For decades, summer basketball belonged to AAU. But a quiet shift has been underway—one driven by equity, access, and a new path for high school athletes to be seen by college coaches. At the center of this movement is Romeoville Live, an NCAA-certified scholastic showcase built with one mission: open the door for every athlete, not just the ones already on a circuit.
Coach Marc Howard, who serves as both Assistant Operations Manager for the Village of Romeoville and the basketball coach for Romeoville High School saw a gap. When the NCAA expanded certification to include high school programs, most schools didn’t know how to run events at scale. But Romeoville had the facility, the insight, and the drive to make it happen.
Today, Romeoville Live draws over 150 teams and 200 college coaches. It’s a magnet for talent, a launchpad for scholarships, and a model for what’s possible when a powerful vision is backed by the right tech. A great event doesn’t just need a court and a crowd. It needs structure, flow, and the tools to make it all run with confidence.
The results speak for themselves. But what’s more impressive is how it all came together. From flawless scheduling on 14 courts to streamlined ticketing, hotel logistics, and sponsor activations, Romeoville Live delivered a pro-level experience without the chaos. For tournament operators wondering what it takes to scale with confidence, serve athletes better, and keep coaches coming back year after year, this is a blueprint worth studying. Here’s how they pulled it off.
What Happens When a High School Coach Thinks Like a Tournament CEO?
It all started with a shift in the rules. When the NCAA opened the door for certified scholastic showcases, a new lane emerged for high schools to host events that put their athletes directly in front of college coaches. No middlemen, no AAU clubs. Just varsity talent competing for attention and opportunity.
Coach Howard saw the moment for what it was. A longtime high school basketball coach, he knew exactly what was missing from most tournaments. So he raised his hand, took the lead, and built something bigger: a fully certified, college-scouted showcase that aimed to level the playing field for athletes from all backgrounds.
In just three years, Romeoville Live exploded from a grassroots idea into a 156-team, 14-court, three-day event packed with more than 300 games. Over 200 college coaches were on-site watching future prospects. And with expectations rising, Coach Howard needed a partner that could deliver more than software. He needed a system that could run the show without slowing him down. A system that could scale. A system that could deliver.
How the Right Tech Turns a Big Weekend Into a Breakthrough Moment
To bring Coach Howard’s vision to life, Romeoville Live needed more than just a platform. It needed a complete operations engine that could manage scheduling, ticketing, travel, and sponsor activation all in one place, while staying athlete-first. That’s where Fastbreak came in.
Smarter Schedules That Coaches Count On
With 156 high school teams across 14 courts and more than 300 games packed into one weekend, scheduling could have been chaos. But thanks to Fastbreak Compete’s AI Schedule Engine, Coach Howard and his team turned complexity into clarity.
The engine took inputs like school size, geography, and competitive level to generate balanced pools and brackets. It spaced out match times to avoid conflicts and created logical flows for coaches who needed to scout multiple games at once. Real-time updates ensured that what showed in the app always reflected what was actually happening on the court.
“Once we set the brackets, Fastbreak took over,” said Coach Howard. “We had games running every hour on the hour with no glitches. Coaches, refs, and spectators all told us how smooth it was. That’s the difference great tech makes: it lets us focus on delivering a great experience.”
Mobile Ticketing That Kept Things Moving
Spectators had no interest in long lines or paper tickets. With mobile ticketing in place, entry was smooth and fast. The Fastbreak’s Tap-to-Pay feature made it quick and convenient for fans to purchase tickets right at the door, keeping lines short and people moving quickly into the venue. Putting tickets on sale early online reduced the work of selling tickets on site, and offering separate ticket options for fans and college coaches made it possible to track attendance.
“The line moved fast. The Tap-to-Pay feature made check-in smooth and hassle-free.”
Travel Booking Made for Busy Teams
Nearly 40 percent of teams traveled from outside the Chicago area. Coordinating hotels could have been a logistical nightmare. But with branded booking portals and pre-arranged room blocks near the venue, Fastbreak Travel made it simple. After positive feedback from teams, room block planning is now a core part of Romeoville’s growth strategy moving forward.
“Fastbreak Travel made it easy and convenient for our out-of-town teams. “They didn’t have to scramble for hotels or wonder if they were close to the venue, it was all handled.”
Coach Marc Howard
Sponsors on the Sidelines, Right Where They Belong
This year, fans and players got more than great basketball, they received a recovery boost right on-site thanks to a Promino that delivered free samples and memorable brand engagement. The response from families and athletes was strong, showing the value of well-matched sponsors in elevating the tournament experience. With Fastbreak Connect making it easier to attract and manage these partnerships, Romeoville Live is setting the stage to grow sponsor presence in 2025. The goal: offer multi-brand packages that enhance the event for attendees while turning every sideline into a high-impact marketing moment.
Proof That The Right Exposure Matters
The results spoke for themselves. Over 200 college coaches, from Division I programs to junior colleges, packed the venue to scout talent. Thanks to the structure, flow, and professionalism of the event, coaches were able to evaluate players efficiently and confidently. Within days, dozens of athletes received scholarship offers — a clear sign that Romeoville Live is delivering on its mission to create opportunity.
Chrys Cornelius, Director of Basketball Operations, reflected on the effort that went into building that visibility:
“All we would talk about is the Romeoville Live Summer Shootout. The communication that Marc and I had leading up to the event was unreal. We were on the phone until 2am-3am making sure college coaches would be there.”
“With me being a D1 College Coach for 28 years, I know what things are supposed to look like and I know what things are not supposed to look like. We just wanted to make the experience great for everyone involved, especially the college coaches we worked hard to get in the gym.”
The response was overwhelming. “Fastbreak is by far the best product we’ve used,” said Coach Howard. What started as a local vision has become a nationally recognized recruiting event and a trusted platform for showcasing high school talent. With strong feedback from coaches and families, Romeoville Live is now a fixture on the summer circuit and poised for even more impact next year, drawing more teams from outside of Illinois.
What’s Next? Bigger Goals, Smarter Software, and More Impact
Coach Howard is not slowing down. After drawing 156 teams and more than 200 college coaches in 2025, his sights are set on even more for next year. The 2026 event aims to cross 200 teams and attract upwards of 300 coaches, creating even more visibility for athletes from underrepresented programs.
To support this growth, Romeoville Live will fully integrate with Fastbreak’s registration system, eliminating the need for separate forms and spreadsheets. It will also be one of the first events to use Fastbreak’s new stat-keeping app, giving coaches and scouts real-time access to player performance during games. Add to that a push for expanded travel support, more sponsor activation zones, and segmented post-event feedback forms, and it’s clear this event is leveling up.
For Coach Howard, it’s all about breaking down financial barriers and opening new doors. “We want to save as many families as much money as we can,” he said. “If a kid can use their talent to get a free education, we want to be the event that helps make that happen.”
Why Romeoville Live Is More Than a Weekend Tournament
Romeoville Live isn’t just a well-run event. It’s a case study in what happens when the right mission meets the right technology. With a vision rooted in access, equity, and exposure, and the tools to execute at scale, the event has become a critical moment in the recruiting calendar.
“This was a community event with major support from Romeoville High School and the Village of Romeoville,” said Coach Marc Howard. “It could not be done without all the contributions from the Romeoville basketball staff and my personal family. We had all hands on deck contributing to the success of the Romeoville Shootout.”
Fastbreak’s unified platform made it possible. From AI-powered scheduling and mobile ticketing to stay-to-play travel and sponsor engagement, the technology removed friction and allowed the focus to stay where it belongs: on the athletes.
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