If someone is a champion, they have been coached.

“I spent more than ten years working hard and getting almost nowhere.”

I went to every court I could find. I watched NBA games and copied whatever looked impressive. I could string together crossovers that made friends stop and stare. I shot until my arms were tired.

Then the games came, and the same three things happened every time. I dribbled with my head down and lost the ball. I rushed layups I had made a hundred times alone. I came off the bench frustrated, left the gym frustrated, and could not explain what went wrong.

It is not a talent problem. It is not an effort problem. It is a design problem.

A coach is a designer of progress. A coach provides standards, structure, and feedback. This book lays that design out in plain words, for players, parents and coaches.