Ep. 87: Bigger than basketball - adoption, identity, and “stacking days” with Coach Stevie Johnson

Adventures in Adversity: an inspirational podcast · Apr 17, 2026 · 56m · transcript

I sit down with my friend and former kiddo coach, Stevie Johnson, an East Bay basketball skills trainer and founder of One Thru Five Academy.

We talk about why his work is “bigger than basketball” and how he coaches with a holistic lens - caring about what’s happening at home, in school, and with friends just as much as what happens on the court.

Stevie shares his nontraditional path in hoops, his adoption story, and what it was like navigating identity and belonging while being raised by multiple families in very different environments.

He opens up about faith, resilience, and his mantra of…