Footwork First
Everything is built from the floor up.
Before we add a move, we fix how you arrive, how you stop, and which foot you land on. Retrain the habit, not the highlight. Balance is the first skill and the last one to leave you.
Shot clock
Antonio Hicks Basketball · ITRAIN.U
We BuildFootwork
Skills that survive the game. Raleigh · Fuquay-Varina · Holly Springs · Clayton.
See where your athlete stands.
IF IT DOESN'T SHOW UP IN THE GAME, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
- Player Development · St. Christopher Academy
- Head Coach · Team Manifest
- ITRAIN.U Basketball
The moat
Every trainer sells reps.I OFFER TRANSLATION.
I study your athlete in all three places. The private workout. The team practice. And the live game I am coaching from the bench, making the rotation decision.
That is the whole difference. I know what breaks when a defender arrives, when the clock is at six, and when a coach is deciding who finishes the game. So we build skills that survive contact, a shot clock, and a substitution pattern.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
We build the player, amplifying the coach's trust with the ball in their hands.
Honesty, accountability, and trust are deeply connected pillars in strong relationships and leadership. That is the whole service.
The Hicks Standard
Five pillars. No shortcuts.
The Hicks Standard
Pillar 01 of 05
Five pillars. Every session touches at least three of them. Nothing here is optional.
Decide Faster
Skill without speed of decision is decoration.
Every rep gets a defender, a clock, and a consequence. We train reads, not routines. The fastest player on the floor is the one who already knows what they are going to do.
Live Reps
You cannot get game-ready against a cone.
Every session ends in live competition, scored, with the film running. Fighters spar. Players play. What holds up under contact is yours. What breaks gets fixed on Tuesday.
Film And Plan
Progress is a number, not a feeling.
You get a written development plan with three priorities and measurable benchmarks. We review your game film together, then we re-test on a schedule. You will know exactly where you stand.
Built To Be Coached
Coaches ask about your character before your handle.
We coach body language, communication, the weight room, and the report card, because those are the things that get you on the floor and keep you there. Talent gets you looked at. Habits keep you playing.
Start here
Ninety seconds. Three taps.
Answer three questions and I'll show you the stage you belong in, the pillars we start with, and what your first ninety days actually look like.
The 90-Second Evaluation
1 / 3What grade are you in?
Three taps. No email required yet.
The pathway
Grade by grade. Nothing skipped.
This is where the gap opens.
- Footwork under fatigue — clean feet in minute forty, not minute four
- A handle that holds up against pressure, not against air
- Repeatable shot mechanics you can rebuild yourself
- First exposure to film: watch yourself, honestly
- Bodyweight strength and technique before load
Straight talk for parents
We do not sell the dream.
0.0%
of high school boys' basketball players go on to compete in the NCAA.
0.0%
reach Division I.
NCAA estimates
Those are the numbers. Read them once, then keep going, because they are not a reason to quit. They are a reason to be precise about what we are actually building.
College coaches evaluate five things: skill, basketball IQ, athletic profile, character, and academics. Not highlights. Not follower counts. A do-it-all high school star with no defined college role loses the spot to a recruit who does one thing at a level a staff can plug in on day one.
So we build the player, the role, and the résumé. We measure it, we re-test it, and we tell you the truth about where your athlete stands. And we build habits — punctuality, effort under fatigue, honesty about film, a report card they are not embarrassed by — that pay off whether or not a scholarship ever comes.
The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret.
Who is coaching you
Antonio Hicks
Assistant Coach & Director of Player Development
St. Christopher Academy — a college-preparatory basketball academy founded by Coach Brian L. Clifton.
Head Coach
Team Manifest travel program, March through August.
Operator
ITRAIN.U Basketball — individual and small-group development.
We are not for everybody. That is on purpose.
Programs & pricing
Pick the level of commitment you can honestly keep.
ITRAIN.U · Boys Grades 7–11
Group Training
Live now
- $50 per session
- $75 weekly (2 sessions)
- $150 per month (2 sessions/week, 4 weeks)
Sessions run a minimum of two hours. Come ready to sweat and be corrected.
- Speed, agility and lateral quickness
- Footwork
- Ball handling under pressure
- Shooting mechanics
- Live competition to close every session
1-on-1 and pods of 2–3
Private & Small Group
Live now
- 1-on-1 private: $125 per session
- Pod of 2–3: $75 per athlete, per session
Focused work on the two or three things actually costing you minutes.
- Written session notes delivered through the portal
- Priorities set from film, not from feel
- Re-tested on a schedule
Concierge Development · Application only
The Standard
Capped at 12 athletes per year
- $750 per month
- Application only
The full build. You get my time, my film room, and my honest read on where you are. Twelve athletes a year is the cap because monthly film review and a direct line to me stop being real past that number.
- Written individual development plan
- Two privates plus one group session weekly
- Monthly film review with Coach Hicks
- Quarterly measured re-assessment against benchmarks
- Weight-room programming
- Full player-portal access
- A direct line to Coach Hicks
- Recruiting and exposure guidance
- A quarterly call with parents
Travel · March–August
Team Manifest
Season closed
The season is closed. Here is what a Manifest season includes when registration opens again.
- Uniforms
- 60+ practices
- 9+ tournaments
- Skill development
- Film study
- Weight lifting
We come to you · Appointment only
Mobile Training
Appointment only
- Prices may vary
Mobile training sessions available as well. Appointment only. Prices may vary.
- Your gym, your schedule
- Same standard, same coaching
- Session notes delivered through the portal
Two hours a week does not beat the kid working six. Come ready.
Schedule & locations
Where the work happens
Saturdays
Council Gym · 106 N Ennis Street, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Sundays
Council Gym · 106 N Ennis Street, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Tuesdays
North Haven · 6620 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Thursdays
North Haven · 6620 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Doors open early. Warm up before the clock starts. If you are on time, you are late.
Straight answers
Questions I get every week
Next step
Every rep has a clock.Every clock has a consequence.
Start the Player Profile. It takes a few minutes, it is honest, and it is how I decide who gets a baseline evaluation in the gym.