Mission Statement
At Twin City Thunder, our mission is to holistically promote & grow our student-athletes. The game of basketball brings us together but our desire to constantly improve, conquer challenges, and showcase greatness is what makes us family.
Coach RJ | Ryan Johnson
🏈 🏀 🏃🏽♂️
A Winston native, Ryan “Coach RJ” Johnson returned home in 2023 with an amplified vision for athlete development & recruiting.
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15+ years coaching
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Former DB (University of Akron)
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National Talent Scout (Pro 7 Recruiting)
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🏀 Film Scout (ABA, Netburners)
Coach RJ brings both competitive pedigree and professional evaluation to athletes.
While his early impact & career was rooted in football, his growth into a multi-sport evaluator has expanded his influence across football, basketball, and track. His focus today extends beyond coaching — he operates at the intersection of talent identification, player development, and opportunity alignment.
Through Pro 7 Recruiting, Coach RJ assists in identifying and evaluating athletes with the potential to compete at higher levels. His approach blends film study, projection analysis, and role assessment to help athletes understand where they fit — and what it will take to advance.
Through Coaches Corner, he mentors athletes and families on navigating the recruiting landscape. Guiding preparation, exposure, communication, and readiness. His emphasis is clear: development first, opportunity second.
Known for his integrity and straightforward evaluations, Coach RJ is committed to connecting hardworking athletes with meaningful opportunities — building bridges between preparation and performance, and making sure every athlete knows they matter.
“Every athlete has a story; we help them write the next chapter.”
Coach E | Erika Johnson
📣 👯♀️
A teacher for over 15 years with a degree in early childhood education, Erika’s passion has always been helping youth. By way of Ohio, Erika first showcased her coaching talents in 2015 helping build a youth cheerleading program with the Columbus Vikings Football Program. She also led a dynamic children’s dance team with Trailblazers Church Columbus until she and the family moved here to North Carolina in the summer of 2023.
Erika sits on the board for Football With A Purpose as well. She lends her knowledge, experience, and expert clerical skills. A graphic designer by trade, Erika is the creative vision behind many of the eye-catching graphics and gear for her youth programs. While she also took a step back from coaching in 2020, she often stayed involved behind the scenes as a creator for several programs.
“I’m excited about our new community and to get back to helping student-athletes. They don’t know how much they make their communities proud with their willingness to challenge themselves daily.” ~Coach E
Who We Are
The Twin City Thunder is a developmental basketball program committed to the student-athlete. Founded in 2024 with a desire to help grow the game of youth basketball, player skills, and confidence. At Twin City Thunder your student-athlete’s growth is our primary focus. We foster a family atmosphere and put the needs of our student-athletes first in all aspects of their lives.
Our top priority is always improving. We challenge our student-athletes on the court with drills, situations, and games that will challenge their basketball talents and basketball IQ. Off the court, we challenge our student-athletes to be leaders in both the classroom and the community.
The Twin City Thunder offers Girl’s Basketball and training sessions for grades 5 through 12.
We don’t rush development.
We don’t stack games for clout.
We build. We teach. We grow.