Talia T.

I have been privately coaching young athletes for over 3 years now. What started as a side hustle and a hobby, has now turned into my passion. I have coached in a multitude of private homes, at UCLA, and at local recreational parks. I have worked with ages from 4-17 years old, and coach both boys and girls, but specifically love coaching young girls. Growing up, all of my basketball coaches and basketball role models were always male, and getting the opportunity to train young girls in basketball has been truly rewarding. As a 20 year old, it wasn’t too long ago that I was in their shoes. I truly feel that when I coach these young girls, not only do they gain excellent basketball skills, but they also feel more confident on the court as a female hooper! As for my certifications, in addition to playing basketball in high school on a state level, I currently play on the UCLA Women’s Club Basketball Team. I am also both CPR and First Aid certified.

From the age of 5 years old, I have always been surrounded by basketball. I played all the way through high school in which I was the captain for two consecutive years. During my high school career, I won All-Tournament Player 4 times and was named the MVP of the entire Glouberman Basketball Tournament. As captain, I took our team to the California State Championship, in which our game was aired on ESPN. Currently, I play on the travel Club Basketball Team of UCLA, where we play at a variety of colleges around America.

To me, I think that the first and most important thing is that the child feels comfortable and I understand what they would like to gain out of our sessions. Once I understand this, I will build a unique game plan to cater their needs. Also, I often like to encourage the girls I coach, and push them in a positive and fun way. I often like to bring a speaker as well, and play their favorite songs or artists to set an upbeat and positive tone.

A client can expect a typical session with me to remain consistent structurally, but change fundamentally to cater to what the child would benefit from the most. Sessions typically run for an hour and follow the following structure: I start with a 5-10 minute warm up to ensure that they are stretched and feel ready to go. Once the child is ready, we begin with some basic lay up lines, and jumpshots. Depending on the age and level of the child, I will then incorporate different drills to focus on fundamentals, shooting form, finishes around the rim, and whatever else I deem necessary. This will typically last most of the practice. Once I feel that they have gained these new skills, I will play a 1-1 with them (adjusting the level of difficulty, depending on the skills of the child), or if it is a joint practice, have the kids play 1 on 1 and watch them incorporate these skills in real game scenarios. It is one thing to practice a move from the block repeatedly, but it is an entirely different skill to know when to incorporate what move. In the past, I often have clients who practice together, in which case I follow a similar structure to the aforementioned one, yet if I feel they have different areas to improve on, I will split them up and work accordingly. To conclude the lesson, we always end on a made shot!