Hidden Gems: Meet Ronnell Durante of Jacksonville Force

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ronnell Durante.

Ronnell, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My wife Seidah and I hail from Norristown, Pa outside of Philly. It’s a place that’s forever in our hearts…whether because of the family love and sense of community that embraced us growing up, the great food (cheesesteaks, zeps, tomato pie), or sports fanaticism and rich history in track, football, basketball, etc. A place called hometown by Cam Reddish, Geno Auriemma, and Tommy LaSorda, to name a few famous faces…and countless “street legends” that are cherished. When it comes to basketball, someone once told me I was in that conversation of street legends. I don’t know about that, because there was so much great talent before and after my stint there. Plus I moved around a lot as a kid and spent my high school career in Ephrata, Pa outside of Lancaster. BUT what I do know is there’s not a court or hoop…whether down Cherry St, Oak St, Swedeland, Crawford…in Town that I haven’t seen. I grew up during the era of Jordan at North Carolina and simply fell in love with basketball. It…saved…me, literally.

So, while my would-be wife was studying to stay at the top of her class, I was studying the game to become the best on the court. As she was starting her postsecondary education at the Univ of Pennsylvania, I was re-starting mine at Penn State, having transferred from Keystone Jr College. As fate would have it, our biggest blessing…a 7 lb 6 oz baby boy we named Gyree came into this world in 1998 before either of us had finished our undergrad studies. I chose to put school on the back burner and focus on fatherhood, but Seidah pressed through somehow, someway and earned her B.S. from the Wharton School at Penn with a toddler in tow…

From there, it was all about grinding for us…working hard to keep the family afloat while trying to pursue our passions and dreams. I’ve worked a lot of odds and ends jobs…some may call me a jack of all trades LOL…but the only thing I’ve come close to mastering has been the sport of basketball. Outside of my family, nothing has been more rewarding than playing and coaching. I’ve played at every level (except the NBA…but the 76ers did invite me to their practice squad). Up until we moved to Florida, I had only coached the youngins in AAU, middle school, and high school. Oh, did I glaze over that part…yes, the winter of 2013/2014 in Pa served us an eviction notice, and we flew (well, drove) all the way to Weston, just north of Miami. Now a family of almost 5… Gyree heading into his junior year of HS, our 1st daughter Geniyah entering MS, and the last of the “G-Unit” Gabby growing big in mommy’s belly…we cashed in snow days for hurricane days. SoFlo opened up great coaching opportunities for me in basketball and even football. Ironically, home kept calling us though, as our son chose to start his collegiate career playing football at Albright College in Reading, Pa, and eventually, I received a chance to play and coach for an American Basketball Association (ABA) team in that same area. Through that experience, I was encouraged to start my own team in the league and give back to the place that shaped and molded me.

And so…the Norristown Knights was born…an ABA team full of super talented, young and spritely, sometimes knuckleheaded guys — all of whom I now consider “my dudes” and part of the family. We did very well our first 2 seasons. It was a rewarding experience owning and coaching a professional team of my very own. It was also stressful, because by now the Durantes had moved to northern Florida near Jacksonville, and I was traveling back and forth to Pa in-season. THEN COVID HIT… I had already headed home as our ABA season ended, which was just before the world shut down. Like most people, I didn’t think the shutdown would last as long as it did, so when I received the phone call of a lifetime, my heart immediately said YES!

Never had I ever coached girls or women formally, although it’s always been on my bucket list. I feel that a lot of female athletes haven’t received the respect and following in some sports that they deserve. I’ve been an avid fan of women’s basketball, even before the inaugural WNBA season in 1997. If Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, Rebecca Lobo, Candace Parker, Delle Donne, DT or especially our own daughter Geniyah were playing, I’d find a way to watch. My thoughts of being a part of women’s basketball became a reality after speaking with Marsha Blount, president and founder of the WABA. The WABA is the Sister league to the ABA. The City’s own Jacksonville Giants have won several ABA championships, and we were ecstatic at the possibility of having a successful women’s team here as well. When I said YES to Marsha, it seemed like the perfect time and place to get involved with the women’s game. So we did just that…my wife and I established the Jacksonville Force in 2020. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, we had to wait until 2021 to actually get on the court. We play in the WABA’s Southeast division, which is the biggest and best division in the league. We went 11-1 during the regular season in our first year…leading the league in scoring and in defense. We won 3 straight playoff games to take home the 2021 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in August, GA. This was just 5 short days after the sudden passing of our beloved son, Gyree. #LongLiveGy #LLGy

We had 5…yes 5 of our players were named by the league as all-stars. Our first year was full of moments, good, bad, and heartaches that forged us into a family which allowed US to overcome and end up on top. Owners, coaches, players, fans…we all put our hearts and souls into making sure that we represented Jacksonville’s finest…on and off the court. We had to practice at several different places, play home games in a few different places just to get through the season, and mostly believe in ourselves when nobody else did. We epitomize what I like to call #BuiltDifferent. The Force aspires to represent the City of Jacksonville on a grand scale, by connecting with local businesses and serving the community. At the end of the day, though, it’s about the game these ladies love…and we love to share that love!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not smooth by a long shot…but I’m grateful for every pebble, brick, and boulder that helped pave and build that road. I could write a book (stay tuned LOL) about the struggles, but the common themes have been my ignorance and making poor life choices, lack of sufficient finances, balancing my family commitments, and even racism. Through it all, I’ve come to appreciate that my adversities have given me the strength and wisdom to help others.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Jacksonville Force?
The Jacksonville Force is a professional women’s basketball team, the reigning champs of the WABA. I’m most proud of the grit and tenacity that our group of ladies brings to the table every single day. We are always looking to expand our family of players, coaches, trainers, fans and sponsors. Please contact our social media pages and website for more info and opportunities.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Jacksonville is such a large and diverse city, you can really be exposed to a lot of different cultures, the arts, food, entertainment, and of course, The Beaches. It’s the birthplace of the faces behind the Black National Anthem and Southern Rock…how much more diverse can you get…?

I’m not too fond of all the bridges, LOL.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.jacksonvilleforce.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jax.forcewaba?utm_medium=copy_link
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaxForceWABA