The Atlanta Hawks are making sure the future of basketball is being developed not only through the players on the court, but through the coaches teaching the game.
The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Academy, in partnership with the College Park Skyhawks, celebrated the 15th anniversary of its annual Coaches Clinic, welcoming more than 250 coaches from across Georgia and the surrounding region to the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, the official practice facility of the Hawks.
And this wasn’t your typical sit-down-and-take-notes clinic.
The free three-hour event gave coaches of all experience levels an opportunity to learn directly from Hawks Head Coach Quin Snyder, Hawks Assistant Coach and College Park Skyhawks Head Coach Sanjay Lumpkin, and members of both coaching staffs.
For Lumpkin, opportunities like the Coaches Clinic represent something bigger than basketball.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Lumpkin said. “Even something like this — being able to have this camp, sorry, this clinic — and being able to give back.”
Lumpkin knows firsthand just how much the game can give someone.
“The game has given so much to all of us,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here without all the opportunities I’ve had as a player.”
The evening began with a networking reception, giving coaches an opportunity to connect and exchange ideas before Hawks play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun moderated a Q&A with Snyder. The conversation gave attendees a closer look at Snyder’s coaching philosophy and his approach to teaching and developing players.
“Coaching requires a commitment to continual growth and improvement,” Snyder said. “The game continues to evolve, and great coaches continue to seek new perspectives that shape how they teach.”
Then it was time to hit the court.
The clinic featured four interactive instructional stations centered around player development and some of the fundamental concepts coaches encounter throughout a season.
Hawks assistant coaches Kendal Manuel and Jacob Porter broke down pick-and-roll solutions against switching defenses, while assistant coach Seth Jackson and video coordinator Hugh Baxter focused on anticipating what the defense is doing before receiving the basketball.
Lumpkin led coaches through off-ball screening actions before Hawks Assistant Coach and Skyhawks Associate Head Coach Reggis Onwukamuche closed out the instructional portion with pick-and-roll shell concepts.
Instead of simply hearing basketball terminology from the sidelines, coaches were able to see those concepts demonstrated on the floor and leave with ideas they could take directly back to their own teams.
“As we celebrate 15 years of the Coaches Clinic, we are proud of the role the program has played in elevating coaches and shaping the way the game is taught in our communities,” said Chris Jacobs, Senior Director of Hawks Basketball Academy.
That connection to the community is particularly meaningful for Lumpkin as he prepares to lead the College Park Skyhawks.
“To be able to do this, especially in College Park, for the kids and the community, means a lot,” Lumpkin said.
Each attendee left with a sling bag filled with coaching resources, including a journal, skills and drills packet, T-shirt and Skyhawks dry-erase clipboard. Coaches who weren’t able to attend in person will also have an opportunity to learn from the event, with video of the full clinic scheduled to become available through the Hawks at Home platform in the coming weeks.
While celebrating 15 years is a milestone of its own, the reach of the program tells an even bigger story.
Since 2011, more than 6,000 coaches have participated in Hawks coaching education initiatives through in-person clinics, virtual programming and Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA curriculum.
That’s thousands of coaches taking what they’ve learned back to their schools, recreational programs, AAU teams and communities — potentially reaching countless young athletes along the way.
And when it comes to College Park, Lumpkin already understands the type of support Atlanta basketball fans can bring.
“We know how Atlanta comes out and supports all of its teams,” Lumpkin said. “Having gone to College Park games and been in College Park, the fans really get behind it.”
That support, combined with the organization’s continued investment in grassroots basketball, gives Lumpkin plenty to look forward to as he takes on his role with the Skyhawks.
“I’m just looking forward to the opportunity,” Lumpkin said. “Again, we’re going to do our best, put our best foot forward, and Atlanta will get behind us.”
Players may be the ones putting points on the scoreboard, but behind every developing athlete is usually a coach helping teach the game.
Fifteen years into the Coaches Clinic, the Hawks and Skyhawks continue investing in those teachers while giving them the tools, knowledge and access to help develop the next generation of basketball talent.
And as Lumpkin put it, that’s what it’s all about.
For more information about the Hawks Basketball Academy and its youth basketball programs, visit Hawks.com/BasketballAcademy.
