As a lifelong basketball player and basketball thinker, I experienced the whole spectrum of coaching throughout. I saw how poor coaching can hinder player development and lead to poor decisions on and off the court. I was introduced to good coaching somewhere in high school, and I have been hooked ever since. My goal is to bring a unique coaching philosophy centered around resilience, hard-work, and highly-specific attention to detail.
Grand Junction, CO
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As far as I can remember, a basketball has been in my hands. Whether I was in the garage in the wintertime doing ball-handling drills, or laying on my bed working on my shot rotation, the ball was always with me. Fast forward to high school, and I had the opportunity to play against some of the best Saint Louis had to offer. I got to see them train, how hard they worked, and got to be trained by the same people training the best players in the state (some of which are now in the NBA and many D1 players as well). The principles and coaching philosophy I was introduced to has never really left my head, and I am ready to spread that knowledge.
I can help improve anyone's game, at any level. To name a few specifics: dialing in footwork for all positions, basic fundamentals, decision-making, shooting mechanics (and the footwork that goes with that), teaching specific "moves" to blow by defenders, etc.. If there is a certain aspect of someone's game we need to improve, we can focus on that. If we just need to put in some work and get shots up, we can do that. If we need to break down a sequence of events and make sure every step the player is taking is absolutely perfect, we can do that too.
We will generally start with a 10-minute dynamic warmup to waken the senses, body, and get the heartrate going. Every player will then do a 10-minute ball-handling warmup to get a feel for the ball, as well as improve ball-handling skills (something that every position needs to be able to do). From there, if the workout is going to primarily focus on shooting, we would do form shooting before diving into game-speed, game-situation, shot-making. If the focus is going to be more on skill development, I will take the client through a sequence of moves (everything game speed) starting basic and building on the first basic into more advanced moves if the player is ready. This all depends on what level the player is at.
I have done some freelance basketball training for no charge in the past, and I regularly train some of my friends' kids as they grow into more accomplished players. My first team coaching gig was this last year, where I was an assistant coach for competitive 8th graders. My day-job's schedule did not allow me to be a head coach. Our team improved so much in a matter of weeks, and I would host individual training sessions throughout the season.
I have two examples. One was a coach in Middle School who always stayed in touch, came to my games later in my career, and was a positive influence in my life. His strengths as a basketball coach were empowering players and pushing us past where we thought our bodies could go. After our team was disbanded and it was time for high school, he always made me feel like I could play with anyone. The second example were the trainers (they also coached Varsity basketball) I would go to weekly after school to sharpen my skills. Their attention to detail on the nuances of the game are something that will never leave me.
Please know that I will 100% improve your game as a player. I am open to criticism and even welcome it. I will always seek improvement in my coaching abilities, and I will always seek to improve your game as player. My vow is to not take the "easy route" in this training space. No matter how much time, thought, or work it takes, I will always get the job done right.
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