A former basketball champion of Nigeria University Games (NUGA) and West African University Games (WAUG), Demilade Adedoyin has taken up the task of training individual players instead of a full team, Sports247 reports.
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Although this unusual decision came mostly due to lack of adequate funding and insufficient material that bedevilled his previous club coaching activities, Adedoyin is now relishing the opportunity to undertake one-on-one training drills with teenagers.
He disclosed this in an exclusive chat with Sports247, during which he revealed that the idea came to him one day after observing some youngsters playing for leisure at the open-air courts of Abesan Estate, near Ipaja, Lagos.
The graduate of University of Ilorin, who learnt the basics of basketball while playing under Coach Charles Ibeziakor at Raptors Academy in Surulere, reckoned that it is easier for a single player to learn through direct contact with the coach, than being in a team.
That led the native of Arigidi Akoko in Ondo State to take up a very promising kid in the neighbourhood, who he now trains three days a week at Abesan Estate Stadium.
“I want to let him start early, the same way that I did,” Adedoyin explained. “I played basketball as a student of Doregos College.
“I started while I was in SS1, at a time they had just started building the team, and their basketball court was newly installed. That meant I never had the chance to play a lot of games for them.
“I also trained with Raptors Basketball Academy at the National Stadium, which helped me when I got to UNILORIN. I was a key player in the university’s basketball team.
“We won NUGA and WAUG during my time there, but it was not easy because the vice-chancellor always reminded us that we must think about academics before sports.”
Adedoyin also charged public figures and government officials to put in place policies that will make it easier for sports talents to grow rapidly while still in secondary school, with a view that there should be less pressure on them to study hard.
While acknowledging the impact he used to have as a coach with SDM Basketball Club of Abesan Estate, Adedoyin urged corporate bodies and individuals to assist in sponsorship of youth teams in the area.
