As an athlete at DIII Trine University in Indiana, D1 Merrillville coach Kristina Veljovic says training influenced her journey.

“Training played a huge role into my development as an athlete not just physically, but mentally,” she said. “The sweat, the tears and the difficulty of it gave me a stronger mindset and built my core values that I coach athletes on today.”

That mindset helped Veljovic play overseas basketball, an experience that led to her training two or three times a day to help her improve on and off the court.

It also taught her an important piece of advice that she tells every athlete she trains.

“I always tell my athletes to never be embarrassed of their dreams,” she said. “I didn't grow up with all the tools and connections. But I somehow made it at a pro level. If you want to be a pro one day, you have to start training like a pro now!”

Even during her time as an athlete, Veljovic knew she wanted to be a trainer, becoming the coach that she wished she had during her playing days.

“I never had a deep connection with a coach. Never had someone fully believe in me,” she said. “My escape turned into the gym. That's where I fell in love with training. I knew I wanted to be a trainer at 16 years old.”

Veljovic discovered D1 Training after seeing NBA veteran Chris Paul, a D1 Ambassador, post something about it on Instagram.

From there, Veljovic has been training athletes at D1 Merrillville.

Most of Veljovic's clients are basketball players who want to reach the next level of their career, whether that be varsity, college or the pros.

With these athletes, Veljovic said she primarily focuses on balance, mobility and single-leg strength to help improve vert increase, explosiveness and flexibility in joints.

But her biggest focus is on movements that her athletes will do on the court, living by the motto “To be successful in your sport, you have to train specific actions that will translate during your competition.”

As for her future goals, Veljovic said she wants to create a personal relationship with every athlete she trains.

“You're always more than just an athlete. I want my clients to feel comfortable around me, so we can create a fun, energetic environment," she said. “I'm also big on once I'm your coach, I'm your coach for life.”

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D1 Daily is produced by Dom Bonvissuto & Ty Wellemeyer

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