This episode features Jae Taft, founder of Vision Basketball Academy in Denver, Colorado, and a player development coach who trains young female athletes with a faith-based mentorship approach. Jae opens up about her college playing career — a promising freshman start at an NAIA program derailed by illness and lost playing time, followed by a transfer to a Division II school that only deepened a cycle of trying to "prove herself." That pressure eventually led her to step away from the game entirely. When COVID hit, a conversation with her father sparked the idea to launch an online training business; she started with a single client over FaceTime and has since grown that into a full gym and a growing online presence.
The conversation covers a lot of ground: how Jae rebuilt her identity outside of basketball performance; why the coaching pivot felt like a less natural path for her as a woman than it often does for men; and her core training philosophy of "teaching skills, not drills," built around live, representative play rather than isolated reps. She and Tyler dig deep into gender differences in coaching — the concept of giving young female athletes "permission" to play freely and make mistakes, what it takes for a man to coach women and girls well, and how creating a genuinely safe environment gets the best out of any athlete. She closes by sharing the real, unfiltered challenges of entrepreneurship — imposter syndrome, comparison, and financial risk — along with concrete advice for anyone looking to open their own training facility.
Timestamps
15:46 — Intro and guest background
16:57 — Jae's NAIA-to-D2 transfer story begins
17:47 — Freshman year: promised the point guard job, then got sick
19:19 — Transfer to D2; the pressure to prove herself continues
20:19 — Stepping away from basketball during COVID
21:19 — Her dad's idea: launching an online training business 2
2:28 — Landing her first client
22:58 — Where the "need to prove myself" mindset came from 2
6:48 — Finding identity beyond basketball performance
28:49 — Why coaching is a less natural pivot for women than men
31:04 — Faith, family, and stepping into the calling
35:05 — From one online client to owning a gym in Denver
35:58 — Coaching influences: "teach skills, not drills"
37:12 — Game development training vs. drill mastery
39:20 — Why representation matters more than isolated reps
40:58 — Gender differences in coaching: freedom vs. robotic compliance
45:30 — Where the need for "permission" comes from
48:02 — Girls get coached too much, and rarely get free play
50:55 — Should men coach women and girls?
53:28 — Understanding emotional differences in coaching young women
55:16 — Giving players permission to make mistakes
57:15 — The core principle: be a good person, care about the athlete
59:36 — Transitioning to the entrepreneurship conversation
1:00:17 — Imposter syndrome as a gym owner
1:01:20 — Dealing with comparison to other trainers
1:02:39 — The financial risk of going independent
1:04:13 — Trusting the calling through "valley seasons"
1:07:25 — Actionable advice for opening a gym
1:10:39 — Where to find Jae and closing thoughts
Resources & Links
Free Resources: https://byanymeanscoaches.com/resources BAM Coaches Platform: https://platform.byanymeanscoaches.com/#/platform Books: https://byanymeanscoaches.com/blueprint-book
If you enjoyed this conversation with Jae Taft, check out these episodes next:
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BJU MBB Tony Miller on Culture, Analytics, Player-Led Basketball and Shot Selection https://www.buzzsprout.com/1911095/episodes/19459642-bju-mbb-tony-miller-on-culture-analytics-player-led-basketball-and-shot-selection
G-League Coach of the Year, Vitor Galvani, on Why Player Development Isn't Linear, G-League Practices, Being Where Your Feet Are and Much More https://www.buzzsprout.com/1911095/episodes/19047395-g-league-coach-of-the-year-vitor-galvani-on-why-player-development-isn-t-linear-g-league-practices-being-where-your-feet-are-and-much-more
