The Transforming Basketball Podcast

• EP131: The Five Pillars of Holistic Athlete Development with Robby Bostain

  In this episode, George Vaz is joined by Robby Bostain, founder of Level 10 Basketball and former Division I and European pro. Robby shares how his holistic five-pillar approach—skills, fitness, mentality, nutrition, and leadership—helps athletes level up on and off the court. He also dives into how the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) unlocked creativity in his coaching, why giving athletes ownership accelerates growth, and the power of experimenting across sports. Bio:Robby Bostain is the founder of Level 10 Basketball in Bakersfield, CA, where he trains athletes through a holistic, five-pillar approach: skills, fitness, mentality, nutrition, and leadership. A former Division I player at Furman and a seven-year European pro, Robby blends high-level playing experience with a Kaizen-inspired “Level Up Plan” to help players improve daily. His training emphasizes mental resilience, game IQ, and complete player development. Chapters: 01:00 – Robby’s journey from D1 to European pro and coaching transition 05:00 – Holistic challenges: skills, fitness, nutrition, mentality, leadership 08:00 – Teaching affirmations & leadership at a young age 10:30 – Discovering CLA & how it transformed his coaching 13:00 – Drawing inspiration from other sports & creativity in practice design 17:30 – Using constraints to teach offense/defense balance 20:00 – Incentivizing good decisions instead of penalizing mistakes 22:00 – Coaching with principles vs. rigid set plays 24:00 – Embracing variability in shooting & training chaos 26:00 – Transformative tip Level up your coaching with our Amazon Best Selling Book: https://amzn.to/3vO1Tc7Access tons more of evidence-based coaching resources: https://transformingbball.com/products/ Links:Website: http://transformingbball.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformbballInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformingbasketball/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@transformingbasketballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformingbasketball/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transforming.basketball

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• EP130: The Secrets Behind ALBA Berlin's Coaching Philosophy with Norbert Opitz

  In this episode, George Vaz is joined by Norbert Opitz, a cornerstone of Alba Berlin’s youth development program. With over 20 years of experience, Norbert shares how Alba fosters player growth through representative practices, decision-making, and long-term development over short-term wins. He explains why Alba avoids “on-air” drills, how they use constraints to guide learning, and the importance of empowering players to play freely while building confidence in their shooting. Bio:Norbert Opitz is more than a coach—he's a cornerstone of ALBA Berlin’s developmental philosophy. With deep expertise in youth development, a strong emphasis on mental and physical growth, and a record of on-court achievements, Opitz continues to mold Berlin’s next generation of elite basketball players and coaches. Chapters: 01:00 – Norbert’s coaching journey and philosophy at Alba Berlin04:00 – What sets Alba apart: representative learning environments 05:00 – Using constraints to mirror real game challenges08:00 – Building confident shooters and daily shooting focus 11:00 – Teaching decision-making and advantage creation 14:00 – Balancing freedom with guided coaching 16:00 – Integrating offense and defense in practices21:00 – Generating quality shots against compact defenses26:00 – Transformative tip Level up your coaching with our Amazon Best Selling Book: https://amzn.to/3vO1Tc7Access tons more of evidence-based coaching resources: https://transformingbball.com/products/ Links:Website: http://transformingbball.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformbballInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformingbasketball/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@transformingbasketballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformingbasketball/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transforming.basketball

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• EP129: Inside the Hawks: Zay West on Tag Games, Variability, and Performance Coaching

  In this episode, George Vaz is joined by Zay West, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Atlanta Hawks and former NBA Academy Africa performance lead. Zay shares how evidence-based training, creativity, and environmental design can help athletes maximize performance, adapt faster, and return stronger from injuries. Chapters: 01:30 - Zay’s coaching journey to the Atlanta Hawks03:00 - Applying the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA)08:30 - Creativity in training & warm-ups09:30 - Return-to-play progressions13:00 - Scaling from control to chaos in drills17:00 - Engaging warmup games (tag, tennis ball, volleyball)22:30 - Teaching athletes how to fall safely24:00 - Achilles injury trends & prevention28:00 - Transformative tip Level up your coaching with our Amazon Best Selling Book: https://amzn.to/3vO1Tc7Access tons more of evidence-based coaching resources: https://transformingbball.com/products/ Links:Website: http://transformingbball.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformbballInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformingbasketball/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@transformingbasketballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformingbasketball/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transforming.basketball

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• EP128: Constraints, Curiosity, and Coaching: Ashley Cookson on Leading the Essex Rebels

  In this episode, George Vaz sits down with Ashley Cookson, Head of Basketball Performance and Head Coach of the Essex Rebels women’s team. Ashley shares his journey through coaching in the UK, Sweden, Canada, and Australia, and how ecological dynamics and constraints-led approaches shape his philosophy. Chapters: 00:00 - Ashley’s coaching journey across the UK, Sweden, Canada & Australia04:00 - Discovering ecological dynamics & adapting traditional coaching methods07:00 - Designing transition-focused drills and using constraints in practice13:00 - Lessons learned from different coaching cultures abroad21:00 - Recruitment, core principles of play, and keeping strategies simple25:00 - Transformative Tip Level up your coaching with our Amazon Best Selling Book: https://amzn.to/3vO1Tc7Access tons more of evidence-based coaching resources: https://transformingbball.com/products/ Links:Website: http://transformingbball.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformbballInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformingbasketball/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@transformingbasketballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformingbasketball/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transforming.basketball

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• EP127: Building a Championship Culture with Cameron Mitchell

  In this episode, George is joined by Cameron Mitchell—two-time NWAC South Coach of the Year and head coach of Portland Community College’s Panther Basketball Program. He shares how he’s led his team to back-to-back region championships and the most successful two-year stretch in program history. Cameron also explains why embracing controlled chaos, implementing the Constraints-Led Approach, and giving players autonomy have been key to success. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction to Coach Cameron Mitchell & career highlights 02:10 – First-year challenges as a college head coach 05:20 – Building a winning culture from day one 09:05 – Balancing team goals and individual development 12:45 – Strategies for recruiting and developing talent 16:20 – Lessons learned from consecutive championship runs 20:15 – Transitioning to the G League with Rip City Remix 24:40 – Advice for new and aspiring coaches 28:00 – Transformative Tip: Focus on culture, not just results Level up your coaching with our Amazon Best Selling Book: https://amzn.to/3vO1Tc7Access tons more of evidence-based coaching resources: https://transformingbball.com/products/ Links:Website: http://transformingbball.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformbballInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformingbasketball/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@transformingbasketballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformingbasketball/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transforming.basketball

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