Video is a Game Changer
in Club Basketball Culture
Zero Gravity CEO Greg Kristof knows where the future of club basketball
is headed and the major role Hudl is playing along the way.
If you don’t keep up with cutting-edge technology, you’re giving the opposition a competitive advantage. No one knows this better than Greg Kristof, CEO of Zero Gravity, the largest grassroots basketball tournament operator in the country.
Running more than 150 tournaments a year in 19 states, Zero Gravity has become the go-to destination for every club, from elementary school developmental teams to high school teams competing on the national level.
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Grassroots basketball is changing. It’s becoming more about the future and it’s becoming more competitive.
How Video Made a Difference
Challenge
Player development is a tricky task to handle in the club space, given the severe time constraints coaches have with their athletes. Club teams typically practice just once or twice a week, and the frenzied schedule during tournament play limits the time athletes have to learn.
When it comes to what clubs do to help their teams stand out and get players to the next level, Kristof has seen and heard just about everything. One recent trend has certainly caught his attention—video.
Solution
With thousands of clubs coming through his tournaments every year, Kristof says he can see a difference in those using video—they improve.
Zero Gravity will see teams four, five, six times during a season, and it’s clear which ones have coaches who provide informed feedback. Video helps guide those in-the-moment coaching decisions and drive player development on and off the court.
The new generation of athletes is very visual—just explaining what needs to happen won’t have the same effect as showing it. Video adds another dimension to programs, as Kristof would say, “You’re getting a college basketball coaching experience in a grassroots setting.”
Dedicated coaches who want to help their athletes make it to the next level can use a video solution like Hudl to show, not tell, athletes how to step up their game. With simple and efficient video tools, athletes and parents can create highlights, catch the eyes of recruiters and create scholarship opportunities.
Create Highlights
Get Noticed
Level Up
The clubs and teams with strong development programs, and those that pump up their players on social media, are the ones attracting top talent. Kristof sees players and
parents take note of the clubs that strongly promote athletes, which ultimately influences their decision on the club they join.
Grassroots basketball club directors see innovative clubs moving towards video, and they’re jumping onboard. Hudl is an investment in your club and an investment in your business.
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Video is going to go from a competitive advantage to the norm pretty soon…Hudl is the leader in the space because of the technology and the simplicity of the non-tech person to use it.
Benefits of Video.
Help Players Improve
As coaches like to say, “video doesn’t lie”—which is why it’s an ideal developmental tool for players
When a team has limited practice time to prepare for weekend tournaments, coaches need to find a way to keep players focused on improving their game. That’s where Hudl comes in. Coaches can bring lessons to life by creating custom playlists of what went well or what needs work with comments and drawings for their players to review.
From a tournament standpoint, the value of video is how quickly it can be turned into feedback. Coaches can use video in team meetings and practices to address performance and prepare for the next matchup.
Get Players Noticed
Video is by far the best way to promote your players to college coaches and scouts. Players and parents can easily create custom highlights, and Zero Gravity has seen athletes reach success from sending those highlights to recruiters, all through Hudl.
Kids are looking at schools on a national level, and it’s much easier to connect with coaches at Division I, II and III with technology at their side.
Every college basketball coach has a tablet, laptop or smartphone. They want to see highlight reels before they watch a full game, and Hudl makes it very easy. Plus, Hudl houses all of your games, so when a recruiter requests one, you have an entire library for your athletes to choose from.
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The most important thing players can do to get noticed is show their ability to play basketball with video.