Dreams are aspirations, goals, and ambitions that are achieved through hard work and dedication. However, the journey to accomplishing these dreams is often challenging and time-consuming, with many abandoning their pursuit too soon. For Connor Spratt, the key to reaching his dreams was simple: Get 1% better every day. This mindset has been Connor's guiding principle throughout his high school journey, helping him secure a college basketball scholarship and build an online community of over 350,000 followers.
Growing up in the Pittsburgh area, Connor fell in love with sports at a very young age. He excelled in basketball, soccer, football, and baseball while collecting all types of sports memorabilia along the way. Although he loved playing a variety of different sports, basketball emerged as a year-round pursuit that held a special place in his heart.
In third grade, Connor's parents transformed their backyard into a haven for sports, complete with a basketball court and hoop. This new addition inspired Connor to take his game to the next level. At an age where most kids were just having fun, he demonstrated dedication by recognizing the opportunity his parents provided him and was determined not to let it go to waste.
As he grew up Connor shifted his attention towards basketball and baseball. He spent tons of hours training and practicing with his Dad using a pitching machine. However, his passion and talent for basketball continued to grow with countless hours spent working on his craft. He spent each day,
going in with a plan and perfecting one thing at a time.”
During Connor's freshman year of high school, with all the uncertainty of 2020, Connor got his new favorite training tool, a Dr. Dish Home. The gift from his parents was a pleasant surprise and Connor shared,
I was surprised, excited and knew I'd become ten times better."
Connor also noted that he could set up, use, and take down the machine on his own unlike other sports training tools that required two people like the pitching machine.
Also around this time, Connor began sharing his journey and experiences on social media. He started posting basketball content on TikTok stating, "I was doing the same stuff as always, just recording it.” Building a brand and audience online takes a ton of effort and dedication, Connor said, "I was on the verge of giving up and I said I’d quit the week before” but after around 60 posts, he earned his first viral post.
Connor described his social media content in one word: “inspirational”. Following trends, making unique videos, and being relatable were all ways Connor said helped him amass over 350,000 followers. His content is a mixture of workouts, drills, game highlights, and basketball educational videos. On the brink of giving up, Connor stuck with it and now he said he has “notebooks worth of content ideas”.
Connor's high school basketball career commenced on an unusual note, marked by the disruptive impact of Covid-19 during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He continued to devote his time to the sport and during his Junior season he experienced a breakthrough after transferring to Seton LaSalle High School, where he played a pivotal role in the team's impressive 19-2 record.
With unwavering consistency throughout the off-season, Connor's senior season was nothing short of spectacular. Connor was averaging 26.1 points and 3.5 steals per game. Their team took 5th place in state and he scored over 1,000 points during his final two seasons. Connor was one of Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League's top recruits which led him to receiving 8 offers from colleges including Shippensburg, Lock Haven, Millersville and Frostburg State. Connor ultimately committed to Clarion University where he received a full scholarship.
Since owning a Dr. Dish Home machine, Connor Spratt has been a pro at designing his own workouts and leveling up his training. One of his consistent goals include getting up at least 500 shots per day and added, “The Dish makes it 10 times more efficient.” Connor starts his workouts with ball handling and a dynamic warmup then moves into form shooting. After spending countless hours using the Dr. Dish to develop his game, Connor said, “it became second nature to set up and take down.” He bases his shooting workouts on a concept he refers to as, "calibrated shooting," where a shot is only considered successful if it's a swish.
Connor has recently embarked on his freshman year at Clarion University, a significant milestone marked by his impressive achievement of securing a full ride scholarship, a remarkable feat that is both rare and challenging to attain within the context of Division II schools. Connor is a big believer in setting and accomplishing goals. He shared some of his favorite mantras with us that help him get the job done like, “keep getting 1% better every day” and “no flashy training, just consistent work”.
When asked to share some advice to younger hoopers he said, "It doesn’t matter where you are now, it matters where you're going...only compare yourself to yourself in the past, not other players.” Hinting at his great work ethic, Connor encourages players to lay the groundwork by “Laying one brick at a time” He also believes in steady work to reach your ultimate goal saying “Win the day, win the hour, the little things add up”.