Best Program in Bergen County
Gryphon Basketball is the best youth basketball program in the area. The Gryphon’s culture challenges players yet supports their efforts as they learn. It’s easy to see that Coach Randy has both an education background and a love of basketball as teaching is prioritized over winning.
My daughter’s confidence and skills improved significantly last season as practices were organized, competitive, fast-paced, and fun. As a parent, the flexible practice options made scheduling easy, and the clear, frequent communication of upcoming events ensured there were no last minute surprises. Gryphon Basketball is the best.
“For those of you that know Randy, he is passionate, knowledgeable, and very positive. He has a genuine interest in helping our players develop and he will be very hands-on with these teams.
My son Patrick had the chance to workout with Randy prior to the current basketball season. Randy did great job of reinforcing the fundamentals of the game, gave “at home” drills to reinforce what he was teaching during the workouts and was a very positive influence during the entire process. Randy is a great teacher, motivator and I highly recommend him if you would like to help your child bring their b-ball game to the next level.
I sent my son Shane to work with Randy to prepare for his High School tryouts. Randy worked Shane hard, but in a fun way that made him want to keep coming back. He improved his shooting form as well as his handling skills, but most importantly he went into tryouts with a high level of confidence that he would be successful. I would highly recommend Randy to all players who are looking to take their game to the next level.
I’ve known Randy and his family since he was a sophomore at Ridgewood High School. He has always been a class act – the kind of person I would want my kids learning from and emulating. My freshman daughter is excited to be a part of Gryphon Basketball. I also find the individual and small group lessons that Randy gives to be so much more productive than the large, informal “group clinics” that other groups offer.
Randy’s training and clinics have been extremely beneficial for my daughters. He develops the ‘whole player’ which has led both of them to enhanced basketball confidence and achievement. From shooting form and passing to dribbling and overall physical agility/performance, working with Randy is making a very positive impact and they are more confident and capable players as a result. My girls look forward to their training sessions and we will continue to utilize his expertise to further develop their skills. We highly recommend Randy and Gryphon to other players and parents.
As a Sports Physician I know the importance of communication to an athlete. Randy DeFeo excels at this quality. His approach involves the athlete becoming involved in his own improvement. This is seen in the plan that he and the player discuss before each session. They talk about situations in which they feel a need for improvement and Randy cleverly designs repetitive drills to develop muscle memory. My son Kyle has greatly benefited from his time with Randy and I would recommend him without hesitation.
I’m a guy who has played basketball at the college level and spent many long hours in various camps, clinics, workouts and leagues, so I can say with first-hand experience that Randy ‘gets it’. He understands what it takes to go from good to great: It’s about taking the fundamentals seriously. It’s about always practicing with extreme repetition at full game speed. And most importantly, he understands that it’s about pushing kids outside their comfort zone, but always with a healthy dose of encouragement. I’ve seen a big improvement in my twin daughters’ confidence and skill levels.
Randy is a patient and knowledgeable teacher who strikes an effective balance of seriousness and fun in his instruction — he creates a very positive learning environment. Our 14 year old daughter and 10 year old son (both travel players) have found his advice and techniques to be easy to understand, retain and implement into their games. Both have improved and grown more confident under Randy’s guidance and they (and we) can see very practical results from the sessions — a very positive experience all around.
Randy has been coaching my daughter in basketball for about a year now. He has a keen sense of how to get the most out of her, and the other girls on the team, yet he maintains a respectful manner and tone in his approach. No crazy yelling or screaming. This is something that you quickly realize is not common as the girls play against other teams/towns. As a result of this approach, my daughter has expressed an interest in getting better and working on her game. We signed her up for 5 workouts with Randy and wow, the results are amazing! Randy has a great ability to draw out her competitive nature and keep her working hard toward improving herself. Everything has been enhanced from her basketball skills to her confidence as she continues to develop her game. The results on the court are great and a lot of fun to watch too! I highly recommend Randy to anyone who has the desire to improve their basketball skills.
Our middle school aged son has improved dramatically due to his work with Coach Randy. Training with Randy has been a great supplement to team practices and games and has led to much better shooting, ball handling and footwork. Also, our son enjoys the workouts. The drills are appropriately challenging but fun at the same time. Perhaps most importantly, Randy has bonded with our son and instilled a sense of confidence that has had an even greater impact than improved on the court skills.
Randy DeFeo possesses outstanding knowledge of the game of basketball. He excelled as a player at Ridgewood High School where he led his team to a state championship (2004-2005.) He also succeeded as a point guard at the Division III level at Bowdoin College. His work ethic and expertise serve him well as a coach at the high school level and as an instructor at the youth levels. Randy has an energy and passion for the game that is contagious amongst the players he coaches. His attention to detail and his ability to communicate effectively makes him an outstanding candidate for one on one coaching for boys and girls. Coach DeFeo conducts thorough, challenging work-outs that encapsulate all areas of the game. Players of all ages will improve their fundamentals and raise their level of play under his guidance. I highly recommend Randy as a high quality instructor of the game of basketball.
Overall her first season on the team has been rewarding, as she has made new friends, and he coached the team to the playoffs. She is looking forward to a new season with the Gryphons.
Thank you Coach Randy!
Our daughter recently wrapped up her first season playing for Coach Randy and the Gryphons on the 4th/5th grade team. At first she was skeptical to play for an AAU team, but coach did a great job of getting the players from different towns to become comfortable playing together. He rarely misses a teaching moment when it’s needed during practices and games. His patience, encouragement, and leadership with the players are greatly appreciated.
I would not send this email if I did not think the world of Randy and his ability to make your son better at the game of basketball. He is easily one of, if not THE, best players I have ever coached and more importantly he is a far better human being. He is a tremendous role model and would be a great influence on your son both athletically and personally. It is without any reservation that I recommend his services for anyone looking for a personal trainer this pre-season.
My daughter played on a Gryphon’s Team this Spring, attended a camp over the summer, and played on a Gryphon’s team this Fall. She had a lot of fun and her basketball skills improved greatly. She has been coached by Randy, Mike, Sara, and Danny; all of the them were extremely positive and excellent teachers of the game. I especially like that fact that Gryphon’s program does not interfere with our town winter travel season. I highly recommend the Gryphon program to other families!
Randy and his colleagues are great in teaching these kids… Randy has always been a good coach from my oldest daughter to now my youngest daughter… he has the patience of a saint… he is very good to the kids but firm, he will make them follow him to do drills and basketball skills in a nice way whatever they have to do or accomplish… also I like the fact that we have extra training with Coach Rob for strength, speed and agility… overall I would really recommend kids to join Gryphon Basketball.
My third grade son just played his first season with Coaches Randy and Danny and I have been so incredibly impressed with the Gryphon program. They are patient, compassionate yet competitive coaches who know how to connect with young kids and get the best out of them to help them learn and grow on the court. I can’t say enough about the positive atmosphere that Randy has created. From the beginning to the end of the season my son had a smile on his face and became a better player. You can’t ask for anything more.
I can’t begin to thank you enough for the opportunity to have my daughter play on your team. Personally, I saw so much growth apart from skills and it made me so happy. I absolutely love to watch her play and watch the game in general so I am looking forward to her continuing to grow in your club. You have an incredible way about yourself and I couldn’t have been happier with you and Coach Danny leading her this season.
