Why did you decide to become a private coach?
I decided to become a private coach because you can hone all of your attention in on a client and provide the best quality. It’s not to say that you can’t provide great basketball training to a team, but when you’re working one on one, you see better results.
What do you enjoy most about coaching?
I enjoy connecting with families and building relationships. I enjoy going to their games and connecting with them in the community. I love being with the community. It’s great being able to provide my service to clients who don’t typically have access to it. I can give high quality training at a low cost.
What can a client expect from private lessons with you?
A client can expect an upbeat session and excitement. They will be learning situational type skills. It’s a more universal type of training. You can expect professionalism and a fun filled environment.
What is your coaching style or philosophy?
I relate everything in basketball to life. Basketball is life. They go hand in hand. Everything in life can be applied to basketball. Basketball is a game of angles. You don’t go out of bounds and back in bounds to get to one end of the court. You go from one point to the next without wasting energy. An analogy I like to use is it’s like if a kid has to go get milk for his mom. He has to go to the store and back. He can’t stop at the park or anything on the way back. His mom will be asking him what took so long. It’s the same in basketball. You can’t waste time. You need to go straight to where you want to.
What is your favorite moment in your athletic career?
My favorite moments are from high school at St. Joe’s. I played in one of the biggest tournaments in Illinois. I was also ranked as one of the top 100 players in Illinois.
Do you have any success stories from coaching an athlete?
I have lots of stories of past athletes making their team. I’ve worked with clients for two months and gave them the basic skills to make the team. I worked with a girls basketball team specifically to reduce their risk of ACL injuries which is a common injury in female athletes. After working with them, they went all the way to regionals, and they’d never done that before.
Did you participate in your sport in high school and college?
I played in high school and college. In college, I was one of the top scorers and I was a player of the week several times. I scored 30 points in one game.
What is your favorite sports related movie?
He Got Game with Ray Allen and Denzel Washington.
What’s your mantra or favorite saying (in the context of sport and/ or life)?
We In Here
Do you have any special talents or a surprising thing someone might not know about you?
I don’t know if you’d call it a talent, but I have a skill for making people’s dreams become reality. I’ve helped a lot of people to get to where they wanted to go. It’s a skill.
Who is your favorite coach and why?
Coach Gene Pingatore of St. Joe’s. He coached Isiah Thomas and William Gates.
What team do you root for most enthusiastically? (any sport)
The Chicago Bulls
