Hi guys. My name is Issa Perry and I'm a basketball skills and conditioning coach. This is my first blog and for those of you reading, thanks for tuning in! I've been training young talent in Silver Spring, MD since 2008 when I first realized my vision for what is now my training company Truebreed Athletics. I worked out a number of kids from 2008 - 2011, who went on to play for their high school and college teams. For the following six years, I worked a couple of jobs and chased a career in the music industry before what I like to think of as God's plan for my life, brought me back to the only career I've ever truly loved in January of 2017.
So how does a person like my self who never played high school or college basketball become a basketball skills coach? To tell you the truth, it was by accident. One thing I know for sure is aside from God and my amazing family, basketball has brought me the most joy in life! I played rec ball in middle school, AAU basketball with the District All stars AAU organization (Silver Spring, MD), and was blessed with the opportunity to play for a season in Greece and Italy in the summer of 2003 as a sports ambassador (Dwight D. Eisenhower "People to People" Sports Ambassadors Program). Not the most impressive b-ball resume by any means, but I always paid attention to and studied the fundamentals of the sport. Can anyone reading relate to putting hours on hours on hours into mastering your craft? I'm sure you can. Although most people who spend half of their day working on their game are either getting paid for it (ie: pro) or working toward a scholarship with big hoop dreams and aspirations. I on the other hand, did it for the love of the game, and out of an egotistical desire to be the best on any court I stepped on.
My first client actually came quite by surprise. I had never thought of myself as a trainer before that day. I was in the gym at LA Fitness getting in an early workout on the court. I mean, I was getting it in! I had the court all to myself, sweat pouring, locked-in attention on my footwork. As Im going through my routine, I didn't even realize I was being watched. There's a lesson in that too; always give your best because you never know who is watching. As I left the gym, a man approached me and said, "I saw you doing your drills. You look like you know what you're doing. Can you train my son? I'll pay you." I mean why turn down money to do what I love, right? I would be in the gym everyday anyway.
That week I started to work with his son, who was in middle school at the time. Over some weeks other parents began to see us working out and asked if I would train their kids too. This continued over the next few months and I started to think to myself, maybe I can make a career out of this. Within the next year I was consistently training sixteen clients made up of middle and high school boys and girls and having a blast. Now at that point in my life, I was pretty busy with a full time job as a personal trainer while running an online marketing business on the side, so needless to say, I didn't have much free time. Not only did my new part-time coaching put some extra bread in my pocket, but it also served as an outlet for me to get ball touches and stay close to the game as I got older. I never wanted to be one of those "ball is life" guys who got old, then got fat, and never hooped again. Aside from being blessed with this hobby-turned-career, this may have been my fate, like so many others I had grown up with who's hoop dreams died with age.
In the summer of 2010, the light bulb went off for me. I didn't say "eureka", but that's how I felt. It was a magical moment for me when a parent of one of the kids I was training got me a card with a note in it, explaining how much of an impact I had made on their son not only on the court but also in the classroom. The parents had been having problems reaching their son because of the age difference, but because of his respect for me as his coach and trainer, I had been able to help him through a rough time in his development. The card and message was simple, but I believe God used it to reveal to me that my gift for teaching the skills of basketball had a bigger purpose. I began to see basketball training as a way to reach and inspire the next generation to strive for excellence and greatness in life, using the sport as a tool.
I had to turn my hobby into a franchise that would develop student athletes at all levels, and mentor them, teaching leadership, work ethic, and building their characters.
Epic right?? Unfortunately in 2011, things got rough for my family financially and I had to find another, more stable source of income. Yeah, things sucked for a while but they could have been worse; all-in-all, I have to say that I learned a lot about myself and grew a lot during the next few years. The Lord is good though! In January 2017, I was able to relaunch my business, build my clientele back up and renew my vision. I am starting this blog so that I can document my journey and bring you with me. This blog is for anyone who coaches or trains basketball players. This blog is for anyone who plays the wonderful game of basketball, recreationally, scholastically, or professionally. Even if you don't play anymore...maybe you were "ball is life" but life got real and you may have fallen off (it happens to the best of us). If you love the game like I love the game, this blog is for you. Like it, share it, comment, and subscribe!
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