Brian Ritchie

Family, Buckeyes, and Community. Buckeye Blast AAU Coach

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

Great group of student-athletes, which one I’m pretty partial toward 😀 A cool event where we learned the backstory of Roy Bates. Impressive!

[Aaron Dorksen @AaronDorksen]

The Roy Bates Scholarship winners are front, from left, Carleigh Lynch, Waynedale; Leah Keib, Smithville; Allison DeMassimo, Norwayne; Aira Regan, Chippewa; Brooke Ritchie, Wooster; back, James Cassady, Northwestern; Player of the Year Luke Starr, Triway and Kellen Wayt Orrville

[Blake Burge @blakeaburge]

Had a friend tell me once: "When you're feeling overwhelmed, there are only two things you should do... get organized and get to work. The rest is just noise. Peace is found in progress."

Some of the best advice I've ever received.

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

It’s been a fun season so far. Looking forward to the rest!! @KatVRitchie

[Buckeye State Blast Girls Basketball @The_Blast_AAU]

Buckeye State Blast
Christmas Break Check-In
➡️ Brooke Ritchie
🏫 Wooster
🎓 2026

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

Another Senior Moment for Brooke. So proud of all her hard work, and I’m looking forward to one more season on the court! @KatVRitchie

[Buckeye State Blast Girls Basketball @The_Blast_AAU]

Our Senior Spotlight this week is Brooke Ritchie from Wooster High School!

[Buckeye State Blast Girls Basketball @The_Blast_AAU]

Our Senior Spotlight this week is Brooke Ritchie from Wooster High School!

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

@NxxtLvLBball @The_Blast_AAU @Ashland_Arrows @coxcam11 @SpyReportOH @CapitalWBB Go Get Em, Cam!!

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

This 100% — Let’s Choose Love & Unity

[Jon Gordon @JonGordon11]

The Most Important Commitment of All

I wasn’t planning on writing about this.

I’ve seen so much anger and divisiveness this past week and thought it would be better to stay away from the hot stove and not get burned.

But then while walking this morning I prayed and asked if I was supposed to address this.

When I got home from my walk a friend Chad Busick texted me out of the blue and said, “Hey Jon, you know your 7 Commitments of a Great Team also apply to what’s happening right now in our country.”

I knew in that moment I was supposed to tell you about the most important commitment of all for a team and country and that’s the commitment to valuing each other.

If you don’t commit to valuing each other, you won’t commit to the other commitments that make a team and country great.

Even worse if you don’t value each other you won’t listen to each other, empathize with each other or care about each other.

And worst of all is when you get to a point where you actually devalue each other.

Where instead of seeing another person as a precious soul that has infinite value, you see them as having no value.

Unfortunately, this is what evil does during wars, genocides, gang violence, political fighting and assassinations.

Charlie Kirk was killed because someone was able to demonize him and devalue him to the point he felt justified in destroying him.

Whether you agree or disagree with his beliefs and philosophies, I hope you agree that someone should not be killed for engaging in civil debates about politics, faith, religion, society, etc. no matter how much you disagree with them.

While people want to attack the person who did it, I want to expose the evil that makes people want to do it and cause others to cheer when someone does do it.

I can always spot evil because it aways seeks to divide, demonize, demoralize, and destroy.

I can also spot love, because it always seeks to unite, encourage and give life.

Evil divides. Love Unites.
Evil devalues others. Love values others.

In this spirit, the way forward and the answer to division, anger, hate and demonizing is to love and value each other.

You can disagree with someone vehemently and think their ideas are trash, and yet still see them as a valuable soul who is loved and deserves love.

Even more powerful and impactful, you can commit to loving and valuing them and when you do the world becomes less hateful and divided.

My hope is that this will be a turning point in our country. Where those who cheered for Charlie’s death will examine the hate in their soul and those who mourn his death will not let hate fill their soul.

My faith tells me to love my enemies because when I hate my enemies I become more like them. But when I love my enemies, I become more like Jesus who loved, served, cared and valued everyone.

In our disagreements and debates let’s commit to valuing the person even though you may hate their idea. And even if someone sees you as your enemy and hates you, you don’t have to return hate with hate, because the only way we defeat hate is with love.

Love wins and valuing each other creates a foundation that leads to winning together.

Sending love your way,
Jon

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

@BuckeyeScoop @YouTube The iTunes feed stopped downloading 4 days ago. Will you be restarting that platform soon?

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

Court #2

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

Blast-Silver in the Semi-Finals tomorrow. Rooting on @Brookeritchie_2 one more time as she rounds out her AAU career

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

These girls battled through a big and tough opponent, and earned a solid victory. Big opportunity ahead!

[Buckeye State Blast Girls Basketball @The_Blast_AAU]

The Silver 2026’s get a big win over WV Thunder UA Rise to advance to the Platinum Semi-Finals on Saturday!

[Buckeye State Blast Girls Basketball @The_Blast_AAU]

Silver 2026’s finish 2-0 on the day and win their pool!

[Buckeye State Blast Girls Basketball @The_Blast_AAU]

Great start for Blast Silver 2026’s at The Run for the Roses!

[Brooke Ritchie @Brookeritchie_2]

Just arrived at @TFNsRun4Roses
My schedule for Thursday 7/10 ⬇️⬇️

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

@Woo_Baseball Didn’t get the group code for ParentSquare. Can you share it?

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

Excited for Brooke and her teammates to head down to Louisville next week! @KatVRitchie

[Buckeye State Blast Girls Basketball @The_Blast_AAU]

Good luck to our Buckeye State Blast Silver 2026 team at the Run for the Roses next week!

Some outstanding uncommitted kids on this team!

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

Way to go @Brookeritchie_2 and @MHoffman_2026. Alumni of Buckeye Blast - Carolina representing!!

[Tyler Bates @TylerJamesBates]

Congratulations to some of the HS standouts from week #1 of the Summer 3 on 3 League!

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

Amazing weekend at the Circle City Showcase. Brooke filled in for the WBC, and helped them win the High School division. Indy was a blast!

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

Excited to see Blast-Silver in the SLAAM Showcase. @Brookeritchie_2 ready to kill it!

[Buckeye State Blast Girls Basketball @The_Blast_AAU]

Good luck to our Northeast Ohio teams this weekend at the SLAAM Showcase at the College of Wooster!

[Brian Ritchie @buckeyeofbg]

Should be a great day! Come watch Brooke’s Silver team at 9:30 and 11:50

[Tyler Bates @TylerJamesBates]

Always happy to work with SLAAM for this event each Spring! A great opportunity for our older girls!

Thank you for your hard work @DougHerrmann and @SLAAMBASKETBALL!