The time is N.O.W.
Photo by Tevin Stinson- Student athletes work on their ball-handling skill during a training session with Richard Daniels Jr. at Glenn High School on Sunday, June 25.
When Richard Daniels Jr. came up with the idea for Never Out Worked (N.O.W.), a local basketball training program, his mission was to cultivate a generation of student athletes who have what it takes to succeed on the hardwood, and in the real world.
“This is more than basketball. It’s about building a mindset to grind. It’s a lifestyle,” said Daniels. “Anything you do, you never want someone to outwork you. That lesson carries over to the classroom and real-life situations.”
Daniels, a 2010 graduate of Carver High School, was a standout point guard for the Yellow Jackets throughout his high school career. He then took his talents to Charlotte, where he played for the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University. During an interview with The Chronicle, Daniels said if he could turn back the hands of time and go back, he would work a lot harder.
And that’s the message he delivers to the dozens of local student athletes he trains every week: the importance of hard work.
He said, “I think I got a little complacent in college and I think that’s why I go so hard in the training. I feel like there are a lot of things I could’ve done better, but now it’s time to help the next generation.”
After a tough workout at Glenn High School late last month, CJ Redd, a rising eighth-grader at Kernersville Middle School, said N.O.W. has improved his competitive edge on the court and his focus in the classroom. Ryan Forest, a rising sixth-grader at Northwest Middle School, said along with improving his left-hand dribbling, N.O.W. has taught him the importance of teamwork.
While admitting some of the workouts are tough, Elijah Calhoun, who will attend Paisley Middle School in the fall, said in the end he knows all the hard work will pay off.
“He is kind of hard on us sometimes, but that’s only because he wants us to get better,” he said.
When asked where he sees N.O.W. five years from now, Daniels said he hopes to eventually start an AAU program, as well as a mentoring program for student athletes of all ages.
For more information on Never Out Worked, contact Richard Daniels Jr. at 336-624-0321.
