We recently had the chance to connect with Yemi Ogunoye and have shared our conversation below.
Yemi, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
One thing that I am proud of building, that others don’t see is confidence. This is my own as well as others around me. Many people struggle with confidence especially in my line of work. It’s noticeable when playing the game of basketball so I do things to encourage, challenge, and build my players confidence.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Yemi Ogunoye, founder of The Yemnasium Basketball Training, based in Dallas, Texas. My journey in basketball took me from college to professional play as a 6’9″ shooting guard/small forward, where I was recognized as one of the best defensive players in college basketball, capable of guarding all positions from point guard to center.
What makes The Yemnasium special is our comprehensive approach to player development. We don’t just focus on physical skills – our mission is to elevate teams and individual players by increasing their skill level, work ethic, and most importantly, their knowledge of the game. Having studied Health Exercise Science in college, I learned the key elements for improving athletic performance, which I now apply in every training session.
The Yemnasium grew out of The Overtime Family, inspired by Terrence Crawford’s vision in the basketball realm. We’ve had the privilege of positively influencing athletes across all levels – from professional and college players to high schoolers and younger grade levels. What drives me is working behind the scenes to help athletes reach their potential, rather than seeking the spotlight myself.
Currently, I’m focused on expanding our training programs and building our community of dedicated athletes who understand that basketball success comes from combining physical skills with mental toughness and deep game knowledge. We also offer our “Overtime Family” apparel collection, because as we say: “You Can Have Anything If You Dress For It” – dressing for success can help you achieve your goals both on and off the court.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What breaks bonds:
Trust violations are often the most damaging – betrayals, lies, broken promises, or infidelity can shatter the foundation of relationships. When someone feels they can’t rely on another person’s word or integrity, the bond becomes fragile.
What restores bonds:
Genuine accountability and repair efforts – when someone acknowledges their mistakes, takes responsibility without making excuses, and demonstrates real change through consistent actions over time.
Open, vulnerable communication – sharing honestly about feelings, fears, and needs while truly listening to understand the other person’s perspective.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
That nothing last forever. When someone suffers its not something that will last forever, you may still feel the weight of it but if guided correctly it can make you stronger in the end.
Romans 5: 3-5 says
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Integrity is probably one of the things that my closest friends would say that really matters to me. How I keep to my beliefs and stand on a moralistic code. Also, that I really try to be a positive light to others because there’s so much darkness around us.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
That life is about loving others and helping others. We are put on this earth to love and share. But most people have the crab in a barrel mentality so we can never grow as a whole doing the things that we’ve been doing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yemnasium.com
- Instagram: theyemnasium
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yemi-ogunoye-22136027
- Twitter: theyemnasium
- Facebook: Overtime Family
