Coach Mike Russell, hometown native of Winston-Salem, NC began coaching and skill development at a young age of 24. Working with a broad range of athletes from kindergarten to professional, the reputation and community Mike has built over the past 15+ years is cemented.

A proud 2001 graduate of RJ Reynolds High School and now head coach of the varsity men’s team, Coach Russell has made quite a name for himself in the North Carolina basketball community. With a unique ability to balance out a demand for maximum effort during training and practices, Russ also provides a “have fun”atmosphere that athletes enjoy and value.

“Russ Work” is combination of fundamental drills and knowing the how, when, where and why of the particular aspect being practiced. This approach helps the athlete improve their skills while also enhancing their understanding of the game (Basketball IQ). The ultimate goal for the athlete is to have their practices translate to the games. This application is not easy but Coach Russ has created a formula of skills and drills with game relative situations that has allowed athletes to see significant improvement in their translation.

Coach Mike loves working with athletes of all ages, all levels of experience and backgrounds. He believes his mantra of “stay down” applies to anything worthy of time, effort and energy. It’s a constant reminder to keep your focus. Never get too high from success and never get too low after experiencing a tough lesson in progress. Improvement and mastery takes a certain amount of patience and dedication, every day. Understanding that, is the key. Applying yourself everyday, is the challenge.

#STAYDOWN