Fano Arceo-Hansen, a 2019 Toledo alum and 2021 Centralia College grad, has been tabbed to take over the newly-created Thorbeckes Athletic Performance (TAP) Basketball Academy.
The academy, revealed on July 22, is a program for basketball players looking to develop their skills through individualized training.
It’s the brainchild of Efrain Sanchez, Thorbeckes general manager and TAP director. Sanchez approached Arceo-Hansen and asked if he’d be willing to run the new program. It was an easy decision, Arceo-Hansen said.
“I love coaching, whether it’s basketball or football, so I was happy,” Arceo-Hansen said.
Some of the main areas of focus are ball handling, shot technique, defensive and offensive footwork and rebounding and passing techniques.
Arceo-Hansen is well suited for the job. He earned all-state honors as a senior in 2019 after averaging 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and leading Toledo to a fourth-place finish at state. He went on to play two years for Centralia College, graduating this year.
Not only that, but a lot of the county kids know him. When he first started interning at Thorbeckes, he brought in 20 local kids to the first youth camp he ran.
All training is based on what the client is looking for. The first step is a free evaluation where the client fills out a questionnaire that includes their age, past training history, goals and so forth, and Arceo-Hansen will begin an evaluation process. He will then rank athletes’ skills with a number between 1 and 5 before workouts begin. Every three months, he will reevaluate and assign a new grade for each skill so athletes can see track their progress.
“It’s very specialized,” TAP coach Lauren Fisher said. “So if some kid says, ‘I’m weak in ball handling or attacking the basket,’ that’s where Fano takes those answers and keys it to their specific weaknesses. Everything is super personalized.”
There could be 10 kids training out at the same time and no two are doing the same workout, she said. She compares it to an open gym, except everyone has their own goals they’re working toward.
“It’s a lot different than some camps Fano and I went to growing up where 20 kids are doing layin lines or we’re all doing shooting drills,” Fisher said. “It’s like, those are great but to have something so personalized you go to for your hour, it can increase your level by crazy amounts.”
Parents are welcome to attend the training sessions as well, Arceo-Hansen said, which is helpful since they typically have seen their kids play more than anyone and know what areas need improvement. Plus, it can be difficult for some kids to identify their own weaknesses.
The academy is open to kids and adults of all ages. Some of the first signees are a trio of siblings who are 5, 8 and 12 years old.
And Arceo-Hansen can attest to Thorbeckes’ track record of helping improve athletes. He first started training there when he was 9 years old. He remembers Sanchez asking him what he wanted to be when he grew up when he was about 13 years old. Arceo-Hansen told him he had his sights set on personal training.
“I’ve kind of always known,” Arceo-Hansen said.
Fisher, a 2012 W.F. West grad who also trained at Thorbeckes as a kid through her basketball career at Centralia College, says confidence is one of the biggest boosts this type of training can provide. Arceo-Hansen agreed.
“I’ve watched kids before this and they’re really timid out there,” Arceo-Hansen said. “Then after this, their whole game goes up. It’s the mental side of it, for sure.”
There is no official start date but Thorbeckes hopes to launch the basketball academy sometime this week. Sessions can be bought individually or in package, with the 12-pack being the best deal.
Anyone interested in signing up can contact Arceo-Hansen and Sanchez at basketball@thorbeckes.com.
