For 13 year old Nolyn Proudfoot, he has 250,000 reasons to be confident when he steps on the basketball court. The 7th grader from Corning, New York is playing varsity basketball at what most would consider to be an early age. But, for Nolyn, he has put in more work at his age than most basketball players will in an entire lifetime of playing the game.
Nolyn’s father, Kevin, is a plant manager who oversees a large team at his day job. With Nolyn, Kevin recommended the same approach used in successful businesses.
“We are big on measurable goals. Something you can put your mind towards that will help you push through on the tough days.”
In 2022 Nolyn and Kevin sat down to brainstorm measurable goals for the year. With the help of their Dr. Dish CT machine, they knew they could aim high with their aspirations. Where did they land with their goal setting session? A massive goal of Nolyn taking 250,000 reps in a single year. Although this goal sounds crazy, it breaks down to around 700 shots every day of the year.
With a goal of a quarter of a million reps, Nolyn needed a work ethic that matched his lofty goals. Knowing this, he started his days by getting reps up between 5 and 5:30 AM, coining his workout as the “breakfast club”, the perfect name for his sunrise sessions. Some days, he would only get up 250 shots, but other days, he would put up over a thousand reps in a single workout!
How did Nolyn stay motivated to keep waking up hours before his peers? By etching his goal into his mind each and every morning.
“I thought about the outcomes of my goal. I thought about who I would become by achieving such a big goal.”
In addition to working hard, Nolyn prides himself on making improvements every session. What has his progress been? His record for makes in a row is 87 shots straight in one of his sessions. He finished making 98 out of 100 shots, a nearly perfect session. This combination of working hard and working smart has taught Nolyn lessons that live on beyond the hardwood.
“We use sports to prepare our kids for life. We’re trying to shape him for the next 40 years of life.”
Kevin remembers when they first brought in the Dr. Dish CT machine for Nolyn. His motto has always been, if the kids are willing to put in the work, they will give them all the resources they need to succeed. Seeing Nolyn’s commitment to outworking his peers made the family feel comfortable investing into a Dr. Dish, knowing that it was a tool that would be used to enhance the work already being put in.
“To succeed, you must USE your tools. It doesn’t matter if you have the tools, you need to put it to use” says Kevin.
When Nolyn first got the Dr. Dish, he wasted no time getting to work. Kevin recalls Nolyn putting up over 2,500 shots within the first 24 hours of the machine being in their gym. Some weeks, Nolyn will put up between 12,000-15,000 reps on the machine. Although Nolyn is already seeing the fruits of his labor, his hard work has a bigger end goal in mind.
“I want to play D1 basketball. That’s my goal and always has been.” says Nolyn, confidently looking ahead to his future vision.
In terms of his family, the Dr. Dish has been a part of making memories for everyone. “It ends up being something that we use at our neighborhood parties, family gatherings, whatever is going on it seems like we’ll end up pulling out the machine.”
While the Proudfoot family may be using the machine, Nolyn is still confident in his abilities. When he was asked who would take the prize in a game of 1v1, he didn’t mince any words.
“I’d beat him. He’s a little old and slow now.”
From family 1-on-1 games to chasing DI dreams, we’ll be watching and cheering Nolyn on wherever his basketball career takes him! The entire Dr. Dish Family is excited to follow along with Nolyn's journey and see where his commitment to Be Better Every Day will take him.
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