA superstar. It’s about making the next generation of community leaders, entrepreneurs, and skilled professionals.
That’s where the workshops come in.
BEYOND THE GAME: REAL-WORLD SKILLS FOR REAL-WORLD SUCCESS
At One City, players are expected to do more than show up for games. Participation comes with a price: invest in your future. They engage in workshops that provide tangible, life-changing skills.
Financial Literacy: Learning to Build Wealth, Not Just Spend It
For many participants, One City is their first experience getting paid to play. But what happens next? Instead of letting that money slip away, they learn how to manage it, how to budget, how to build credit.
Many of these young men have never had a bank account, a savings plan, or even an understanding of interest rates. One City ensures that they walk away with financial knowledge that lasts a lifetime.
Career Readiness: Getting Players Ready for Life After the Game
Basketball is temporary.
One City helps players build resumes, apply for jobs, and prep for interviews. Whether they want to go to college, start a business, or find stable work, they get the tools to make it happen.
One City also connects participants with mentors and professionals—people who have walked their path and can help them succeed.
Choices and Consequences: Learning from Lived Experience
One of the most impactful workshops offered at One City is Choices and Consequences, led by Jesse Webster, who knows firsthand how one decision can change everything.
Webster was sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent offense and spent over two decades behind bars before being granted clemency. Now, he dedicates his time to helping young men understand the weight of their decisions—before it’s too late.
“It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
In this workshop, participants hear real-life stories from people who’ve lived through the hardest lessons. It’s a wake-up call, but more importantly, it’s a roadmap to a better path.
Mental Health Support: Healing the Mind, Strengthening the Future
Too many young men carry trauma that’s never addressed. One City workshops provide a space to talk, reflect, and process what they’ve been through—whether it’s losing a friend to gun violence, growing up in instability, or just learning to navigate emotions in a healthy way.
One City ensures that players don’t just survive—they heal, grow, and thrive.
Economic Empowerment: The Power to Own Their Future
A paycheck is a start, but real empowerment comes from ownership and financial independence. One City workshops teach young men how to build wealth, not just earn wages.
Participants learn the basics of entrepreneurship, how to invest in themselves, and even how to start businesses that can create long-term financial security.
Entering the One City space at the third Leadership Summit, a full day is dedicated to workshops, skill-building, and training held once a tournament season you would have thought a game was going to be played. The same electricity in the air before a competition charged the space. The young men were energized by the opportunities on offer and the possibilities in front of them.
For these young men, the gym is the safe space—a place where they start to dream bigger.
The workshops are where those dreams take shape.
Through financial literacy, career development, real-life mentorship, economic empowerment, mental health, conflict resolution, and emotional regulation sessions, One City is proving that the game is just the beginning.
When a player leaves not just with a jumper but with a plan, that’s when we know we’ve won.