NEW YORK (September 25, 2017) – The National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) announced today that it has entered into an exclusive alliance with eCoach whereby NBA Head Coaches (both current and former NBCA members), and other team coaching staff members, will provide video content incorporating basketball skills instruction into an innovative digital curriculum. The offering, to be launched this fall, will be called eCoachBasketball, Powered by the National Basketball Coaches Association.
The NBCA and eCoach’s objective is to grow the game using the best minds at the highest level of the sport. NBA coaches will, for the first time, teach basketball to the world through a single digital platform providing easy access for everyone. The curriculum includes a library of hundreds of video instructional segments, produced exclusively for eCoachBasketball, in an engaging short-form format, typically 2-4 minutes in length. eCoachBasketball videos will cover a variety of topics in all areas of basketball and span across all skill levels including: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The NBCA is committed to teach the game of basketball the right way by creating the world’s foremost “online basketball university,” accessible anywhere via smartphones, tablets, any computer, and TV’s with connected streaming devices.
The target audience is the millions of basketball players, coaches, parents and fans globally, with a special emphasis in countries such as China, India, Brazil, Africa, Philippines, Australia, and across Europe. These areas have a huge population of people interested in the game of basketball. When the Coaches Association Members visited these countries for camps and clinics, they recognized a need to have a continuing instructional skills program in place utilizing the latest in cutting edge digital technology. The NBCA coaches are extremely excited to get their messages/philosophies of the game to other places around the world where they do not have access to such resources. Beginning in 2018, each video segment will be translated by using sub-titles in languages including Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and many others.
“Our partnership with eCoach will allow the National Basketball Coaches Association to offer video coaching vignettes of NBA coaches on a digital platform that can be accessed worldwide, said Rick Carlisle, President of the National Basketball Coaches Association and Head Coach of the Dallas Mavericks. “This technology and content is unprecedented and will totally change the way we communicate our game to the rest of the world. In my 12 years as President of the NBCA, this is without question the most exciting endeavor we have been a part of.”
“Through eCoachBasketball, Powered by the National Basketball Coaches Association, our coaches have a rare opportunity to teach the beautiful game of basketball the right way to fans, players, and coaches across the globe at the click of a button,” said David S. Fogel, Executive Director of the National Basketball Coaches Association. “Never before has there been such close access to the greatest basketball minds on the planet, our NBCA Members.”
“eCoach was founded with a vision to democratize sports coaching by making the best coaches in the world accessible to everyone. Through our groundbreaking partnership with the NBCA, anyone in the world seeking to learn the game of basketball can soon be taught directly by an NBA coach, anytime, anywhere, in any language,” said Rich Hempel, CEO and co-founder of eCoach.
eCoachBasketball, Powered by the National Basketball Coaches Association, will be available to consumers this fall, initially in English, across multiple platforms including iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, and online via any computer. Affordable monthly and annual subscription plans will be offered. To learn more and to register for a pre-launch free trial offer, visit www.ecoach.coach.
About the NBCA
The National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) is the labor association that represents basketball coaches in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1976 by legendary Boston Celtics player and coach, Tommy Heinsohn, the NBCA consists of all NBA Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches and alumni, and works closely with the NBA on all matters that pertain to the coaching profession.
About eCoach
eCoach provides access to a growing number of the best sports coaches in the world through mobile applications and online. Player development is accelerated through a digital platform that provides free state-of-the-art video analysis coaching tools, subscription access to elite coaches, immersive video instructional content, and interactive player-coach engagements that extend the traditional in-person sports instruction model. No longer will the barriers of time, distance, or financial resources limit players, coaches and parents from accessing the top instructors and trainers in their respective sports.