Damanna ‘Rico’ Odom

How Basketball Began for Me

Damanna first found his love for the game of basketball at a very young age. He possessed genuine desire to become the best at the game he loved.  Daily, he put in hours of work to enhance his skill and became a competitive player.  As a sophomore, Damanna played for the Varsity basketball team at West Columbus High School.  By his junior year, his team was ranked #2 in the state of North Carolina. He earned All County and All Conference basketball honors during his senior year of high school, while averaging double figures in points and rebounds.  This hard work and record of success resulted in Damanna being sought after at the collegiate level. He was competitively recruited by Winston Salem State University, Tennessee Tech University (Chattanooga), Emerson College and Queens College, to name a few.  He graciously accepted a scholarship to play at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. While attending the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, he committed many hours of community service and volunteered with the men’s Varsity Basketball team to enhance the community.  Damanna earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

How Basketball Fuels Passion for Today

Damanna understood that to separate himself from the competition, hard work would be required.  He would often beg his mother to stay weekends practicing at his cousin’s home. Terry, one of the best players in his town at the time, would work with him 1:1 from sun up to sun down. Hence finessing Damanna’s tactical skill and fundamental understanding of the game.  Now he wants to give back to the youth of today the skills that helped him to become a better player, a better businessperson and better individual overall.

How Basketball Builds for Tomorrow

Damanna understands that basketball is more than just a physical activity.  Basketball helped to shape him in a myriad of ways with essential life lessons like, “The Value of Teamwork, Hard Work and Determination, Reaching for Every Opportunity, The Power of Patience and even The Inevitability of Failure.” Recently, Damanna utilized his basketball skill to manage the “Odom Elite” Youth Basketball Program in Birmingham, Alabama where he spent 5 years of his banking career with Wells Fargo Bank. He is currently coaching the Charlotte Royals girls AAU team.  Damanna has a banking career as a Senior Business Specialist with Wells Fargo Bank serving in the South Charlotte region.  Damanna takes pride in helping business owners with their goals and objectives by providing access to products and services to help suit their needs.  With 10 years of banking experience, Damanna has built and nurtured relationships to increase business growth in the Charlotte region. He has lectured in seminars instructing students on essential life skills, money management techniques and he is the owner of Odom Elite Training, where he holds camps and clinics for under-privileged youth.