After my playing career I started coaching at St. Xavier University in Chicago for a few years. During this time it became blatantly evident that many skillful & talented players were getting to the college level, but failing because they could not keep up with the mental demands of the game at that level. Whether it's the College or Pro Level - this is where the mental strength is absolutely necessary and really differentiates players from each other.
Part 2. Solved a problem
I started my own training academy in Chicago and at the same time I started coaching the Youth Teams at Chicago Fire.
While I knew the Mental Game was important, I saw first-hand that even at some of the most respected youth clubs in the country – they were not teaching players how to prepare mentally to play at a high level. They were not providing any tools, no strategies, they weren’t even talking about it in Coaches Meetings.
I began learning everything I could about the Mental Part of the game. I read 100s of books, audiobooks, podcasts, documentaries etc. I studied everything from Psychology, Sports Psychology, Child Development, Parenting, etc. I received my certification in Life Coaching. And I started incorporating what I learned into my training sessions.
The players started getting incredible results and they were attributing their success to the mental lessons and tools that I was providing.
Part 3. Course/coaching hybrid
In order to help as many players and parents as possible I decided to shift my coaching from solely in-person to primarily virtual. I created an interactive virtual program that provides players weekly coaching, exercises that utilize new tools & strategies while continuing to implement previous tools, and weekly on-line sessions with their program coaches.
Soon enough I had over 900 players from 13 different countries who saw the need for Mental Training was essential to their long-term development and wanted help in this area and who were finding great success with my strategies.
Part 4. Keeping the main thing the main thing...and growing my team
Kendra Cox is our Event Coordinator and Head of Marketing. She spearheads the planning and coordination of all our live training events as well as ensures our multiple programs and player results are being seen by those who need it the most. Her unmatched visual design and analytical skills certifies our Company is well represented.
We have Olympic Strength & Performance Coach, Leo Goldman, who helps me with the physical side of our training. His training curriculums come from the same training philosophy as Juventus, the Belgium national team, and other reputable clubs.
So together as a team, we are able to provide these players with the right tools, the right strategies to be able to play professionally and at the National Level.