I wasn’t always living that way.
As a young athlete, I had talent. But I struggled to stay consistent in training, commit to schoolwork, and deal with failure on and off the field.
When things didn’t work out, I would tell myself they just weren’t meant to be.
Eventually, I got tired of telling myself that story.
At 21, I decided to bet on myself and took my baseball career to Vincennes University, a junior college in Indiana. That’s where I began studying Ken Ravizza’s work and learning what it meant to compete one moment at a time.
I had the best season of my life. That experience also started a commitment to approaching life one step at a time.
My routines gave me something to trust.
During that season, I began to understand how much my daily commitments mattered: my breathing, my consistent work in the weight room, how I managed my time in the classroom, and how I showed up as a teammate.
My talent hadn’t suddenly changed. I was learning how to give myself a better chance to use it consistently.
Ravizza’s work helped me understand that things were going to go wrong. The question was: what was I going to do when they did?
For years, I let adversity define my experience. I was learning to bring my attention back to my response and what I could do next.
I’ve been working on that for more than a decade. I’m still improving my routines, managing my time, and learning how to be a better teammate and coach.
That work continues every day.
The learning continued beyond baseball.
As an ultramarathon runner, I’ve spent hours learning what happens between my ears when the work gets long and difficult.
Running has taught me about time management, preparation, and how to handle my thoughts when the finish feels far away. There’s a lot to learn about yourself when you spend that much time with your own mind.
Eight years of jiujitsu and earning my purple belt have taught me how to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
No matter how strong, athletic, or experienced you are, somebody can make you feel like a beginner again. You have to stay humble, keep learning, and manage your breathing and emotions while working through a difficult situation.
On the mats, you have to be present.
That practice has helped me through difficult experiences outside training, too. Returning to something I love gives me a place to practice being fully engaged in what’s in front of me, even when life outside the gym feels heavy.
Coaching showed me how many people needed these tools.
I started coaching the mind through baseball.
In a sport filled with failure, I kept meeting players and families who wanted help with the mental approach to the game. They needed ways to reset, build confidence, and keep one difficult moment from taking over the rest of their day.
I knew there was more to teach than “take a deep breath.”
I became a Certified Mental Performance Coach through Brian Cain’s program. I’ve worked with athletes and families, spoken to teams, and taught coaches about the mental side of performance.
That work includes recognizing body language, practicing visualization, improving focus, and learning to understand performance beyond the latest result.
The same needs show up outside sports. Families need ways to respond to challenges together. Businesses need a culture people can commit to. Individuals need help turning goals into daily actions.
That’s why AIM reaches beyond the field.
Why an arrow?
As a bowhunter who has practiced archery for years, I understand how much the arrow itself matters. Its components need to work together and fit the setup you’re using.
That became a way to explain my approach to mental performance.
Preparation, mental skills, habits, confidence, and execution all play a role. The Arrow Framework helps us look at those pieces, understand how they connect, and identify where to begin.
Alongside the Pack Mindset, the Six Laws of Competitive Energy, and the Ten Pillars of Mental Performance, it gives structure to the work we do through AIM.
We start with actions you can actually take.
If following through feels difficult, we make the first step manageable. One routine. One decision. One commitment you can repeat.
The smallest steps are still actions. Small actions, repeated over time, can change the direction of your life.
The person behind AIM.
I’ve helped raise children and watched them grow into young men. I understand the everyday responsibilities that come with caring for a family: getting kids up, helping them eat well, encouraging good choices, and being there through the hard days.
My faith is a major part of who I am and how I approach this work. I believe in caring for the mind, body, and spirit. For me, faith provides direction and shapes how I show up for others.
I respect that people bring different beliefs and experiences to coaching. I want to understand what gives you purpose and help you build a life that reflects it.
Each day, I focus on accomplishing what matters most, staying strong in my faith, and helping people selflessly.
I’m still practicing everything I teach.
Why I built AIM.
I built AIM because I wish someone had helped me understand how worthy I was of truly pursuing my goals.
I want you to feel that way, too.
You can need help and still be capable. You can struggle with consistency and learn how to follow through. You can face setbacks and practice a better response.
My goal is to help you understand what matters to you, develop the skills to pursue it, and keep taking meaningful steps when things get difficult.
If you want to begin that work, join the AIM Newsletter. I share stories, mental skills, and practical ways to apply them in competition and everyday life.
Take AIM, talk soon.
Alex