Sports Performance Institute of Central Florida is a dream come true (not to be too corny!) — while also being a dream in the making. When I started my journey into Sports Medicine, I wasn’t sure what I would/wanted to do. I knew I wanted to help athletes and learn as much about the human/athletic experience as possible, while working at a job that I truly loved. Fast forward to now and I believe I am doing that, as well as working a job that is molding and changing constantly in a positive direction.
With a lot of hard work and dedication, I received scholarships to play baseball first at a Junior College (Alabama Southern) and then at a Division I (Florida A&M) level during my playing career. Baseball has always been my love and I wanted to throw as hard as I could for as long as I could. I knew that I wanted to play Division I baseball and was lucky enough to live that dream. My career came with some ups and a lot of downs. I had a UCL reconstruction and 2 other surgeries throughout my college career. I also suffered some injuries that did not require surgery but required time off and many bouts of Physical Therapy. All the surgeons who helped me throughout my career were fantastic, top notch surgeons. I was even fortunate enough to have James Andrews perform my UCL reconstruction (he was incredible!) But the surgeons were not the most impactful to me during these times. Instead, it was the Physical Therapists that spent hours with me that I remember the most. Throughout each bout of Physical Therapy, I had great experiences! The time spent and the incredible care I received interested me and drove me to learn more about the profession. When learning about physical therapy, I saw that it allowed the most access to patients/clients with more one-on-one time and impactful opportunities than a physician or personal trainer. I love my work as a Physical Therapist – it is what I was meant to do.
The other side of my career was chasing performance. I was eager to get better or increase velocity/pitchability, leading me to seek many coaches, gurus, specialist…. you name it. I had some very good experiences and some not so good experiences when seeking improvement. The consistent part that I really loved was the drive to be better. Waking up daily with the desire to get one inch closer to my goal…I LIVED for that feeling! When my career ended, I knew that I wanted to help athletes fulfill that desire for improvement in an efficient, safe and effective way. Physical Therapy provided a tremendous knowledge base and allowed access to rehabbing athletes, but I knew I needed something else, to help those looking for more. That is what drove me to seek my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification (CSCS) and it is what drives me today to continue to learn how to improve performance for all athletes at all levels.
Sports Performance Institute of Central Florida is a place where my two loves come together. My goals are to rehab athletes while also providing them an avenue to return from injury at a higher level of performance! This is a place where rehab, strength training and mechanical work aren’t separate entities but are integrated together to achieve the best possible outcome. Sports Performance Institute of Central Florida is a place where athletes come to achieve their goals/potential.
I am very excited for the future. I am appreciative of the support and welcoming that I have received from the Central Florida community and look forward to all the new relationships, friends and athletes that I am able to connect with here at Sports Performance Institute of Central Florida to help them achieve their personal goals!
