We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adrian Thomas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Adrian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

The process and transition from idea to execution is something I will cherish forever.

While pursuing my professional basketball career in Europe, over time I started entertaining the idea of working with youth programs on my free time. Initially it was just ideas and random thoughts, no real structure behind it. But, every day it seemed to become more appealing. I started jotting these ideas on paper. After team practice or workouts, I would spend the rest of my day connecting the dots, figuring out ways to make it a reality. Small scale of course, no real intention to make it a brand or business, just wanted to make an impact with the youth. By the time I actually presented the plan to a few people I admired, I had almost a full notebook of ideas, workouts, brand names, and goals to get started.

One of the people I presented my plan to was a sports agent and friend of mine in Istanbul, Turkey. We sat down and talked about everything I was writing. As I’m rambling and reading off these ideas, he stopped me mid-sentence and said, “I have an idea. What if I get you an opportunity to work a basketball camp as a coach?” He makes a phone call right there. He is having this conversation in Turkish, so at the time I had no idea what the convo entailed. I just noticed he continued to smile and gave me a thumbs up before finishing the call. He finally hangs up and just says, “Meet me at the gym tomorrow, 9:30am. Be prepared to assist with drills and follow the Lead Coach’s direction. It’ll be a great learning experience. I’ll text you the address shortly.” Overly excited, I thank him and head back to my room to prepare for camp the next day.

Fast forward, the Lead Coach ended up being late, and I was asked to now be the lead trainer for the camp. This was not an average camp. It was an Adidas youth camp with close to 200 kids! Excited and nervous, I gladly accepted the opportunity. The camp went very well. Everything felt organic, and after the first hour the nerves went away. I just took everyone through drills that I was currently doing as a player, but simplified it to adapt to their skill level. We focused on mastering the fundamentals. The positive feedback I received from the players and other coaches gave me tremendous confidence and the boost I needed to pursue this newly found passion.

When it was time to come back home to the states, I knew I would hit the ground running with my game plan. I knew this was a field that would take time to blossom, but I was more than prepared to put the time and effort in. As soon as I got home, I started reaching out to local select basketball programs, gym owners, recreation centers, middle school and high school coaches, any and everyone in the Austin basketball world. I formally introduced myself, and offered free skills training if they allowed it. Many declined initially, but I was granted an opportunity to work with a local select program. They gave me a 20 min segment at each of their practices. It was one of the best things that could’ve happened to me. To learn the training details through trial and error with dedicated players was a blessing.

As the trainings started to gain momentum, I continued to study and learn more about the business side of things. At this time there weren’t many guides or much information online on how to structure a Player Development Business, so there were definitely mistakes made along the way.

While learning the business side of things, I continued to do my free training sessions, and made networking efforts with every school in Austin and surrounding areas. I attended school basketball games every week and met so many great players and families along the way. The interests enhanced, and I was able to rent a local church gym to start hosting weekly sessions on my own. What an amazing time! We worked liked crazy and got better every time we touched the court. Fortunately the parents and players started spreading the word about my trainings. The phone calls starting flowing in and the sessions got bigger each week.

From that moment, I knew this is something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in Southeast Austin, a small area called Montopolis. Growing up in a small neighborhood, options were very limited. Basketball was the first passion I discovered at seven years old. Picked up a basketball, gained a true obsession for the game, and never looked back.

I went to Del Valle High. Was granted the opportunity to continue my education and athletic career after High School. In college, I was honored as the #1 point guard in the NJCAA in 2010 and still the All-Time Assist Leader at Kishwaukee College in Illinois. I finished my college career at Missouri Western State University, where I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management.

After college, I played professional basketball in Sweden, Turkey, and Spain, where I later discovered my passion for player development and impacting the youth basketball world. I’ve been blessed to work with many youth basketball players and programs, as well as high school, collegiate and professional athletes statewide and internationally.

After several years of training in Europe and fueling the passion for player development, I made the decision to move back to the states and impact the game of basketball on a large scale.

I moved back to Austin and started 4th Quarter Athlete, my Player Development company. It was amazing to make a plan, set the foundation, and display my passion through the training. It became contagious, the development was evident, and we were able to blossom and create Select Basketball teams in the process.

After two years of consistent training and building the brand, I created Texas Warriors Elite, my Select Basketball Organization. We take pride in creating a positive, high-energy environment for players to grow and learn the game of basketball. 4th – 11th Grade, Boys and Girls, Local, Regional, and National teams.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

It’s been an amazing process, but far from a smooth road. There were several obstacles along the way that makes me appreciate the journey even more.

Some of the struggles in the beginning was getting players and parents to believe and buy into the game plan. From 4QA training and TWE Select Basketball. There are various skills trainers and select programs throughout the city, so why choose mine?

Another obstacle in the beginning was managing the basketball and business aspects. The basketball portion came second nature, as I loved it so much. Loved leading training sessions, coaching teams, and seeing players develop.There was so much on the business side that I overlooked coming in. Just didn’t have the proper knowledge and understanding that I do now. Learned so much through trial and error. Tough going through them at the moment, but looking back I truly value those teachable lessons.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I feel being consistent, driven, and transparent played a tremendous role in building my reputation. On the court my passion became contagious. To the point where you had no choice but to improve and have fun while doing it. Making those genuine connections with coaches, players, and families helped as well. I didn’t feel like a salesman pitching my business. The relationships formed organically and the results from the training were presenting themselves weekly.

I take great pride in the retention rate from 4th Quarter Athlete and Texas Warriors Elite. We have players we’ve trained throughout their basketball careers. Starting from 3/4th Grade, continuing through High School. Seeing them grow as players and young adults is what it’s all about.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.4thquarterathlete.com/ https://www.twebasketball.com/
• Instagram: adrian_thomas4 4thquarterathlete twebasketball
• Linkedin: Adrian Thomas

Image Credits
Jordan Scruggs – Puer Media IG: puermedia