21d • General discussion
Big mistakes I made starting my youth basketball academy
Big mistakes I made starting my youth basketball academy
I’m sharing this for anyone thinking about starting (or already starting) a basketball training business. None of this is theory — these are real mistakes I made early on.
1. Analysis paralysis at the beginning
I thought everything had to be perfect before I could start — logo, systems, pricing, schedule, vision, all of it. That mindset delayed my start more than anything else.
Looking back, I didn’t need clarity — I needed motion. Most things became clear after I started, not before.
Lesson: Start imperfect. Momentum fixes things faster than planning ever will.
2. Thinking I needed a gym before I could begin
I was afraid to train at an outside park. I thought it would look “unprofessional” or that parents wouldn’t take it seriously.
That was completely wrong.
Once I finally used the park, it actually worked better than I expected. Parents cared about:
- The coaching
- The structure
- The way I interacted with their kids
Not the floor.
Lesson: Environment matters less than execution. Don’t let facilities stop your progress.
3. Not posting on social media sooner
I didn’t post early because I thought:
“Why would anyone care if I don’t have clients yet?”
But once I started posting — even before I was “established” — it built trust. People followed the journey. They saw consistency. They saw intent.
By the time people reached out, they already felt like they knew me.
Lesson: Social media isn’t about showing success — it’s about showing seriousness.
4. Not having a simple payment system in place
Early on, payments were awkward:
- Manual
- Inconsistent
- Harder than they needed to be
It created friction for parents who wanted to pay.
Once I added a clear, simple payment system, everything became smoother almost immediately.
Lesson: If it’s hard to pay you, people won’t — even if they like you.
I’m documenting everything I’m learning in real time — the wins and the mistakes.If this helps even one person avoid slowing themselves down, it’s worth sharing.
More to come.
— Coach Jay
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Big mistakes I made starting my youth basketball academy
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I’m Coach Jay.
I'm building a youth basketball training business from the ground up. I document real systems, mistakes, and lessons, plus coaching.
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