ABOUT ME

Although I have greatly enjoyed every single one of the clients that I have worked with over the years, there is a particular population I have worked with that just hits differently than all the rest: youth.

This includes: youth athletes, children with disabilities, as well as children who are just looking to be generally healthier and happier. Seeing the joy in their eyes before, during, and after training sessions means everything to me and reminds me that what I do is so much more than just a job to pay the bills.

I have years of experience, both professionally and through volunteer work, working with children within the I/DD population, which has been greatly rewarding as well as helpful for me as a coach. My years working as a former Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) doing applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy have been especially useful for forming strong skills in communicating and giving instructions to children in a manner that is clear and ensures that they truly understand what I am saying to them.

Along with my RBT experience, I also did an internship with the Special Olympics of Colorado (SOCO) for finishing my bachelors degree. Through my time with SOCO, I learned many invaluable lessons and gained many new skills for how to make a difference in the lives of athletes within the I/DD population. Many of these lessons have given me skills that are useful for coaching not just special olympics athletes, but everyone.

For instance, I understand now what some of the key tools are that a coach can use to not just simply communicate with youth effectively, but also be a positive motivator for them as well. By being a strong motivator, I can push young individuals to keep trying their best while also getting into a mindset where they can understand that failing does NOT mean “I’m a failure”. This is an extraordinarily beneficial concept for individuals to learn in their youthful years that I deeply wish I could’ve understood better while I was growing up. I didn’t start to understand this concept until late into my 20s.

Overall, the key message I want to help young minds understand is this: as long as you consistently work on getting just a little bit better everyday, you will succeed.

—James Anderson, CSCS

EDUCATION

United States Sports Academy—B.S.S. Sports Strength and Conditioning (3.75 GPA)

CERTIFICATIONS

—NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

—ACE Certified Personal Trainer

—ACE Youth Fitness Specialist

—ACSM Autism Exercise Specialist

—ACSM/NCHPAD Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer

—NASM Certified Nutrition Coach

—American Red Cross Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED