MEET THE TEAM
Meet the team behind T.P Athletics—a group of dedicated coaches and athletes bringing together high-level playing experience, collegiate competition, and strength and conditioning expertise. Through a combination of skill development, performance training, and mentorship, our staff is committed to helping athletes improve their game, build confidence, and reach their full potential both on and off the court.
Coach Nyjah Porcher is the founder of T.P Athletics and a dedicated player development coach with a strong basketball background at both the collegiate and high school levels.
She attended Capital Prep before finishing her high school career at New Britain High School, where she earned all-conference honors. She continued her career at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), where she developed into a dominant player, averaging a double-double and helping lead her team to a Region XXI Championship and an appearance in the NJCAA National Tournament (Elite Eight).
Following her success at the junior college level, she earned a full scholarship to Barry University (NCAA Division II), where she made an immediate impact. During her senior season, she played in all games, contributing across every category and recording one of the program’s rare triple-doubles, becoming only the third female in school history to achieve that milestone.
Following her collegiate career, Coach Nyjah expanded her impact through coaching, working in South Florida with Coach Garcia at DB Hoops, and Hialeah Gardens High School. She is currently coaching at Saint Paul’s Middle School, leading the varsity basketball team as well as her 14U AAU team at T.P Athletics.
As the founder of T.P Athletics, she is committed to helping athletes develop their skills, build confidence, and reach their full potential both on and off the court.
Dwayne Hunter-Parker
Strength and Conditioning Coach
This is Coach Dwayne, owner and founder of On The Rise Health Club (OTR). Through a strong partnership with T.P Athletics, athletes are provided with access to specialized training in strength and conditioning, speed and agility, and structured weight training programs designed to enhance overall performance.
In addition, youth athletes are introduced to the OTR training environment through our basketball camps and day-off programs, creating opportunities to experience this level of training firsthand. While OTR operates independently and is open to all athletes, this partnership allows us to further connect our athletes to high-quality training resources and development opportunities.
In addition to his work in performance training, Coach Dwayne also serves as the Assistant Coach for the T.P Athletics 13U and 14U Boys Basketball teams. In this role, he applies his expertise in strength and conditioning, speed and agility, and overall player development to help athletes translate their training into game performance. He currently serves as the Head Coach for the Saint Paul’s Middle School Boys 7th Grade team, where he leads and develops young athletes in both skill and character. Across all levels, Coach Dwayne is committed to building disciplined, confident, and well-rounded players both on and off the court.
James Jones
Player Development Coach
Coach James is a highly accomplished and versatile guard with an elite basketball background and a strong passion for the game.
He attended East Catholic High School, where he led his team to back-to-back Division I State Championships (2022–2023) and earned State Championship MVP honors both years. His standout performance also earned him recognition as CT MaxPreps Player of the Year (2023) and Connecticut Basketball Player of the Year (2023).
Honors
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Hoop Hall Classic MVP (2023)
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CT Coaches All-Star MVP (2023)
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CT Coaches All-Star Defensive MVP (2023)
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GameTime Player of the Year (2023)
AAU Experience
He competed with the New York Rens and helped lead the team to a Final Four appearance at Peach Jam.
Worcester Academy
Following high school, Coach Jones played at Worcester Academy, where he was named Team MVP (2024) and led the team in rebounds, assists, assist-to-turnover ratio, steals, and minutes played.
Coach Jones is currently a sophomore starting guard at Central Connecticut State University, where he continues to compete at a high level while helping athletes improve their skills, confidence, and basketball IQ.