MEET OUR COACHES

Passionate about teaching hoops.

GRIT Co-Founder, Director & Lead Trainer

Kerry Foderingham

Hi. I’m Coach Kerry,
 
As a Co-Founder of GRIT (Game Ready Intense Training), we have the big aspiration to help players of all levels reach their basketball potential and help shift the game of basketball towards a more skilled based approach geared to developing players for long-term success. We provide guidance and a consistently intense research-based and curriculum-based approach to skilled development that addresses the whole athlete. The GRIT Training Program is always evolving towards addressing the whole athlete, which is not an easy task, impacting and address a player's physical needs, skill level, game knowledge, and mentality is what we strive to do. At GRIT, our goal is to revolutionize the way the game is played and the way it's taught. Our focus is on developing players for the long term, rather than giving them short-term strategies used to win the next game on the schedule.

My Basketball Journey

I grew up in a small town in Trinidad with a single mom. I moved to New Jersey and was introduced to the game. I always loved the grind and grit it took to be great at this game, my work ethic and focus on improvement have always grown and developed over the years but the guidance and strategies towards developing onto the player that I wanted to be were not available to me, and this is where the passion and vision to do what we do at GRIT started.
 
After high school, I played for 4 years at Kean University, a D3 school in Union, NJ. I was athletic, intense, and a tough player, but lacked some important skills like shooting, ball handling, and many other skills that are needed to be an elite basketball player. These skills were never developed because I did not understand HOW to become the player most of us dream to be. If only I’d known then what I know now! The type of focused training we do at GRIT has helped evolve many players over the years. Dialing in on and developing GRIT's researched-based, game-relevant skill approach to development, has allowed GRIT to develop into a program that has and will continue to change the lives of many.
 

Building From the Ground Up through GRIT

My belief is that becoming an elite-level, well-rounded, and proficiently skilled basketball player is possible for any player. As an experienced and developed shooting coach, I  also believe that becoming a great shooter is an achievable goal for all players. The Attack Mindset and Shooting the ball effectively are essential for all players and will open up the rest of a player's game. At GRIT we have established a curriculum geared to developing a well-rounded collegiate and pro-level player if the player commits the time, energy, and focus we require. Once these skills are refined in all of our players, we work on them all in-game situations and within game reads. GRIT has developed into the one place where your player will learn the game as a whole with a researched-based approach. Our goal at GRIT is to give players an opportunity to build high-level skills, experience using the skills in game-like situations, and develop tools within each player to become unstoppable on the court. The GRIT curriculum shows players how to use their skills to impact the game on many levels, with and without the ball, allowing them to flourish in just about any offense. My goal and our goal at GRIT is to help players develop through acquiring useful fundamentals, techniques, and terminology that will put them at an advantage when progressing through their basketball careers.

As I started to really study the game of basketball, I realized that the typical game stats don't tell the entire story. While a player's attack rate can change the outcome of a game, it's not quantified and, therefore, not tracked. Great players have an "attack first" mentality. They're not standing around the perimeter passing. At GRIT we actually tracked these elite players to learn from them and to develop this Attack First approach in all of our athletes.

Over time, I have developed the GRIT Attack Grid System to evaluate a player’s attack rate, passive play percentage, and other statistics to generate a player’s GRIT Attack Mindset Grade, an essential indicator of how efficient a player is. See more here.

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Kerry-working-with-Tucker

Coach Kerry's Coaching and Training Experience

For 3 years, I was head boy's coach at Franklin Township high school in NJ then for 3 more years I was head women's basketball coach at Somerville High School in NJ where I developed the program from a team with only 4 wins to a team that eventually went on to win back-to-back state championships. The team went from producing no collegiate athletes to producing several athletes every year, it was then I realized, the answer was in coaching/developing players to reach their personal goals foremost.

After coaching high school, I gained collegiate coaching experience at The College of New Jersey and Fairleigh Dickinson University. I've also trained and coached both boys and girls AAU.

Pro Shot Shooting System

Before starting GRIT, I was East Coast Director of Pro Shot Shooting Systems, a shooting program and philosophy that opened my eyes to the huge gap between the way youth players are taught to shoot and the way college and pro players actually shoot. To prepare to run the Pro Shot clinics, I watched hours and hours of game footage, studying the mechanics of some of the best shooters in the world. 

GRIT (Game Ready Intense Training)

My experience with Pro Shot lead me to develop the GRIT Basketball training program where I could combine the Pro Shot shooting system with other high-level skills that players weren't being taught. I see the basketball court as a classroom where I and the other GRIT coaches can teach our revolutionary approach and a lab where players can experiment with and gain new skills. 

I take a personal interest in every player I train, often driving long distances to watch a game or to sit in on a practice. I get to know their parents and their siblings and, over time, their strengths and weaknesses and long-term basketball goals. I also work hard to foster relationships among the players and parents. We are building a GRIT family and hope you will join us!

Wade-Bryant

GRIT Co-Founder & Lead Skill Development Trainer

Wade Bryant

I'm Coach Wade, GRIT Basketball Skill Development Trainer as well as a certified shooting and skill development coach with the Pro-Shot Shooting system.

For years, I've worked with and trained players on the youth, high school, collegiate and professional levels. In 2014 and 2015, I was assistant girls' coach at Somerville High School in NJ. Before co-founding GRIT, I provided skill development coaching to high-level, AAU and high school teams based throughout the East Coast. I currently Work at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge NJ as the Boy's Head MS Coach, and the Freshmen Boy's Head Coach. With our program shift toward skill development and instilling confidence in our players through the attack-first mentality, we have seen great promise in a short time!

Building From the Ground Up through GRIT

My belief is that becoming an elite-level, well-rounded, and proficiently skilled basketball player is possible for any player. As an experienced and developed shooting coach, I  also believe that becoming a great shooter is an achievable goal for all players. The Attack Mindset and Shooting the ball effectively are essential for all players and will open up the rest of a player's game. At GRIT we have established a curriculum geared to developing a well-rounded collegiate and pro-level player if the player commits the time, energy, and focus we require. Once these skills are refined in all of our players, we work on them all in-game situations and within game reads. GRIT has developed into the one place where your player will learn the game as a whole with a researched-based approach. Our goal at GRIT is to give players an opportunity to build high-level skills, experience using the skills in game-like situations, and develop tools within each player to become unstoppable on the court. The GRIT curriculum shows players how to use their skills to impact the game on many levels, with and without the ball, allowing them to flourish just about any offense. My goal and our goal at GRIT is to help players develop through acquiring useful techniques, and terminology that will put them at an advantage when throughout their basketball careers.

As I started to really study the game of basketball, I realized that the typical game stats don't tell the entire story. While a player's attack rate can change the outcome of a game, it's not quantified and, therefore, not tracked. Great players have an "attack first" mentality. They're not standing around the perimeter passing. At GRIT we actually track these stats to learn from them and to help implement this Attack First approach in all of our athletes.

Over time, I have developed the GRIT Attack Grid System to evaluate a player’s attack rate, passive play percentage, and other statistics to generate a player’s GRIT Attack Mindset Grade, an essential indicator of how efficient a player is. See more here.

Marketing and Graphics, GRIT Coach

Wendy Richardson

My son is the reason I came on board at GRIT. In 2015, he was Coach Kerry's first official GRIT kid. I found Kerry through Pro-Shot while looking for a shooting coach for Tucker. Fast forward and in 2018, Tucker received a full D1 scholarship to Colgate University and was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year after starting 32 of 35 games.

I have not only run my own graphics, marketing, and software training company since 1994, I played (honorable mention All-American in high school), coached, and love the game of basketball. Both my daughter, Tess, and Tucker have played since they were 5 so I've been in gyms either coaching or watching them play games, attend practices, and participate in clinics and camps.

I recognize quality basketball training when I see it. From the start, I knew there was something special about Coach Kerry's training style and offered my services to help start GRIT and grow it into the program it is today. 

Wendy and Tucker Richardson at Colgate
Nick-Montajes-GRIT-Basketball

GRIT Skill Development Trainer (Level 4 GRIT Trainer)

Nick Montajes

Hey, I'm Coach Nick! teaching, playing, and coaching basketball is my passion. Switching from playing to coaching and training players has been an amazing journey that I truly enjoy and love. Guiding players through their journey, and helping them develop the skills and mindset to become elite and the best version of themselves is a responsibility that I am extremely passionate about.

I am from Middlesex NJ, I started playing basketball at a very young age and always continued to play throughout my life. Throughout my High School career, I was always considered the shooter and demonstrated having a killer mindset to take the big shots when my team needed it the most. I always embraced being in a leadership position on my team and consistently stepped into the role of being a vocal leader on any team I played on. Looking back I always had a passion to instill energy, guidance, and confidence into my teammates.

As a GRIT Trainer, I have gotten the opportunity to sharpen my skills in training and coaching. Overall, I've been coaching for over 8 years throughout different High School and AAU programs. I am thankful for these opportunities as I have learned a tremendous amount over the years. I started with coaching on the High School level as an assistant coach, then I coached a high-level AAU girls team, Team Miller Elite 2021. I helped develop every player to become a college-bound player, many on the D1 level. This AAU team, Team Miller Elite 2021 was an amazing coaching journey and ended up being one of the best girl's teams in the state of New Jersey. As a level 4 trainer in the GRIT Basketball program, I have trained thousands of players and have put in over 3000 hours over the past 5 years of training college, high and youth athletes. Being a part of the GRIT Team has been amazing and seeing firsthand how many players achieve amazing goals and become some of the best in HS, College, and Professionally is a testament to the impact we have on our kids' lives. 

GRIT Basketball Coach Taurin Wheeler

GRIT Skill Development Trainer (Level 3 GRIT Trainer)

Taurin Wheeler

I'm Taurin Wheeler and I'm a GRIT Basketball shooting trainer and skill development coach with years of experience coaching at the High School, AAU and Collegiate Level.

For three years, I was an assistant coach for the girls varsity team at Somerville high school in NJ. I'm now the head girls coach at The Pingry School in NJ.

I also coach AAU women’s basketball at Team Miller Lightning, one of the most elite AAU programs in New Jersey.

I am a graduate of St. John’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management. While at St. John’s, I worked as a team manager for the Men’s Basketball program. During the 2010-2011 season the team earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nine years. Those years as team manager taught me a lot about coaching and playing at the D1 level. I bring that knowledge and experience to the teams and players I coach every day. 

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GRIT Skill Development Trainer (Level 3 GRIT Trainer)

Marcelo Espinosa

I am Coach Marcelo. Basketball has been a passion of mine all of my life. I enjoy helping players grow and develop as they progress in their careers. The overall impact can truly be life changing. 

 
I grew up in Somerville and have always had a love for the game. I trained with GRIT during my playing career and they helped me develop an attack-first mentality. Throughout my playing career, I was known for being a good shooter. I always brought a very high energy and intense work ethic. I have been a GRIT coach for over 2 years. They have blessed me with the opportunity to train players from the elementary level all the way to the professional level. As a coach, I am taking the opportunity to give back to the community and help players reach their goals. 
 
I graduated from Raritan Valley Community College with an A.S. in Exercise Science. I am currently working towards earning my Bachelor's. The knowledge and skills I gained have allowed me to train players with a deeper understanding of how to train an athlete. I want to help players achieve their goals and teach them lessons that will inform their lives throughout their playing careers and beyond.
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GRIT Skill Development Trainer (Level 3 GRIT Trainer)

Isaiah Davenport

Hey, I'm Coach Isaiah and I bring over a decade of coaching experience in the world of  basketball.

 I've had the privilege of coaching and assisting teams at multiple levels, including middle school, freshman, JV, and varsity boys. My passion for the game has led me to institutions like Somerville, Watchung Hills, Somerset Vo.Tech, and Hoop Nation basketball (AAU).

I also had the privilege of playing collegiately, where I honed my skills and deepened my love for the sport. I spent two years at Raritan Valley CC before transferring to Montclair State, where I played my final two years, gaining valuable experience and knowledge along the way.

I'm beyond excited to bring all of that experience and passion to the GRIT basketball program. I'm here to help our athletes grow, develop, and achieve their goals on and off the court. 

Created with RNI Films app. Preset 'Agfa Optima 200 Warm'

GRIT Media, Film, Assistent Lead Director and Course/Social Media Production

Jamyr Greene

Hey! I’m Jamyr, an art director based out of New Jersey specializing in film, photography, design, and music. Over the past 7 years, I’ve worked and currently work for the NBA, also in and out of the entertainment field with artists and companies. From Hot 97 to XXL, my experience in high-level production has grown. Lately, I’ve been channeling in on what excites me through creating. Basketball has always been my first love and working with the youth and athletes inspires me to continue expanding my network through sports. Being a part of the GRIT Team has been amazing and seeing firsthand how many players achieve amazing goals and become some of the best in High School, College, and Professionally is a testament to the impact we have on our kids' lives. It's amazing to have sure an impact on the lives of so many kids and I look forward to continuing to build this special vision of training and moving GRIT towards their global impact on basketball instruction and the development of players.

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