The U.S. Anti-Doping agency reported that coaches of youth sports programs rank as the most positive influence on young people and, in many respects, places them above parents, teachers and religious leaders in influencing their social development. Recognizing that the impact coaches have, both during and long after the coaching relationship has finished, and in aspects of life outside of sports, Dr. Michael W. Austin writing in the November 1, 2017 issue of Psychology Today, notes that coaches “have a moral responsibility to have a positive impact on their players” and that to do so, a coach “must be a person of character, moral courage, respect and integrity.”This seems to be precisely the premise behind Coach Mike Buffalo’s basketball development program aptly named, “Faith and Grind”. The premise behind his program, as explained to MetroSports Magazine by coach Buffalo, is that “on the basketball court, we must have Faith in our team mates, our coaches’ strategies, and more importantly Faith in ourselves. In addition to such Faith, we must Grind, or work hard to improve our overall basketball development to become victorious in on the court”. Extending the impact of his training philosophy beyond the basketball court he goes on to say that, “I want the youth to know that Faith & Grind doesn’t only apply to basketball or any other sport; it extends to academics as well. In order for you to be a great student, you must first believe that you can become one and then put forth the effort in doing so.”We first met coach Buffalo at the Westchester County Center where he is a frequent guest having been a close friend of one of the team members during the 2016-17 season and where he developed a relationship with the team’s general manager and former New York Knicks great, Allan Houston. Houston, who runs his own faith-based youth development program, FISLL, has provided both inspiration and guidance to coach Buffalo. FISLL, ‘Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership and Legacy, is a youth leadership development league operated under the umbrella of the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation.
“I met Allan Houston about three years ago
through a friend of mine, Doron Lamb, who formerly played for the Westchester Knicks during the 2016- 2017 season. I remember introducing myself to Houston and as the season went along, we’d gotten more familiar with one another. Houston agreed to take time out of his busy schedule during the summer of 2017 by guest speaking at the Faith & Grind Basketball School. It was a phenomenal event which the kids & I really enjoyed having a New York Knicks legend give back and share insight on what Faith & Grind means to him, and how it propelled his 12 year NBA career.
This was a huge confidence booster
because I was just starting out with the program and to have a guy of that stature speak at a function that I put together felt surreal. Houston was also one of my favorite NBA players during the early 2000s.” Not one to overlook New York’s other professional basketball team, coach Buffalo has also built a relationship with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. “My ties to the Brooklyn Nets are, I was hired in the summer of 2018 as a “Youth Basketball Academy Clinician” where we give back to the various communities in Brooklyn by hosting free basketball clinics and camps throughout the year. I enjoy being a part of the Brooklyn Nets organization and connecting with the children of Brooklyn.”
Since his commitment to guiding young people seems so sincere to us, we asked coach Buffalo if there was time when he knew that dedicating his professional career to helping young people develop their basketball skills was the right way forward for him. “During my senior year at York College in Nebraska, there was a kid by the name of Morgan Conner who saved my life. I fell out of love from the game of basketball because of the constant disappointments that I had to endure throughout my career. In despite of all that; Conner still looked up to me as a role model. That admiration reignited my love for the game and from that point on, I knew I had a special connection to the youth.”Faith and Grind Basketball School currently operates at locations throughout Westchester County, including health clubs, public parks, and private homes, and on most days of the week. “I do this to try my best to accommodate everyone and keep it as local as possible. Some of the locations include, The Westchester Gym in Elmsford, Clark Academy High School in Dobbs Ferry, Greenville Elementary School in Scarsdale, and the Rippowam Cisqua School in Bedford. The majority of the kids apart of the Faith & Grind program are from Irvington, Chappaqua, Valhalla, & Scarsdale. I’ll be looking to connect with more local communities within Westchester as time goes along. These sessions are open to anyone who registers through the Faith & Grind website.”Participation in the Faith and Grind Basketball School has been growing so quickly that Coach Buffalo has taken on an assistant, another coach Buffalo. “I recently hired Coach Doug Buffalo who happens to be my older brother. I owe a lot of my success to him because he’s been there every step of the way. He constantly feeds me positivity to help me grow as a person and gives me advice on how to uplift the Faith & Grind program.
Also, I used to train with him as a kid so he has experience teaching youth basketball. Over the next 5 years, I see Faith & Grind growing tremendously by expanding and influencing kids in different fields of life. In addition, I would like to travel to different places across the world and continue spreading a positive message that anything is possible with just believing in 2 words: “FAITH & GRIND.”
Above. Coach Mike Buffalo at Irvington’s Scenic Hudson Park. Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg
Above. Coach Mike Buffalo with NY Knicks Allan Houston
Coach Mike Buffalo & The Faith & Grind Students