Centerville HS junior Ryan Hood furthers young athletes’ hoop dreams
DAYTON, Ohio — Centerville High School (CHS) junior Ryan Hood has lived and breathed basketball since kindergarten. His formative years found him on teams with the Washington Township Rec Center (now RecPlex), joining Centerville Hustle Basketball in 3rd grade.
“I attended every skills clinic and summer camp that Coach Brook Cupps offered for young players,” recalled Ryan. “His high school team helped at all of them.” Ryan held onto this memory throughout a year on the freshman team and his sophomore year on the junior varsity (JV) team.
Now aspiring to become a high level basketball coach and seeking community service hours for National Honor Society (NHS), Ryan hatched the idea of running his own skills clinics for younger players. “When I was younger, it was inspiring when the high schoolers would help me improve my skills,” he said. “I also thought that doing these clinics could help me pursue my dreams in college and mature as a coach.”
Ryan held a series of free clinics at Schoolhouse Park throughout the summer and early fall. He was aided alternately by his twin brother, Cole, and friend Joshua Hamlett, a basketball player at Dayton Christian School. This allowed the boys to divide the kids up and provide additional assistance when needed.
Although inclement weather got things off to a slow start, interest quickly picked up. “Four children at the second clinic were repeats from the first, and two of them brought friends with them!” shared Ryan’s mom, Stacey Hood. “The parents all gave us nice feedback, saying that they would want to come again and would help spread the word amongst their friends.”
Ryan is a firm believer in the power of hard work. Knowing the incredible depth of the talent pool in Centerville City Schools sports, he reached out to Coach Cupps in 7th grade, securing an invitation to come to the high school any morning that he wanted to. Throughout the remainder of middle school, his parents shuttled him back and forth before school each morning. Even throughout the summer, Ryan rises at 5:30am (or earlier), to get to the high school for early morning practices.
“I love to work out, and I also love the feeling of improving myself. It’s both a challenge and a joy,” stated Ryan. “I have had many inspiring coaches and mentors. My biggest takeaway from them is that hard work and commitment to your craft will always benefit you in the game and in life.”
With the dream of making the CHS varsity basketball team this Nov., Ryan is pushing himself harder than ever. “Ryan’s love of basketball has never wavered,” said Stacey. “We are very proud of his determination and the work ethic that he is developing.”
Regardless of which team he ends up on, Ryan looks forward to inspiring more young athletes at future clinics, hopefully next spring.
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