What Should I Look For In A Basketball Trainer?
We often get asked the question: “What should I look for in a basketball trainer?” Basketball trainers of all forms exist in the world of youth basketball today. There are some truly great ones that use phenomenal methods to help their students become better players. On the other hand, there are also those that claim to be worthy trainers, but fail to use any sort of effective methods to teach the game. As a young player, you should be looking for these following simple characteristics in your trainer to make certain that you are getting the most out of your time spent in the gym:
Basketball Expertise:
If you are paying for lessons from a basketball trainer, you want to ensure that they themselves have been through the ropes. By this, I mean that the trainer should have experience in playing or coaching at least at the college level as a minimum. The reason for this is because you want to know that they are knowledgeable on the fundamentals and have experienced the hard work it takes to play basketball at a high level before you take advice from them. They must present an expertise and a knowhow of the game that shows that they have accurate information about basketball that they can teach. Furthermore, you want to know that they can give you the tips you need to play basketball at a high level just as they have done.
Ability to Teach/ Instruct Basketball Skills:
Coach K of Duke University basketball once said, “I don’t look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.” This is the type of attitude you hope to see in a basketball trainer.
A key characteristic you should look for before deciding on a basketball trainer is seeing if they have the ability to teach the game effectively. In order for you to benefit from their basketball expertise, they need to be able to instruct successfully. A good basketball trainer should easily be able to put into words what basketball skills they want their trainees to work on, why they should be working on them, and how their extra work will benefit them in becoming a better player. In addition to this, it also helps if your trainer is in shape enough that they can show you physically and specifically how they would like each drill performed. Having someone that can model for you the correct way to perform a jab step or crossover dribble will help you in easily being able to copy these actions for your own game.
Enjoys their Basketball Job And Is Happy:
Nobody likes to be around someone that is unhappy. It causes a loss in motivation and sucks the enjoyment out of that moment in time. This pertains to your basketball trainer as well. You should be looking for a basketball trainer that is genuinely excited every time he comes into the gym to teach his craft. They should truly enjoy the time that they spend teaching the game of basketball and have an excitement about it that is contagious to the young individuals that they are training. A trainer with a positive attitude is much more effective at teaching the game because he will instill a love for the game in his students that they will want to also exemplify. When a basketball trainer can keep the game fun they promote a sort of willingness from the people they are training to exert as much effort as they can to improve their game.
To Sum Up, Your Basketball Trainer Should:
- Have high level basketball playing or coaching experience
- Show an ability to teach their craft
- Love teaching the game of basketball
