Joey Meyers Is Helping Build The Next Generation Of Girls Basketball Players

Basketball has never needed more people who understand that developing players is about far more than teaching a crossover, correcting a jump shot and running another workout.

There are plenty of people who can put players through drills.

There are far fewer who understand the entire journey.

Joey Meyers appears determined to become one of those people.

Joey Meyers brings together something girls basketball desperately needs: actual playing experience, coaching knowledge, physical training, sports nutrition and an understanding of the mental side of competition.

A former standout at Drew University, Joey Meyers has gone from successful high school player to accomplished college player and now to varsity girls basketball coach at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit, New Jersey.

But simply calling Joey Meyers a basketball coach doesn't tell the whole story.

Joey Meyers is also a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist with experience in athletic development. 

Her message on Instagram "I help players with their headspace and handles!" may explain her philosophy better than any collection of job titles.

Handles are important.

Headspace is important.

Strength matters. 

Nutrition matters. 

Confidence matters. 

Preparation matters.

And the further a player advances in basketball, the more all of it matters.

 

Why Joey Meyers Is Someone Basketball Families Should Know

Basketball has become crowded with trainers, evaluators, coaches, influencers and self-proclaimed development specialists.

Anybody can create a social media account.

Anybody can purchase some equipment.

Anybody can call themselves a basketball trainer.

That's exactly why background matters.

 

Joey Meyers Has Lived The Journey Young Basketball Players Are Attempting To Navigate.

Joey Meyers attended West Morris Mendham High School in New Jersey, where she developed into an accomplished basketball player. 

She reportedly finished her high school career with approximately 1,300 points while earning multiple First-Team All-NJAC Conference and First-Team All-Morris County honors.

Then came college basketball.

Joey Meyers continued her playing career at Drew University, where the 5-foot-10 guard became a four-year starter and developed into one of the program's most productive players.

As a freshman, Joey Meyers averaged 13.6 points per game and earned ECAC Rookie of the Year recognition. 

During the 2021-22 season, Joey Meyers averaged 16.0 points and 8.5 rebounds while earning First-Team All-Landmark Conference and D3hoops.com All-Region Second Team honors.

Joey Meyers eventually finished her Drew University career with more than 1,300 points and 600 rebounds.

Those statistics establish credibility.

But the real value may be everything Joey Meyers had to experience to produce them.

 

Joey Meyers Understands The Journey Because She Lived It

There is something powerful about being coached by someone who has recently traveled the road you're trying to reach.

Joey Meyers understands practices because she went through them.

Joey Meyers understands competing for playing time because she experienced it.

Joey Meyers understands expectations, preparation, academics, pressure, winning, losing, confidence and adversity because none of those things can be avoided during a serious basketball career.

That experience cannot be manufactured.

It cannot be learned from watching a few videos.

And it certainly cannot be replaced by having a large social media following.

Joey Meyers has been in the arena.

The mental side of that experience also deserves attention.

Joey Meyers previously participated in a Drew University Performance Psychology podcast discussion involving mindset, teamwork, resilience, self-discipline, self-talk, readiness and goal setting.

That's important because basketball development has spent far too many years concentrating on what players can do physically while sometimes ignoring what is happening mentally.

Everybody wants better handles.

Everybody wants a better jumper.

Everybody wants more athleticism.

But what happens after a player misses four shots?

What happens when she gets benched?

What happens when recruiting isn't going the way she expected?

What happens when confidence disappears?

Sometimes the biggest problem isn't the player's handles. It's her headspace.

 

Joey Meyers Is Developing More Than Basketball Skills

This is where the Joey Meyers story becomes more interesting.

Joey Meyers isn't bringing just one area of knowledge into player development.

Joey Meyers has playing experience.

Joey Meyers has coaching experience.

Joey Meyers is a certified personal trainer.

Joey Meyers has sports nutrition knowledge.

Joey Meyers has worked in athletic development.

And Joey Meyers now has responsibility for leading a varsity girls basketball program.

 

That's Player Development From Several Different Directions.

Too many young players have been convinced that development means finding a trainer, taking hundreds of shots, learning several impressive moves and posting workout clips on social media.

That's not complete development.

How strong are you?

How well conditioned are you?

What are you eating?

Are you recovering properly?

Can you communicate?

Can you handle criticism?

Will you accept coaching?

Can you remain confident after playing badly?

Can you respond when another player takes your minutes?

Can you perform when nobody is cheering?

Those things don't look nearly as exciting on Instagram.

But they help determine who survives when basketball becomes difficult.

 

Joey Meyers Shows Players Basketball Can Create A Bigger Future

There is another important message inside the Joey Meyers journey that young basketball players should pay attention to.

Your relationship with basketball does not have to end when your playing career ends.

Far too many athletes believe basketball has only one destination: playing.

That's simply not true.

Basketball can lead to coaching, scouting, training, sports performance, nutrition, athletic administration, media, player development and numerous other careers.

Joey Meyers has already demonstrated that progression.

Joey Meyers went from high school standout to college basketball player. 

From college basketball player, Joey Meyers moved into coaching, training and athlete development.

Now the players Joey Meyers coaches have someone standing in front of them who can speak from experience rather than theory.

That's valuable.

 

Basketball Players Must Stop Thinking Skills Are Everything

Here's where I believe basketball development sometimes gets completely backwards.

We have created a generation obsessed with moves.

Everybody wants the killer crossover.

Everybody wants unlimited shooting range.

Everybody wants the highlight.

But basketball exposes weaknesses eventually.

You can have an outstanding crossover and still sit on the bench.

You can shoot from 25 feet and still struggle defensively.

You can be incredibly athletic and still lack discipline.

You can dominate workouts and disappear when the game becomes uncomfortable.

Talent is only part of the equation.

Players need discipline, strength, confidence, communication, nutrition, resilience, accountability and mental toughness.

They have to learn how to fail without falling apart.

They have to learn how to be coached without becoming offended.

They have to learn that development isn't always fun, pretty or worthy of posting online.

That is why Joey Meyers' combination of basketball, training, nutrition and mindset experience deserves attention.

Complete players require complete development.

 

The Al Woods Perspective

I've watched basketball players develop for decades, and I continue to believe one thing strongly: talent alone has never been enough and never will be.

Eventually basketball demands more.

That's why I pay attention to people like Joey Meyers.

Joey Meyers didn't read about the basketball journey from the outside. 

Joey Meyers lived it.

Joey Meyers became an accomplished high school player. 

Joey Meyers went through recruiting. 

Joey Meyers played college basketball. 

Joey Meyers produced at a high level. 

Joey Meyers experienced the academic responsibilities that come with being a student-athlete.

Now Joey Meyers is taking those experiences and pouring them back into another generation of girls basketball players.

That's exactly what this game needs.

Girls basketball doesn't simply need more trainers running drills.

Girls basketball needs knowledgeable coaches, teachers, mentors and leaders who understand that they're developing the person attached to the basketball player.

There's a huge difference.

 

Joey Meyers Represents The Next Generation Of Women's Basketball Leadership

Girls and women's basketball is growing, and that growth is creating opportunities far beyond the players everyone sees on television.

The coaches matter.

The trainers matter.

The mentors matter.

The people developing players behind the scenes matter.

Joey Meyers represents an important part of that next generation.

Joey Meyers is young enough to remember what recruiting felt like, what college basketball demanded and what it was like trying to establish herself as a player.

At the same time, Joey Meyers has accumulated enough experience to begin teaching those lessons to the players coming behind her.

From West Morris Mendham to Drew University and now Oak Knoll, basketball has remained a major part of Joey Meyers' journey.

The responsibility has simply changed.

Before, Joey Meyers was developing herself.

Now Joey Meyers is helping develop others.

The handles certainly matter.

But Joey Meyers appears to understand something that every young basketball player eventually discovers:

When the competition becomes tougher, the pressure becomes greater and the stakes become higher, what's happening between your ears can become just as important as what's happening with the basketball in your hands.

That's real player development.

And that's why Joey Meyers is someone in girls basketball worth watching.

 

Author / Byline

Written by Al Woods

Al Woods | Woods Recruiting

Al Woods is a former high school, college and professional basketball player and the founder of Woods Recruiting. 

He is a longtime basketball scout, evaluator and writer covering high school basketball, grassroots and AAU basketball, college recruiting, player development, coaches, trainers and the influential people helping shape the game.