Naim Zaga

Hey! my name is Naim Zaga and I am a physical education teacher of 7 years in the NYC DOE. I am currently coaching basketball ( assistant) and flag football (Club Head coach) for 5 years now at the high school and middle school level for the young women's leadership school of the Bronx. I have done individual training of basketball with kids from grades 9-12 at this location in the past as well. One of my seasons (head coach 2022) coaching basketball resulted in an undefeated season in PSAL (lost in the playoffs!) A few of my players have gone on to play division 3 basketball at Dutchess community college and Lehman college. I have a bachelor's and master's degree in physical education. Sports are my specialty, specifically basketball and football and I also have worked as a camp coach/counselor when I was 18 for kids grades 3-5 at a private school where I ran the basketball program and taught basic skills like dribbling and shooting. I have my coaching certification for PSAL and CPR certification. I am excited about the opportunity to coach/train on an individual level to focus on athletes' individual skills and development!

Unfortunately being the son of two very old immigrant parents I was unable to participate on sports teams growing up until I played basketball my junior and senior year of high school at Newtown High School (2012-2013). I was injured both years so my playing career was brief as a small forward/shooting guard. I also played every sport imaginable growing up at recreational centers and parks in tournaments. Basketball and football were my go to but I also played baseball, tennis, and volleyball. Everything I learned as a kid was self-taught and I am proud to be as well versed in sports and as good an athlete as I am considering I was not given any help growing up. I think this gives me a unique perspective as a trainer and coach because I know what support athletes need because I never got that. I play flag football as a wide receiver and corner back in tournaments such as SKAMOOG which plays at Met life stadium. I trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai at Serra BJJ for over 5 years and competed as well. I have trained with UFC champions such as Chris Weidman, Merab Dvalishvili, and Aljamain Sterling (Long Island's own!) Although combat sports are different than team sports, I highlight these accomplishments because it shows that I have been an overall athlete my entire life. I am excited to share the knowledge, experience, and unique story I have to any willing learners!

As an athlete I am a strong believer in drilling skills at real speed. What that means is everything that an athlete does to train should be with game focus and speed. Walking through skills will not prepare you for how fast paced games are. It is important to train hard and also recover smart to avoid burnout and injuries. I focus on basketball skills such as dribble packages focused on getting to spots on the court that the athlete is most successful in. Using footwork and body manipulation to keep defenders off balance to get your shot up. One athlete I believe everyone should study is Jalen Brunson. A smaller, slower athlete than his peers that is able to get to any spot on the court because of his intelligence and extremely high fundamentals. A guard than can play off two feet and with his back to the basket (Lost art in today's game) Depending on the athlete's skill level I will breakdown moves into individual steps, counters to counters, and how to read defenses. Combining skills and chaining them together to focus on unstoppable offense. I can go on forever talking about the nuances and details in everything basketball but I will use the rest of this box to outline a normal training regimen I would implement.
3 hour session: Hour 1: Dynamic stretching for 15 minutes to avoid soft tissue injuries, 45 minutes of dribble moves (figure 8s, in and out crossover, between the legs crossover etc. stationary, moving, real speed. Lateral foot speed and body manipulation with side shuffles and shuttle cones to navigate around the court.
Hour 2: Dribble move into layup package (package depends on athlete's ability) Euro, gather, drop step, two and one foot floater
Dribble moves into jump shots (tween dribble, dribble pull up from various spots etc. , focusing on getting to spots with higher success rates.
Hour 3: catch and shoot, free throws, proper load up and balance to find rhythm.
All sessions are subject to modifications and differentiation depending on athlete's skills and progression