Coach's Corner: "Kris Becker -Wisconsin Playmakers"

Coach's Corner: "Kris Becker - The Standard Will Never Be Sacrificed Inside the Playmakers Family"

Twitter: @wiplaymakers

Kris Becker’s journey into coaching started humbly, but it has grown into one of the most respected grassroots platforms in the country. At just 21 years old, Becker began coaching a sixth-grade park district team in Deerfield, Illinois. That early experience lit a fire that carried him through youth leagues, high school sidelines, and eventually three years as a college assistant coach. In 2013, he joined the Wisconsin Playmakers program with a 14U boys team. Only a year later, he took over as Director and launched the girls' side, creating opportunities for athletes across the state and building one of the most successful grassroots families in the Midwest. Today, as Director of the Playmakers, his leadership sets the tone for everything the organization stands for. You can follow Kris on Twitter at @wiplaymakers.

While basketball has always been central to Kris’s professional background, it also includes years in finance and accounting. Though still active in that space on a smaller scale, his true passion is in the gym. His coaching is deeply personal, and though his own son has reached the DI level, he never let that influence his decisions. The path has always been forward, focused on growth, improvement, and enjoying the process of watching his son forge his own story. For Kris, being in the gym with him is special, but watching him chase his own journey in life through basketball is even more rewarding.

When asked about his “why,” Kris points directly to the players, games, and practices bring joy, but the real fulfillment comes when athletes reach their goals. Whether those dreams are making a high school roster, playing in college, or even going beyond, seeing kids achieve their aspirations is what drives him. His mission goes even further; he loves the practice gym, the grind of development, and the chemistry that grows between teammates, coaches, and families. For him, the connection through the entire program is vital. Nothing beats watching players from different teams within the organization support each other like family.

That family identity is why Kris has become the face of the Playmakers. He’s built the program on a foundation that never wavers: the standard will never be sacrificed. Culture, effort, and an intense commitment to being the right kind of teammate always come before individual success. “What we are is as important as how we play,” he stresses. The Playmakers demand excellence from each other and embrace the hard things, because those values give them their best chance to compete at the highest level. That belief isn’t just words; it’s lived. In St. Louis against Team Breakdown, 51 players filled the 17U bench, cheering and supporting as one. No script, no pressure, just proof of a family that truly walks the walk.

Kris is quick to downplay compliments about his basketball IQ. He points instead to experience, trusted mentors, strong resources, and toughness. Toughness, he says, matters, and the Playmakers embody it. His career hasn’t been without adversity. He admits to making mistakes, some covered by his players, others costing success. The hardest came when one of his players was unfairly ruled ineligible for varsity play due to politics and outside voices. Though her family never blamed him, Kris felt the weight. In the end, she went on to play DI basketball, having a great five-year career and proving that resilience and persistence win.

The recruiting world, however, has changed. With the transfer portal and NIL reshaping the landscape, it has become tougher for high school athletes. The reality, Kris explains, is that the 20-year-old version of a player is more appealing than the 18-year-old version. The path to the highest level now often runs through lower levels first. That means players must adapt, compete, and trust themselves. Playing college basketball at any level is one of the toughest challenges they will face, but it’s also one of the greatest blessings. Basketball becomes a tool to teach life lessons that last far beyond the court.

Inside the Playmakers, Kris’s message to his athletes is, "Don’t focus on odds, focus on the path. Buy into the journey, not the comparisons that social media magnifies. Commitment, dedication, and daily work are what matter most. Offers aren’t the end goal, they are simply the byproduct of doing things the right way".

To athletes everywhere chasing their dreams, Kris’s advice is blunt and powerful:

1. You are the only thing stopping you from reaching your dream.

2. Keep your circle small. Surround yourself with people who truly want you to succeed, not those who want to succeed through you.

Those words echo the heartbeat of the Playmakers program. Kris Becker has built more than a platform; he has built a family where standards are high, culture is sacred, and players learn how to succeed on and off the court. The standard will never be sacrificed, and under his leadership, the Playmakers continue to prove why they are among the most trusted programs in the country.