TheYouthAtRiskFoundation

1. Contact and meet the parent .

2. Contact the coach (if possible) to get recommendations.

3. Define target areas for focus the student would like to improve in (if not already mentioned by the coach)

4. Meet the family and student to do a free 1 hour evaluation to better understand the students' strengths and weakness. This gives the parent or client a fair chance to preview what they're getting before actually paying for any services.

5. Began developing a personal training plan. This is done by choosing specific drills and workouts tailored towards that student's development only. I believe every player and student is different and unique in their own way. For this reason, I never use previous training plans on a new student. I always start fresh, and make weekly updates as the student improves. 

High School Basketball Team (South Division)- 2010

College Basketball (Western Tech) - 2013

College Basketball (Bryant & Stratton) - 2016 

Mentoring/Volunteering with local community centers - Youth Worker Development & for all ages above 5 (8 +Years)

Founder of the YouthAtRiskFooubdation (DijonTeachesULearn) Active since 2021 

The first sessions is always free. The price per hour will be determined upon a negotiated agreement. A Membership fee for the individual receiving the training  will need to attain a YMCA membership if they wish to schedule sessions throughout the winter season. 

After college the demand of mostly eighth graders and ninth graders asked me to do it, and so I did. I was doing that purely out of my love and passion I have for player development and basketball. I love to see anybody working towards a positive goal . Eventually, the demand became to much as I also have children of my own and a family to support and take of.  I would love to do this for free because it provides something I wish I had when I was younger and it is truly fulfilling for me. However, I can not because the amount of time required to accomadate each student and write each lesson became overwhelming and even more hours than a full time job. 

All genders of all ages from 8 and up.

N/A

Search for a teacher who can directly provide the exact skills and services you wish to improve or gain. I am strictly a player development and skills mentor. Therefore, if a student/player wishes to improve their ability to read or understand plays, I would not be a good option for that particular students because that is not what I specialize in. A coach would be good for helping a player/student to run and understand plays. 

1. If the student plays for a team, they should consider what areas the coach wants them to improve in before any individual skills trainer works with them. This helps give the skills and development trainer (me) an excellent blueprint to start from! This allows us to train towards your personal goals but more importantly your teams success. This helps develop chemistry and trust between a coach and his players. All coaches have their own personal philosphy and strategy for how they approach the game. It's important to understand what your coach expects from you when you are in the game so you can execute properly. 

2. What do you already do well? One too many times I've had students who doubt themselves when they were extremely skilled for their age range. They only doubt themselves because they didn't know how talented they really were. Every player/student has their strengths and weaknesses. It would help to indentify those beforehand, and be honest with yourself. I say this because many students have more skill than they think but they weren't taught how to use what they already learned. The whole goal of player development is to determine what you do well naturally and then add new skills to shape you and make you a more complete player.

3. What is the ultimate goal you wish to accomplish? This is an extremely important question to consider because basketball is very hard work but also rewarding. You get out exactly what you put in. Everyday isn't pleasant. Can you handle those days? What will motivate you to push through those hard times when you feel like giving up? You will be tired, you will get frustrated, and you will be sore. Can you stay dedicated through the tough times to complete your ultimate goal ? If you are truly committed and give 100% I promise I will give you 110% ! Staying self motivated is key. 

4. Who is your favorite player(s) in the NBA or WNBA and why? This is an extremely important question as well. This will help us to indentify you as a player and will help shape you individually. Everyone has different favorite players for different reasons. Think about your favorite player and what your favorite things are about that player. What is it that makes them unique? Is it the mindset Russell Westbrook approaches the game with? Is it the intangibles and high energy Marcus Smart plays with? Is it the killer mentality of Michael Jordan? Is it the IQ of Lebron James? Is it the determination of Kobe Bryant? I ask this question because students will more than likely approach basketball with the same demeanor as their favorite player(s). This helps me to understand how you view the game. Based on that, we can find a play style that will also suite your mentality.