Private & group training
Private and group basketball training in Largo
One-on-one lessons for beginners and advanced players, group lessons with peers, and training plans for the college-bound athlete, all at the Academy's own hardwood court.
Chapter 01
One-on-one for the player who is just starting
Every kid walks into a gym for the first time with the same quiet question: where do I put my hands? A private session at the Academy starts from that question instead of a script. Beginners learn the rules of the game first, the things that make a pickup run or a school tryout make sense, and then the basic skills that everything else sits on: shooting form, rebounding, ball handling and dribbling.
Individual sessions are customized to each student-athlete's skills, strengths and challenges. That is the Academy's own description, and it is why private lessons are the fastest way to develop and improve at any level. Nobody waits behind the kid in front of them. A coach sees the elbow drift out on the second shot and says so before the third one goes up.
If you are not sure where your child fits, call Coach Allen at (727) 235-4726, describe what you have seen at home or at a rec game, and he can point you toward the right kind of lesson. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome here, and a parent standing at the baseline with a question is a normal sight.
A player working with the Academy's shooting machine
One-on-one for the player who wants more
Advanced players use private time to hone in on strategic improvement. The drills are position specific and tailored to target weak areas while building on strengths. Think of a guard whose left hand disappears under pressure, or a forward who rushes every finish at the rim. A lesson built around that one problem fixes it faster than a general practice ever will.
VertiMax and shooting machines are available at The Basketball Warehouse Academy, and they are a real part of what advanced players get to use. VertiMax is resistance-based jump training, so the work on explosiveness happens on the same floor as the skill work. A shooting machine keeps the ball coming back to the shooter, which means far more shots in a session than a player could take with a partner chasing rebounds.
The people running the lessons have played the game at the top of the sport. Coach Allen won the 1991 NCAA Division II National Championship with North Alabama and played four years as a pro in Germany, the Dominican Republic and the United States. Coach Daryl was a four-year starter, captain and MVP at Francis Marion. Both men coached at Shorecrest Prep from 2008 to 2015, and both are in their college athletic halls of fame.
Chapter 03
Group lessons: train with your peers
In group training, players learn alongside their friends and fellow student-athletes. They practice their individual skills while learning to work as part of a team. The focus is on the whole group, but there is a lot to pick up from the player next to you, and there is an added element of teamwork and competition that a private lesson cannot give.
Group training is an option for players of all ages. The coaches group peers of similar skill levels and, where it makes sense, similar grades, so everyone gets the most out of the hour. A fourth grader is not asked to keep up with a high school guard, and the stronger player is not held back by someone just learning the rules.
Kids who only train alone can look polished in an empty gym and come apart in a game. Group sessions are where a skill gets tested against someone who is trying to stop it: a closeout, a box out, a cut that has to be read in time. Parents who pair one private lesson with one group session often find the two feed each other, since the coach can fix a habit in private and then watch it hold up in a crowd.
For the college-bound athlete
Private and group training are encouraged for any student-athlete who wants to improve their game. For the college-bound player, they are essential for personal and game development, mindset, teamwork, competition and goal setting. Those five things are what a college coach is looking at when the highlight reel is over.
Part of the Academy's mission is to provide training to students who want to play college ball, and the two founders are proof that the road exists. Coach Allen went from Clearwater High School to a national title at North Alabama. Coach Daryl captained Francis Marion. When they talk about goal setting with a sophomore, they are talking about steps they took themselves.
Basketball is only half of what a college roster asks for, which is why the Academy also runs after-school tutoring and encourages academic achievement across every program. Ask Coach Allen about pairing lessons with the Academy's other programs, such as travel teams for game experience or camp over school breaks. The right mix depends on the player and the year.
The Basketball Warehouse Academy is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit that has trained Tampa Bay student-athletes in Largo since 2011. Call Coach Allen at (727) 235-4726 to ask which lesson fits your player.
THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS.
To be great, you must practice. Not just practice, you must practice only the right way, every time.
From the Academy's training page
The court board
Eight words on the wall of every lesson
The Academy sums up what private and group training are built to teach in eight words. Whether it is a ten-minute drill on a shooting machine or a full group session, the coach is working on one or more of them, and the best lessons touch several at once.
Want to see where those lessons lead? The travel teams put the same habits under tournament lights, and the schedule page shows when the court is busy. Or call Coach Allen on (727) 235-4726.
VERTIMAX & SHOOTING MACHINES AVAILABLE AT THE BASKETBALL WAREHOUSE ACADEMY
- 01
Fundamentals
Stance, grip and footwork. The habits every other skill is built on.
- 02
Competition
Reps against a peer who is trying to win them.
- 03
Technique
Shooting form and finishing mechanics a coach can see and correct.
- 04
Strategy
Why a play works and where the open player will be.
- 05
Tactics
What to do against a press, a zone or a taller defender.
- 06
Mindset
Staying level after a miss and ready after a make.
- 07
Discipline
Doing the drill the right way, every time, when nobody is clapping.
- 08
Teamwork
Moving the ball, talking on defense, playing for the next player.