Vitto C.

I have been involved in organized sports for 28 years as an athlete, coach, and fitness instructor. My athletic and sports experience includes basketball, football, baseball, boxing, snow skiing, tennis, and golf. My coaching and fitness background utilizes different sport specific drills, resistance training, cardiovascular fitness, agility, and developing speed to rhythm. Born and raised in Miami, FL, I attended Riviera Day School, Westminster Christian, Christopher Columbus, Coral Gables High, University of Dallas Texas, and Florida International University. I majored in physical education and psychology and participated in different sports at all levels of athletics: my front yard, the playground, little league, pop Warner, elementary, middle school, high school, and college. This has provided me with a broad experience and familiarity of the demands at each level. At twenty-one years old, I became a certified group fitness instructor and began training clients in Miami Beach, Brickell financial district, and Coral Gables. I continued my education studying two years for my Associates Arts degree in physical education and also began coaching basketball at my local YMCA. Training personal clients and instructing group fitness classes gave me the confidence to coaching basketball. Growing up in Miami, I was lucky enough to attend and compete against some of the best private and public schools in the State of Florida. As a former student, player, and Alumni at Westminster Christian and Riviera Day Schools, I was given the privilege to coach the junior high boys’ basketball teams at both schools. I currently live in South Miami with my wife, son, and dog. Basketball and sports has been part of my life since I was 7 years old, I'm 36 now and am lucky enough to still be able to develop my game at this age. I have never stopped trying to improve my skills, basketball is a passion within me that helps bring out my inner poet, musician, genius, and imagination. I have a lifetime of basketball experience which God has graced me with. Part of my calling and responsibility is to share that experience with those who want to improve their skills and get the most out of the game of basketball so they can enjoy it as much as I have!

My sporting accomplishments are multidimensional because as an individual I have 28 years of sports experience. As a player, I was able to develop my athleticism through participation in multiple sports: basketball, football, baseball, tennis, golf, and boxing. Each sport I participated in required a new and different set of physical skills to be mastered, so I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to develop a wide spectrum of athletic skills and weapons. Basketball was always my first love and whenever I traveled outside Miami, I made sure I would find a basketball court and play someone somewhere sometime. I have battled against other people and teams from New York, Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, Dallas, Indiana, Denver, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Greece, and even Turkey. I have many more playground battle scars and accomplishments than in any organized basketball league I have ever participated in. Playing in organized leagues and in school my accomplishments reached Division III college basketball at the University of Dallas, Texas.
After college, I spent 2 years trying make the team for a couple of semi-pro basketball teams in Florida, but by now I was more than halfway in my 20’s and began to steer my passion of basketball towards coaching more rather than playing. And Although I still play basketball every chance I get, coaching other players and athletes feels as every bit of passion as playing still makes me feel. I feel very accomplished and lucky to have had these diverse experiences in many different parts of my life and around the world.

With every new athlete I train or coach, I begin the session the same. I spend the first 12-20 minutes stretching and talking with them about their past experiences, injuries, and goals they have in mind. During our conversation, I measure the amount of flexibility their body has and notice areas of weakness. I also try to read how engaged, motivated, & enthusiastic they are for the training session. By observing their “energy level” I begin to calibrate my attitude and energy accordingly. After this initial phase is over, we begin with handling (dribbling) skills for 15-20 minutes so I can begin gaging their “natural athleticism” with the ball. I study their movements, rhythm, speed, and tempo as if I were studying for a history exam in school. I try to establish how much “harmony” the athlete has during his/her movement. Afterwards, we move onto offensive drills attacking the hoop for 15-20 minutes by driving the lane, passing, and shooting the basketball. Then we switch sides and accomplish another 15-20 minutes of defensive drills focusing on stopping the offensive player by stealing the ball, blocking shots, or blocking out potential rebounders after a shot has been made.
Once these drills are finished, I have the athlete practice foul shots for 10 minutes followed by a brief rest period. After rest, we move onto 25 minutes of fitness training and focus on resistance, cardiovascular, and core strength. I use tools such as weights, rubber bands, sprints, plyometric exercises, and endurance challenges according to the needs and goals of the athlete. I never stop monitoring them through this entire process and continue my analysis of their fitness level. As we reach the end of our session which has been close to 2 hours by now, I ask them to tell me about the athletes they admire and ask them various general questions about themselves, families, and lives to try to gain further insight into their mental attitude and emotional state. According to the responses I’m given by the athlete and their performance results during the session, I continue constructing my analysis discussing short and long terms goals they have. After our first session ends, I usually go home and begin thinking how to execute the second coaching session we’re going to have.