Rachel Harvey: Mental Reps Matter

FEATURE BY TERENCE YEE

About Rachel Harvey:

A 2020 graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep, Rachel Harvey began her collegiate career at Cal State Northridge, where she appeared in 85 games over three seasons while steadily developing her game. During her junior campaign in 2023–24, she posted career highs in scoring, rebounding, steals and minutes, averaging 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game. She also earned Academic All-District honors and was named to the Big West All-Academic Team.

Harvey transferred to Eastern Washington for the 2024–25 season, where she competed as a graduate student. She averaged 4.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 45.1% from the field and 47.4% from three-point range.

Following her collegiate career, Harvey signed professionally with the Nottingham Wildcats of the United Kingdom's Super League Basketball, where she recently completed her rookie season.

As a point guard, Harvey developed strong leadership and communication skills, along with a high basketball IQ, through years of competing at the Division I and professional levels. She is passionate about helping athletes build confidence, master the fundamentals and develop a deeper understanding of the game. Harvey specializes in guard development, ball handling, shooting and decision-making, creating a challenging, positive and supportive training environment that helps players reach their full potential.

Take me back to when you first met Kenny. What do you enjoy most about coaching at Kenny Hatch Basketball?

I first met Kenny when I was a sophomore at St. Ignatius. We were working a summer camp together, and he came in to help for about a week. That was my introduction to him.

A few years later, during my junior year of college, he reached out and asked if I'd be interested in training with him. At the time, I already had a trainer, so I told him I wasn't really looking for someone new. But Kenny was persistent. He explained his training philosophy and asked me to just give him a chance.

I'm really glad I did. From the very first workout, I loved it. The energy was different, the drills were different, and the game situations we worked on were unlike anything I had experienced before. He brought a level of knowledge and detail that I hadn't seen with other trainers, and from there I just continued working with him more and more.

What I enjoy most about coaching at Kenny Hatch Basketball is the relationships. Basketball gives you the opportunity to connect with so many different people, each with their own story and perspective. We coach everyone from second-graders to professional players, and getting to see development at every stage is really special.

For me, one of the greatest challenges—and also one of the greatest rewards—is learning how to coach each age group differently. With younger players, it's about simplifying concepts so they can understand and enjoy the game. With pros, it's often about making small adjustments and fine-tuning details. Learning how to adapt my coaching style to each athlete has been incredibly rewarding.

In addition to being a player development coach, you're also the head coach of a team in the Peninsula Gold AAU program. How has your experience in player development influenced the way you coach your team?

Coaching a team is very different from working one-on-one with a player.

Player development is much more detailed and individualized. You're focused on every part of one athlete's game. Team coaching is about putting all the pieces together so the group functions as one unit.

What I've taken from player development is the attention to detail. Working at Kenny Hatch Basketball has taught me to be more meticulous in how I teach the game. As an AAU coach, I still emphasize those details, but I apply them within the bigger picture of team basketball rather than focusing solely on individual improvement.

Ultimately, it's those little details that can make a big difference.

Tell us the story behind the number four and why it's so meaningful to you.

I actually have a tattoo of the number four.

It's funny because I didn't realize how meaningful the number was to Kenny and Maddy as well. For me, though, it started with my older sister. She wore No. 4 when she played basketball, and she's always been someone I look up to. She introduced me to the game and was the person who really sparked my love for basketball.

I've worn No. 4 because of her ever since. Over time, it has become a symbol that's deeply meaningful in my life. Whenever I see the number four, it makes me smile and reminds me of where my basketball journey began. It's also pretty cool that Kenny and Maddy share that same connection with the number.

What's your favorite player development tip?

Mindset is probably the biggest one.

You can always tell when a player starts getting frustrated. Maybe they're missing shots, their body language changes, or you can see their confidence start to drop. That's when the mental side of the game becomes just as important as the physical side.

I always remind players to take a breath and remember why they're here. You're in the gym to get better. Not every shot is going to go in, and not every rep is going to be perfect.

One of my favorite things to do as a coach is help players flip that mental switch when they start getting down on themselves. Instead of thinking, "I suck" or "I should have made that," we work on changing that inner dialogue.

The gym isn't just where you build physical habits—it's where you build mental habits, too. If you can respond positively to mistakes in practice, you'll be much better equipped to respond the same way in a game.

Lastly, what's a favorite quote or motto that you live by?

My favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11.

To me, it's a reminder that God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. It encourages me to trust His timing, even when I don't fully understand where life is taking me.

That's been especially meaningful during this season of my life. I've caught myself looking too far ahead instead of focusing on the present. This verse reminds me to trust that every opportunity, every challenge and every step is happening for a reason. God is guiding me toward the future He has planned.