Coaches Corner: "Rick Lewis – Turning Passion Into a Platform of Purpose"

Rick Lewis has spent decades shaping the basketball culture on the eastern seaboard, but his journey didn’t start with a polished résumé or a professional playing career. His foundation was built on passion, family, and a relentless commitment to giving back. From coaching his daughter Bridgett in the mid-80s to guiding his sons Colby and Tyler through Carolina Flight in the 2000s, Rick’s fire for the game grew stronger with every player he poured into. Those early years laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most trusted and respected platforms in grassroots basketball, Phenom Hoops.

The spark to create Phenom Hoops came when life threw Rick a curveball. After 35 years in the textile industry, he lost his job. Instead of folding, he built. Camps and tournaments, first to keep Carolina Flight afloat, quickly revealed a bigger purpose. Encouraged by Will Wade, now the head coach at NC State, and propelled by Tyler’s national top 75 recruitment, Rick stepped headfirst into scouting and events. When one door closed, another opened, and he thanks God for that. In 2009, Phenom Hoop Report was born. Year after year, it grew, cleanly run events, honest evaluations, real exposure, until Phenom became a 365-day engine trusted by parents, athletes, and coaches across the eastern seaboard.

That rise took sacrifice. In the early years, Rick and his family lived off a portion of retirement and life savings to keep the vision alive. The standard never budged and remained well-organized, professional events that help kids chase lifelong dreams. Phenom’s reach is easy to see on paper, future NBA talents like Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, Coby White, Desmond Bane, Trey Murphy, Grant Williams, Jaren Jackson Jr., Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and TJ Warren all touched the platform, but the heartbeat is the thousands who earned scholarships, kept playing, and walked away with a four-year degree that sets up the next 40 years of their lives.

Ask Rick how he measures impact, and he points past rankings. Phenom was built on integrity and doing things the right way, showing up prepared, running great events, and teaching what matters: the ball stops bouncing, but the lessons, education, and relationships last. That’s why the culture piece is non-negotiable. Youth hoops can drift into complaining at officials and poor behavior from the sideline to the floor. Phenom fights that daily with a Zero Tolerance Policy for abusive language and behavior. Cheer hard, respect harder. Create an environment that every player, parent, and coach actually enjoys. It’s a constant battle, and it’s worth it.

Rick’s message has only gotten stronger as recruiting has changed. With the transfer portal and NIL, college coaches are under pressure to win now. Many prioritize older, stronger, experienced players who can help immediately. There are more good players than scholarships, so coaches can afford to be selective and look for reasons to say no. Rick’s advice to prospects is straight to the point: limit liabilities, showcase strengths, and make coaches’ decisions easy.

That reality hits high school seniors most. Compared to 3–5 years ago, many now start at a lower level than they would have. Rick’s answer is to go where you can play right away and be productive. Think of the climb like baseball’s farm system, Single A to Double A to Triple A to the big stage. Junior college, community college, Division III, Division II, and lower-level Division I are proving grounds that feed up the ladder. Plenty of coaches will choose a proven 21-year-old over an untested 18-year-old, unless you’re a clear high-major no-brainer. Either way, the path is there for those who work, produce, and keep moving forward.

So what truly separates movers from stoppers? Talent, mindset, and work ethic together. Then add academics. Good grades open more doors, more leagues, more coaches. When skills and athletic ability are close, coaches pick the total package: ability, mindset, work, character, and strong academics. Be that player.

Faith is a thread in Rick’s story. When his career shifted and a new lane opened, he didn’t call it luck; he thanked God. That gratitude anchors how he leads, treats families, and runs events. The mission sums it up in one clean line: “Where exposure becomes a reality, and our platform is your platform.”

At the core, this isn’t a job for Rick; it’s joy. He loves the game, but he loves people more. Tough days come, but the positives win by a wide margin: a kid leaves with film, a coach finds a fit, a family sees the path clearly. That’s the work. That’s the win.

And to every athlete reading this, late nights in empty gyms, chasing a shot at being seen, Rick’s message is your compass: never give up. Don’t let anyone outwork you. Run your own race. Everyone grows at their own pace, so write your own story and stay true to it. Years from now, when people talk about Rick Lewis and Phenom Hoops, let it be said it's a platform that helped players grow, chase dreams, and create memories at events run the right way, professionally, respectfully, and with purpose.

Rick Lewis, President

Phenom Enterprises, LLC

Twitter- @Coach_Rick57