Today we’d like to introduce you to Davieon Mack.
Hi Davieon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the city of Lynwood, CA by a single mother. After my big brother introduced me to the game of basketball at the age of seven years old, I always wanted to become a professional basketball player. After attending Firebaugh High School (Lynwood, CA) I did not have any college offers to play basketball. I attended Cal State University Dominguez Hills from 2009-2015.
Every year at CSUDH, I tried out for the basketball team but never made it. After graduating from college, I thought my basketball career was over, but little did I know it was just beginning. While attending college, I began training other players teaching them how to improve their skills (dribbling, shooting, passing, etc.). This is what started my career as a basketball coach. I then went back to my high school and got a coaching job as the Head JV coach. This later lead me to Compton College where I spend four years coaching. While coaching high school and college basketball, I was also playing in Semi pro basketball leagues around Southern California still searching for my opportunity to play at the pro level. Playing in these leagues connected me with some people who had contacts for great basketball opportunities. One of these people being Jesse Teplitzky, who I still work very close with today. Coach Jesse was my coach in a semi-pro league in the city of Compton, CA.
After getting to know him, he asked me to help him start a prep academy for international players to come here and we’d help them get the opportunity to play at the college level. I was still pursuing my basketball career and during this time, I was coaching at Compton College so I didn’t give him an immediate response, but eventually I said yes. Im glad I did because so many opportunities came from that “yes”. Through coach Jesse and our program called “TMG Prep Academy” I got the opportunity to coach & play basketball in China for almost two years. I’ve also been to Mexico and Africa and I still have plenty more trips planned. Living in these places exposed me to different cultures, foods, languages and created some amazing experiences. As I continue to work with the international players at TMG Prep here in Orange County, I also continue to work on my skills, so when the time comes for me to travel again, I will be prepared to play the game that I love.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One struggle I had was getting denied every year from the basketball team because I wasn’t good enough nor tall enough. I woke up every day at 5am to take the bus to the gym so that I could try to separate myself from average players. I wanted to see immediate improvement in my game. Passing my college courses was not necessarily a priority for me, I was more concerned with making the basketball team. This leads to me failing classes which put me behind schedule to graduate. Another major struggle I had was being homeless. After me, my mom and my younger sister got kicked out of our apartment complex because of new management, we were all looking forward to something good to come. Luckily my mom went to stay with a family member, and my sister stayed with her friends. On cold winter nights, I slept in my 2005 Pontiac G6. Unfortunately, I had leather seats which made cold nights even colder. I struggled on and off like this for about two years. I would travel across the world and experience these great adventures, just to come back and sleep in my car. I am not upset or sad about my past because it makes my success feel more amazing. Knowing that I went through these struggles makes me more grateful for everything that I have today. Even something as simple as a bed, I am so thankful for.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about TMG Prep Academy?
“TMG” stands for Teplitzky Mack Global. Teplitzky is my partner’s last name, and Mack is my last name. We use the word Global because we work with a lot of players from around the globe. Its also an acronym for Generosity, Leadership, and Outreach for Basketball, Academics, and Life. We started this program in 2015 to prepare and assist athletes in their matriculation to the next level. Players will join TMG Prep and participate in the program for approximately six months. During this time, we practice and train in order to improve their basketball IQ, skills, body, and overall understanding of the game of basketball. We have beach workouts, weight room training, pool workouts, yoga & meditation sessions, and we have plenty of events so that these players have enough exposure to make a name for themselves in front of college coaches. Because I am the co-founder of the program, I have many roles in the organization. One of my roles is living with the players who live in the player apartments. Because we have so many international and out of state players, I live with them to make sure they are comfortable during their time here.
I am also the photographer/videographer for the program. I record all basketball games, and I take plenty of pictures. I post content on all social media platforms so that family and friends of the players can stay up to date with how the program is going. Another role that I have in the program is recruitment. Every year we have on average of 15-20 players on the team. With this many players, we divide our program into 2-3 different teams so that everyone receives enough playing time during games. During the season, we play against other prep academies locally and out of state. I am responsible for making sure we recruit enough players to join the program every year. Lastly, I am the skills trainer & strength and conditioning coach for the program. I make sure our players are in shape and prepared to play at the highest level possible. Our players pay good money to come here and get the full experience to be an elite basketball player so I will make sure they receive that. I am extremely proud or the program that me along with Coach Jesse have developed. We have managed to get plenty of high school or post-grad players opportunities to play at the college or pro level. It is a great feeling knowing that we have helped a person reach their goals.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Covid has helped me understand how important it is to take care of my body. Not only by fitness or eating good food but also understanding that receiving the proper nutrients make you less vulnerable to any disease. Drinking herbal tea, doing breathing techniques during meditation, and also going on metal walks are some of the things I do in effect of covid.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.tmgbasketball.com
- Instagram: @iamdmack
- Facebook: Davieon Mack
Image Credits
Thanh Vu
