Book Private Basketball Lessons with Coach Thomas
I am a passionate Basketball Coach that has worked with as young as six years old, through High School Varsity Head Coaching and Elite Club Level Head Coaching, all the way up to working for DU's Men's Basketball Team last year. I am USA Gold Basketball Licensed to coach, I am up to date in all certifications to be a CHSAA varsity head coach and I am NCAA Coaching Certified, along with other training 1. I believe that the player I am training should have say in what the session will look like. I have a short survey to understand the player's needs, but I also prefer a quick 15 minute video call to get on the same page, ask about goals, what the focus is, build the practice plan together and ensure efficiency in our sessions. 2. I like to communicate and engage my players outside of sessions by offering videos and drills to help the player practice at home, offer support and track our goals 3. I also like to evaluate to see what goals we've achieved, improvement and discuss what to add to their game next.
Denver, CO
Available: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat
0 Lessons
- Basketball
- Background Check
- Contact Information
- Experience Verified
Choose Lesson Package
Participants
1
Try Coach Thomas risk free. If you don't love your first lesson, we'll switch you to another coach or give you a full refund.
Weekly Availability
Monday
10:15 PM - 3:15 AM
Tuesday
5:00 PM - 3:30 AM
Wednesday
10:30 PM - 3:30 AM
Thursday
5:30 PM - 2:30 AM
Friday
5:30 PM - 11:30 PM
Saturday
5:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Sunday
Unavailable
Don't see your preferred date/time? This is only general availability - alternative times may be possible.
Get to know Coach Thomas
About Me:
As a player, I was selected to the largest youth basketball tournament in Europe, called Escobasquet. At the height of my playing days, I was able to play a quick season at Oak Hill Academy with former NBA Top 10 pick, Brandon Jennings. Unfortunately, after reconstructive knee surgery my playing days were over at age 16 and that is when I turned to coaching.
How I can help you improve your game:
1. I need to know what they want to improve on, why, what their overall goals are and gather their thoughts so I can build a personalized plan, with their input.
2. I believe in a positive reinforcement coaching style that begins with a challenge. Not only do I want to verbally teach and give directions of what I want, but I ALWAYS explain why. Then, I will demonstrate or cover it live. I will coach them hard through the drill, reminding of details, what to focus on, what looks great and continuing to challenge while maintaining positive energy. As they push along, I get more excited and engaged and once they have completed the challenge successfully, they get all the love and excitement from me to affirm their accomplishment. And then I ask, what's next?
- I have run individual workouts with all of the DU basketball players from guards wanting to work on shooting to our 7'1 Big, Isaiah Carr, working in the post
What a typical training session looks like with me:
The training session is always planned out well in advance, with several options of similar skills to work on, input from the player to personalize it and focus on efficiency.
- I focus on taking advantage of having a coach on-site, with equipment that will mix it up and give contact. You can shoot, finish, and work on ball handling on your own, but having contact (such as a body pad) and live feedback is unmatched.
- My specialty is footwork, efficiency of movement, shooting and improving finishing with body control, balance and through contact I will use basic, advanced, new moves to add to their bag, using the body pad or defending myself.
- There will always be a focus or focuses, tracking of goals during the session (such as keeping track of three-point shooting). I also encourage that between every 2 drills that we stop, shoot 10 free throws and keep track.
- I will come to sessions with folders and packets of practice plans with A, B, C and even D plans in case we need to adjust or if the player wants to add their own touch. As I mentioned, this is a team effort and I want the player to give input, feedback, mention specific drills they would like to try or add. Often times, I will start with a certain session such as finishes through contact, using body control and my drills will evolve into whatever myself or the player sees or wants to add.
Career summary and accomplishments:
2013-2015: I worked as a student intern for the University of Alabama Men's Basketball program under former 2019 National Coach of The Year Anthony Grant 2015-2020: I was a Program Director at a Sports Academy called the Player Progression Academy. Starting with five of us and about 150-200 kids, PPA now has over 4,000 basketball players. We began with 6-8 recreation leagues, building to over 40 a year before I left PPA. I also helped build the AAU program, selecting the best players from our leagues to compete in and win the DC City Championship and Charm City Baltimore Championship outside of our AAU leagues. I ran 20+ leagues a year, managed a staff of 60 coaches by age 25, and had 3 AAU teams. 2020-2024: I spent three years as a Varsity Head Coach in Jeffco with a 71% win percentage and holding about 14 school records throughout. During this time, I have also coached for Colorado Chaos Club for one year and The Miners Basketball Club for 3 years, as a head coach of the top Elite 16s Boys teams. - This successful and hunger to learn allowed me a great opportunity to work for the DU Men's Basketball Program last year under Head Coach Jeff Wulbrun.
Best coach I ever had:
The best coach that I have ever had is Coach Zorin Mihailovich, from my days living in Morocco in 2005-2006. Twenty years later, I still speak with my coach often, sharing my coaching journey and hearing his words of wisdom.
The reason why he was the best is that he understood that basketball can be used as a platform to teach young people life lessons such as leadership, accountability, overcoming adversity, teamwork, problem-solving, communication tactics and so much more. He pushed me to be a leader in the community, a leader in the classroom, how to be a man and that success on the court is not most important.
He taught me that as a coach, my job is to prepare my players to put them in the best position with an opportunity to succeed. This is true in all aspects of life.
What athletes and parents should know about me:
1. I am very passionate about coaching and I engage and communicate often
2. I believe that these sessions require input from all involved to implement the best and most efficient plan. This is why I appreciate the video calls and updates
3. I want to know more than you just want to be a better shooter. Why? is it to make a team, find a role or a specific goal to reach? What are your goals beyond that? Will becoming a better shooter help you reach those goals? Share your thoughts!
4. I always spend plenty of time building a practice plan to ensure efficiency, with input and feedback from the player as this is a group effort
5. I like to communicate and keep engaged to keep players focused on their goals
How it works
Find a Coach
Browse our roster of vetted private coaches to find the right fit for you.
Book Lessons
Book and schedule your lessons through our platform.
Start Training
Meet your coach in-person or virtually, and start chasing down your goals!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I contact a coach?
If you’re looking to message a coach for the first time, go to their profile and click “Send a Message”. A type box will show, where you can enter and send your message. To follow up with a coach you've already contacted, log into your account and find the 'Inbox' tab. You'll see your message history and be able to send another note.
How do I book lessons?
Once you find a coach that fits your needs, go to their profile, select the package you'd like to purchase, and click 'Book Lessons'. Here, you can reserve your desired number of lessons along with the number of athletes who will be training. After sessions are booked, coordinate the dates/times for each session on your calendar - using the calendar is important since this is how your coach will get paid.
Can I pay my coach via Venmo or cash?
Paying AU coaches via cash, Venmo, or any 3rd party is strictly prohibited. AU coaches know this, but their partnership with us is to split all bookings 80/20 - so coaches keep 80%. We use our 20% to help them find clients & manage their business. Without the split, we wouldn't be able to help our coaches & community thrive!
What if I don't feel comfortable paying online?
We integrate with Stripe - the largest & most secure payment processor in the US - to facilitate bookings. Paying online is required, and it simplifies the process for our coaches since it helps track their schedule & earnings in one place. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our support team.
Where will the coach hold their lessons?
Each coach typically has at least one preferred training location. You can see the location(s) by going to your coach's profile and finding the 'Training Locations' section. If a coach doesn't have locations listed here, you can message the coach to see where they train. Some coaches are willing to travel to clients for lessons, or even meet halfway.
When is the coach available to train?
Each coach sets their own schedule for training. You can see a coach's general availability by going to their profile and finding the 'Availability' section - it will list the days and times. If a coach doesn't post their availability, or if your preferred coach doesn't have your desired times available but you want to double check, message them to see if they can work with your schedule.
What if I don't love the first lesson?
The AU guarantee (refund policy) has you covered! If you determine the coach isn't a good fit after your first lesson, let us know within 24 hours and you're eligible for a refund. We will also be happy to recommend another coach - be sure to contact our support team.
Do coaches work with both kids & adults?
Our coaches are open to helping athletes of any age and skill level. Please message your desired coach to ensure their skillset fits your needs.
Why should I trust AU and their coaches over other platforms?
AU was created by former collegiate and professional athletes. We understand the benefits of training with a private coach. It develops discipline, boosts confidence, and provides an undeniable advantage - whether you are just learning the game or looking to earn a college scholarship. All AU coaches are required to pass a thorough onboarding process and we proudly showcase a 10% acceptance rate, so you can trust you're training with the best.
At the end of the day, our mission is to provide athletes with better opportunities to succeed through coaching. You won't find a platform, and group of dedicated specialists, more excited to help you achieve your athletic goals!
© 2025 Athletes Untapped. All rights reserved.