Coach Clay

I’ve been coaching and developing basketball players for more than a decade, working with athletes ranging from elementary school to the collegiate and professional levels. As the Founder and Director of ClayWay Elite Sports Academy, I oversee player development, team operations, coach mentorship, practice planning, and year-round training for athletes from 1st through 10th grade. My focus is helping players build strong fundamentals, improve basketball IQ, develop confidence, and become leaders on and off the court. Throughout my coaching career, I’ve served as a Head Coach with Team Takeover, Theodore Roosevelt High School (JV), Above All Cost, and Coach Clay Basketball Academy, while also gaining experience as a varsity assistant coach and working with college basketball operations at Coastal Carolina University. These experiences have allowed me to coach athletes at the youth, middle school, high school, collegiate, and professional levels. My training philosophy goes beyond teaching skills. Every workout is designed to improve decision-making, footwork, shooting mechanics, ball handling, defensive habits, conditioning, and overall basketball IQ. I believe in teaching players why they make decisions—not just what to do—so they can confidently apply those lessons in games.

I’ve also been fortunate to help numerous student-athletes earn admission to highly competitive schools while maintaining success in the classroom, proving that development extends far beyond basketball. Whether your goal is making your school team, earning more playing time, or preparing for the next level, I’m committed to helping you maximize your potential both on and off the court.

Basketball has been a major part of my life for over 20 years. I played high school basketball before continuing my career at the NCAA Division II level, experiences that shaped my understanding of the game and the discipline required to compete at a high level. Today, I use those experiences to develop complete players—not just skilled athletes. Throughout my coaching career, I’ve built successful grassroots basketball programs from the ground up, developing players, teams, and coaches while competing against some of the nation’s top talent. One of my proudest accomplishments was leading a nationally ranked AAU team, earning recognition among the top programs in the country. (The image you shared shows ClayWay Elite ranked No. 24 nationally in the Coast II Coast Preps Class of 2027 rankings.)

I’ve also coached multiple championship teams, including titles at MADE Hoops, Marquee Nationals, and the Marquee Winter Circuit, along with a Final Four appearance at Jr. Peach Jam and a third-place finish at AAU Nationals. More importantly, I’ve helped 21 student-athletes earn opportunities at some of the top basketball and academic schools in the DMV, including DeMatha Catholic, Gonzaga College High School, St. John’s College High School, Archbishop Carroll, Bishop O’Connell, Bishop McNamara, Bishop Ireton, and St. Mary’s Ryken. I’ve also coached two players who became two-time public school state champions.

While championships and rankings are exciting, my greatest success is helping young athletes build confidence, develop character, and create opportunities through basketball that will impact the rest of their lives.

Every training session is designed with a purpose. I begin by evaluating each athlete’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals so every workout is personalized to their development.

A typical session starts with dynamic movement and ball-handling to activate the body and improve control. From there, we focus on skill development, including shooting mechanics, finishing, footwork, passing, change of pace, and creating game-like scoring opportunities. Defensive fundamentals, basketball IQ, and decision-making are incorporated throughout every workout because I believe players should understand why they’re making each read—not just memorize drills.

I finish each session with competitive game situations that challenge players to apply what they’ve learned under pressure. Before the workout ends, we review key takeaways and identify areas to continue improving.

My goal isn’t just to make players work hard—it’s to make them smarter, more confident, and better prepared for real game situations. Every athlete leaves knowing exactly what they improved and what comes next in their development.