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Ronnie Fields Gives Back To The Community By Working With The Youth

  • October 24, 2017
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Ronnie Fields Gives Back To The Community By Working With The Youth

I caught up with one of the best players ever to wear a uniform in IHSA history, none other than Ronnie Fields. In high school some may remember that Ronnie Fields was once one of the most highly recruited players in the nation. Due to a series of incidents his path to NBA superstardom was derailed but Ronnie Fields has found a bigger purpose in being a coach to grade school youth. I had the opportunity to speak with some of his players who praised him as a coach and mentor. While we often in society praise superstar athletes the work that Ronnie Fields is doing is the contribution to society worthy of praise. I also got to quiz him on his musical tastes.

 

Audio Fuzz: How are you doing?

Ronnie Fields: I’m doing good, just hosting a Back to School Tournament for the kids, just giving them something to look forward to as the year starts for them to have some fun, talk to them, get their year off right.

Audio Fuzz: What was the start of you getting into basketball and becoming a legendary player?

Ronnie Fields: For me now being a player and a coach. Going to the playground a lot. Watching a lot of sports on TV and just going out their just having fun out their on the court before a couple of coaches watched me and seen me play and asked me to come and try out for a team. And then I ended up getting cut the first year, my sixth grade year. I enjoyed playing so much in the morning on the playground, that I continued to keep working and playing…a lot, all day long just to continue to get better and then the next year I ended up making the team and from there I continued to keep working and ended up being one of the top eighth graders and a lot of things, hidden talent that I had in me, that I was blessed with, started to come out.

Audio Fuzz: By your sophomore you’re the first sophomore in the All American Game with future NBA’ers Allen Iverson and Kevin Garnett was there any trepidation on your part as far as whether you belonged their because you were only a sophomore?

Ronnie Fields: For me the transition was a lot easier for me because when I grew up I was playing on the playgrounds of my grammar school Mason Elementary, they used to have a Pro-AM outside with a lot of older guys, so I blended in playing with those guys, it wasn’t like a lot of minutes, three or four minutes here or there, five minutes. I got used to the speed, the knowledge of what they were doing. I figured if I could play with those adults it was easy for me to adjust playing with high school kids.

Audio Fuzz: I think when you think of Ronnie Fields you think of 50 vertical inch leap, what did you do to improve your vertical inch leap?

Ronnie Fields: Thats God given ability, but a lot of times  with all of the God given ability, a lot of working hard. Coaches used to put us through good training methods even in high school to prepare us for the season, from a conditioning standpoint, from a weight room standpoint. We did all of that at an early age, so for me it was a lot easier to adjust.

https://youtu.be/JcS8jUKfhsk

Audio Fuzz: What was it like playing with Kevin Garnett?

Ronnie Fields: For me the first time getting a chance to see him play for a guy that size with that ability to pass, shoot, at 6’10-6’11 I learned a lot from him, like wow. Playing along a great player like that it also elevates your game. It’s either going to elevate your game or your going to find yourself in a situation where you’re not looking to get better along another great player. Some kids can look at it a different way, I was there first and lot of them can look at like he’s stealing your spotlight. For me it was an honor to play with him because we shared it and were able to do some amazing things together.

Audio Fuzz: What was the experience like playing overseas and playing in the CBA?

Ronnie Fields: The knowledge you gain going through the difficult part of making it to the professional level. A lot of players strive to be there but the time as young as I was I was playing with older people so I had to prepare for myself and be ready to elevate myself as continued to go because it got tougher and tougher for guys trying to make it to the next level or make it overseas, it was a harder journey for me.

Audio Fuzz: What are your top five exercise songs?

Ronnie Fields: Whitney Houston “How Will I Know”, Anita Baker “No One in the World”, 2Pac “How Do you Want It”, Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight”, and Mary J. Blige “Cant Keep a Good Woman Down”.

Ryan Glover is a contributing writer for https://www.audiofuzz.com Follow him on Twitter @ActorRGlover, “Like” him on Facebook and add him to your Google network

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chris Ryan

Chris Ryan is an accomplished promoter, event planner, producer, activist, counselor, poet and blogger. Within the course of two and a half years Chris Ryan has worked with some of NYC's most established promoters/event planners, been named 2007′s GaySocialite of the year, granted a promoter of the year award from NYC's most famous gay establishment, Splash. He's worked in some of NYC's top venues including; Avalon, Capitale, Cipriani, Cielo, Pacha, Element, Le Poisson Rouge, XL, G Lounge, Plumm, Hilton Hotel, Indigo Hotel, Spirit, Myst/Quo, Splash, The Ritz, Vlada, Roseland Ballroom, Heaven, etc. In 2008, Chris Ryan has begun to unveil some of the most innovative & unique parties New York City has ever seen. The Fusion events "fuse" together all disciplines of art into an event that remains diverse yet cohesive at the same time. ChrisRyanNYC.com won best gay promotions website from NYC Event Patrons in 2008 & he was granted an award from the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, Gov. Patterson & Michelle Clunie (QAF) saluting him for his hard work in nightlife. Chris Ryan has also begun working with many renown companies, including; doctors, lawyers, physicians, modeling agencies & more. Chris Ryan has been responsible for wide-scale promotions for all these companies & generating tremendous business. Chris Ryan has even started to become National with events taking place in LA & Miami this year. In May of 2009 Chris Ryan received the very prestigious honor of being named a "40 Under 40″ Gays in America by the Advocate Magazine. He also created three successful parties that generated over 1,500 patrons each. In January of 2010 Chris Ryan was featured as one of the top promoters to look out for in Noize Magazine Chris Ryan joined forces with legendary promoter/event producer, Lee Chappell and created one of the most talked about events of all 2010, Desire @ Capitale. Chris Ryan and Lee featured one of the most outstanding artists NYC has ever seen, "Oh Land." Her performance coupled with an exquisite and unforgettable set design added to this extravagant event that held over 1,000 patrons in one of NYC's most successful PRIDE events! Chris Ryan then joined forces with legendary Pacha promoter, Rob Fernandez in addition to Jake Resnicow and Tommy Marinelli to bring one of the largest and most successful parties worldwide to NYC, MATINEE. The event on Governor's Island saw over 2,000+ attendees and one of the most ambitious productions ever. In 2011 Chris Ryan started Emerge Music Promotions with business partner Darren Melchiorre. Emerge Music promotions began signing artists with plans to develop and market the artists to the community at large. Emerge Music promotions has big events planned for 2012 and 2013. Chris Ryan debuted the IMAGE events which took place on top of two of NYC's most beautiful rooftop venues, Rare View and Indigo Hotel. The events were blogged everywhere and featured the fashion designs of several clothing designers, artists and photographers. Chris Ryan felt that fashion and art should be displayed at every event and attracted the likes of Malan Breton, Calvin Klein and even Katy Perry. Chris Ryan began an extremely successful event which incorporated the concept of a house party into a nightclub atmosphere. The event Twist'D at G Lounge has been one of the most talked about events in NYC and allows it's audience to play nearly-naked Twister, beer pong, flip cup & more with other attendees. Chris Ryan was granted an excellence in volunteering award from AVP (Anti-Violence Project) for all his efforts in supporting the organization. 2013 has a very promising landscape on the horizon and Chris Ryan is complacent in saying "you haven't seen anything yet!"

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