Wellesley Youth Basketball Association

Wellesley Youth Basketball partnered with DeShawn and the Prove Them Wrong team to run instructional clinics and skill sessions in lieu of a competitive league in 2020/2021. We were able to secure court space at Babson, and PTW ran clinics for kids from second grade through high school–more than 30 groups across three courts all day Saturday and Sunday. The PTW team also worked with our travel teams on a weekly basis. We all had to operate under strict school COVID protocols, and the PTW team always put the health and safety of the kids first. Logistics were challenging, with so many groups across so many time slots, and PTW was professional and flexible throughout the process. The PTW trainers always came prepared with plans that matched the age and skill level of the participants, and the feedback we received from players and parents was outstanding–the players focus on things that help them get better, but also learn a lot about hard work and character from the PTW team. We look forward to continuing our partnership.

Newton Basketball MetroWest

My son has been working with DeShawn for the past three years and it was clear from the start of his training that DeShawn was going to challenge him not only to grow as an athlete but also as a person. My son is a better conditioned and more disciplined basketball player now and has gone from playing at the second tier level to being competitive with top tier players. He’s also become a more mature and confident student-athlete with better performance not only on the court but in school as well.

In addition to personal training DeShawn has also served as an Assistant Coach and Trainer for the Newton Metrowest program. He has run excellent skills sessions for our team which just won the Division 1 Massachusetts State Championship.

I would highly recommend Deshawn for individual, group and team training. DeShawn carefully organizes and customizes training programs for the individual player, communicates very well with feedback and is an excellent mentor and role model.

Clinics and Private Training

“Our son James trained with DeShawn and PTW from 5th grade until 8th grade. Over the past four years James developed confidence from his workouts with PTW and has been able to apply the skills acquired in workouts to real game situations. His ball handling and finishing around the basket are two of the areas where he has made the most progress, allowing him to make his high school varsity team as a Freshman. Thank you DeShawn and PTW team. Success is a grind and doesn’t happen overnight. You have to put in the work over long periods of time. We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of mentors at PTW to keep pushing!”

— Chris Sullivan

“My son, John, has been training with Coach Gibbons for 3 years now. When we first came to Prove Them Wrong, John’s shooting was weak and his ability to shoot wide variety of shots was low and his dribbling was slow. Now John’s shooting form is fundamentally solid, his dribbling is fast and skilled and he can take shots from anywhere on the court. More importantly Coach Gibbons has taught John to have great confidence and always work hard. Gibbons teaching style is a lot more than just basketball training. He invests time with my son, teaches about teamwork, discipline and following direction. Gibbons is a great motivator and exceptional teacher. Thank you for caring enough about how young people grow and learn to share your experiences with him. Thank you for being encouraging, supportive and always positive. John’s basketball skills have and continue to improve greatly and we attribute this to you.”

– Liz Grimes

“DeShawn Gibbons has been far more than just a basketball trainer to our three children. We hired DeShawn to do just that about eight years ago but he became a close family friend and a mentor to all three of our kids. He never runs out of new and different ways to teach basketball skills and ways to improve their game. He is incredibly intuitive and caters to the different personalities with whom he is working. In addition to sharpening basketball skills and increasing endurance, DeShawn also spends a lot of time communicating with his trainees and their parents about healthy life choices like good nutrition, the importance of sleep, and subtle ways kids can boost their confidence on and off the court. He is encouraging and patient and extremely flexible with his time. Almost everyday, at least one of my kids asks “when am I working with DeShawn again?” They finish their hour with DeShawn feeling motivated and accomplished. Our experience with Deshawn over the many years has been nothing less than perfect and the fact that our kids beg to have sessions with him is a testimony to his effectiveness and positive influence.”

— Barrie Silk

“DeShawn Gibbons has been an amazing mentor, coach and role model to our sons. He is professional, skilled, knowledgeable, responsible and considerate.
Working with DeShawn, our sons have not only improved substantially as basketball players but have also learned important life lessons regarding work ethic, personal care, confidence via preparation, and self-awareness.”

— Dr. Ofer Levy

This is a direct feed from Google showing all of our reviews.

 
 
 
 EXCELLENT  
 
 12 reviews on 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Lucas White 
 
 
 Lucas White 
 
2021-11-30
 
 
  
 
DeShawn and his coaches do a great job of teaching basketball skills, how to play the game at a high level, etc., while still keeping it fun. DeShawn also encourages and motivates the kids and gives them tough love when needed.
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 david stern 
 
 
 david stern 
 
2021-11-27
 
 
  
 
My son has been working with DeShawn for the past few months— both one-on-one and in small group training. DeShawn is an excellent coach; he is precise, extremely knowledgeable and supportive. His sessions are targeted and goal-oriented.

But DeShawn also brings something more—something less tangible— beyond basketball skills and athletic training. His lessons also focus on the value of commitment, self-knowledge and clarity of purpose. He balances criticism with encouragement and motivation..

Prove Them Wrong is very professionally run—scheduling is easy and communication is always clear and to the point. I would recommend them unequivocally.
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Scott Lainer 
 
 
 Scott Lainer 
 
2021-11-07
 
 
  
 
There are coaches who are great at what they do; then there are coaches who really care about the character of the kids. And then, atop them all, is DeShawn Gibbons. Watching this skilled leader motivate, in both private sessions and larger scrimmages, there is one common thread: encouragement. But this is always couched in savvy guidance based on perfecting mechanics. One gets the sense DeShawn could have been a successful NBA player, but somehow we all got lucky that he wound up building a team of coaches and working with kids. His instruction is rigorous, constructive and fun. And we are grateful for the mantra and methods of "Prove Them Wrong," both on and off the court.
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Donna Terwal 
 
 
 Donna Terwal 
 
2021-11-03
 
 
  
 
My son has really enjoyed working on his Basketball skills for the past several weeks. Niles has been a wonderful trainer! In addition, DeShawn has been very accommodating and a pleasure to work with!
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Kim Dunn 
 
 
 Kim Dunn 
 
2021-11-01
 
 
  
 
Coach DeShawn is an exceptional basketball coach and mentor!  Our 12 year old son loves working with him and his crew.  Our son has greatly improved his basketball skills and he continues to be motivated and looks forward to each training session.  Coach DeShawn truly cares and we are beyond impressed!  Thank you coach DeShawn and staff.
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Family Weinstock 
 
 
 Family Weinstock 
 
2021-11-01
 
 
  
 
Prove them wrong is an incredible organization. DeShawn is devoted to training kids and inspiring them to live up to their fullest potential.  My daughter is obsessed with basketball and he has helped her to continue to refine her skills, but more importantly has given her terrific guidance and tools to deal with setbacks.
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Nicole Konstantinakos 
 
 
 Nicole Konstantinakos 
 
2021-10-24
 
 
  
 
My son LOVES the skills training he has done with DeShawn and crew from PTW. He’s gained confidence as he’s grown as a player and athlete and has really enjoyed the professional approach with the personal and caring approach of PTW.
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 M K 
 
 
 M K 
 
2021-10-21
 
 
  
 
DeShawn has been tremendous in helping my 14yr old son identify key areas to improve on with specific coaching, drills, etc….while building his confidence, encouraging him to try new things, and coaching mindset and life skills! I am also impressed with DeShawn’s ability to connect with and personalize coaching towards each player as an individual.
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Kelly Gay 
 
 
 Kelly Gay 
 
2021-10-20
 
 
  
 
Deshawn is hands down one of the best basketball trainers/coaches out there! What sets him apart from others is his basketball knowledge and his drive to get results. If you follow Deshawn's program you will see your basketball skill and IQ of the game improve drastically!
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Matt & Marie Washek 
 
 
 Matt & Marie Washek 
 
2021-10-20
 
 
  
 
We are thrilled with our experience.  We have two very different children.  DeShawn recognized immediately what each them needed on and off the court.  Our boys are very impressed with the basketball side and we (parents) are even more excited about the life skills/mentoring side.