nba travel coordinator

NBA Team Travel Coordinator

Job description overview.

Are you interested in working in the sports industry? As an NBA Team Travel Coordinator, you'll have a vital role in organizing and managing team travel arrangements. Your job is to ensure that the team travels smoothly to and from games, with everything from flights to hotel accommodations taken care of. This role requires excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

As an NBA Team Travel Coordinator, you will communicate with players, coaches, and team staff to arrange travel schedules that meet everyone's needs. You'll coordinate with airlines and hotels to book accommodations that meet the team's standards and budget. In addition, you'll be responsible for ensuring that team equipment, supplies, and luggage are transported safely to each destination.

To be successful in this job, you should have experience in travel coordination and be familiar with the NBA's rules and regulations. You should also have strong communication and interpersonal skills and be able to handle unexpected changes to travel plans. If you're looking for a challenging and rewarding job in the sports industry, the NBA Team Travel Coordinator job description might be the right fit for you.

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Table of contents, job duties and responsibilities.

  • Arrange and manage the travel and accommodation for the NBA team during the season.
  • Ensure that all travel arrangements are on time, safe, and in accordance with the team policies and guidelines.
  • Coordinate with airlines, hotels, and other travel service providers to ensure availability and quality of services.
  • Create itineraries for team members, staff, and officials for all games, practices, and events.
  • Manage and track team expenses related to travel and lodging, and ensure that they stay within the budget.
  • In charge of securing necessary transportation, such as buses or rental cars, for the team's travel needs.
  • Work closely with the team's coaching staff and management to address any concerns or special needs during travel.
  • Serve as the main contact person for any travel-related issues or emergencies that may arise.
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of travel arrangements, expenses, and other relevant information.
  • Ensure that all necessary travel and medical documentation is completed and submitted in accordance with the league's regulations.

Experience and Education Requirements

To land a job as an NBA Team Travel Coordinator, candidates usually need a mix of education and experience. Employers commonly require at least a high school diploma or GED certificate, but some may prefer a bachelor's degree in sports management or a related field. Relevant work experience is also vital, such as experience coordinating transportation, lodging, or other aspects of travel. Candidates should also possess excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to work under pressure and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Familiarity with the NBA and its teams, as well as an understanding of travel logistics, can also be beneficial.

Salary Range

NBA Team Travel Coordinators are responsible for ensuring that teams travel comfortably and conveniently, including arranging transportation, lodging, and meals. If you're interested in becoming an NBA Team Travel Coordinator, you might be wondering about the expected salary range for this position. Well, in the United States, the average salary range for an NBA Team Travel Coordinator is between $40,000 and $80,000 per year, depending on experience, location, and other factors.

However, it's worth noting that salary ranges can vary depending on the team you work for and the league you're in. For example, NBA Team Travel Coordinators for smaller-market teams may earn less than those working for larger-market teams.

In Australia, the average annual salary for a travel coordinator in the sports industry is around AU$60,000 - AU$70,000 per year.

  • Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/NBA-Team-Travel-Coordinator-Salaries-E402076.htm
  • Indeed: https://au.indeed.com/career/travel-coordinator/salaries/Sports
  • Career Explorer: https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/travel-coordinator/salary/

Career Outlook

As the NBA continues to grow in popularity, the outlook for NBA Team Travel Coordinators appears positive. Over the next five years, the demand for experienced professionals in this field is expected to increase. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of meeting, convention, and event planners, which includes travel coordinators, is projected to grow 8 percent from 2019 to 2029. 

With the complex travel arrangements and logistics required for NBA teams, having an experienced coordinator is crucial. This role involves arranging the team's travel accommodations, including flights, hotels, and ground transportation, while adhering to tight schedules and budgets. Additionally, coordinators are responsible for managing the team's equipment and ensuring it arrives at each destination on time.

Overall, the career outlook for an NBA Team Travel Coordinator looks promising. With the NBA's increasing global reach and growing fan base, this role is essential to ensure the smooth operation of the league's teams.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What does an NBA Team Travel Coordinator do?

A: An NBA Team Travel Coordinator is responsible for planning travel arrangements for an NBA team, including flights, hotels, and transportation.

Q: What qualifications do I need to become an NBA Team Travel Coordinator?

A: A bachelor's degree in sports management or hospitality is preferred, along with experience in travel planning and excellent organizational skills.

Q: How much do NBA Team Travel Coordinators get paid?

A: The salary for NBA Team Travel Coordinators varies based on experience and location, but the average is around $60,000 to $70,000 per year.

Q: What are the biggest challenges faced by NBA Team Travel Coordinators?

A: The biggest challenges include dealing with last-minute schedule changes or cancellations, managing budget constraints, and ensuring the team arrives at their destination on time and well-rested.

Q: How do NBA Team Travel Coordinators work with other departments within the team?

A: NBA Team Travel Coordinators work closely with coaching staff, player personnel, and administration to ensure that all travel plans align with the overall goals of the team. They also coordinate with event and arena staff to ensure a smooth travel experience for the team.

Job Descriptions:

Nfl officiating consultant, nfl communications coordinator, nfl media relations manager, public relations specialist, assistant coach.

nba travel coordinator

From ticket sales, to digital media and marketing, to business analytics, basketball operations and more, our teams have positions for passionate and accomplished candidates. Whether you are performing data analysis for an NBA club or producing digital content for an NBA G League or WNBA team, every member of the NBA family serves an important role to help others experience the NBA like never before. If you are interested in a position with one of the teams listed below, feel free to apply!

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Travel Options for Sports Teams: Weighing All The Possibilities

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Whether you are trying to make decisions about traveling by air (and if so, are you flying commercial or on a charter flight?), bus (are you using a private motor coach or a municipal service) or whether you’re thinking of relying on carpooling, there are still many decisions to make. Travel coordinators in all levels of sports are responsible for procuring the safest and most dependable transportation and lodging while meeting strict budget requirements.

Today, there are countless ways to book travel and you should be cautious in choosing your method to avoid unnecessary expenses and wasted time. Reservations made through public booking engines are often non-refundable and difficult or impossible to process cancellations and name changes. Many frustrated sports travel coordinators are turning to travel management companies (TMCs) as opposed to using online booking engines. This industry trend has helped sports organizations lower expenses while increasing efficiency and traveler satisfaction.

We are lucky enough to live in a time when it is easy to just point, click and book flights, hotels and more. Unfortunately, that discount travel website won’t have your back if something goes wrong, such as when a flight gets cancelled. And what might be okay for a family on vacation is not okay when you have a large group (like a team) plus family members, coaches and others who need to make it to a tournament.

Sports Events Pose Unique Travel Challenges

Sports events require a level of precision and timing that leisure travel does not. It also requires traveling with equipment and traveling in a large group, all of which pose logistical challenges. TMCs are taking notice of the unique challenges facing sports travel coordinators and are tailoring solutions specifically for the sports industry. Some TMCs have even created specialized divisions within their company to provide the services required to effectively manage sports travel. There are several benefits gained from working with a TMC. Some of the most impactful benefits include reduced travel expenses, increased operational efficiency and 24/7/365 support.

Let’s take a closer look at why TMCs are uniquely positioned to provide each of these benefits.

nba travel coordinator

TMCs provide cost reduction through buying power and access to programs and systems unavailable to individual travelers. TMCs are able to leverage their overall spending with vendors and negotiate the best possible rates for you. Some vendors even have pre-negotiated discounts and amenities exclusively for TMCs.

Outsourcing the labor-intensive tasks associated with researching itineraries and negotiating contracts allows travel coordinators, who often perform multiple roles within an organization, to focus on other responsibilities. Imagine e-mailing your team’s away game schedule to the TMC and promptly receiving a complete list of vendor price comparisons. You simply reply with the best options for each destination and the TMC proceeds to finalize agreements and process all payments, providing you a single monthly invoice. This type of service is unavailable through other booking options and can greatly reduce the workload many travel coordinators are forced to endure.

Hassle-Free Planning

Peace of mind can also be gained by working with a TMC. Let’s envision that your high school team is playing in a single elimination tournament. Your star player rolls an ankle, taking your team out of competition unexpectedly early, having sustained a loss in the first round. Instead of waiting out the rest of the week in the tournament’s host city, you take advantage of the services your TMC can offer. They cancel your hotel block with negotiated terms and rebook you on the first flight home. This is just one example of when the services of a professional travel agent can be critical. Travel coordinators can rest easy knowing that their TMC is always standing by, ready to assist with name changes, cancellations, rescheduling or any other travel issues that are common in sports travel.

Along with these distinct benefits, TMCs can provide specific advantages to individual segments of sports travel including pre-college travel, collegiate travel, professional travel and fan and alumni travel.

Here is an explanation of each segment and the specialized services a TMC can provide. 

nba travel coordinator

The pre-college sports travel market is the most diverse and consists of many different types of organizations. Included in this segment are youth sports clubs, high school athletic programs, Little League teams and tournament organizers. Often, these organizations are led by an individual or a small group that wears many different hats, including the travel coordinator.

TMCs assist this group with air, motorcoach and hotel procurement. When dealing with large hotel blocks for tournaments, TMCs can sometimes provide your school or sports club rebates that come from the commission returned, providing additional savings. A TMC can also help research the most dependable motorcoach companies and require them to meet or exceed any insurance minimums your league, school or association may require. Also, should you run into complications with your chosen vendors, a TMC can provide alternate options quickly and easily.

With a wide range of universities participating in collegiate athletics, travel demands can vary significantly in the collegiate travel segment. Small schools may have sports teams with heavily restricted budgets that only participate in a handful of regional events, whereas large Division 1 schools may have greater resources devoted to their travel program and compete in national championships and worldwide events.

nba travel coordinator

Experienced sports travel agents can also help college teams and their representatives streamline processes such as airport check-in. They can help coaches fully understand airline baggage limitations relating to team equipment and supplies. If you are traveling with a large number of student athletes, TMCs can arrange for expedited check-in that includes only one charge for the entire team’s luggage. This eliminates each student’s need for a personal credit card. 

A smaller but prestigious segment of sports travel lies in the professional ranks. Teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB make up this unique group. Although these organizations are typically well funded and have direct relationships with air providers to organize their charter team travel to competitions, they often rely on TMCs to help manage their front office travel and individual player movements 

Other Groups Traveling with the Team

While fan and alumni travel is a big part of sports market, it’s unlikely that those working with today’s youth teams and amateur sports groups will be partaking in this. However, friends and family of youth sports groups are always seeking ways to book easy, trouble-free travel. Often, that means staying in the same hotel room block, using the same flights and so forth. TMCs can help arrange this as well.

You can see why sports travel coordinators have gravitated toward working with TMCs as opposed to online booking engines. They can help save time, money and create a greater peace of mind regarding your travel schedule. Although booking your travel online might provide instant gratification, it pays to consider all of your options.

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Player Development & Team Services Coordinator – Chicago Bulls

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Manager, Basketball Logistics & Travel Operations

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Full Time Job Job Title: Manager, Basketball Logistics and Travel Operations Department: Basketball Operations Reports to: Chief of Staff, Basketball Operations Position Summary: The primary responsibility of the Manager, Basketball Logistics & Travel Operations is to ensure the Los Angeles Lakers and South Bay Lakers players and team staff have a seamless logistics and travel experience while on the road. This position handles all aspects of team travel, including flights, hotels, ground transportation, and per diem for the preseason, regular season, and postseason. Additionally, the Manager, Basketball Logistics and Travel Operations arranges for other travel such as travel related to pre-draft and free agent workouts and Summer League. This role may travel at times with the team and serves as a liaison to the NBA for basketball-related travel items. Essential Functions (Duties & Responsibilities): LAKERS TEAM TRAVEL • Handle season itineraries, flight schedules, flight manifests, buses, and rooming lists • Negotiate road hotel contracts for regular season and playoffs; serve as liaison between the team and hotel should any issues arise while on the road and serve as main point of contact for local hotels • Schedule team buses and other ground transportation needs, including for player physicals • Submit per diem requests and returns through Accounting; submit hotel menus for team meals on the road in coordination with Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, Team Chef, and Team Dietician • Handle travel related to free agent workouts, player workouts, and Summer League, including booking flights, hotels, and ground transportation • Arrange team personnel travel for events such as All-Star, Combine, California Classic, and Summer League • Assist in facilitating relocation for players and coaches, when needed SOUTH BAY LAKERS TEAM TRAVEL • Coordinate housing for players and coaches, including negotiating pricing with hotels and overseeing housing reservations and room assignments • Book commercial group flights for regular season and playoffs and individual player flights for training camp or other special circumstances as needed throughout the season • Handle team bus arrangements, including hiring and scheduling driver(s) and related insurance needs • Provide visiting team accommodations and in-market transportation OTHER • Serve as NBA Travel Coordinator contact • Reconcile hotel bills, travel-related invoices, and corporate card statements • Be available to assist in travel needs that arise last minute Education (Required/preferred): Bachelor's degree (preferred) Previous experience: • A minimum of three (3) years working in a professional sports logistics or as a travel coordinator, executive assistant, or travel agent • Experience working with NBA teams or collegiate basketball teams, or experience in sports and entertainment with high-profile clients, celebrities, VIPs, and/or professional athletes preferred Technology Capabilities: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) Knowledge, skills, abilities: • Extreme attention to detail, must be thorough and highly organized • Ability to think critically, prioritize, and multi-task under the pressure of deadlines • Reliable, accessible, responsive, and flexible team player, both within department and across the organization • Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build and cultivate professional relationships • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills • Demonstrated ability to act with the utmost discretion and professionalism, must have uncompromised ability to protect confidentiality/privacy of others Physical Demands: Ability to lift 25 lbs. Location: El Segundo (offices M-F), and other occasional off-site events Travel: Potential travel with team on the road and other occasional travel (25%-50%) We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

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nba travel coordinator

Nothing but Networking: How to Score a Job in the NBA

Washington Wizards video coordinator Jimmy Bradshaw on creating his own shot at a sports career.

  • How to Score a Job in the NBA

Job: Video Coordinator for the National Basketball Association Salary Range: $50,000 to $60,000 Worker: Jimmy Bradshaw Age: 26 Education: Bachelor's and master's degrees in economics Company: Washington Wizards

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Young hoops fans dream about someday sharing the court with the likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry. Most never make it to the pros, of course, and grow up to root for their favorite team from the stands. But an enterprising few build other kinds of careers in the industry, immersing themselves in the competitive sports culture they love while also taking home a paycheck.

Among those is Jimmy Bradshaw. Raised in Northern Virginia, he played Division III basketball for Roanoke College, then worked as a graduate assistant for the men's basketball team at Lehigh University while earning his master's degree in economics there. Savvy networking landed him an internship with the Washington Wizards. The 26-year-old is now the team's video coordinator and playing development assistant. That means he's an entry-level coach who spends his days practicing with NBA stars and helping them strategize about how to beat their opponents.

During a recent five-game, 12-day road trip with the team, Bradshaw described the perks and challenges of being part of the coaching staff for a professional basketball team and offered advice for those who aspire to follow his career path.

What does an NBA video coordinator do?

My assistant video coordinator and I team up with our assistant coaches to produce the scouting report for each upcoming opponent. The finished product is a one-page, front-and-back report. We talk about what plays the other team is going to run, what defensive coverage we need to be in and how we're going to guard certain situations depending on the time of the game. We're reinforcing what their strengths and weaknesses are.

[See: 20 Jobs That Keep You on Your Feet .]

As a kid, what jobs appealed to you?

I've always wanted to do something with sports. Of course every player's dream is to play professional sports and when that doesn't become a reality, certainly I wanted to coach.

What steps did you take to break into the sports industry after playing basketball in college?

Jimmy Bradshaw

Courtesy of the Washington Wizards

Video coordinator Jimmy Bradshaw talks with assistant coach Tony Brown.

At Lehigh, I did a lot of video work. Because we didn't have a big staff, I was given a lot of responsibility as it pertained to video. That pretty much gave me the skill set needed to do the stuff that I do with the Wizards right now in terms of video and analyzing basketball.

After my first year at Lehigh, I sent resumes, cover letters and some of my video work to all the NBA teams and just consistently followed up with them throughout the summer. I was probably able to talk to eight or 10 of them over the phone as an introduction.

After my second year at Lehigh, I went out to Las Vegas for the Summer League, so I got the chance to meet a lot of these people I had been talking to face to face. The four or five video guys I kept in touch with at the time, they told me that an opportunity was opening in Washington. It just so happened there was kind of a mutual connection both through one of our assistants at Lehigh and also just through my networking. I was able to get an interview with the Wizards.

I came down for an interview , and I happened to be chosen amongst four or five candidates. That's essentially how I got the job with the Wizards. I landed an internship three years ago, and I've been fortunate enough to progress through the organization.

When did you realize you could actually make a career in coaching?

After I got my first full-time job with the Wizards, the year after the internship.

It's tough to get jobs in general in sports. I think each little job that I've gotten has been a little bit of a success point. The graduate assistantship at Lehigh, that was the first step on the ladder.

Then getting that internship with the Wizards, because there's only 30 NBA teams and not every NBA team has an internship. You've got all these people applying. That was another benchmark to make.

I liked economics too; I spent six years studying it. I definitely considered getting an advanced degree past a master's degree because I enjoyed it so much. This opportunity sealed the deal for me to go in a sports direction.

[See: 10 Jobs That Offer Millennials Good Work-Life Balance .]

What kind of communication skills should you have to succeed in your position?

Written communication skills but more importantly verbal communication skills . While these players will read the reports, I think they get more out of it if you're able to sit with them one-on-one and explain what you have on that scouting report.

How about soft skills?

Work ethic. You will be working long hours, especially during the season.

You need to be willing to do anything they ask of you. There can't be anything that's too big or too small for you to do. Especially as a video person, it's the bottom of the coaching staff, and that's how you work your way up, so you gotta be willing to do anything the coaches ask of you and do it willingly.

A Day in the Life of an NBA Video Coordinator

  • 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. : I'll be working on scouting reports for upcoming opponents.
  • 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. : Players are on the court, doing individual skill sessions, so I help out with the player development staff, whatever they need me to do, to rebound or defend a player.
  • 11 a.m. : We have a shoot-around as the morning practice. It's pretty light in intensity. We just go over what to expect from the other team, and what we need to do good. It lasts 30 or 40 minutes. After that, the players go home.
  • 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. : We play pickup basketball as a department. It's a great chance to get away from our jobs for a little bit.
  • 4 p.m. : Players start arriving back. Sometimes I'll help out on the court pre-game. Each player has a specific routine he does before the game for about 15 minutes.
  • 6 p.m. : My job, this year, is to show a video edit of the opponent. The type of plays they're going to run; the tendencies of their personnel. Until that time, I'm helping the assistant coach who has the scouting report prepared for his video presentation to the team.
  • 7 p.m. : Game time. I'm in charge of logging the game. Sometimes at halftime the coach will want to show film to the team. For clips we show at halftime, it is a combination of both clips I’ve chosen and clips that our coaches want to see. So we first watch the clips as a coaching staff (10 to 15 clips) and then head coach Scott Brooks will pick out four to five clips to show to the players during the halftime meeting. During the second half, I continue to log it. After the game ends: I put the game on all the coaches' computers. Then me and a couple other video staffers, we analyze the game we just played.
  • 11 p.m. : Go home. It's kind of a long day.

And what technical skills do you need?

Video and scouting report technology is probably the most important, using our video software. Knowing how to use Excel; it's useful but it's not an end-all, be-all if you don't know it.

What are the perks of the job?

You get to work in sports, that's the biggest perk for me.

I've always enjoyed the fact that all your co-workers like the same thing that you like and the friendships that come because of that.

The competitive nature. Always having played sports, I have a competitive desire, and this job 100 percent meets that.

What are the challenges of getting a job like yours and staying in the field?

It's very relationship-oriented, so you have to know people. There are 30 teams in the NBA, so there are very few jobs open for coaches or video people like myself. It's not so much giving them a resume . You actually have to have built a relationship with these people so they know who you are.

The good thing is, it's a tight network, so if you do a good job with one coach, he'll know if a job opening comes up and give you a good recommendation.

[See: Don't Be That Guy (or Gal): 8 Networking Turn-Offs .]

Where do you see yourself in a few years?

Anyone thinks about what they want to be doing five or 10 years down the road, but I think it's also important to stay in the present and do good in your job right now.

I'd like to be a head coach at some level, whether it's college or even high school. The NBA is tough, but that's the ultimate dream.

What advice do you have for someone who thinks, 'I would love to be a video coordinator'?

A lot of these people are probably players right now. I would suggest trying to continue their playing career at the college level. Even if it isn't Division I.

If you really do want to be a coach, it's about networking to get in the door. Go up to your mentors in basketball who you've looked up to. Get their take on how they got started, that really helped me. The best was hearing how my coaches got started.

Persistence. Especially trying to work in a field you really want to work in, like sports, that's very competitive and has not a lot of opportunities, I think you gotta be persistent. I had interviewed with three or four other teams before the Wizards that I didn't get, realizing at the time it's just a numbers game and an opportunity will pop up if I continue to press on and network with other teams.

Being that willing, hardworking person is about as good a formula as there is.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

The salary range is based on information from Glassdoor.com and Jimmy Bradshaw.

The 100 Best Jobs

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clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

Run the tape: How the Wizards’ video coordinators hunt for edges

nba travel coordinator

Wind your way around the ground floor of Capital One Arena and you will find it, a room at the heart of a maze of hallways. Head past the black-roofed tunnel where players are jogging on court, past supersized washing machines where towels are being laundered. Go beyond the mahogany-paneled locker room, turn a corner and there it is: a small area with swivel chairs, a conference table, one large flat-screen TV and two small ones.

Don’t be fooled by the mundanity — this is the room where the Washington Wizards try to gain an edge.

It is the domain of Daniel Villarreal and Joe Ajike, two members of the Wizards’ video coordination and player development team. Their jobs, put broadly, are to use advanced software to download or record NBA games on their computers and edit them in myriad ways and for myriad purposes that provide a competitive advantage.

How does an NBA team build culture? For the Wizards, it starts with the last man.

Opponent tendencies, presented to the team before practice in a neat and digestible fashion — that’s the work of a video coordinator. So too is the game tape a coach might pore over on a plane ride home, to see where his team could have performed better. When a coach and a player are hunched over a computer together on the sideline before a game, talking about how the player can shift his hips just so to better defend an opponent, a video coordinator was involved.

“Everything we do is to give us that advantage preparation wise,” Ajike said.

On a recent Wednesday, the video room is quiet, its inhabitants focused with five minutes to go before tip-off against the Charlotte Hornets.

Villarreal’s computer is connected to that of Ryan Lumpkin, a fellow video coordinator and coach who sits on the bench during games, marking time stamps the coaching staff will want to look at during halftime to make any necessary adjustments in strategy.

Another computer is tracking individual players’ minutes, and yet another, this one manned by coaching associate Cedrick Joseph, is downloading an Indiana Pacers game so Joseph can splice together the key possessions, turn a 2½-hour game into an hour-long edit and send it to the coaches by the time they get home that night, three days before the Wizards play the Pacers.

Come tip-off, the room comes alive as the game airs on the two TVs mounted on the wall. Villarreal, Ajike and Joseph are joined by another member of their team, Rob Dosier, the trio cheering “A Geeeee” when Anthony Gill dunks. Assistant coach and analytics guru Dean Oliver has joined the bunch at the table, murmuring “good look” about a corner three-pointer from Kristaps Porzingis. Physical therapist Anthony Iannarino walks in to ask Ajike to clip a moment just before the 10-minute mark of the second quarter when Daniel Gafford subbed out after a hard landing — the trainer wanted to take another look in case an injury popped up later. Through all the hubbub, Villarreal and Ajike do not look up from their screens.

This plain, backroom far from the noise and the action is an early step in what both hope are long careers in the NBA. Villarreal, 33, is a former middle school teacher from Beaumont, Calif., who drew inspiration from Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra’s career path from the video room to the head coach’s office and wants to helm a team himself someday.

Behind the scenes with the Wizards and all that dirty laundry

Ajike, 26, is the son of Nigerian immigrants who first made connections in the league by rebounding for John Wall as a graduate assistant at the University of Miami, where the point guard worked out in the offseason. His dreams lie in player development, where he would like to eventually head his own department.

But for now, both are here in the video room, planted in their seats and locked into their computers. Oliver jokes about the size of the TVs mounted above their heads, musing in good nature that he has bigger ones in his living room.

Ajike finally cracks a smile at that, sliding his eyes to the right to look at Villarreal.

“He’s not used to being here with us,” Ajike said, “in the trenches.”

‘Whatever it takes’

A video coordinator’s greatest asset is time management; the ability to eke productivity out of every moment is a life raft in the relentless current of an 82-game season.

While preparation for the three or four opponents an NBA team faces in a week is divided between a staff of assistant coaches and scouts, there are only four full-time video coordinators working on the tape needed for such work. Villarreal and Ajike travel on every road trip, attend every practice as part of their jobs, often staying late with smiles on their faces to help rebound when players want to shoot.

Villarreal taught Ajike coding tricks to help shave 20 to 30 minutes off his editing process. On the road, that’s the difference between a coach’s ability to review the game the Wizards have just played on the plane ride home and waiting a couple of hours.

“It’s about staying a step ahead of our needs as a staff because games are going to keep coming,” Wizards Coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “Having edits when you need them, having the scout games when you need them, reports, printed. And on the road, it’s not always easy. You’re working out of hotels with bad WiFi, all these things you can’t necessarily prepare for. But the best video coordinators, like DV, have a mind-set of, whatever it takes to get it done.”

Villarreal started his pro basketball career with the Washington Mystics and eventually worked for both teams before Unseld asked him to stay on full time with the Wizards last season. It was his work ethic Unseld appreciated most — an ethos Villarreal attributes to his non-basketball background. A Lakers fan from a young age, he taught math in Los Angeles for two years out of college before making a leap and enrolling in graduate school for sports industry management at Georgetown.

He was unfamiliar with the software the Mystics used when he had an informational interview about a job with the team, so he downloaded the manual and taught himself. He overprepares before giving his opinion to a coach or player for one reason: His playing career ended in high school.

“It was like he was speaking another language,” Villarreal said, describing sitting in on his first meeting with the Mystics’ coaches. “I thought, ‘Well. I’ve got to learn another language, I guess.’ ”

But what Villarreal does know is how to educate. The Californian has the kindness and endless patience you might expect from a teacher. Breaking down film with players, learning how different Wizards coaches communicate and even serving as the team’s de facto IT guy on the road require many of the same skills he used to run a classroom in Los Angeles.

After he delivers a film edit on a future opponent, Villarreal will work with a coach to generate scouting reports, helping distill the coach’s notes, then going back to the tape to pull relevant film to show the team. He began presenting to the team on his own this season as well, creating printed reports on an opponent’s tendencies for 17 assigned games. He then will present to the locker room using the film he has cut.

“The way I operate is everything’s high priority for me. I try to turn things around right away because I think if I do that I’ll have time to breathe. But no,” Villarreal said, laughing, “there’s just more stuff that comes my way.”

Ajike begins his game days at 6 or 6:30 a.m., starting with a couple of hours of work on whatever game he’s cutting that day, labeling each of an upcoming opponent’s plays so Wizards coaches can find and watch them easily.

After that, his day diverges from Villarreal’s — Ajike’s position shades more toward player development. On game days, he’s on court and available for anyone who trickles in to get shots up hours before tip-off. Throughout the season, he works individually with third-year forward Deni Avdija and second-year guard Corey Kispert, helping them develop their game based on the Wizards’ vision for both players.

But the biggest part of Ajike’s job when it comes to developing Washington’s young players might be what happens off the court. The 26-year-old is there to help Avdija and Kispert strengthen the mental side of their game as much as the physical side.

“His impact on me has been mental. He’s been relentlessly positive; he always shows up with a servant’s heart, and his only goal is to make us better,” Kispert said. “You can’t help but smile when you work out with Joe, and you can’t help but feel really good about your game, too.”

‘Turbo’ and ‘The Unicorn’: How Kristaps Porzingis and Deni Avdija became BFFs

Ajike spent three weeks in Israel this summer with Avdija to better understand the 22-year-old’s mind-set and the pressure he deals with. The pair went to a coffee shop every day between workout sessions, and Ajike saw fans come up for autographs and pictures every afternoon without fail, heard people calling Avdija’s name on the street.

“Just seeing how young he is — I have a little brother that’s older than Deni just by a few months — but just to see how young he is and how he came to this country where he hadn’t lived and he came here with the expectation and pressure of a lottery pick representing a whole country, I saw how big he is and how much he loves and cares about his people. So helping him, it’s more than just basketball. You have to remember that piece.”

Ajike’s ultimate goal is to work in player development. For now, working as a video coordinator is part of the job.

On a game day, after he works out with players on court, it’s back to his computer, where he’s often going through any close games an upcoming opponent has played. Ajike looks for the opponent’s go-to plays when they’re down two points in the final seconds and they need a bucket, takes notes and passes that information onto Ryan Richman, the Wizards’ assistant coach who specifically handles late-game situations.

Then comes the game, and Ajike is back in the video room, cutting film while the Wizards play. His night ends hours after the final whistle, when the video room is quiet again — after he finishes his film work, Ajike will stick around in case a player wants to get up extra shots.

The relentless grind of a season is crushing at times, even for someone as naturally energetic as Ajike and as can-do as Villarreal. There are always more games to cut, more workouts to be done. In the rare moments they have a chance to look up from their computers and reflect, they remind themselves of what they’re working toward.

“It can be hard, bringing it every single day. It’s a long season, and we’re human,” Ajike said. “But at the end of the day, you get numb to the demanding schedule. It’s doable. And when you watch the players you work with thrive or when something you pointed out on film comes to life on court, you remember it’s worth it.”

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With the interim tag gone, coach Brian Keefe is focused on improvement and development in Washington

FILE - Washington Wizards interim head coach Brian Keefe applauds his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Washington. The Wizards hired Keefe as their coach on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, sticking with the man who led the team on an interim basis from late January until the end of the season. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

FILE - Washington Wizards interim head coach Brian Keefe applauds his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Washington. The Wizards hired Keefe as their coach on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, sticking with the man who led the team on an interim basis from late January until the end of the season. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly two decades after starting his NBA career as a video coordinator, Brian Keefe is now a head coach.

Of course, he actually began coaching the Washington Wizards a few months ago, but now the interim tag is gone and he can prepare for the many challenges that lie ahead.

“This game has brought me to places that I never thought I would have been,” Keefe said. “From a small town of Winchester, Massachusetts, to be able to travel and live the world and meet all these unique people and help them shape who I am. Tremendously grateful.”

Then general manager Will Dawkins chimed in.

“He won’t talk about himself, but when we had that initial phone call, he was emotional, and you could tell how much it meant to him,” Dawkins said.

The Wizards formally introduced Keefe as their new coach Tuesday at a news conference on the waterfront in southwest D.C. Keefe first took over the team when he replaced Wes Unseld Jr. on an interim basis in January. Washington announced last week Keefe would stay on as coach.

The Wizards’ record improved marginally with Keefe at the helm, but Washington still finished with a franchise-record 67 losses. For this rebuilding team, however, the won-loss record is secondary right now. Player development is what the Wizards are focused on, and that was a big topic Tuesday.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, left, celebrates with teammate guard Jrue Holiday (4) after Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals against the Indiana Pacers, Monday, May 27, 2024, in Indianapolis. The Celtics won 105-102.(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

“Brian has a unique ability to see people and things for what they can be, not for where they are and who they are right now,” Dawkins said. “When you think of our team and the phase that we’re in, that’s why that’s really, really important. You’ve got to have that belief to put into people and see where it can go. We’re in the bottom phase of building that foundation, I think put some of those blocks together this year.

“The bottom takes some time, and he knows that.”

Dawkins and team president Michael Winger took over the front office last offseason and traded away Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. That started the rebuild in earnest, and although the Wizards still have a talented veteran leading the way in Kyle Kuzma, it’s clear the patience is in order.

Last year Washington drafted French guard Bilal Coulibaly, who doesn’t turn 20 until next month. The Wizards also have the No. 2 pick in this coming draft .

Keefe started out as a video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. He was an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder when they reached the NBA Finals in 2012, and Winger and Dawkins were also working for that organization at the time. Keefe joined the Wizards as an assistant last season.

It would be a while before Washington is ready to become a playoff team again, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing the Wizards can accomplish this coming season. Individual development across the board is important, and Keefe’s ability to relate to players received high marks.

“I think a lot of times players, if they don’t understand the direction they’re going in, what’s the purpose of what we’re doing, they kind of feel aimless and purposeless, and that’s like the worst thing,” said guard Jared Butler, who was at the news conference. “His ability to communicate what we’re trying to do and the mindset we need to have, he’s perfect for it I think.”

The Wizards went 8-31 under Keefe last season, but clearly the organization felt that wasn’t the most important reflection of the work he did. And if 2024-25 is another struggle, it’s still possible for the team to lay the groundwork for better days in the future.

“We’re always going to be looking for what’s best for our group now, but also what’s best for our group going forward,” Keefe said. “One of the things I think is, how can we best use our players? And that might not be right now. That might pay off in two years from now.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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How Caleb Farley is already standing out to Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson

To say Tennessee Titans 2021 first-round draft pick Caleb Farley has had an unfortunate NFL career up to this point would be the understatement of the century.

The Titans drafted Farley out of Virginia Tech with evident red flags due to his lingering injury issues. It didn't help that Farley tore his ACL in his rookie season placing him even further behind the proverbial eight ball. Not only that, but in his second season in the NFL Farley was forced to undergo surgery on his back, which caused many to write him off.

Farley has endured his fair share of personal adversity on top of all of this. He lost his mother to cancer in 2018 and his father in a tragic house explosion in 2023. It's a testament to Farley's resilience and perseverance to see him back out on the practice field competing for a spot on the Titans roster at minicamp.

All signs point toward a healthy Farley entering the 2024 season. Not only has he been available, but he's been on the field and making plays, according to Jim Wyatt's Tuesday Mailbag on tennesseetitans.com .

From Wyatt: "The most important thing for Caleb is to stay healthy, and compete. And, he's been able to do just that during the course of the offseason. Caleb has been on the field every day I've been out there, which is great. He's made some plays as well -- he had a great break-up on a Malik Willis pass intended for receiver Treylon Burks last week. It's a good start, but he still has his work cut out for him in a room with newcomers L'Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie and Jarvis Brownlee, and returners Roger McCreary and Tre Avery, among others."
#Titans Caleb Farley on defense. pic.twitter.com/p1g1iBtz12 — TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) May 29, 2024

If that's not enough to stoke cautious optimism regarding Farley, Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson raved about the 25-year-old's ability to overcome adversity as well as his traits that made him a first-round talent just three years ago.

"I remember when Caleb came out of Virginia Tech, but he had all of the talent in the world. It was a pretty good draft class. With him, the length, he had the speed, the physicality, he's a very smart player. Being here, Caleb puts a smile on my face every day that I walk in that room because he's had to fight through adversity and he's never wavered. He attacks the day with purpose. For me, to see a guy go through some of the things he's gone through and still standing as a  young man and still trying to chase his dream and be the best version of himself, I love it. He's a smart player, he picks up what you ask him to do. If he makes a mistake it's because he doesn't know and then he corrects it and (fixes) it."

Dennard Wilson on Caleb Farley “He’s had to fight through adversity, and he’s never wavered. He attacks the day with purpose” pic.twitter.com/kATvlu39W5 — AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) June 5, 2024

It goes without saying that fans should temper their expectations when it comes to Farley in 2024. After all, he's played in just 12 games in his NFL career and has an uphill battle to make the team's 53-man roster with a cornerback room full of talented newcomers.

With that being said, Farley has overcome much worse circumstances to get to this point. The Titans will enter the 2024 season with an underdog mentality as nobody seems willing to give the team its due respect. Farley understands this mindset as well as anybody and has an opportunity to turn in one of the best comeback stories in Titans history.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

  • Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy raves about Dak Prescott's offseason
  • Eagles WR A.J. Brown sends message to trash-talking rookie
  • The 'Most receiving yards in a season by team' quiz

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Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde on rotating his DL

While the Seahawks offensive line is by far the team’s biggest liability , the defensive line should be one of their greatest assets in the first year under new head coach Mike Macdonald. While Macdonald will be calling the defensive plays at first, he’ll eventually be handing those duties over to the relatively unknown Aden Durde, who’s his defensive coordinator.

Durde spent the last three years as the defensive line coach for Dallas , where he frequently rotated and moved his pieces around. Fans should expect more of the same this season in Seattle , where he has several versatile, powerful pieces to use up front. Here’s what Durde had to say after yesterday’s OTAs practice about shifting his DL around, per Brady Henderson at ESPN :

“That’s what good defensive lines are. Obviously where I can from… Right now, it’s kind of hard because we can’t go full-gas, but it’s what are people good at? What are their individual roles? How do they fit into the picture? What down and distance would they be good at and where do they excel? I really believe up front, it’s about creative a way of playing that enhances peoples’ ability in certain situations. There’s a couple of guys that really just flourish in every situation. There’s other guys like [NT Johnathan Hankins] or those guys that flourish in certain situations, and then how do you rotate them? We’ve got so much versatility.”

We won’t know for sure what the depth chart looks like until September, but for now we are projecting Leonard Williams and rookie Byron Murphy II to start at defensive end, flanking Jarran Reed at nose tackle. Hankins should be considered the next man up there, with Myles Adams and Mike Morris backing up Williams and Murphy.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Salary cap space update for all 32 NFL teams after June 1

Seahawks 2024 OTAs: Sights, sounds from Monday practice

Seahawks TE Noah Fant comments on Caitlin Clark cheapshots

Ranking all 32 NFL teams by % chance of making the playoffs

Story originally appeared on Seahawks Wire

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With the interim tag gone, coach Brian Keefe is focused on developing the Wizards into a NBA contender

The Wizards went 8-31 under Brian Keefe after the Winchester native took over from Wes Unseld Jr. in January, but the Washington brass saw enough of his work to remove the interim tag and name him head coach for the 2024-25 season.

WASHINGTON — Nearly two decades after starting his NBA career as a video coordinator, Brian Keefe is now a head coach.

Of course, he actually began coaching the Washington Wizards a few months ago, but now the interim tag is gone and he can prepare for the many challenges that lie ahead.

“This game has brought me to places that I never thought I would have been,” said Keefe as he was introduced as Washington’s head coach Tuesday. “From a small town of Winchester, Massachusetts, to be able to travel and live the world and meet all these unique people and help them shape who I am. Tremendously grateful.”

Then general manager Will Dawkins chimed in.

“He won’t talk about himself, but when we had that initial phone call, he was emotional, and you could tell how much it meant to him,” Dawkins said.

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Keefe first took over the team when he replaced Wes Unseld Jr. on an interim basis in January. Washington announced last week Keefe would stay on as coach.

The Wizards’ record improved marginally with Keefe at the helm, but Washington still finished with a franchise-record 67 losses. For this rebuilding team, however, the won-loss record is secondary right now. Player development is what the Wizards are focused on, and that was a big topic Tuesday.

“Brian has a unique ability to see people and things for what they can be, not for where they are and who they are right now,” Dawkins said. “When you think of our team and the phase that we’re in, that’s why that’s really, really important. You’ve got to have that belief to put into people and see where it can go.

“We’re in the bottom phase of building that foundation, I think put some of those blocks together this year. The bottom takes some time, and he knows that.”

Dawkins and team president Michael Winger took over the front office last offseason and traded away Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. That started the rebuild in earnest, and although the Wizards still have a talented veteran leading the way in Kyle Kuzma, it’s clear the patience is in order.

Brian Keefe has a lot of work to do to make the Washington Wizards into a contender, but he has a bonafide scorer in forward Kyle Kuzma (right), who averaged 22.2 points per game last season.

Last year Washington drafted French guard Bilal Coulibaly, who doesn’t turn 20 until next month. The Wizards also have the No. 2 pick in this coming draft.

When Keefe graduated from Winchester High in 1994, he was the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,163 points — a mark that stood for 24 years. The former Globe All-Scholastic was inducted in the Winchester Sport Foundation Hall of Fame in 2004.

After playing collegiately at UC-Irvine and UNLV, he started his coaching journey collegiately at South Florida and Bryant in the early 2000s. He dove into the NBA ranks in 2005, as a video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs.

He was an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder when they reached the NBA Finals in 2012, and Winger and Dawkins were also working for that organization at the time. Keefe joined the Wizards as an assistant last season.

It would be a while before Washington is ready to become a playoff team again, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing the Wizards can accomplish this coming season. Individual development across the board is important, and Keefe’s ability to relate to players received high marks.

“I think a lot of times players, if they don’t understand the direction they’re going in, what’s the purpose of what we’re doing, they kind of feel aimless and purposeless, and that’s like the worst thing,” said guard Jared Butler, who was at the news conference. “His ability to communicate what we’re trying to do and the mindset we need to have, he’s perfect for it I think.”

The Wizards went 8-31 under Keefe last season, but clearly the organization felt that wasn’t the most important reflection of the work he did. And if 2024-25 is another struggle, it’s still possible for the team to lay the groundwork for better days in the future.

“We’re always going to be looking for what’s best for our group now, but also what’s best for our group going forward,” Keefe said. “One of the things I think is, how can we best use our players? And that might not be right now. That might pay off in two years from now.”

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15 men brought to military enlistment office after mass brawl in Moscow Oblast

Local security forces brought 15 men to a military enlistment office after a mass brawl at a warehouse of the Russian Wildberries company in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast on Feb. 8, Russian Telegram channel Shot reported .

29 people were also taken to police stations. Among the arrested were citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

A mass brawl involving over 100 employees and security personnel broke out at the Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal on Dec. 8.

Read also: Moscow recruits ‘construction brigades’ from Russian students, Ukraine says

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

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nba travel coordinator

TOUGH QUESTIONS: What does a heritage tourism coordinator do?

El Paso County has a full-time employee dedicated to promoting heritage tourism. So, what exactly does the job entail?

"What I am looking at is projects that deal with historic preservation and heritage tourism planning, projects and policy," was the answer El Paso County Heritage Tourism Coordinator, Dr. Cynthia Renteria, gave CBS4's John Purvis. 

Renteria is a historian who's now leading the county's effort to promote the rich history of places like the Mission Valley.

Earlier in 2024, El Paso County Commissioners voted to spend up to $500,000 on the marketing campaign. 

"We have a scope of work that'll be put out to competitive bid pretty soon," said Renteria, "And it's a comprehensive approach that includes cultural ambassadors, or heritage tourism ambassadors, that includes marketing, that includes technical assistance, that includes bloggers, vloggers, tourist magazine writers."

Purvis asked, "Is the key to attracting people getting the word out, just letting them know about the history?" 

RECOMMENDED:  TOUGH QUESTIONS: How do we keep our history alive?

Renteria replied, "Absolutely. I think we need to market the Mission Trail to outside, as broadly as possible, but to locals as well."

Renteria said the county has a strategic plan for heritage tourism and historic preservation. 

But what makes her job complex is dealing with so much history in the Borderland which reaches much further back than when Juan De Onate first arrived in 1598.

For example, some of the pictographs visitors can see at Hueco Tanks State Park in East El Paso County may date back more than 5,000 years. 

"So, El Paso's an incredibly historic place, right?" Renteria said, "It is on the border, you know, in the middle of two countries, basically three states. We have so many layers of history that tell the history before the Spanish era, during the Spanish colonial era and beyond."

Renteria added that El Paso is still making history today because of the current political and cultural debates surrounding immigration and border security that continue making headlines in both the U.S. and Mexico.

RECOMMENDED:  TOUGH QUESTIONS: How is El Paso County trying to promote the Mission Trail?

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TOUGH QUESTIONS: What does a heritage tourism coordinator do?

Mavericks vs. Celtics odds, line: Proven NBA expert discloses his picks for Game 1 of 2024 NBA Finals

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The Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks travel to play the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics on Thursday in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from TD Garden. Boston is a 6.5-point favorite and the over/under for total points scored is 214.5 in the latest Celtics vs. Mavericks odds from the SportsLine consensus for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. (see up-to-date  odds for every game this week on our NBA odds page ). 

Before you make any Mavericks vs. Celtics in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, you NEED to see what legendary handicapper Bruce Marshall has to say.

Marshall, who for years was synonymous with the Gold Sheet, a famed sports betting newsletter, is an in-demand guest on numerous sports talk radio and TV shows across the country. Marshall's vast array of editorial work has been featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the New York Post and many other outlets. He has won various handicapping titles and also is working on several book projects.  Marshall has crushed his  NBA picks  this season for SportsLine members, entering this matchup on a 196-144 run that has returned more than $3,800 for $100 players. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!

For Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Marshall is leaning Over on the posted total. He's also  found a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread! 

Who wins  Mavericks  vs.  Celtics ,  and what critical X-factor has Marshall jumping on one side of the spread ? ...  Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from the expert on a 196-144 run on NBA picks!

GET VEGAS EXPERT PICKS FOR NFL, MLB, NBA, CBB, GOLF, NHL, HORSE RACING AND MORE - PLUS ADVANCED COMPUTER SIMULATIONS, WINNING TOOLS, AND MORE!

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‘shogun’ stunt coordinator wanted “no back flips or crazy hollywood ninja stuff” in fight scenes.

Lauro Chartrand-DelValle also discusses training the actors and retraining stunt performers with new techniques to travel back to 1600s Japan.

By Carita Rizzo

Carita Rizzo

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Anna Sawai as Mariko on episode nine of FX’s Shogun, in which Mariko tries to leave Osaka. Once Anna caught the choreography, she did everything, says Lauro Chartrand-DelValle.

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Because what I had done before, in The Last Samurai , was later in history, I read up on this particular time period. They also brought in specialists from Japan that we learned so much from. But every step of the way, just when you thought you knew something, you really didn’t know it. We were learning along the way and adjusting accordingly. 

How long was the training boot camp, and what did it entail? 

It took us six to eight weeks. It was very intensive with sword, archery and spear work and military movement and horse work. All the actors had seiza training, where they had to sit properly and walk properly. Even the actors who came from Japan had to learn that. What extended us to eight weeks was taking the actors and some of the stuntpeople out to get better on the horses. It was pretty extensive and very intense. 

Did anyone come in with previous knowledge?

I had a lot of stuntpeople with previous knowledge, and then, of course, Hiro Sanada [who plays Lord Yoshii Toranaga]. Wow, that guy is basically a historian. Along with my sensei, Fumio Demura, he oversaw the boot camp with us. Then I, and the rest of my team, would make corrections. The intensity of it just had to be correct when we got to camera. 

What’s the biggest challenge of teaching someone such an intricate skill in such a short time?

What was unique about her fight scenes? 

The specialists and historians were adamant that she couldn’t take big steps. [A woman in that time period] would basically be so disgraced that she would commit seppuku if the kimono came open and you saw bare legs. That was just too shameful. But when you’re in a life-and-death situation, would you shuffle? They would discuss that with us: “Well, they didn’t really have a fear of dying.” They let us take a little bit bigger steps now and again, especially when Mariko really went wild in her fight scene, but only to the extent that nothing would show. If the kimono came open too far, we had to go again.

Could you have done the fight scenes in episode nine had Anna not come in with prior knowledge? 

We would’ve had to double her a lot more. I had a great stunt double for her, Darlene Pineda, and she helped us set up all the choreography, do all the rehearsals and help teach Anna the choreography, but once Anna caught it, she did everything. She had it so down by the time [we shot] that it was second nature for her. Once she added her performance and her acting, it blew us all away. I had tears when she was performing it.

Is there a scene you’re particularly proud of?

Is there an art to keeping things muted? 

The art was retraining my stunt guys, because they would come from other shows and they’d say, “Oh, but Lash, we can do this and we can do that.” I’m like, “Nope, none of that. Keep your feet on the ground.” It’s just getting everybody dialed in to the realism and making it stay with the story. The most important thing for us was no gratuitous fighting.

What was the biggest challenge?

Directing second unit and making everything match with main unit. We had some larger sequences in the first episode, the storm sequence and the man overboard and rescue sequence that happened in five different locations. On one side of Vancouver Island, I had to build a tower and a safety line and put one of my stunt guys in the ocean, making sure he wasn’t getting smashed against the rocks in the scene where Yabushige [played by Tadanobu Asano] fell into the water and was going to commit seppuku. We did a lot of the main unit in a tank in Port Moody where we built a cliff face into a water tank, and huge wave machines were making it match perfectly to the ocean. We had another cliff on the other side of the city — we had to do the initial rappelling and falling there. At the [Swiss Canadian Mountain Range] in Coquitlam, we had another 9-foot cliff piece where the actors were talking at the top of the cliff and then started to rappel down. We had to make all of them match, and it looked seamless. 

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Movies | What to watch: Spoiled racist NBA owner gets…

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Movies | What to watch: Spoiled racist NBA owner gets his due in satisfying ‘Clipped’

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling (played by Ed O'Neill, center) is flanked by his wife Shelly ((Jacki Weaver, left) and his mistress V. Stiviano (Cleopatra Coleman) in "Clipped."

We even have two under-the-radar offerings worth seeing out: the moody zombie drama “Handling the Undead” and the drag-themed “Solo.”

Here’s our roundup.

Ed O’Neill of “American Family” makes a perfect match to play Donald Sterling, conveying the sunbathing fat cat as an obnoxious example of old-school white privilege, woefully out of touch. Sterling loves to parade the Clippers’ mostly Black athletes as if they’re his property; the players bristling at how Donald and his watchful wife Shelly (Jacki Weaver, eating alive this role and perhaps netting Emmy talk for it) throw lavish parties and demand they show up and be on display.

Shelly is more socially astute than Donald, and gets into a gnarly catfight with her hubby’s much younger, social-media-climbing personal assistant/girlfriend V. Stiviano (Cleopatra Coleman), who loves flouting how smitten Sterling is with her. Stiviano has risen from scraps and hungers to join the ranks of the Kardashians of the world. And she’s got tapes of her conversations with Donald that might plunk her on the social media map.

The trio’s conniving actions thwart the efforts of respected and level-headed coach Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne, given the opportunity to really shine), making his job to win all that more challenging. Once the tapes go viral and become late-night talk-show fodder, the Clippers players go from frustrated to infuriated, particularly since they’re finally having a winning season.

“Clipped” is always entertaining and is as fast and as light on its feet as Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox as it pivots between dishing on the behind-the-scenes world of pro basketball and focusing on the heated exchanges — often between Shelly and Donald. “Clipped” casts its net wide — at times too wide — to look at the insistent racism at the core of the American way, and even works in the Rodney King verdict.

In the end, “Clipped” reminds us that there’s a lot of lip service and damage control going on, and when it comes to combating racism, we have a long ways to go. (Note: If you’re a Golden State Warriors fan, you’ll definitely want to tune in since a couple episodes cover the playoff games between the Clippers and the Warriors. Details: 3½ stars out of 4; two episodes available now on Hulu. with  one episode dropping every Tuesday through July 2.

“Hit Man”: Are most of us putting on and taking off various identities throughout our lives? That’s the thought-provoking question posed and answered in Richard (“Boyhood”) Linklater’s spark plug of a romantic thriller/comedy, which cleverly springboards off the real-life exploits of fake assassin Gary Johnson (embellishing on them, of course). Johnson led a dual life, posing undercover for police as a fake hitman and also standing at a podium as a full-time professor. The plural identities proved successful for Johnson in real life, and the story line works just as well for the “Hit Man” team, which has created one of Netflix’s best movies yet. Johnson’s life provides star/co-writer Glen Powell (“Anyone But You”) and Linklater a rich canvas to dabble in, and the duo definitely spice up the romantic element (this film is way sexy). “Hit Man” gives superstar Powell a juicy assignment as Ron, in which he has to alternate between playing a nebbish and socially awkward guy and someone who’s sexy and dangerous. Initially, everyone harbors doubts that Johnson can succeed undercover, but after he convincingly subs for an undercover cop colleague (Austin Amelio), he flings himself into portraying someone he isn’t. Then he meets the transfixing Maddy (Adria Arjona), who wants to off her no-good numbskull hubby (Evan Holtzman). Ron persuades her not to go there, but the pair flirt outrageously until they become hearty lovers. Powell and Arjona are incendiary together, but “Hit Man” relies equally on the super-smart screenplay, the rich characterizations and the fleet direction by Linklater. Details: 3½ stars; drops June 7 on Netflix.

“The Great Lillian Hall”: Anyone who doubts that Jessica Lange remains one of our greatest living actors should catch this HBO drama — those doubts will perish. The award-winning theater, film and TV star triumphs as the brilliant but needy veteran stage performer Lillian Hall realizing — and making those around her realize — that something is seriously wrong with her. She’s messing up her lines during rehearsals for a Broadway revival of “The Cherry Orchard,” throwing tantrums and constantly running into her dead husband. The cause is Alzheimer’s, which thrusts Hall into her most unwanted role yet and forces those close to her have to adjust as well. These include her “Orchard” director (Jesse Williams), her ignored daughter (Lily Rabe, Lange’s “American Horror Story” co-star) and her assistant (Kathy Bates) who knows all too well about the scope and scale of the disease. Written with sensitivity by Elisabeth Seldes Annacone, and well-directed by Michael Cristofer, “Lillian Hall” hands Lange another opportunity for an acting tour de force, with a somber story about the sacrifices we make to appease our own need for acceptance. Details: 3 stars; now available on MAX.

“Ren Faire”: If Netflix’s “Tiger King” made your jaw drop, get ready for it to fall to the ground while watching Lance Oppenheim’s wild three-part HBO series. It addictively covers the house-of-cards succession plans being hashed out for the Texas Renaissance Festival. Oppenheim melds documentary vérité for a fascinating depiction of 86-year-old King George’s (George Coulam) pursuit to pick a “suitable” successor at the role-playing empire he created and ruled over for some 50 years. The candidates include a fast-talkin’, energy drink chuggin’ entrepreneur Louie Migliaccio; the reliable, if unexceptional, general manager Jeff Baldwin who’s a former musical theater performer in love with “Shrek the Musical;” and shrewd vendor coordinator Darla Smith, who used to train elephants.

They’re all on shaky ground since the extra-critical King George berates, ridicules and sees faults in all of them. There’s more than enough to keep you invested in each episode: a Renaissance podcast, a big community that King George built in Texas, but there’s much, much more to shock you, including George’s quest for a suitable mate.

Oppenheim accompanies King George to these unbelievable Olive Garden encounters. All of this gets told in much the same vein as his “Some Kind of Heaven,” which followed life in a tony Florida retirement community. The difference is that this one, co-created by David Gauvey Herbert, has the potential to turn into a viral sensation. I certainly can’t stop talking about it. Details: 3½ stars; first episode available now on HBO; next two episodes drop June 9.

“Solo”: A playful, passionate relationship with attractive new drag queen Oliver (Félix Maritaud) at a Montreal club where Simon (Théodore Pellerin) performs sours and plummets into toxicity at the same time Simon tries to gain acknowledgement from his career-obsessed, disinterested opera star mom. Sophie Dupuis’s compelling character-driven third feature collected awards on the film fest circuit, and it’s easy to understand why. It brings us into Simon’s world and draws out two riveting performances from her leads, and while it might see to strut down a similar runaway of other drag-oriented features, “Solo” avoids tired tropes and celebrates drag itself (the scenes of both stars performing are outstanding) and those who step out on the stage while dealing with their own struggles and desires. Details: 3 stars; in theaters June 7.

“Handling the Undead”: A gray cloudbank of melancholy blankets the lives of the characters in director Thea Hvistendahl’s effective minimalist zombie feature — a quasi horror film that’s devoid of gore but is no less unsettling and disturbing — particularly in its final act. “Let the Right One” scribe/screenwriter John Ajvide Lindqvist co-wrote this grief-bound story that has the ominous sense and pace of “Leave the World Behind.” As in “Behind,” a disruptive force in Oslo triggers a skin-crawling phenomenon. In this case, it’s the dead coming back to a non-vocal semblance of life. Hvistendahl’s thoughtful film follows three groups of characters visited by the departed: a mournful mom (Renate Reinsve of “The Worst Person in the World”) and her father (Bjørn Sundquist); a husband (Anders Danielsen Lie, also from “The Worst Person in the World”) broadsided by his wife’s untimely death and his children; and a lonely, elderly lesbian (Bente Borsum). The reappearance of dead loved ones isn’t a cause for joy as the survivors crushingly realize the resurrected can’t speak and are vague replicas of who they once were. Composer Peter Raeburn’s beautifully sad soundtrack along with Pål Ulvik Rokseth’s cinematography contribute to creating a tragic mood that’s hard to let go of after the film’s sad conclusion. Details: 3 stars; in theaters June 7.

“Trim Season”: Ariel Vida’s half-baked release toggles between campy horror and social commentary while failing to deliver a real goosebump. Bethlehem Million stars as Emma, a recently unemployed L.A. resident who signs on with four others, including her female lover, to trim cannabis in a remote cabin in Northern California’s Emerald Triangle. The premise is packed with potential and Vida does her hardest with a screenplay that could have been more potent if it moved faster and expanded on events leading up to its gory ending. As their witchy new employer Mona, Jane Badler vamps it up with “Sunset Boulevard” relish, and hits the campy highs. It’s too bad that the screenplay didn’t focus more on her and her two “sons,” which would have given the talented Vida the opportunity to really cut loose.  Details: 2 stars; available June 7 On Demand.

Contact Randy Myers at [email protected].

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  7. 187 Athletics Travel Coordinator Jobs in United States (9 new)

    Search similar titles. Today's top 187 Athletics Travel Coordinator jobs in United States. Leverage your professional network, and get hired. New Athletics Travel Coordinator jobs added daily.

  8. Travel Options for Sports Teams: Weighing All The Possibilities

    Travel Options for Sports Teams: Weighing All The Possibilities. Travel is an essential ingredient for most organized sports programs. It is among the top controllable expenses in your annual budget and requires a significant investment of time to oversee properly. Whether you are the travel coordinator for a youth volleyball club, high school ...

  9. Player Development & Team Services Coordinator

    As a Coordinator, you will report directly into the Senior Manager of Player Development and Team Services and serve as a resource of support for the player's professional, personal and social development. ... Participate in all NBA Player Development monthly conference calls as well as attend annual meetings; ... Assist with player travel ...

  10. Manager, Basketball Logistics & Travel Operations

    Additionally, the Manager, Basketball Logistics and Travel Operations arranges for other travel such as travel related to pre-draft and free agent workouts and Summer League. This role may travel at times with the team and serves as a liaison to the NBA for basketball-related travel items. Essential Functions (Duties & Responsibilities):

  11. NBA Team Jobs

    NBA Team Jobs. From ticket sales, to digital media and marketing, to business analytics, basketball operations and more, our teams have positions for passionate and accomplished candidates. Whether you are performing data analysis for an NBA club or producing digital content for an NBA G League or WNBA team, every member of the NBA family ...

  12. Ozark native Nicholas Turner enjoying role as travel coordinator for

    The journey for the 34-year-old Turner to his current position as travel coordinator for Milwaukee of the NBA has had many twists and turns. "It's incredible," Turner said. "I thank God ...

  13. Ashley B.

    Credentials and Travel Coordinator at the National Basketball Association (NBA) · Passionate about bringing stories to life, I am an intuitive, highly motivated, and organized professional ...

  14. Nothing but Networking: How to Score a Job in the NBA

    How to Score a Job in the NBA. More. Job: Video Coordinator for the National Basketball Association. Salary Range: $50,000 to $60,000. Worker: Jimmy Bradshaw. Age: 26. Education: Bachelor's and ...

  15. 1,000+ Sports Travel Coordinator Jobs in United States (64 new)

    Today's top 1,000+ Sports Travel Coordinator jobs in United States. Leverage your professional network, and get hired. New Sports Travel Coordinator jobs added daily.

  16. What does an NBA video coordinator do?

    A video coordinator's greatest asset is time management; the ability to eke productivity out of every moment is a life raft in the relentless current of an 82-game season. While preparation for ...

  17. NBA Social Responsibility Program Coordinator

    Social Responsibility Program Coordinator. LOCATION: New York, New York, US, 10022 The NBA is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace. To safeguard our employees and their families, our visitors and the broader community from COVID-19, and in consideration of recommendations from health authorities and the NBA's own advisors, any individual working onsite in our New York and New ...

  18. Hear from coaches and running backs Evan Hull and Trey Sermon during

    Hear from Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter on Evan Hull and Trey Sermon during Colts practice.

  19. With the interim tag gone, coach Brian Keefe is focused on improvement

    FILE - Washington Wizards interim head coach Brian Keefe applauds his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Washington. The Wizards hired Keefe as their coach on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, sticking with the man who led the team on an interim basis from late January until the end ...

  20. NBA Video Coordinator Salaries

    The average Video Coordinator base salary at NBA is $57K per year. The average additional pay is $5K per year, which could include cash bonus, stock, commission, profit sharing or tips. The "Most Likely Range" reflects values within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role. Glassdoor salaries are powered by our ...

  21. How Caleb Farley is already standing out to Titans defensive

    Farley has endured his fair share of personal adversity on top of all of this. He lost his mother to cancer in 2018 and his father in a tragic house explosion in 2023.

  22. Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde on rotating his DL

    Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porzingis is reportedly set to return for Game 1 of the NBA Finals vs. the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. Yahoo Sports

  23. Brian Keefe looks to develop Wizards into an NBA contender

    WASHINGTON — Nearly two decades after starting his NBA career as a video coordinator, Brian Keefe is now a head coach. Of course, he actually began coaching the Washington Wizards a few months ...

  24. Airlines are preparing for another busy summer. Are they ready ...

    This month, the Dallas Mavericks will play the Boston Celtics for an NBA championship. Later in the month, the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 soccer games will play at AT&T Stadium, with games on June ...

  25. 15 men brought to military enlistment office after mass brawl ...

    Local security forces brought 15 men to a military enlistment office after a mass brawl at a warehouse of the Russian Wildberries company in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast on Feb. 8, Russian Telegram ...

  26. TOUGH QUESTIONS: What does a heritage tourism coordinator do?

    Earlier in 2024, El Paso County Commissioners voted to spend up to $500,000 on the marketing campaign. "We have a scope of work that'll be put out to competitive bid pretty soon," said Renteria ...

  27. Alex Dellett

    NBA G League- Rio Grande Valley Vipers-Travel Coordinator, Video/Player Development · Graduate Assistant experience at two Division 1 Universities looking for entry level position with Collegiate ...

  28. Mavericks vs. Celtics odds, line: Proven NBA expert discloses his picks

    The Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks travel to play the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics on Thursday in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from TD Garden. Boston is a 6.5-point favorite and the over/under for total points scored is 214.5 in the latest Celtics vs. Mavericks odds from the ...

  29. 'Shogun' Stunt Coordinator Breaks Down Fight Scenes

    'Shogun' stunt coordinator discusses training the actors and retraining stunt performers with new techniques to travel back to 1600s Japan.

  30. What to watch: 'Clipped' reveals how racist landed coveted spot in NBA

    An ambitious new series looks at the scandal that erupted when a Los Angeles basketball team owner's racist remarks went viral. It tops our list of what to watch this week, along with one sexy ...