Hoops Through Life

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The Hoops Through Life podcast is BACK! We have some great guests lined up for you all over the next couple of months!

On today’s episode, we have Coach Kuartez James. Kuartez is a program coordinator working with adults with autism, a licensed behavior technician, a published author, a national speaker, and the founder of "Recruit University”. He has nearly two decades of coaching and leadership experience at the youth and high school levels. Through Recruit University, he has helped hundreds of student-athletes earn millions in scholarships and opportunities at all levels: NCAA DI, DII, DIII, JUCO, and NAIA. 

On this episode, we discuss:

• Working backward to start the recruiting process
• When the recruiting process starts
• What parents can look out for as they navigate information about the recruiting process
• Questions parents can ask coaches to assess if the coach is knowledgeable about the recruiting process
• The power of being proactive
• The importance of sports performance
• How to get started in the recruiting process

And much more!

Recruit University Website

Recruiting 101: A Guide To Being Recruited For College Sports

NCAA Eligibility Center

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
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The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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ANNOUNCEMENT:

After this episode. We will be taking a break during the college basketball season. We will be back with more episodes in March / April of 2026. In the meantime, if you have any questions feel free to reach out!

On today’s episode we have Nicole Adach. Nicole is a sport psychology professional and psychotherapist with over a decade of experience helping athletes and high-performing individuals strengthen their mental game, build resilience, and reach peak performance. Nicole currently serves as a Student-Athlete Support Clinician at Northeastern University, where she works with athletes to navigate the pressures of competition, balance their mental health, and develop skills that translate beyond sport. In her private practice, Nicole specializes in the intersection of mental health, wellness, and performance — bringing together her clinical expertise and her own background as a collegiate athlete. She’s particularly passionate about helping athletes explore their identity beyond sport and supporting them through the often challenging transition out of athletics.

On this episode we discuss:

• The importance of expanding and understanding self identity
• The importance of being in the present moment
• Grounding strategies to get into the present moment
• Building confidence + resilience

And much more!

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s "best of" episode we have Coach Anthony Tucker. Anthony played for the University of Iowa and Minnesota State University Moorhead; where he was named to the All-Conference and All-Region teams. After college Anthony had an 11 year professional career spanning nine countries and including four finals appearances, one MVP award, one scoring title, and three assist titles. He also played in the NBA G League for the Windy City Bulls. His coaching experience spans from AAU to high school varsity, and he is the founder and head trainer at Hoop Habits; whose training method is designed to not only develop skills, but to teach athletes how to apply their training techniques and concepts to live game situations. In the fall of 2025, he will enter his first season as the Head Coach of the Holy Family Catholic High School girls basketball program.

On this episode we discuss:

• Coach Tucker’s 5 pillars of player development
• The importance of building a plan and experimenting with development
• Why consistency is key
• Importance of open dialogue when training
• Creativity in development

And much more!

Hoop Habits Website
Hoop Habits Instagram
Anthony Tucker Instagram

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s episode we have Iuri Melo. Iuri is a licensed clinical social worker + therapist. He is the published author of "Mind Over Grey Matter," and "Know Thy Selfie," a national best seller for adolescents. Iuri specializes in treating Anxiety related disorders (Panic, OCD), Depression, & Trauma. His vision is to inspire youth and young adults everywhere to live deeply.

On this episode we discuss:

• The importance of how you interpret events
• The highs and lows of engaging in sports
• The virtuous cycle vs the downward spiral

And much more!

Video resources for adolescents

School pulse website

Know Thy Selfie - Book

Mind Over Grey Matter - Book

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

Send us Fan Mail

On today’s episode we have Coach Shannon Bollhardt. Coach Bollhardt has spent her entire coaching career at Saint Michael’s College - her first 5 years as an assistant and she is currently entering her 13th year as the head coach. This past season Coach Bollhardt’s team registered their highest overall and league win totals in eight years while hosting their first postseason contest in 14 seasons.

On this episode we discuss:

• How the college’s current roster affects recruiting
• Factors coaches consider as they look into the transfer portal
• Questions to ask club / AAU coaches as you’re assessing if it’s the right fit for you
• What to include in an email to a coach
• How Coach Bollhardt + their staff use social media
• Reteaching the basics at the college level
• The relationship between athleticism and basketball IQ
• How to prepare for your first year of college

And much more!

Saint Michael's WBB Instagram

Saint Michael's WBB X

Saint Michael's WBB Recruiting Questionnaire

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s episode we have Coach C White. Coach White started her coaching career as a part time assistant at Bentley University; where she was also a standout player, scoring over 1000 points; currently 12th all time in assists, and 8th all time in three-pointers. She then spent 1 year as an assistant at Harvard University, but came back to Bentley as Bentley’s top assistant, where she remained until she was named the head coach in 2020. In the 24-25 season Coach White’s team notched an impressive 33-2 record, winning the NE-10 championship, for the 4th year in a row, and making it to the elite eight in the NCAA DII tournament.

On this episode we discuss:

• The small details coach White watches for when at AAU tournaments
• Parents role in the recruiting process
• Common misconceptions about NCAA DII
• DII and scholarships
• Questions coach White likes to ask student-athletes on visits
• Breaking down the skill that is most difficult to translate from high school to college

And much more!

Bentley Women's Basketball Instagram

Bentley Women's Basketball Recruiting Questionnaire

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

Send us Fan Mail

We are on our final episode of our 4 episode series where we are breaking down each phase of the recruiting process (Preparation, Communication, Visits, Decision Making/Transition). Today’s episode is all about the decision making process and transition to your first year.

On this episode we discuss:

• Making your decision based on what is right for you
• Assessing each school using a different "lens"
• Understanding how to "weigh" what's important to you
• Why your mentality matters in the decision making process
• How to best prepare athletically and mentally for your first year of school

And much more!

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

Send us Fan Mail

We are on episode 3 of our 4 episode series where we are breaking down each phase of the recruiting process (Preparation, Communication, Visits, Decision Making/Transition). Today’s episode is all about going on Visits.

On this episode we discuss:

• The difference between + rules surrounding unofficial and official visits
• How to prepare for an unofficial and official visit
• What types of questions to ask coaches and players when on visits
• What to consider as you visit a school for the second, third, or fourth time
• Tips for the car ride home after a visit

And much more!

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
X
Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

Send us Fan Mail

We are on episode 2 of our 4 episode series where we are breaking down each phase of the recruiting process (Preparation, Communication, Visits, Decision Making/Transition). Today’s episode is all about Communication.

On this episode we discuss:

• What to include in your email / communication with coaches
• Questions to consider when preparing for phone calls with coaches
• How quickly you should respond to coaches and what you should say if you aren't interested in a school that's reaching out to you
• Tips for your highlight film
• What to include in your social media account

And much more!

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
X
Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

Send us Fan Mail

Over the next 4 episodes we will be breaking down each phase of the recruiting process (Preparation, Communication, Visits, Decision Making/Transition). Today’s episode is all about preparation.

On this episode we discuss:

• Questions to consider when thinking about academics at the next level
• Questions to consider when thinking about athletics at the next level
• Questions to consider when thinking about social / daily life at the next level

And much more!

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
X
Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.