3 Takeaways with Luke Lloyd of Dribble Stick Training

Retired professional basketball player and founder of Dribble Stick Training Luke Lloyd knows firsthand that with a dream, hard work and a passion, anything is possible.

As a child growing up in Flint, Luke was immediately drawn to basketball and absorbed everything he could about the skills and strategies of the sport. By setting goals, refining his technique and staying laser-focused on his dream, Luke went from playing street ball with neighbors to playing college basketball to eventually traveling the globe and playing professionally.

Upon retiring in 2009, Luke took his passion for playing basketball and turned it into a passion for coaching and training players in his hometown. Focusing on the fundamentals of ball control and dribbling, Luke experimented with various drills and tools aimed at perfecting his players’ techniques.

Enter Dribble Stick—a light-weight, aircraft aluminum tool that forces players to improve their skills through game-like simulations. Supported by resources from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and CMURC, Luke was able to develop the Dribble Stick, which is now an internationally recognized, one-of-a kind basketball training system that helps players of all skillsets and ages achieve their goals and become successful athletes.

Following are the three takeaways Luke shares in the video, along with a few additional tips he provided for those hoping to take their idea from concept to commercialization:

1. Throughout the process, it is important to remember you are not in this alone. Utilize the SmartZone resources available.
2. Stay resilient because it’s not going to be easy. People are going to say you can’t do it and sometimes you might fail, so you must have resiliency and determination.
3. Be creative and try new things so your ideas can grow.
4. Stay positive. It’s easy to be negative and want people to feel sorry for you when you experience failures, but negative energy will only take you away from where you’re trying to go.
5. Always believe in yourself, no matter what.

If you’ve got a high-tech start-up idea you’d like to explore further and don’t know where to start, contact the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Initiative at 888-522-0103 or visit https://www.michiganbusiness.org/entrepreneurship.

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To contact a business development specialist, click here or call 1.888.522.0103.