After 24 years as head boys basketball coach at Eastern Hancock High School, Aaron Spaulding announced, shortly after the 2022-23 season, he was stepping down as the program’s head coach.
While no longer drawing up X’s and O’s for the Royals, the longtime mentor isn’t completely stepping away from passing on the knowledge that made him a successful coach.
Welcome to Spaulding Basketball Training.
After 24 seasons, 300 victories, and a pair of trips to the Class 2A Final Four, Spaulding is now offering personal basketball training, with some help from his twin sons, Jacob Spaulding and Silas Spaulding, both all-state players.
“I don’t think, between us three, basketball will ever be out of our blood,” Aaron Spaulding, who remains as the school’s athletic director, said. “I don’t ever envision the time where we’re not involved someway somehow.”
The twins will work with dad during the summer before they head off to play at Franklin College. Aaron said personal basketball training is something both boys have interest in after they are finished playing. It’s also something he’s wanted to do once he decided to stop coaching the high school team.
“I enjoy training and I really like working with kids,” Aaron said. “When you become an administrator it’s mostly administrative, you’re not working with kids. I got that fix coaching and I’m not going to have that anymore. I love working with kids and I love basketball so it’s a perfect fit.”
Training sessions began in May. Spaulding said they had 24 kids for eight sessions this month. He said they include youngsters from the Eastern Hancock school system, New Palestine, and Greenfield.
The Spauldings will help young hoopsters on ball handling, shooting, as well as higher end skills such as shot-creating and foot work. Also, there will be work on explosive athletic movements necessary to be successful in basketball.
“I think this is an opportunity for skill development,” Aaron said. “We’re going to be working on the same things I did with my boys growing up and things I’ve worked on with my teams. We want to pass those skills along in a positive experience for kids to develop their basketball skills. We’re just getting rolling and we’re enjoying it.”
Players are grouped by age and skill level.
In June, Spaulding Basketball Training has 10 sessions scheduled, they are open to both boys and girls that will be entering grades 4-8 next fall. Sessions are one hour and take place at the Boys and Girls Club of Hancock County in Greenfield. Cost is $30 per session or $250 for all 10 sessions. Six sessions will be offered in July at the same rate per session and $150 for all six.
In July there will be eight sessions ($200) available for high school-aged players. The longtime coach said he stayed away from offering sessions to high schoolers in June because that is when players are with their high school teams.
Spaulding said he plans to continue sessions after the boys go off to college and will either conduct them by himself or add someone to his coaching team.
For more information and/or interest in reserving a spot for sessions, send a request via email to [email protected].
