Caley Curtis
In Motion Staff Writer
With a trust like family, there is little to break the bond of a brotherhood. The Daytona State Men’s Basketball Team clearly reflects such a bond. Staff and players come together from all over the country to blend together as one unit and focus their eyes on the same goal. This goal is to become great students, great people and great players.
Photo By: TanaMarie Wood/ In Motion
“It is important for all student athletes to realize that basketball will at some point end, whether it is two years, nine years or even fifteen years. They will eventually have to get jobs, hopefully raise a family and grow up into successful men,” Ridder says.
His concern for these young men goes beyond the weight lifting room or score board, but his beliefs reach deep into the long-term aspect of life and getting his guys prepared for it. He spends time teaching the young men about the importance of little things, like holding the door for teachers, having good study habits and giving their overall best.
The moments that make him proudest are when he is able to look back at where these players started and see how much they have grown not only as a team, but also as individuals. “It’s the stuff that happens off the court that truly matters,” he says.
Beyond good manners, the team has spent time within the Daytona Beach community serving in programs such as American Heart Walk, helping children with leukemia, and even reaching out into programs that help underprivileged children.
Coach Ridder says that once the season ends, players will have the opportunity to speak at local schools and become involved in teaching children that there is more than to life than just basketball. The team has held over a 3.0 GPA as a whole and does an amazing job at portraying hard working individuals.
Tanksley Efianayi, forward for the DSC Falcons says, “The season’s been good so far. The attitude of the team is fun and makes it easy to play with each other on the court. Everyone’s always cheering each other on.”
Coach Ryan Ridder says that while they aren’t the Brady bunch, they are a family. They aren’t perfect. They do, however, pick each other up when they fall and really work hard to see each other succeed. He says it has been a great first year and it makes him excited to see what happens next.
He encourages the student body to come out not only to the basketball games, but to any sport event. “We have great sports across the board,” he says. “The support would be greatly appreciated and worth it. These guys aren’t just good players, but they’re good people as well.”