Gage Daye is still one of the best basketball players in New Jersey and he's involved in three summer leagues. Daye, a Newark native is doing all that while working as an assistant coach at Bloomfield College, where he's the school's all-time leading scorer.
Daye works for his mentor and current Bloomfield head coach Gerald Holmes. The two men have great respect for each other on and off the court.
In 2011, Coach Holmes guided his team, that included his star guard Gage Daye, to an NCAA East Region championship and an appearance in the Elite Eight.
Both Daye and Holmes are the most recent guests on SportsJam with Doug Doyle.
Gage Daye owns the scoring record at Bloomfield College with 2,518 points, but he hasn't stopped there. Daye has also had a terrific pro basketball career playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League and internationally in England and Australia.
Daye, a Newark native is now his sharing his knowledge not only as a coach but by running a training program for kids and wannabe stars.
"The most important part is understanding each player. You're not going to be able to train everybody the same way. And if you do, you're not going to be a good trainer. In our day and age you see so much different basketball training and I probably dislike 80 percent of it bccause it's very generic. It's just a bunch of stuff that anybody can do with cones and you can look up on YouTube on get drills. It takes a certain type of person to understand the player, under the game and to know how to put them in the best scenarios while a lesson is going on. I take time to watch my players play. I may go to an AAU game or some type of rec league game just to see their demeanor on the court, so I can use that in a lesson and give them advice."
Daye's training program is for kids of all ages, both boys and girls are part of the program. His website is www.labdevelopmentbasketball.com.
Bloomfield head coach Gerald Holmes, a previous guest on SportsJam with Doug Doyle says he uses Daye's success on the court as an example to other young athletes in the Division 2 program. Holmes says he remembers when Daye first came to Bloomfield after a standout career at St. Mary's High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
"When he first got to there (Bloomfield College) he was in terrible shape, he had me wondering if I made a mistake. But once his work ethic kicked in, he was the hardest worker we every had. As an basketball player, he's not an athletic guy. He's not fast. He doesn't jump that well. But he's smart and he puts in the work on his skills set and that's one of the reasons why I hold him up as an example, you don't have to be a super athlete to be successful in the game of basketball."
Growing up in Newark wasn't easy for Daye, but he credits his family for helping him make the right decisions.
"I have a village around me who have steered me in the right direction from the beginning. Honestly, putting me in sports, putting me in activities, my mom, my uncles, godmom, everyone, my grandma gave me the tools to succeed. When you're coming from a certain environment, you still get caught up in things. I definitely did. Having that support system and having people around to pick up when you're down is huge. I know a lot of people and kids and friends who didn't have that support and who are not here with us, who passed away or are in prison right now. Big thanks to my family for that."
The 6'2" Daye still has aspirations of making an NBA roster. He believes he can compete at that level. He admits that it is difficult at times to watch an NBA game, knowing that he could on the hardwood competing with the likes of his current favorities Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook.
"Absolutely, just from being in the G League and seeing how the game is played, being that's close, I always have the feeling if I was skilled then as I am now, I would have performed better when I had the opportunity. I do find myself watching the backup guards to see if there doing anything special or anything that stands out that I wouldn't be able to do and you know, not in the arrogant sense, I do feel like I can compete."
Kobe Bryant is Daye's favorite all-time NBA player.
Daye graduated from Bloomfield College with a degree in Human Resource Management and earned his Masters Degree in Athletic Administration from Southern New Hampshire University in 2015.
It is not too late to catch Gage on the courts this summer, either at the Jersey Shore Basketball league where games are played at St. Rose High School or the Hoopsville Basketball League in North Jersey.
Click above to hear the entire SportsJam with Doug Doyle show featuring Gage Daye and Gerald Holmes.
