Legacy Hoops trains kids from ages 3 to adults—seen here is Junior Basketball Training, for ages Pre-K through fourth grade. Photos: Legacy Hoops Academy
Layups and life lessons are on the syllabus at Legacy Hoops Academy.
If you’ve been getting more inspired by basketball lately or have a kid who admires the Caitlin Clarks and Angel Reeses of the world, Woodbury might just have the place for you. Legacy Hoops Academy, formerly known as 43 Hoops, opened a second location—its first is in Hopkins—in Woodbury in 2022 and is very much in the business of inspiring people through sports.
Demondi Johnson, general manager, is one of those people who gets you amped and feeling good about yourself even over the phone. He’s dedicated to the kids who come to Legacy Hoops, not in small part because of his background as a counselor. “When you come to Legacy Hoops, we welcome everybody, make everybody feel comfortable and heard and give everybody a platform to become something,” Johnson says. “Create a legacy, and leave a legacy.” He has been with Legacy Hoops since 2013 when best friend and now owner, Rahmeen Underwood, connected him to the facility.
Legacy Hoops offers different types of programming for sports lovers from age 3 through adult. Junior Basketball Training is geared toward building skills for young kids. There are individual and group skills training opportunities for kids in fifth grade and up—including high schoolers, college athletes, professionals and adults. It also offers small group sessions and AAU teams for those looking for year-round training. It’s not all basketball, although that is its specialty—there’s a pickleball club for adults and club volleyball, too.
Johnson notes that you can become an excellent basketball player at Legacy Hoops, but you won’t get there without some life lessons, too. “We put kids in positions to succeed but also push those core values of integrity, working hard, being yourself and being OK with failure. Failure is a part of progress,” Johnson says. The facility is a place to develop well-rounded life skills. “I think the biggest thing is letting kids know that your path isn’t someone else’s. Being OK with what is designed for you. I speak a lot about passion and purpose,” Johnson says. “You find your greatness when those two meet each other.”
The Woodbury location is still relatively new, and the folks at Legacy Hoops are dedicated to continuing the family-like atmosphere that has become inextricable from the brand. “The main thing is the relationships. We’re all about family. That’s first and foremost,” Johnson says. “Getting good experiences, building relationships and development are our core goals for the kids that we’re working with. Teaching kids how to be great people, great role models. With sports, we want to maximize their potential on and off the court.”
As the business continues to build up a community in Woodbury, Johnson wants people to know that Legacy Hoops is there to bring something fresh to town. “Because we’re so new, we’re trying to be like a breath of fresh air, trying to be an outlet for the surrounding schools and community,” he says. “We’re new, we’re learning [and] we’re opening up our doors, so others can show us what this area is about. Honestly, what we want people to know is that we’re here, we’re open and we’re trying to do right by people.”
Legacy Hoops Academy
2122 Wooddale Drive Suite 150; 651.419.1136
Facebook: Legacy Hoops Academy
Instagram: @legacyhoopsacademy
X: @LegacyHoopsAca
