Summer of Celebration – Michelle & Zoe
Summer of Celebration: Michelle & Zoe
“I started coaching basketball for the game but then I quickly realised it was coaching the players that really mattered to me. Seeing them progress and achieving their goals is the reason I do what I do.” – Michelle Young, founder of Elite Basketball Skills.
Michelle has enjoyed running Elite Basketball Skills since establishing the club in 2017. Her focus has been on achieving individual and team excellence both on and off the court. When lockdown hit, she felt a responsibility to further help young players. Thus, she expanded her programme to include ‘mindset coaching’ for players aged 10 and upwards.
Originally from Dublin, Michelle wanted to highlight the effort and attitude of those she had helped rather than bask in the praise she has received:
“I’m extremely proud of every player who has shown up to the ‘Virtual Sessions’ from Beginner Ballers to National players. Come rain or sunshine they are committed and enthusiastic. I have adapted how I coach, and they have adapted how they play. It’s truly been special to witness.”
Nine-year-old Zoe is one of the children who has benefitted from the efforts of Michelle. Zoe is looking forward to getting back to games and starting basketball properly with the Lady Rocks next season. However, Zoe lacks in confidence and finds it hard to be coached via Zoom because of this. Despite the challenge this presents, Michelle has been working hard with Zoe to make sure she feels comfortable during the sessions and gets the most out of them.
Zoe’s mum, Sally, described Michelle as an amazing young woman, who is not only [a] very skilled [coach] but also very personable. During [the first two months of] lockdown, Michelle provided free virtual coaching sessions for young people. The dedication and commitment that Michelle has shown to the young people within the Scottish basketball community has been second to none. She has also managed to juggle the sessions whilst looking after her own family.
Zoe’s mum also recalled the first time she met Michelle a year ago when she took a training session at her son Ben’s (Zoe’s older brother’s club, Glasgow Rocks Juniors.) She believes Michelle’s sessions are excellent for developing children’s skills both on and off the court, stating that the sessions are very mindset-focused which help prepare children to deal with challenging situations in life. Michelle has been described as Zoe’s saviour during lockdown as she has gained so much more confidence since working with Michelle.
To find out more about Elite Basketball Skills, please email: elitebballskills@gmail.com.
If you have anyone in mind that you think we should celebrate as part of our Summer of Celebration, then please email: communications@basketball-scotland.com.
#SummerOfCelebration
