Dansoman trainer Feranmi Olulonyo is a household name when it comes to honing talents of basketball players in Ghana.
The young ambitious trainer has been credited hugely for his immense contribution to the growing success of the sport in the West African country after nurturing so many unsung heroes over the past few years.
It has often been said that basketball coaching abilities doesn’t always have to start with a better understanding of the game or more knowledge about plays.
One can improve his or her coaching skills by learning to identify strength and weaknesses.
By understanding your own basketball coaching style, one get a better understanding as to who you are, the impact you have on your players and the way you can improve your basketball coaching techniques.
The former Panthers strong forward has adopted the right psychological approach that has helped him unlock the doors of his true basketball coaching potential.
The iconic Dansoman towering figure has been the brain behind the rising force of Dansoman in major competitions in Ghana and especially the Indomie Community Dunks, where for the past four years, his side have placed respectable positions in the tournaments.
His motivating persona, unique ‘basketball personality’ or sporting personality and communication style has endeared him not only to his fans but to the larger Ghanaian basketball fraternity.
There are many great basketball coaches that make very mediocre players. Likewise there are many great players who have gone into coaching basketball and have failed dismally.
Feranmi has carved a niche for focusing at the inwards of his players strength and weaknesses in appreciating their understanding of the game better.
His coaching philosophy comes from more than just playing a game and imparting his experience on other players. It comes from his passion, drive and experience on and off the court.
Indeed his entire basketball life has contributed to how he develops his coaching philosophy towards the game.
He is a master tactician who can identify talents and build their capacity and self-belief. And that should account for their consistent impressive performances of Dansoman in major tournaments despite their failure to clinch the ultimate crown.
The University of Ghana graduate has the knack for delivering an insight and analysis into what make the game ‘tick’.
His coaching style, communication style, potential barriers or limitations coupled with personal strength and identifying effective training environment has been his major attributes that makes to continually excel in his chose profession.
The key to his growing confidence on the touchline has been his self-awareness and understanding of his athletes as individuals who come from varied background.
Self-awareness is the recognition of one’s behaviour, strength, weaknesses, beliefs and values and these help create one’s experiences in life.
Technical performance is not a determining factor in coaching performance but everything that you say and do as a coach impacts on your athletes’ output.
However the ever-smiling tactician must work his sucks off to do something about his trophy drought syndrome which has characterized his career.
Olulonyo is growing into becoming fans favourite and can only look up with some pride and belief that the best is yet to come from him in the years ahead.
By: Patrick Akoto (Editor-In-Chief)
