VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Did you know Virginia’s largest training facility for basketball is located right here in Hampton Roads?
The sought after program, located in Virginia Beach, helps develop the basketball skills of all age groups.
The legacy continues — the son of Hall of Fame basketball coach Bill Cochrane is not only following his father’s footsteps, but he is also carving out his own lane.
David Cochrane launched his independent basketball training academy six years ago and never looked back.
“We built this business from word of mouth,” said David Cochran, owner of David Cochran Basketball Academy. “So the fact that I have players come up to me that are now in college, that started when they were in seventh, sixth grade. They started when they were in ninth or 10th grade.”
The fact that he’s touching lives and having the chance to mentor the same way his father once did is what he says makes the platform so special.
“We’ve been doing this for 52 years now in this community,” David Cochran said, “our bloodline just helping and working with the with the city.”
The program is now attracting players from all across the country, including pro ballers like Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh.
“We have to be versatile in our thinking, and versatile in our training methods,” David Cochran said. “Last year, we trained our 2,000th player. I think we’re up to about 2700 now.”
Cochran said the academy has opened many doors of opportunity for those who come train at his facility.
“We’ve got 65 players scholarships in the past three-and-a-half years,” David Cochran said. “To me, that’s a big deal. And we have in the next three years, we’ll have another 150 to 200 players going to college.”
Cochran admitted that after beating the odds of addiction in 2018, pouring his time into the community helped pull him out of a very dark place.
“Every time I step on this court, and I know and I’m making a player better, I’m creating a better leader,” David Cochran said. “I’m teaching them the things that my college coaches taught me, giving them a step ahead of the competition. It makes me feel just fulfilled and gives me a sense of purpose.”
Cochran said he hopes to grow the academy over the next few years, onboarding new talents and bringing on more more trainers.
Want to sign up?
Information to sign up can be found on the academy’s Instagram page @dcbasketball757.
