At Above The 6 We Want Your Time, Not Your Money
About our prep girls training course
Above The 6's Sienna Papanastasiou-Thomas (PG for IEM Juel Prep & J. Addison Senior OSBA) after beating Kyle Lowry in a game of Knockout at the Kyle Lowry Camp, 2018.
The girls' prep basketball training course facilitated by Coach Thomas and Dr. Joel Kerr is an exciting opportunity for young female athletes to enhance their skills and knowledge of the sport. Packages of 8-week, 6-week or 4-week packages available for as low as $12/hour. Most groups charge $30+/hr for this quality of training and expertise, however at Above The 6, we want your time, not your money. Most other training sessions are an hour in length, ours are three. We do offer a flex schedule option for those who have other commitments that may conflict with some dates. contact gthomas@abovethe6.com for details.
Why a course and not training? Our goal is to educate, not just train. We want the girls leaving the course with knowledge, to continue to work throughout the summer on their game, so they can excel on their teams next season and beyond. Part of the education is teaching the girls all that participation in sport offers long term. We introduce the girls to how they can continue in sport after their playing days are done in various capacities. The growth of girls basketball at the moment is offering young women opportunities in coaching, sport administration and more. Sport has been a catalyst for social change, and sport continues to be an avenue for empowering young women.
On Court
Coach Thomas blends technical training techniques from renowned coaches like Phil Handy of the Los Angeles Lakers and Rico Hines of the Toronto Raptors, as well as university and college coaches from around the province. The on-court training will focus on general skill training techniques, and individual needs will be addressed through personalized, targeted training regimes. Coach Thomas has a reputation for producing players with a high basketball IQ, and the girls will also have a chance to build their knowledge of tactical concepts, which is essential to success at a higher level of basketball. The same techniques he used with his daughter Sienna, who in grade 9, was named the starting point guard for the J.Addison Senior OSBA team and ranked one of the top 50 high school juniors in Ontario by Canletes.
Off Court
Dr. Kerr, the Head of Sport Science for the J.Addison OSBA Prep teams, will provide invaluable insight on how to balance life as a student athlete. The girls will learn about nutrition before and after workouts, practices, and competitions, and the importance of sleep and taking care of their physical, mental, and emotional states both on and off the court. Additionally, Dr. Kerr will develop an off-court training program that the girls will engage in, which will be crucial in preventing injuries and recovering from them should they occur.
Special Guests
Coach Jey-son Edwards, Director of Four Point Basketball is known for his expertise in his technical knowledge of shooting. He works with numerous Prep teams, colleges and universities as their shooting specialist. Coach Jey-son most recently was an Assistant Coach with the York Lions Men's Basketball team. The girls will have two sessions with Coach Jey-son in addition to the working specifically on their technical form for outside shooting. He will provide the girls with exercises and routines to help them continue to improve their shooting.
Special Guest, Coach Wumi Agunbiade, Assistant Coach of Queen's University's Women's Basketball Team, will take the girls through some training and drills, providing feedback on what a coach at her level would be looking for. Coach Wumi will also share her journey as a student-athlete at Duquesne University, playing five years for Team Canada, as a professional player in Europe and Canada, and now a university coach.
When, Where, Who?
The program will run for eight weeks, starting on June 5th. Every Monday and Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the Alpha High Performance Center in Aurora (455 Addison Hall Circle). The program is designed for girls 13+ years old who play at the Prep, AAU, or OBLX leagues. The course offers packages of four and six weeks, allowing flexibility for those who are not available for all eight weeks, but these spots are limited in availability. Overall, this program is an excellent opportunity for young female athletes to take their game to the next level, while also learning valuable life skills that will benefit them on and off the court.