My Entrepreneurship Story Assignment 3A

My Story:

Like any kid in high school, I was just looking to have a good time and do well enough to get into the college of my choosing. Getting the grade was more important that gaining any knowledge from the class, as everyday was one step closer to college. At the beginning of my junior year, I was a varsity basketball player (the short, white guy in the left of the picture below) and at the time, was only worried about each and every game and never thought I would learn anything through basketball besides how to become a better player. One day, after practice, my coach came up to me, and my whole view changed.

Throughout the modern day youth basketball culture, a premium is placed on high-priced individual training, as delusional parents think paying someone $100/hr twice or even three times a week can change their son or daughter into a prodigy. My coach came up to me with an idea of using the gym at our high school and running group training for elementary, middle and high school players for a lower price, and wanted my help in both co-founding and running the day to day operations of the business. At first, even though I was taken back by the offer, I wondered if this was something I wanted to put on my plate as a large commitment, but I trusted my coach and went ahead. To this day, I can truthfully say it was one of my best decisions ever.

The Oviedo Basketball Academy was a major success for the two years in which I was happy to be a part of the business, and while our reputation throughout Central Florida became one of fairness and respect, the lasting impact on each player's became larger then could've ever imagined. Along the way, while further developing leadership qualities as a teacher on the court, I became adept with public relations, money management and social media advertising. From this experience, I became enamored with the ins and outs of entrepreneurship, as the feeling of both truly helping out an individual and enjoying the work that you do so much it doesn't feel like work led me to seek how to continue similar work in the future.

Why ENT3003?

My previous experience with entrepreneurship has only taken me so far into understanding the depths that come with turning a individual concept into a well-oiled business. I think this class can help me develop mindsets that will help me create successful business ventures into the future. I look forward to further learning concepts that I previously have little experience with.