Bringing his camp back to Kent for a third time, former NBA draftee Ryan Richards has just coached his highest number of attendees so far.
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00:00Former NBA draftee Ryan Richards from Sittingbourne has returned to Kent once again,
00:05bringing his signature Richards Elite basketball camp for young players across the county.
00:10Coming back for a third time over the Easter break,
00:12the Rochester camp welcomed its highest number of attendees so far.
00:16Well, to talk about how this year's camp went down,
00:18I'm pleased to say Ryan joins me in the studio now.
00:21We were just speaking then, how many people have you had at this last one?
00:25200, over the four days.
00:27Wow, dealing with 200 children.
00:29It was fun, it was fun.
00:31Tell me about the camp, tell me where it came from and how that idea sort of fostered.
00:37Yeah, so for me growing up in Sittingbourne,
00:38there wasn't too many basketball camps and I think in the whole UK.
00:42Playing 18 years all around the world from different levels, I wanted to bring something back
00:47and it's just grown and grown and the support from the parents and kids has been amazing.
00:52What was their reaction like right at the beginning?
00:54Because obviously it's grown massively,
00:57but I suppose when you decided to launch something like this,
01:00did people sort of say, oh, there's not much of that interest?
01:02I mean, we don't follow basketball, unfortunately here,
01:05like they do over in America, for instance.
01:07So do you think there was a bit like, oh, how well will this actually do?
01:11Yeah, I think, you know, it was my passion and something I wanted to do.
01:15It was disappointing before COVID, we had six kids
01:17and then after that we've grown and grown and grown.
01:20So it was something new and now it's really kind of, I would say, just taken off.
01:25You know, it's truly humbling to see how many people are interested
01:29and how many people believe.
01:30We can see on the screen now some of the youngsters you're helping.
01:33I will say, I'm going to put this in there,
01:35when I was about 11, I won MVP for basketball.
01:39But I wouldn't want to go up against you.
01:42It looks like so much fun and you can see how engaged they are
01:45and getting nine to 19 year olds engaged is a tricky thing.
01:48How did you find it sort of coaching them?
01:50Were they really engaged with what you were sort of showing them?
01:53Yeah, I mean, I think the nine to 12s were extremely locked in,
01:57the 13 to 16s as well.
01:58I think the older group were a little bit kind of,
02:03they weren't used to how we train because we train them as pros.
02:06It steps up, each age group steps up another level, another level.
02:08But after, you know, four days of being together, they were phenomenal.
02:12I suppose you must see yourself reflected in some of these young people,
02:15that passion, that drive, that attention to sport and that.
02:18And do you think that's what, I suppose,
02:21helped you get into this sort of career path?
02:23Was it just dedication to a sport?
02:25And do you see that in some of the young people?
02:26Yeah, I think they're dedicated.
02:27I think they need someone to look up to.
02:29I think they need something to believe in.
02:31And if I can do that, I mean, great.
02:33I definitely see myself and a lot of them lacking the confidence, the belief.
02:39And that's us as a collective, as a group with Richards Elite,
02:41the whole team to, you know, give that to the children.
02:45And they're, you know, taking it in and doing an absolute great job.
02:48And it's pretty impressive, I suppose, the career you've had behind all of this.
02:52And hearing the words NBA and Sittingbourne in the same sentence,
02:56I never thought we'd say, but over here on KMTV,
02:59what's that like being on that world stage,
03:02being, you know, just from Kent, just from Sittingbourne?
03:04Like, how does that sort of fare, I suppose, in the community around you?
03:08I think, because I've been gone for so long,
03:11and now I'm coming back and doing this,
03:13I didn't know the impact that I had.
03:15And to see kind of the parents and, you know, older players remember,
03:19you know, back then what happened, it's an amazing feeling.
03:23And when I was younger, I didn't really know the impact it had.
03:28So to see that now and to see kids coming in San Antonio Spurs jerseys
03:31and coming to the camp means so much.
03:33So it's really, it's my new passion for sure.
03:35Do you think if you hadn't got to that NBA level,
03:38do you think you would have had that impact?
03:39Or is that what's put you there?
03:42I think the impact comes because they can relate.
03:43I think kids now see through a lot of the mess.
03:48And I think, you know, with that being said, they can relate.
03:53And if they can relate and they say,
03:54hey, if he came from Sittingbourne, he can make it, why can't I?
03:56And I think that's the best part for me.
03:58It's a great message.
03:59And also looking at basketball as a sport as well,
04:02do you think that there's more attention on it now,
04:04specifically from how you've grown it from six to 200?
04:07Have you seen that shift and that change
04:09that people are recognising it as a sport
04:11more over here in the UK and here in Kent?
04:14Yeah, I mean, no question.
04:15When I was a kid, I mean, you'd be lucky to see
04:17one or two kids outside playing basketball.
04:18Now I drive past parks and see 15, 20, 30 kids.
04:22I even see so many kids that kids are sitting out
04:24waiting to get in.
04:24So it's just beautiful to be gone and come back
04:26and see the growth.
04:27Absolutely amazing.
04:28That's amazing.
04:29What's the next steps with Richard's Elite?
04:32What are you hoping for?
04:33Obviously there's continued growth,
04:35but what are the next plans for you?
04:37So we've had three camps that have been really successful.
04:40The last few camps have sold out.
04:42Now we're going to turn into a tournament.
04:43So it'll be the Richard's Elite tournament
04:44where kids will come for four days.
04:47They'll get shoes, uniforms, kits,
04:49and they'll play against international players,
04:52international teams, and it really tests them.
04:55So they come to the camps, they build up and prepare
04:57to try to be a Richard's Elite champion.
04:59Must mean a lot to you to have that support
05:01from other players as well.
05:03Yes, I've had, you know, great support,
05:05sponsorships from ex-teammates, current teammates,
05:08ex-coaches, people that have really helped me
05:09in my career.
05:10To have that is, you know, huge.
05:13And the biggest thing is the parents.
05:15We grew this from the parents.
05:16Without the parents, this wouldn't be possible.
05:18It wasn't funded by anybody.
05:19It was purely the parents coming together,
05:21believing in me.
05:22And for me now to be able to give back to them
05:24means, you know, so much.
05:25I think it's something that only sport can do
05:27to bring a community together like you have.
05:30It seems to be something we speak about here,
05:32a recurring theme, no matter how big or how small,
05:34it's something that brings people together.
05:37Thank you so much for joining us, Ryan.
05:40If someone, a young person's watching this now
05:42thinking, I want to do that.
05:44I want to be him.
05:44I want to be like that.
05:46What would your message be?
05:46Just contact me.
05:47You know, I was telling kids all camp,
05:49I was, my nickname was Mute.
05:50I was scared.
05:51I was timid.
05:51I didn't have the confidence to ask any questions.
05:53Just reach out.
05:54Reach out to us on the socials.
05:55Reach out to me, someone that knows me.
05:57And I'm more than happy to help you
05:58and guide you in the right direction,
05:59whether that's on the court or off the court.
06:01I think it's amazing to know that young people
06:03have that accessibility to someone
06:05that's done so well in the sport.
06:07And has this community backing behind them.
06:08Ryan, it's been a pleasure to talk to you.
06:09Thank you so much.
06:10And best of luck.
06:11We'll have you on the sofa again.
06:12For sure.
06:12These tournaments are underway
06:14and hopefully come along to them.
06:15Amazing.
06:15Thanks for having me.
06:15I'll put my skills to the test.
06:16Do a layup.
06:17So MVP again.