Private Basketball Coaching Recs?

[Anonymous]

My kids played against Saint James last fall in the Fairfax Stars 12u league. I remember them being well coached.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ball, a hoop and 500 shots/day.

This is TERRIBLE advice. Without coaching, kids will cement terrible habits. Almost nobody learns good shooting mechanics. Shooting is actually easy to learn if you learn the mechanics, but just throwing up shots won't teach kids anything.

Also, ball handling and dealing with contact are HUGE. As is speed and footwork.

How many guys in the NBA do you think had private basketball coaches? As you know, Coach, you can't buy a good basketball game. The secret is on the blacktop.

I grew up playing basketball on the playgound/rec center since the age of 7 (now in my mid 30s) all on my own with no private coaches and I had certain success in the game competitively being an undersized guard. Having said that, I don't think OP is expecting that the kid will make the NBA, if so OP wouldn't be asking for advice on DCUM because the connections would already be there. But I guarantee you, a private coach/trainer early on would have done wonders to my game and instill proper footwork and on-court habits, and if I was gifted with those instructions I would be practicing and incorporating those proper instructions 24/7 growing up. This is especially applicable during COVID when kids are not coming out to play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ball, a hoop and 500 shots/day.

This is TERRIBLE advice. Without coaching, kids will cement terrible habits. Almost nobody learns good shooting mechanics. Shooting is actually easy to learn if you learn the mechanics, but just throwing up shots won't teach kids anything.

Also, ball handling and dealing with contact are HUGE. As is speed and footwork.

How many guys in the NBA do you think had private basketball coaches? As you know, Coach, you can't buy a good basketball game. The secret is on the blacktop.

Most American NBA players have played AAU basketball and had access to private coaching and training. There are non-American NBA players of course, but they too played in developmental leagues (and/or came to the US for private high school). I doubt OP's son is a potential NBA player, but, the idea that this generation of NBA players are being trained playing street ball is definitely a fallacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ball, a hoop and 500 shots/day.

This is TERRIBLE advice. Without coaching, kids will cement terrible habits. Almost nobody learns good shooting mechanics. Shooting is actually easy to learn if you learn the mechanics, but just throwing up shots won't teach kids anything.

Also, ball handling and dealing with contact are HUGE. As is speed and footwork.

How many guys in the NBA do you think had private basketball coaches? As you know, Coach, you can't buy a good basketball game. The secret is on the blacktop.

Most American NBA players have played AAU basketball and had access to private coaching and training. There are non-American NBA players of course, but they too played in developmental leagues (and/or came to the US for private high school). I doubt OP's son is a potential NBA player, but, the idea that this generation of NBA players are being trained playing street ball is definitely a fallacy.

+1. I dare even say most D1 recruits have played AAU ball and if the kid has NBA potential private coaches would be flocking to them and not the other way round.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ball, a hoop and 500 shots/day.

This is TERRIBLE advice. Without coaching, kids will cement terrible habits. Almost nobody learns good shooting mechanics. Shooting is actually easy to learn if you learn the mechanics, but just throwing up shots won't teach kids anything.

Also, ball handling and dealing with contact are HUGE. As is speed and footwork.

How many guys in the NBA do you think had private basketball coaches? As you know, Coach, you can't buy a good basketball game. The secret is on the blacktop.

NBA players are superhuman, and their experience can't really teach the parents of normal kids much of anything. That said, I know two guys who played professionally. Both had private coaching and both played high level AAU where they got a lot of 1 on 1 attention. Both had parents who played in college. More to the point, I know a youth coach at a very successful local program pretty well, and his take is that through the average high school varsity level (i.e. not Montverde), talent is largely irrelevant. He says he can teach any decent sized kid who is willing to work very hard to play varsity at an average high school.

This is not really about money. By high school, trainers see value in being involved with a kid who is a good prospect. Several kids I know get worked out a lot for free by trainers who wanted to be able to say "I train Larlo, who is going to play at X ACC school in the fall." At younger ages, many of those same kids are playing virtually for free at one of a small number of rec centers with a reputation for producing successful players, and they are getting sound one on one or small group training by amazing coaches who freely give of their time to make kids better. Also, very, very many top players have moms, dads, aunts or uncles who played at a high level.

The point is that fundamentals are really, really important, and top players are usually kids who are plugged in to family or community resources where they can learn those fundamentals. Kids who just spend time chucking up shots won't get better, and often they develop quirky, low, slow shot mechanics that don't translate to higher levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aaron Walsh who played at Marymount. Pre covid he held his training sessions at Marymount where he works as an executive. Outside sessions now.

[e-mail]

I like him. Our kids worked with him. He is professional and knows his game but also makes it fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ball, a hoop and 500 shots/day.

This is TERRIBLE advice. Without coaching, kids will cement terrible habits. Almost nobody learns good shooting mechanics. Shooting is actually easy to learn if you learn the mechanics, but just throwing up shots won't teach kids anything.

Also, ball handling and dealing with contact are HUGE. As is speed and footwork.

How many guys in the NBA do you think had private basketball coaches? As you know, Coach, you can't buy a good basketball game. The secret is on the blacktop.

Most American NBA players have played AAU basketball and had access to private coaching and training. There are non-American NBA players of course, but they too played in developmental leagues (and/or came to the US for private high school). I doubt OP's son is a potential NBA player, but, the idea that this generation of NBA players are being trained playing street ball is definitely a fallacy.

+1. I dare even say most D1 recruits have played AAU ball and if the kid has NBA potential private coaches would be flocking to them and not the other way round.

Not always. It is a great idea, if you can find a private coach who care. If you can afford it, I recommend it.

[Anonymous]

In Arlington, I’d check with the coaches at Beyond The Hoop Bulldawgs, there is also a trainer at the District Sports Center in Alexandria whose name I forgot, also check Kevin Harris with Hooplife in Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Kevin Harris is all about promoting his daughter ... go to Aaron Walsh - no kids, no conflicts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ball, a hoop and 500 shots/day.

This is TERRIBLE advice. Without coaching, kids will cement terrible habits. Almost nobody learns good shooting mechanics. Shooting is actually easy to learn if you learn the mechanics, but just throwing up shots won't teach kids anything.

Also, ball handling and dealing with contact are HUGE. As is speed and footwork.

How many guys in the NBA do you think had private basketball coaches? As you know, Coach, you can't buy a good basketball game. The secret is on the blacktop.

NBA players are superhuman, and their experience can't really teach the parents of normal kids much of anything. That said, I know two guys who played professionally. Both had private coaching and both played high level AAU where they got a lot of 1 on 1 attention. Both had parents who played in college. More to the point, I know a youth coach at a very successful local program pretty well, and his take is that through the average high school varsity level (i.e. not Montverde), talent is largely irrelevant. He says he can teach any decent sized kid who is willing to work very hard to play varsity at an average high school.

This is not really about money. By high school, trainers see value in being involved with a kid who is a good prospect. Several kids I know get worked out a lot for free by trainers who wanted to be able to say "I train Larlo, who is going to play at X ACC school in the fall." At younger ages, many of those same kids are playing virtually for free at one of a small number of rec centers with a reputation for producing successful players, and they are getting sound one on one or small group training by amazing coaches who freely give of their time to make kids better. Also, very, very many top players have moms, dads, aunts or uncles who played at a high level.

The point is that fundamentals are really, really important, and top players are usually kids who are plugged in to family or community resources where they can learn those fundamentals. Kids who just spend time chucking up shots won't get better, and often they develop quirky, low, slow shot mechanics that don't translate to higher levels.

Who is the youth coach you know and does he do private training?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Walter Webb Slam City

Lol he sucks. Anyone but this guy, OP.

Webb doesn’t suck. He has a good understanding of the sport. He just runs his training with the primary goal of getting your money. He cares very little about 99% of the kids he’s training and whether improving as basketball players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Walter Webb Slam City

Lol he sucks. Anyone but this guy, OP.

Webb doesn’t suck. He has a good understanding of the sport. He just runs his training with the primary goal of getting your money. He cares very little about 99% of the kids he’s training and whether improving as basketball players.

Okay, what part of that doesn’t fall under “sucking”?

[Anonymous]

Bloc Chain Basketball, coach Alex Kinsey and his team have helped my son so much. Great teacher. Loves the game.

[Anonymous]

I mean Block Chain Basketball, typo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ball, a hoop and 500 shots/day.

This is TERRIBLE advice. Without coaching, kids will cement terrible habits. Almost nobody learns good shooting mechanics. Shooting is actually easy to learn if you learn the mechanics, but just throwing up shots won't teach kids anything.

Also, ball handling and dealing with contact are HUGE. As is speed and footwork.

Lol. Private coaching is a plus, sure. But no kid is making it ANYWHERE in basketball without playing like crazy on his/her own. That’s what basketball is all about. There is absolutely no other sport where practicing on your own is as important.