Private coaching is an important endeavor for young athletes. It gives them the opportunity to grow their game. Assuming you set a defined number of sessions with your coach, it is important to get the most from your training. Here are a few ways to do that.

Have Specific Goals to Work On

Utilizing your private coach for broad skills like shooting, passing, and defending is usually not the right strategy. Instead, choose one or two specific areas like dribbling and passing and work with your private coach each session to hone those skills. Practice and camp are the times to work on all parts of your game. Private coaching is at its best when you have very specific perceived weaknesses in your game and work to make them strengths.

Ask Questions

Don’t just use your private coach for physical training. Ask them questions about their athletic career path, how they might deal with a task you’re facing, college recruiting, etc. Use their knowledge and experience to help you in any way you can. Every private coach has a unique career path and will likely have different advice than your school coach, older sibling, or whoever else. Using your time to ask questions while training can be beneficial to your future in your sport.

Implement Private Coaching Into Other Practices and Games

It’s important to remember that private coaching is not separate from your other athletic endeavors. Use the skills you learn with your private coach at practices to simulate the game situations that may arise. Apply them in games too, once you’ve perfected them enough. If you do not apply the skills you learn with your private coach, you have wasted your time.

Ultimately, the most important thing to remember when working with a private coach is to have a specified skill or two that you’d like to work on. To find the best private coaches in your area, go to Athletes Untapped. Be sure to let us know about your experience!

For more information and resources, visit Athletes Untapped.