#Born2Coach Story - Tyler Jones
Next up in our #Born2Coach stories is Tyler Jones! Tyler played junior basketball for Kitto Aces before joining the Army as a Physical Training Instructor. He is now studying a foundation degree in Sports Development and Coaching at Plymouth Marjon University and is an assistant coach for our Under 14s. Tyler got in touch last year when we asked for help with coaching and has been loving it ever since!
What does great coaching mean to you?
So, for me, what is great coaching or what is a great coach? I try to focus on what makes a great coach and fulfill those needs for the young people I work with. I think the first thing is effectively engaging with young people to understand their strengths and areas for improvement. This means having to work with individuals to and make sure they are achieving what they want. I think it is also important to know when to apply appropriate pressure through different basketball scenarios to stretch players to improve. I also want to teach players about the benefits of striving to become better. I think if you commit to being better at something then that’s a great transferable skill for younger players. Finally, I don’t make anyone do anything I wouldn’t do myself, I regularly do the free throw sprints as well!
Under 14s in action - 21-22
How has coaching helped you?
One of the biggest skills I have developed from coaching is speaking publicly and the confidence to do this. You have to communicate with some many different groups like players, parents and other coaches etc it was not something I was used to. Coaching has really helped me to develop this skill because I was used to teaching adults and it’s a big learning curve. Also, it has been really valuable being able to apply the theory elements of my degree in a practical setting. It’s great being around other coaches so you can pick up tips and tricks as well as.
What are the next steps for your development?
I would like to do some coaching clinics and getting a better understanding of the coaching pathway within Basketball England to see where it will take me. I think my next step within the club would be to take on more responsibilities with teams and build towards the Basketball England Level 3 qualification. I would like to work with different age groups to develop myself as well, I have just undertaken the UK Coaching Duty of Care badge as well, I think this will help me do that.
Thanks Tyler!
If you are interested in learning more about coaching for Plymouth Basketball Club please email hello@plymouthbasketball.co.uk
To find out more about how you can get into coaching, visit www.ukcoaching.org/born2coach
To find out more about how to become a qualified basketball coach, visit https://www.basketballengland.co.uk/get-involved/learn-and-get-qualified/be-a-coach/
