Beginning 12 years ago, Ball By Design, located in Deerfield Beach Florida, pursued its mission of supporting and developing youth basketball athletes through skills training and competitive exposure opportunities. In partnership with MADE Hoops, the organization has continued to emphasize athlete development by participating in camps and clinics designed to help players improve their skills and gain exposure to higher levels of competition.
The organization gradually shifted its focus from initially forming a large number of teams made up of new players to developing a smaller, more competitive structure centered on long-term athlete growth. After scaling back to four teams, Ball By Design steadily expanded each year by building stronger rosters of athletes through the middle school level. In 2026, the organization is fielding teams in each high school division, marking another stage in its development. Program leaders said the goal is to continue helping players strengthen their skills, build confidence in their abilities and further develop their potential, while creating a stronger foundation for the program overall.
“A goal of ours is to create a stronger reputation, by adding more players and having a more unique niche of a program with such a strong younger team,” said Casey Wohleb, Director of Ball By Design.
Pleased with the decision to join the MADE Hoops Circuit, Wohleb expressed gratitude and excitement for the opportunities the organization could provide youth athletes both nationally and internationally.
“They made us feel seen and understood. We are very happy and very happy with the decision we made to join the MADE hoops,” said Wohleb.
This 2026 season for Ball By Design’s 15U-17U teams included four Brazilian youth athletes a part of the Brazilian national team: 15U wing Caio Leopoldo, 16U guard Luigi Borio, 16U: Gustavo Machado, and 17U wing Francesco Borio.
By emphasizing effort, pace and decision-making, Ball By Design focuses on developing athletes who can compete at a high level on both ends of the court. The program stresses playing with intensity while making quick offensive decisions with and without the ball, using skill development and technique to help athletes improve and succeed in competitive play.
“Playing internationally helped me a lot, both on and off the court,” said Francesco Borio, (who is signed with Division II Lynn University (FL). “Coming from Brazil and then playing in the U.S. the last 4 years really showed me different styles of basketball and made me get better as a player. Now that I’m going to college next year, it motivates me even more to keep pushing myself and see how far basketball can take me. I think BBD can really motivate younger international players because it shows that with hard work and the right people around you, you can achieve a lot.”
With international athletes competing on its teams, BBD has continued to expand its approach to player development through a blend of international and American styles of play. Program representatives said the athletes represent not only themselves, but also the opportunity to bring different experiences and perspectives to the court.
“We try to teach players to have half a second when to make a decision to pass, shoot or drive it and Steph Curry notably mentions that with the Warriors,” said Wohleb.
Feeling as though simply from playing with Ball By Design, and at MADE Hoops clinics, Gustavo Machado of the 16U team has new found confidence since joining the program, he plays with a higher intensity, and more quickly, leading himself to improving his game in a way he is fond of.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to play on a team with such a great environment and coaches who help me keep developing,” said Machado.
Both athletes spoke about their experiences competing at a high level and the impact it has had on their development through their time playing on each of these teams.
“Representing Brazil at my age has taught me to play hard and stay focused every time I step on the court,” said Caio Leopoldo. “It also helped me grow as a person, making me more disciplined and mature.”
Drawing from observations of both international and American basketball systems, Wohleb said the program works to combine elements from each style to create a cohesive training approach focused on skill development, teamwork and high-level competition for Ball By Design athletes and participants in MADE Hoops camps.
“When I watch international games like FIBA, the players are very good at making reads, moving together, the defense allows the offense to do that more, less ball pressure, it is usually a more fluid game,” said Wohleb. “They understand a lot of different actions, play with good timing and pace, they are very good with ball screens. All of which is what we like to see. American defense doesn’t allow you to be comfortable to be comfy in your offense and tries to bother and district the offense with physicality with pressures, it’s more distributive, where Europe reacts to the offense and does not allow easy shots or scores but isn’t trying to bother and disrupt offense as much.”
These four international athletes bring what Wohleb described as an important influence to their respective teams through their experience and style of play. Their development in the sport has contributed to the program’s emphasis on pace, transition play and defensive intensity.
“Most teams these days don’t really move the ball and play the right way,” said Luigi Borio. “But playing in BBD with coach Casey gave me the privilege of playing real Basketball. This way of playing makes me so grateful knowing I am in the right position for the next level.”
As part of Ball By Design’s talented program, these four athletes are being introduced to a faster tempo and more demanding defensive training, with the organizations focusing on increasing the speed and competitiveness of play during practices and competition.
“We are very excited to be growing with MADE Hoops,” said Wohleb.
