The founder of OT’s Skills & Drills Academy, Marques “OT” Singleton, is a seasoned basketball player with over 13 years of experience playing in both Asia, Central/South America, Canada and the United States of America.
His path, paved with perseverance, self-control, and hard work, is evidence of his love for the game. In addition to playing professionally, Marques has devoted his effort and time to coaching and mentoring young players to help them fulfill their aspirations of becoming professional basketball players. Being dropped in high school and college and then flourishing as a professional are the examples of his ability to overcome challenges, which has made him a highly regarded coach and trainer. He teaches and inspires on the border of west philadelphia where his own basketball journey was actually started, the Kaiserman JCC, Marques continues to mentor and train basketball players today at the JCC and nationally and internationally. . Apart from his impressive accomplishments, Marques conveys the paramount significance of mental toughness and upright conduct, promoting his athletes’ overall advancement in their athletic pursuits and personal life. His relentless enthusiasm to the game has profoundly influenced the careers of several aspiring basketball players. A man of his game, Truly!
Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.
OT’s Skills & Drills Academy is the result of a journey driven by persistence, moral courage, resilience, and a strong love of basketball. In 2015–16, when I was playing abroad, in Singapore, at a professional level, the idea for this project was first sown. My participation in basketball clinics for the teams I played for initially appeared to be a logical progression of my athletic career. But these early encounters set the course for what eventually developed into a full-fledged coaching career. I was given the chance to take on my first official coaching position as I made the switch from player to coach, and this experience had a significant influence on how I saw the game.
At LJE Sports Academy, from 2016-19 he had the honor of working with basketball world champion Bernard Williams of Singapore and Georgia to hone my coaching abilities. This time changed not only how I developed professionally but also how I developed OT’s Skills & Drills Academy. I was able to advance my career as a mentor and advisor to young athletes by working with someone of such great stature. I was able to impart discipline, consistency, technical skill, and a greater comprehension of the subtle nuances of basketball.
In 2017, he broadened my outlook by signing with Topflight Academy in Bangkok and Hong Kong, all the while pursuing my professional career in Thailand. Here, I had the good fortune to collaborate closely with Topflight Basketball Academy’s CEO visionary and accomplished coach, Ike Nwankwo. My approach to training was cemented by this experience, which also gave me access to cutting-edge methodologies that I now apply to my coaching. These years had a significant influence on the philosophy I developed, which emphasizes commitment, mastery, and mental toughness—qualities that are critical for any aspiring athlete.
Another critical turning point in my path was in 2017-18 when I headed back to my alma mater, Lower Merion High School, to serve as the head assistant coach of the boys freshman and jv basketball teams. Learned alot from central league legendary coach greg downer who coached the legendary Kobe Bryant when volunteering with varsity at some games, and practices. Assisting both teams when needed allowed me to gain hands-on experience mentoring younger athletes through their developmental phases on and off the court. My dedication to talent development was anchored during these early years of coaching at such a historically significant school by the same tenacity and work ethic that shaped my own professional life.
I resumed working with Bernard Williams in 2018 and collaborated with him for eight months at LJE Sports in Singapore as his lead assistant coach/trainer.. I was responsible for managing squad practices, games, and training facilities. My coaching approach has advanced by this point, and I was in charge of creating extensive training plans that concentrated on the growth of both individuals and teams.
As a top athlete in the Philippines in 2019, I started working with JHOOPS and respected coaches John Cepos and Coach Albert to widen my network and boost my level of expertise. It was a pleasure to act as a guest coach for several youth basketball clinics and camps in Cebu City, East Samar, and Manila. From low-level training to slightly elevated coaching, all ideas of what it takes to these experiences ramped up my coaching toolkit and deepened my idea of what it requires to develop young athletes to reach their potential value.
However, the catastrophic event in 2020 interrupted my journey, as it appears to have done for many others. My involvement in basketball stopped, and I was further shoved aside by a personal injury—a dislocated and torn labrum. These difficulties, though, have only strengthened my resolve to come back better and much more determined than before. I returned to playing professionally in Thailand in 2021 after a swift recovery, where I also became the head assistant coach and skills trainer at Warriors Basketball Academy. My love for teaching was revitalized by this chance, so I started teaching both private and group classes and eventually officially opened OT’s Skills & Drills Academy.
The epitome of these life experiences took me back to Philadelphia, my hometown, where I work at Kaiserman JCC, a gym with significant association because it’s where my own basketball story began, as a basketball skills and drills trainer. From being a player to becoming a coach, from conquering hardship to reopening my academy – every step has given me a plethora of knowledge and experience in my quest to find me. These days, I use my enthusiasm and knowledge to support people in realizing their goals, whether it’s joining their high school or college basketball teams or going after a professional career in the sport.
