Today we’d like to introduce you to Raven Ferguson
Hi Raven, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I always thought I’d be the first girl in the NBA. I competed with the boys growing up, I was the only girl in my family. I had all brothers and boy cousins. I was told that girls were not capable of doing what the boys could do. I made it my mission to be better. I grew up playing all sports and being very good at them. I was exceptionally good at basketball, so good that I received my first college offer in the 8th grade. As I went into High school more offers soon follow from colleges all over the country. By the end of my sophomore year, I was a state champion at Columbus Africentric. The letters did not stop coming, I had almost every college in the country sending me letters wanting me to get to their campuses for a visit. As my junior year ended and my senior year approached, I committed to play college at The Ohio State University on a full ride scholarship. Things were shaky at OSU. It was a tough transition for me because it was my first time on my own. I had the stress of helping my family out because we weren’t in the best position financially. The stress of academic, athletic and personal weighed heavy on my shoulders. I felt a sense of pressure to be great and do great things. Being one of the best players from the city that stayed in the city I just felt like I had to make my city proud, but I wasn’t happy. The pressure soon weighed, and I resulted to smoking marijuana. It was illegal at the time and was against the rules as a college athlete. I needed it, it relaxed me, it made all the pressures of being great go away. I never realized it, but I carried that pressure all my younger years too. I didn’t have the proper tools to navigate the spaces that I was in at time, but I needed help. I wanted to transfer at the end of my sophomore year at OSU. I was loyal to OSU, my city, my friends and my family who all wanted me to stay and play for the Scarlet and Grey. So, I didn’t I felt I had to finish what I started. Amid everything happening I was drug tested randomly every year I was at OSU. It didn’t seem normal the amount of drug test we had at OSU. I failed the end of my freshman year and sophomore year. The first failed drug test they made me go to a therapist. It was like I had to go to AA meeting at 19 years old and speak to a man I didn’t even know about why I smoked in the first place. It was so uncomfortable for me I never took it seriously. I eventually stopped showing up to my meeting and nothing happened. The second time I tested positive I was at the end of my sophomore season. This was different because it was my second offense, I had to miss the first three games of my junior season. This was tough for me because I was playing, we had a new coach who I respected and liked. I managed to pass my drug test by using my teammates urine. Knowing that if I failed one more test I’d be suspended from the team. The pressure continued I longed for someone to understand what I was going through internally. I completed my junior year, and my senior season was my next and final season. I couldn’t wait because I worked extremely hard in the offseason to prepare for my last season. It was a week before our first practice of my senior year. We were having summer workouts and boom; a drug test was announced. I became anxious, I was told I was not allowed to leave the area that the test was being administered at. My teammates were able to move around but I was not. That wasn’t something we had ever experienced it was feeling like a set up. I was told if I don’t take the test, it would be recorded as a failed test. I knew either way I would fail it so, I took the test and failed. I then was contacted to have a meeting with the coach which consisted of him telling me that I was no longer apart of the team. It devastated me and I had no desire to transfer or graduate. I decided to transfer to Wright State university after the end of the summer semester. Wright State was not any better, the coaching staff weren’t the right fit for me. It was a clash and some underline issues. I was accused of an incident happening in the dorms. I then had an investigation and was found not guilty of the incident because I had proof I was not in the dormitory at the time of the incident. The coaches had a meeting with me about the incident and they removed me from the team stating that I had an incident in the dorms. I then gave up on trying to play my senior season. I moved to Cincinnati I started to give up on playing and got a regular job. It was not fulfilling for me so; I got back into coaching developmental AAU teams. I did this consistently for three years. Coaching these AAU teams then helped me get my first trainee. I started to train her, and I loved it. I started to get more players interested in training with me so, I decided to start my training business in July of 2023. I love basketball and now I get the chance to pour into our youth and the next generation of athletes. I am heavily planted in my community that I grew up in and in the city that I did so much for. I am almost a year in, and I feel as though this was my purpose.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The struggles were the pressures of being successful. The financial struggles because my mother was a single parent of three who didn’t have a lot of money to help provide. The smoking struggles because of my heavy shoulders. The struggle of not wanting to be somewhere but feeling like if I left I’d disappoint my family. People not trusting me or wanting to take a chance on me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Raven Ferguson Elite Training?
I am a training business. I train basketball athletes. I’d like to expand and do all athletes including getting a gym facility in the city. I am known for playing basketball and competing at a high level. The thing that sets me apart from others is a study my players, I don’t give a blueprint to all my athletes. I personalize my workouts to fit the needs of the athlete. I am proud that my brand is my name. My name has been tainted by my past mistakes and I’m trying to rebrand myself as an elite trainer in the city. My services are great, they are legit and they come from a person who has always had to take the stairs. Nothing was given to me and everything was earned. I am my athletes village I take accountability for being apart of their personal and athletic growth. I am more than a trainer I am a mentor.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Id say go for it. We don’t know what we are capable of until we do it. Even in failure continue to do it until you find success. Success is measured by the individual. Worry about where you are and not where others are. Learn to separate yourself from the others by being yourself. No one can be you better than you. So, be you, and do you!
Pricing:
- ALL IN ONE $450
- 12 sessions $360
- 8 sessions $280
- 6 sessions $210
- Drop IN $50
Contact Info:
- Instagram: rfelitetraining
