My Biz: High-tech basketball coaching

HIAWATHA — Following the player on the life-size video screen, Jeremy Gomez dribbled faster, weaving the ball from side to side and between his legs.

“It’s the same things you would see at an NBA practice facility,” said Gomez. “If you want to be an ankle breaker, or have good ball-handling skills, it will support that.”

Gomez was standing on one of six “skills courts” at Shoot 360 Cedar Rapids, where the latest technology helps players develop their skills. Nearby are a half-dozen “shooting courts,” where cameras and sensors track players’ movements and shots.

“The tech is one of a kind,” he said. “They get the same feedback the NBA players get.”

Gomez, 41, played basketball at Wapsi Valley High School in Fairbank and at Wartburg College while earning a degree in business administration and management.

He co-founded and remains executive director of Limitless Potential, a nonprofit that operates group homes for people with intellectual disabilities.

As he and his wife Jennifer’s three young sons started playing sports, they looked for a way to stay involved.

“I’ve always had a passion for basketball,” he said. “Coaching was not something I ever wanted to do. I’ll coach my kids, but that’s the extent of my coaching.”

A friend told Gomez about Shoot 360, a California-based company with more than 40 franchises nationwide.

“I started doing some research, watching videos and reading about it, and that’s what led to it,” he said.

How it works

Gomez opened Iowa’s only Shoot 360 last February.

“It’s been great,” he said. “We caught the tail-end of last season, so this is our first basketball season to see how things are going with the players and how working out in here translates to games.

“We’ve already got some stories from parents about how their kids have improved, and their confidence. That’s the most exciting thing for us, to see how they develop.”

Shoot 360 members schedule one-hour sessions, split evenly between the skills and shooting courts, on their smartphone app. Non-members can drop in, too, for a fee. Members get a free one-hour introductory session during which Gomez’ staff demonstrates how everything works.

“During that process, the coach talks to the individual and their parents and finds out what their goals are, what they want to work on,” Gomez said. “When they come in, the coach gets to know them pretty well.”

Gomez’ staff of 12 supervises and advises players.

“They have a little bit of basketball background,” he said. “Probably most important is having a good personality and being fun to work with. They do a great job of making it a fun atmosphere, pushing (players), challenging them, getting to know them. They have a genuine interest in how they’re doing in their school games, rec leagues, whatever they’re in.”

Members may practice on their own or with friends and teammates. Gomez said high school teams and Coe College squads build their skills at Shoot 360.

“The youngest member we have is I guess probably my kindergartner,” he said.

‘Instant feedback’

The facility, which also includes a half-court that hosts three-on-three games and clinics, opens at 6 a.m. two days a week and “the afternoons get pretty full from 3 until 8 or so,” Gomez said.

Baskets on the shooting court baskets are screened to defend against low-angle shots, forcing players to make high-percentage attempts. Those courts extend just beyond the NBA’s 23-foot, 9-inch three-point arc — the shorter high school and college arcs also are painted on the floor.

Cameras and sensors track shots and scores ball-handling, passing and shooting performance. Shoot 360’s app allows players to track their progress, and its network allows them to compete against players at locations across the country.

“It’s instant feedback,” Gomez said. “You learn and feel what that perfect shot feels like. You can see how you’re doing against someone in Fargo. Members get pretty competitive with it.”

Improved skills are the goal of any high-tech gym rat, but Gomez said the benefits aren’t just on-court.

“People come for the technology,” he said, “but they stay for the people.”

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