AO Hoops — Founder & Head Trainer
Alex Oakeson
Head Trainer & Player Development Coach
Skills, basketball IQ, and mental performance — developed together. That’s how the game actually works, so that’s how I train it.
Why I built AO Hoops
I started AO Hoops after years of watching good players plateau — not because they didn’t work, but because the development model they were in was incomplete. Skill work with no basketball IQ. Reps with no mental preparation. Effort with no direction.
I built AO Hoops to close that gap. Skill work matters and I do plenty of it — but skill work alone produces players who look great in workouts and disappear in games. So every session integrates three things at once: the craft, the read, and the mind. You can’t separate them in competition. I don’t separate them in training.
How I train
Skills & Craft
Shooting mechanics, ball handling, footwork, finishing — built with intention so the technique holds up when the gym is loud and the margin is thin.
Basketball IQ
Reads, decisions, and game awareness trained as skills — not hoped for as byproducts. Basketball IQ is trainable. I train it.
Mental Performance
Evidence-based sports psychology in every session — confidence, focus, pre-performance routines, emotional regulation. Trained as seriously as any physical skill.
The standard
I hold my athletes to a standard that goes past basketball — discipline, accountability, honesty, resilience. The court is the classroom, and those lessons travel everywhere. Honesty over hype. Process over outcomes. No shortcuts. Earned, not given.
- Built the Complete Player Standard — a three-pillar system that develops skills, mental performance, and basketball IQ together.
- Utah’s only basketball program with formal mental performance coaching embedded in every session.
- A selective, application-based model serving athletes across Utah County and Salt Lake County.
“My daughter has worked with skill trainers for years. AO Hoops is the first program that actually changed how she plays — not just how she works out. The mental side alone has been worth every dollar.”
James C.
Utah County Athlete Family
“Coach Alex doesn’t just run drills. He teaches you how to read what’s happening in front of you. My game slowed down within the first month. Now I see things I used to miss.”
Beckham J.
High School Varsity Player
“I came in shooting okay and falling apart when I missed. I left with a shot I trust and the tools to bounce back from a bad quarter. That’s the real difference.”
Mallorie M.
Player Development Program
“The honesty is what sold me. No empty hype, no fake speeches — just real coaching from someone who knows the game. My daughter is a better player and a better teammate because of this work.”
Alexandra M.
Salt Lake County Athlete Family
AO Hoops — Utah Player Development
Spots are limited. Applications are open.
If you want a workout, gyms are everywhere. If you want development — skills, IQ, and mindset built together — this is where that work happens. Apply below. We’ll be in touch within 48 hours.
Earned. Not given.