Upper Hand Biz Pod Ep.03 | Dermall Woods, Flash Action Sports Performance Starting a Sports Performance Business with Resilience: A Conversation with Dermall Woods and
Randy Orisma the founder of FORCE Basketball and Stephen Schwarz the Director of Business Operations join the Upper Hand Sports Pod. FORCE Basketball is New York City’s fastest growing youth basketball program. FORCE aims to give student-athletes an opportunity to develop their talent and skills with some of the most experienced former players and coaches in the AAU circuit. Powered by SuperMe Performance, FORCE Basketball benefits from the guidance and expertise of a comprehensive strength and conditioning program specifically tailored to youth basketball athletes by certified trainers- improving overall athleticism and reducing the likelihood of injury. FORCE prepares student-athletes for the high demands of high school, collegiate and professional basketball.
You can read an overview of the interview with Randy Orisma and Stephen Schwarz or listen to the podcast below for the full interview.
Q. It sounds like you guys have a lot of big things set up for 2019. Can you tell us about what you have planned?
A. In 2019 we’re expanding. Currently, we are in the Upper East side of New York–Manhattan specifically–but we’re looking to expand into the tristate region. We want to have more teams in Upper New York cover the five boroughs, so in the Bronx or West Chester. We want to have a couple of teams in Long Island, and we are also taking a look down south at Miami. We will have the New York and Miami markets representing FORCE athletics. Right now, the basketball program is our bread and butter, but we are actively looking to mirror what we have done on the basketball side so we want to hire some directors of specific sports with a following that want to come under the FORCE umbrella. Everything geared under strength and conditioning.
Q. What was your biggest challenge in growing all of this? Where did you guys struggle? Were there years when you thought this isn’t going to work?
A. The biggest challenge with Force Basketball has been the dynamic of athletes and their socioeconomic backgrounds. We are trying to run a program where we can be the best, you know, and it’s not like we are a nonprofit. We may attract kids who can afford the program in that area, but when we talk about all 5 boroughs, [players] may be super talented but can’t meet the price set, so we do accommodate, we have financial aid for them, we basically try and find ways to make up for our financial goals we set. That’s been the challenge.
Q. Why FORCE Basketball? What is your competitive advantage?
A. Our competitive advantage is we have a diverse group of kids and parents. We have kids as young as 7 and as old as 17, both boys and girls. Some are private school kids, others public. For a potential sponsor of FORCE, it is a great group to market to. We preach ethics and morals in practice and hold kids accountable. We offer after-school programs so kids can get their skills up. We also are going to have specific clinics to help with strength training that we can also open up to parents too! Even though we are just in our third year, we have had great success nationally. We have gone to Adidas tournaments nationally and placed in the finals, it is pretty special.
]Learn more about FORCE basketball at www.forcebasketballnyc.com. You can follow FORCE Basketball on Instagram @forcebasketballnyc or Facebook here.
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