Rayfield Ragland shapes young athletes

By Bart Moss / For the FCT

Most serious athletes know that in order to get the competitive advantage over their peers, they must work hard outside of team practice time to get better.

It’s the time spent away from the cheering crowds – often in seclusion – that aids in perfecting whatever sport a player is participating in. It could be a baseball player going to the batting cage in the dead of winter; a basketball player in a hot gym in the summer with a jump rope; or a football player spending hours in the weight room in the spring.

One thing is abundantly clear to the serious athlete: Hard work is the only thing that will make him or her better. Sometimes, athletes turn to personal trainers to help keep them motivated and push them further than they could ever go on their own. One of those trainers is Rayfield Ragland.

Ragland is a 1990 graduate of Coffee High School in Florence, which combined with Bradshaw High School in 2004 to form Florence High School. The multi-sport athlete excelled in football, basketball and baseball in his high school years. He was recruited out of high school by former Auburn coach Pat Dye to play quarterback for the Tigers; however, he ended up playing basketball in the ACC with Clemson University.

After his college career ended, Ragland was signed as unrestricted free agent by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he tore his ACL, thus ending his NBA dreams.

Ragland’s pursuit of professional basketball didn’t stop, however, as he played professionally in Europe.

Ragland has used the experiences he accumulated from being part of top-tier athletic programs to help young athletes in the area get a step ahead and make their dreams come true. He counts many Franklin County athletes as client and friends. He also works with children on basic basketball skills at the Chucky Mullins Center or the Russellville Recreation Department on a weekly basis.

“When I got back to this area, I noticed so many young kids missing the basic fundamentals of basketball,” said Ragland. “As a former athlete, I am always analyzing and always critiquing. I started with one kid seven years ago, and it spiraled from there.”

Many local athletes have found their way into Ragland’s orbit. One of those athletes is former Red Bay standout and current UNA sophomore Darby Madden.

“Rayfield taught me the basics and so much more,” said Madden, who scored 134 points and had 51 rebounds while averaging only 11 minutes per game as a freshman at UNA. “When I first started working with him, I asked him to get my feet faster. I was really slow, and my agility and balance were terrible. After just a few months of work, he had incorporated faster footwork into all aspects of my game. I was able to get my shot off faster, run the court more efficiently and use my body to get past defenders.

“He taught me that mental toughness surpasses physical abilities,” Madden added. “He told me once, ‘Pain is weakness leaving the body.’ That quote has stuck with me even into my college career.”

While many of the athletes Ragland has worked with have gone on to play college ball at one level or another, he said he gets his satisfaction out of the little things.

“I like seeing the kid who didn’t make the team the year before make the team after working hard,” he said. “I like seeing a kid learn to dribble with his left hand for the first time and seeing the look on his face when it finally clicks.”

Mental toughness is one thing all athletes who work with Ragland learn.

“I learned over the years that when the body starts to break down in practice or competition, you can still push yourself and will yourself to do more if you stay positive,” explained Ragland.

Phil Campbell rising senior Abby Davis, who helped lead the Lady Bobcats to the 2A state semifinals and will play in the North-South All-Star Game in July, credits Ragland for pushing her mentally.

“When we first started, I didn’t realize how much one single tiny thing could mess up my shot,” said Davis. “He has helped me so much mentally. He pushes you till you think you can’t go anymore, and then he motivates you to push yourself even further. I know I improve every time I go work out with him.”

Levi Gist, a rising junior at Russellville High School, echoed Davis.

“I started working with Rayfield about two and a half years ago, and the impact he had on my basketball skill level has been drastic,” said Gist. “I couldn’t dribble or shoot well until I started working with him. My confidence level was nonexistent until I started training with him.

“He pushes you to the limit whether you think you can do it or not,” Gist added. “He pumps you up; he never puts you down. He is a great motivator.”

One thing Ragland sees in developing mental toughness in athletes is that many times it spills over into the classroom.

“I have seen many of my athletes improve their grades just because they learn to focus and set goals,” said Ragland.

Jacob Mayberry, who was a leader on the court for the Belgreen Bulldogs the past few years, is another student-athlete who credits Ragland for honing his basketball skills.

“He pushed me to try and do the best at anything I did,” said Mayberry. “He helped me develop my skills and push me to go hard every single workout.

“If it wasn’t for Rayfield, I more than likely would not have been the player I was.”