Hawks and Skyhawks Celebrate 15 Years of Teaching and Training Local Coaches, Welcoming More Than 250 Coaches to Annual Clinic

15th-Anniversary Clinic Featured Hawks and Skyhawks Coaching Staffs Sharing Expertise and Best Practices 

ATLANTA – Yesterday evening, the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Academy, in partnership with the College Park Skyhawks, celebrated the 15th anniversary of its annual Coaches Clinic, welcoming more than 250 coaches from communities across Georgia and the surrounding region. The free clinic, held at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, the official practice facility of the Atlanta Hawks, provided coaches of all levels with access to professional instruction, practical resources, and live, interactive demonstrations led by Hawks Head Coach Quin Snyder, Hawks Assistant Coach and College Park Skyhawks Head Coach Sanjay Lumpkin, and their respective coaching staffs.

“As we celebrate 15 years of the Coaches Clinic, we are proud of the role the program has played in elevating coaches and shaping the way the game is taught in our communities,” said Chris Jacobs, Senior Director of the Hawks Basketball Academy. “Creating an environment where coaches can connect with experienced professionals enables them to exchange ideas, share expertise, and gain valuable insights they can apply directly to their programs.”

The three-hour clinic opened with a networking reception, allowing attendees to engage with one another before the evening’s programming. The event continued with a Q&A, moderated by Hawks play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun, featuring Coach Quin Snyder, who discussed his coaching philosophy.

The clinic then transitioned to an interactive, on-court format featuring four instructional stations designed to address fundamental elements of team basketball and player development. Hawks Assistant Coaches Kendal Manuel and Jacob Porter led a session focused on pick-and-roll solutions versus switching, while Hawks Assistant Coach Seth Jackson and Hawks Video Coordinator Hugh Baxter explored anticipating the defense before receiving the ball. Coach Sanjay Lumpkin provided instruction on off-ball screening actions, before Hawks Assistant Coach and Skyhawks Associate Head Coach Reggis Onwukamuche concluded the clinic with a station centered on pick-and-roll shell concepts. The hands-on format allowed coaches to engage with the instruction and gain actionable tools they could easily incorporate into their own practices.

“Coaching requires a commitment to continual growth and improvement,” said Coach Snyder. “The game continues to evolve, and great coaches continue to seek new perspectives that shape how they teach.”

Each attendee received a sling bag with coaching resources, including a journal, skills and drills packet, T-shirt, and Skyhawks dry-erase clipboard, to support their teams throughout the season. For those unable to attend the event in-person, a video of the full clinic will be made available on the Hawks at Home platform in the coming weeks.

The 15th anniversary marks a significant milestone in the Hawks Basketball Academy and College Park Skyhawks continued investment in leaders who shape the game at the grassroots level. Since 2011, more than 6,000 coaches have participated in the organization’s coaching education initiatives through in-person clinics, virtual programming, and Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA curriculum, extending its impact beyond Georgia.

To learn more about the Hawks Basketball Academy and other youth basketball programs, visit Hawks.com/BasketballAcademy.

To learn more about the Skyhawks’ community initiatives, follow @CPSkyhawks on X, Facebook, and Instagram or visit cpskyhawks.com.