Penn-West Philadelphia Basketball League (PWBL)
The Penn-West Philadelphia Basketball League (PWBL – affectionately known as “P-Dub” to members of the league) offers an opportunity for middle school and high school students in West Philadelphia to engage with Penn students for high-quality basketball practice and live play, as well as mentorship opportunities. By providing safe spaces for young people to play and bringing together students from different neighborhood schools in West Philadelphia, PWBL encourages cross-town friendships and promotes a culture of unity and anti-violence.
PWBL involves about ninety students at three middle schools during the academic year. In summer 2025, PWBL piloted a cross-grade summer program. The summer program trained high school students to serve as basketball coaches and mentors for middle school students. At the same time, the high school coaches studied sports analytics and their influence on contemporary basketball.
Penn students – including a group of Penn Women’s Basketball players – coach early morning before school practices for middle schoolers, and students gather both at local middle schools and at Penn for weekly games. Marquese Johnson, the head coach of PWBL, is also a graduate of the program and a full-time staff member of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships.
PWBL operates within Netter Center’s University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS). All K-12 students who participate in PWBL are also enrolled in UACS programs that include math, literacy, and health education, food access programs, leadership training. The current program follows in the footsteps of the original PWBL, founded in 2004 by then-Penn student Matt Impink (C07). The program was revived in 2023 by a chance meeting between then-Head Coach of the Memphis Grizzlies Taylor Jenkins (W07) and Jason Rodriguez (W10), who both coached in the League during their time at Penn.
Through the engagement and generosity of PWBL Penn alumni, the program offers Penn student coaches and middle and high school players special opportunities, like visiting the floor of the Wells Fargo Center during the 76ers and Grizzlies match up, and career exploration opportunities in meetings with NCAA basketball scouts, NBA equipment managers, and other professionals in careers in and around sports.
The PWBL summer program gives a group of high school players the opportunity to learn more about sports analytics and business management through direct experience in drafting, coaching, and managing a league of middle school students. Through curriculum developed in conjunction with Penn students in the Wharton Undergraduate Sports Business Club, high school students explore the meaning and importance of statistics to the world of sports while also engaging in leadership and identity work.
Check out the PWBL feature in the Daily Pennsylvanian
Penn-West-Philly-Bball-League-Phila-Inquirer
Philadelphia Inquirer
May 14, 2024
For more information or to get involved, please contact Sara Kelly, Director of UACS Sports, Fitness, and Health at sdkelly@sas.upenn.edu