I was a good basketball player, even earning a scholarship to a D1 School. But I often wonder if I could have been a lot better. I was a latch key kid with a single, working Mom and two busy older brothers; I basically trained myself. Everything I learned about basketball was during a team practice or self taught. And I can’t help but think, what if …
The “what if’s” are why I have been a proponent of outside coaching and training for my own kids. I want them to have the advantages that I didn’t. I want them to realize their potential to the fullest. I’m not alone; Jordan Fliegel, founded CoachUp in 2011, a website that matches athletes with qualified trainers. The idea came to Fliegel because his life was forever altered after working with a basketball trainer as a child. He credits this coach for transforming him from a mediocre basketball player into a collegiate athlete and eventually a professional player. He believes the experience also helped build his overall confidence in school and life. When his playing days were over, Jordan decided to start CoachUp.
Today, reigning NBA MVP Steph Curry, who also worked with a private trainer and strongly believes in the advantages of using one, serves as an advisor on the CoachUp team where they have over 15,000 coaches working with 100,000-plus athletes in more than 30 different sports.
Jordan says the number one reason a young athlete uses CoachUp is to improve skills. But here are a few other reasons why you might want to consider hiring a private coach for your child (or even for yourself):
1. Maintain skills if your child needs to take a season off. This is particularly useful if a young athlete would like to try a different sport but doesn’t want to fall behind or lose skills in their current sport.
2. Avoid Injury by learning proper technique. Overuse in today’s young athletes has become a huge problem. It might be worth working with a skilled trainer to work on proper mechanics.
3. Learn coaching techniques, skills and practice drills. No offense, all you Dads (and Moms) out there, but some of you could use a lesson or two yourselves.
4. Build confidence in a child taking on a new sport. Trying a new sport will feel less intimidating for your child if they first have a few private sessions to help accelerate the learning curve and to get the basics down.
5. Changing positions (or wants to). Your child might need to work on a different skill than they are getting in practices. If your kid is a defender with dreams of being a forward, maybe a trainer can help fill in the gaps he’s not learning in his team practices.
6. Give your kid a boost. A few hours spent with a pro will go a long way toward helping your child feel comfortable and be a contributor in his next game.
7. Correct a deficiency or bad habit Practices are usually spent on team goals and team improvement. But if your kid needs some extra help to correct her shot form in basketball, a trainer can help with this.
No matter why you choose private training, always check out the credentials and background of your trainer. Or choose a service like CoachUp which does a thorough background check for you and makes finding a trainer easier than ever; just a few clicks on the computer and you have some of the top choices in your area at your fingertips! And training doesn’t have to cost a fortune; to see creative ways to make hiring a trainer more affordable, Click Here