Odyssey takes Allen around world, brings him back home
After a stop in China, ex-Cape Henry star lands dream job in Virginia Beach
Terrell Allen had dreams of working at ESPN.
That’s one of the main reasons why the former Cape Henry Collegiate basketball star chose to attend Central Connecticut State University.
However, the closest he got to that dream was working a camera for the school’s TV station and doing commentating for the women’s basketball team.
“I realized my senior year that if you wanted to work at ESPN, you either had to be an NBA basketball player or college coach,” he said, laughing. “I’m not going to the
NBA. So, college coaching was the next thing.”
He spent one season as an assistant coach at HampdenSydney College, then one year in China as a basketball program director. He returned to Atlanta where he worked at The Skill Factory, which specializes in basketball coaching and training.
All of that didn’t help him get to ESPN, but it did help get him another dream job.
Allen was named the director of basketball at the new Virginia
Beach Sports Center. The new $68 million state-of-the-art indoor sports facility opened last week.
“It’s truly a blessing to be home and to have this opportunity,” he said.
Allen, 28, will oversee the Wave Basketball Club. Its mission is to help athletes build character, learn teamwork and develop a love for the game. He hopes to help build youth both on the court
and off.
They’ll offer various programs for athletes beginning in elementary through high school. They will offer teams, leagues, training, camps and life skill programs.
Allen has a staff of nine coaches. All are USA Basketball certified and have various experiences coaching youth, high school, college and NBA/overseas players.
They include former WNBA player Brooke McCarty-Williams and former North Carolina State player and former Atlantic Shores Christian star Damon Thornton. The list also includes professional basketball trainer Matt Irving — who has worked with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid and Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal — and Andrew Dowell, who worked with Allen at The Skill Factory in Atlanta.
“I don’t have all the answers, so I have to make sure the staff helps me out to fill in the gaps,” he said. “It’s important to be able to trust your staff and know that we can learn and grow together, and for parents to feel comfortable with them.”
Andy Ballard is vice president of Eastern Sports Management, which oversees the operations of the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
He is one of the persons responsible for bringing Allen home. They met through LinkedIn when Allen was in China and continued to stay in touch.
“I just started to hear good things about him,” Ballard said. “We were looking for somebody who was passionate about impacting the community and the kids. It wasn’t just about basketball and he got that. He was the right one for it.”
Allen was a former All-Tidewater and two-time all-state player at Cape Henry. He helped the Dolphins reach the VISAA Division II state championship game. When he graduated, he was the school’s all-time leading rebounder and the second-leading scorer. Allen, who also starred in volleyball, was inducted into the school’s hall of fame.
Former Cape Henry coach Larry Ward said Allen was a special player and person. He’s glad to see Allen return to the area to help promote youth basketball in Hampton Roads.
“Terrell is an outstanding young man who will be a tremendous addition to the Virginia Beach community in every way,” he said. “His integrity, knowledge of sports, commitment to Virginia Beach and love for his family and friends defines him. He was the best teammate anyone could ask for.”
At Central Connecticut State University, Allen finished with 435 points, 337 rebounds and 60 blocks.
He was an assistant coach for one season at Division III HampdenSydney College during the 2014-15 season. He also spent two seasons with Boo Williams, his former AAU program, and helped several players go to Division I programs.
Allen spent one year in Wuxi, China, as the basketball program director. He helped develop basketball programs for elementary and middle-school students.
“That was a chance to see the business side and see basketball on a global scale,” he said. “I wasn’t playing, but I was teaching basketball … One year was enough, but it taught me so much about patience. That’s what really kind of made me start thinking about the business operations side of basketball.”
He returned to the United States, where he became the Director of Youth Basketball Programming at The Skill Factory in Atlanta. There, he helped develop players in high school, college and the NBA.
Now he’s back home.
As he looks around the gymnasium with its 12 basketball courts, he gets excited about the endless opportunities. The early plans include youth development this month.
Later this month, the Virginia Beach Sports Center will host The Seen Circuit, which will bring in elite high school basketball players, including King’s Fork junior Jayden Epps, the 2020 All-Tidewater Player of the Year.
“It’s hard to walk in here and not think about the opportunities,” said Allen, who returns to Hampton Roads with his wife, Emily, and daughter, Harlow. “Not only on a local scale or regional scale, but on a national scale. That’s one of the huge reasons why I made the move back to be able to do something.”