Basketball is not for the timid or the weak-willed. And no matter how easy the professionals or EA SPORTS' NBA LIVE 14 makes it look, players need a solemn combination of athleticism, stamina, endurance, strength and mental ability to even compete. But, if one wants to excel, one must also incorporate firm coaching, possess correct form, practice healthy habits and should know how to regulate physical stress. Pro Hoop Strength (PHS), leaders in sports education, and the organization's imminent app, PROOF, teaches these fundamentals and much more.

Nick Burke, CEO of PHS, spoke with Latin Post, sharing insight about training, the game, the challenges and a resolution to those challenges: PROOF.

An avid player of basketball himself, Burke wanted to be involved with basketball far beyond his college years. He began his career by helping to guide youth, working with a program called New Heights, a nonprofit that merged "the academic support of a company like Kaplan Test Prep with the athletic support of travel team basketball," all for underserved youth. Burke later went on to coach at the college level, working with all-male and all-female teams at Columbia, where he shared his passion for the game with anyone, regardless of gender, culture, age, etc.

He then had an opportunity to consult with NBA players for nearly a year before he took the role of CEO at PHS. There, he's been able to design training for dozens upon dozens of young people and professionals, promoting safe practices.

"By helping people train for the activities they do, as opposed to a general conditioning workout that doesn't necessarily help them move in the ways they would for sport, we can help athletes be more prepared for those moments when their body is stressed, and help reduce injuries or help minimize the effect of an injury," Burke said. "By being healthier, players and coaches will be able to spend more time doing the things they are passionate about -- not only basketball, but other areas of their lives as well."

Founded by Mike Brungardt, the former San Antonio Spurs' Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and four-time NBA Champion, PHS has now opted to take its hands-on tactical instruction digital, granting worldwide access to quality strength training, skill development, nutritional challenges, and mental skill building through the PROOF app.

"We took the idea that it takes a village to raise a child and applied it to the understanding that in sports development we all have our own fortes: strength training, skill development, nutrition, etc. With PROOF, we aim at creating a village of experts to help players develop," Burke said.

PROOF's interface will work with gestures and input, and will function as a seamless conversation between user and app, "similar to a hands-on training session between two people." This means that coaches and players won't have to waste tons of time with inputting data, saving nearly as much time as one might with the automatic data input of wearable technology.

The supplemental app, PROOF, offers affirmations when tasks are completed and done correctly. It uses LinkedIn and other social media networks to encourage dialogue for players and draw additional resources, and it allows users to follow a challenge designed by renowned coaches, create sharable workouts, or participate in public challenges. The app also catalogs "patient history," so that players, parents and coaches can go from being "blind folded contestants in the pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game of [personal] development to marksmen, taking aim at developing minds, bodies and skills."

Burke said, "We also allow coaches to make groups and challenge their entire team or group. Instead of replacing the coach and being just a digital program, we are now creating a forum for exchange of ideas for the coach and player, and assisting the coach to be able to do their job. "

The science of movement and strength training, for which PHS is known, will also be incorporated. Users will know how to effectively crawl before they walk, as "crawling is a major part of our bodies development of core stabilizers and helps us transfer energy from one part to another." Burke explained that sport stress multiple body parts in a single movement, and multiple movements are performed in any given period, which is why young players are made to master complex movements, as well as basic ones.

The developing app will include the native languages of over 400 million basketball players worldwide, and it will be priced at three levels. The "Free" selection will offer safety tips and will track data for future research about player development. The "Premium -- $10/mo" selection will target serious players who play competitively. The service will be comparable to private training, which tends to range from $50 to $150 an hour. And the "Business" selection is a level where users will have an organic public forum, where they can try share public challenges and promote products.

PROOF stands to be a dynamic tool in the sports world, so if you want to see this app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, you can contribute to their Kickstarter, and help make it a reality. Backers will be rewarded for their support, winning anything from an acknowledgement on the PHS site to a NBA Draft Combine Package.

Follow Pro Hoop Strength on Facebook and Twitter.

Related