I continually see trainers(more so trainers) & coaches posting stuff all over social media about kids not knowing "what it takes to get to the next level". I've seen quite a few of the trainers here in Delaware and I'm not sure they know "what it take to get to the next level". They talk the talk but very seldom do I see them walk the walk. My question to the trainers. What do you do to improve yourself or your game? Do you just watch social media posts or a YouTube video and then go out and "show" the drill cause it looked good or cool to you. Can you explain the drill or skill and how and where it applies to the game. This trainer I watched recently was so concerned with trying to condition the players in his drills that he very seldom gave any proper instruction. The players looked lost and all he could say was "come on, push yourself, and go hard". Just mind boggling that parents allow this but unfortunately parents don't know any better or don't do enough research. One last gripe. One guy that trainers is continually posting some real inappropriate stuff on twitter. Just crazy to say the least
Trainers need to train themselves
- Thread starter Filmore00
- Start date
No, it just seems you have a lot of knowledge. People can complain about the state of player development but few people like you understand we need to stop preaching and start teaching. I was taught you explain the drill, demonstrate the skill or technique your working and then have the player execute the drill correctly at first slowly and then build speed and muscle memory. Don't see that much today from so call trainers. You hear coaches say get in the gym and improve your game but it's what you do in the gym that ultimately improves your game.
Last edited:
Wow. I’m gonna make this about the kids. And not shout out or down grade any trainer’s that are trying or doing service to our kids. With that said I will say that doing to a particular trainer or development specialist is an acquired taste. Some people will say I go to this person and they helped so much, others will say I go to this person because they have helped me so much. Sometimes it’s all in what you get out of it with that person. That’s only if there good. Now there are trainers that will put out cones demonstrate the drill and tell you to do it. but never explain when it will come in to play for that player to access it. there are trainer that will have you bench pressing and running but never do any skill work. there are trainers that will attempt to change your shot for the worse. My assessment of training is to enhance their strength and improve their weaknesses while working the fundamentals of the game. If a kids is slow you work there speed to their within the confines of the individual player, some with footwork, dribbling, shoot, defense, and game situations. Which to me says you can have a kid be great in drills but don’t have them game ready. Now my second issue is, I’m not a fan of camps that are for week that these parents pay for their kids to go to. Now I would do it for my child if they are just starting out in the first grade as an introduction because my child hasn’t play before, and there a blank slate with no bad habits. But if my kid has been playing for two to four years competitively, I’m not putting my child in there because they have their bad habits already and paying whatever amount for week won’t change that habit. They would need a lot more than a week to correct those years of habits they picked up. Also trainers should be evolving over the years as the game changes with how the game is played, and also training the kid for their position where they would play in the next level. A parent told me once “why are you training that 6’0 7th grader to play on the wing or to handle the ball. His big behind should be in the post!” and I gave them a funny look and said. What if that kid doesn’t grow anymore now they can’t compete with the other kids that have grown into that position. The kid maxed out at 6’2 and sat the bench in high school and the parent didn’t understand why he fell behind and the other kids excelled past him. Other situations are that the trainer also poses as your high school coach or AAU coach. And sometimes there only training them to help their cause to win basketball games and not help that kid prepare for the next level if that kids has the potential. So my advice to the parents are. Really find out if your child wants to play. Find a trainer that is going to push your kid in aspects of the training of the game. The trainer should be evolving as your child starts to improve so that the child is constantly getting pushed for improvement on different weaknesses as they play. That means the trainer isn’t doing the same things that he was doing in the beginning if the kid has improved the right way. If your trainer is not evolving with your kid to get better than they are doing a dis-service to your child. you do revisit drills, but its a refresher to keep there skills in shape. If they are not stopping your kid during play and correcting your kid or making them repeat it over and over again, if they are not explaining to the kid when this drill will come into effect, if your kid is not mentally and physically fatigued after the session, if they are not working on your child’s weaknesses, and lastly if your child feels that their not improving then pull your kid and find another trainer. There are a lot of trainers out here. I can run through a bunch names. But find the one that will have best impact in helping your kid get better emotionally, physically, skillfully, mentally and confidently.
Last edited:
Make it about the kids as much as you would like. You have some valid points. Many of these guys have no idea- ZERO-what they are doing and are YouTube & social media trainers. Someone needs to start exposing these scammer trainers it will only get worse. Hurting the purity of the game here in our area. I thought about calling some of them out but just look around if you know anything about basketball. They'll call themselves out. We do live in a small fish bowl and word travels. Throughout the past year I've heard some names of the scammers surface in our community. Look at the ones that post pictures or videos of elite players that they(the so called trainers) had nothing to do with their development. Someone told me one guy even made a t-shirt with himself and a bunch of the elite players in the area. If anyone has it please post it. Just crazy to say the least. I respect those trainers that do not need to self promote. There abilities will promote and by word of mouth.
Filmore00- I understand what you are saying. There are a lot of people or trainers who will do name drops to get people to understand who they worked with, in order to get more people to train with them. they will tell you “I’ve worked with this kid or this kid and you see where there at?” “if you bring your kid to me I can get them to the same place.” Then you talk to the kid or the parent and they will tell you that they worked with that trainer for two sessions. Not enough to make an impact of where the kid got too. Now there are players/kids who only remember the last trainer they worked with. And sometimes the grassroot person who laid the foundation and the spark and began the process of the kid learning how and what to do gets lost. And that sucks as well. but you would hope that if your truly doing this training for the kid as well as the overall wellbeing how talent Delaware then you should not worry about recognition from anybody. Your body of work will speak for yourself. There a couple of good people out here who do really good work and will work with the most troubling kids to the least experienced and will tireless work to make sure the kid has made some improvement based on there temperament in how they want pursue a career in the sport. Those are the people I would seek out if I was a parent.
And then there are so called trainers who will take the credit for work they didn’t do for kid. Those are the ones I really look at sideways. Parents have to be smart about where they send there kids.
This discussion is all great but why don't we call some of these so called trainers out both good and bad. There are a lot of parents that come and check out this board, they may not post but the check for info presented here. I'm not saying bad mouth or trash someone but if the things I know now I knew 4 years ago I would do things a lot differently. They're many parents who daughter's get into this in the 6th or 7th grade and they have no clue to who is good, bad or what to look out for.
So please share open gyms, training opportunities, summer or fall leagues etc; Delaware's girls basketball is a small community and being in a small state and when we all get better it helps everyone.
So please share open gyms, training opportunities, summer or fall leagues etc; Delaware's girls basketball is a small community and being in a small state and when we all get better it helps everyone.
Similar threads
