The Philosophy of Private Lessons and One-on-One Coaching

The utmost goal of most athletes is to excel at their sport; perform well in the eyes of both their peers and their parents. To achieve this goal, seasoned competitive club participants and recreational beginners alike face the daunting, dreary, repetitive task of "practice". Sounds terrible, and yet once we're hooked with that sport-bug, we seem to be searching for every form or trick that'll give us the edge in our competition. Coaching is by far the most advantageous of the possible solutions to learning a sport. Most coaches have spent years training, playing, learning and studying because they are dedicated to the sport they love.

Playing under a coach in any team sport gives you the opportunity to learn the countless dynamics that exist between each of the players on the court or field. Many coaches however do not have the time in limited seasons to teach and drill the individual techniques that have proven to be successful in the sport. Finding personal, one-on-one help during the off-season is an option that many of the most talented individuals in any sport have found necessary.

Personal lessons have many positives that can help players of all levels.

FOCUS is increased from the start as players go into the lesson with heightened determination and expectation that may have dwindled in their current season. There are no other players, no down time to distract. There is the player and the coach.

PERSONALIZED ATTENTION is given to every aspect of the players game from form and function to nutrition and strength. Normally during a team practice it can be difficult to stop the flow of a drill to pick apart a single player's footwork or bad habit. A comment can usually be made but there just isn't time to spend on getting it right.

EXTENDED TIME can be spent on a certain part of a players game where he/she is having the most difficulty. Lessons can be tailored for a general skill in the sport or they can be ultra-specific, focusing on one motion that a player is having trouble with.

Whatever the goal a player sets in the off-season, private lessons are a high-quality aide to accomplishment. Developing a training regimen and lesson schedule are the first step in the lessons. A coach should talk with the player and determine what they would like to gain from the lesson and then set a specific goal and a broad goal for the future. Multiple lessons are almost always a stronger choice than a single, given that more practice invariably makes one better. But a single lesson could be just what a certain player needs, just to brush up on a skill before a new season starts or to more fully understand a concept during a season.

Explore your options and be confident in your instructor. You'd be surprised at how much trust is a factor in educating a player in a technique. Costs for lessons can vary from $20-$100 based on gym time, location, season and coaching personnel. Erik Nelson and TeamSC offer private lessons at a flat rate of $50 per hour lesson (with 10% going to Scotts Valley High Girls Volleyball Program). Group lessons can be arranged with varying prices. Half-hour lessons can also be setup for those who'd like an intro into what it's all about and if private lessons are what they'd like to pursue.

To arrange lessons with TeamSC, click here:  LESSON SCHEDULE

TeamSC President,

Erik Nelson