Momtalk Maryland

What’s Your Why?: Purpose-Built Coaching That Transforms Young Athletes

• Claire Duarte • Season 1 • Episode 26

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What if the missing piece in your child’s sports performance isn’t another drill, but a mindset shift? We sit down with Andrew Simpson, founder of Player's Fitness & Performance, to explore how small group coaching, intentional mentorship, and practical mental skills help young athletes—and their parents—turn pressure into progress. From an 1,800 square foot warehouse to four Maryland locations, Andrew shares the pivotal moment that changed his approach: a parent’s call about a talented athlete who spiraled after one mistake. That story led to a training model where every session begins with a short huddle on core topics like communication, emotional regulation, and resilience, followed by individualized programs that refresh every four weeks.

We unpack the nuts and bolts parents care about: the one-on-one evaluation that sets goals and screens movement, the bounce back routine that teaches kids how to recover fast, and the scheduling that actually fits real life. You’ll hear why adults train mornings, athletes train afternoons, and why the six-to-one group ratio strikes the sweet spot between personalized attention and community. We also dig into hiring and culture—how PFP looks for coaches with a heart to serve and backs it with strong credentials—so families get both science and soul in every session.

The conversation gets practical fast. Andrew offers language that lowers pressure at home, including one sentence that changes everything: “I really love watching you play.” We talk about aligning family calendars with true values, asking better post-game questions like “What did you learn today?” and how meaning-making turns tough losses into fuel. If you want speed, strength, and a calmer mind for your athlete—or for yourself—this is your roadmap to inside-out performance.

If this conversation resonated with you, learn more about Player’s Fitness & Performance and their mission to build confident, purpose-driven young athletes at playersfitnessandperformance.com 🏋️‍♂️✨.

Dive deeper into Andrew Simpson’s work 📚:

These are insightful reads for parents, coaches, and athletes who care about mindset, leadership, and lasting performance 💡💪.

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SPEAKER_01:

Hey friends, and welcome to Mom Talk Maryland. I'm your host, Claire Duarte, founder of the Columbia Mom. And this is your spot for real conversations, local love, and a whole lot of community. Whether you're folding laundry, running errands, or hiding in your car for some peace and quiet, let's dive in. Well, Andrew, you ready to get started?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, let's do it.

SPEAKER_01:

Good. Well, I'm so excited to have you on and frankly learn a little bit more about you and your business. And um after kind of reviewing um your site and seeing some of your pieces, I was like, wow, this is actually a really unique model. And one thing about me that I nerd out on a lot is obviously I love getting to know business's origin stories and kind of how your background, you know, filtered into all of that. Um, but just uh I feel like when I have an understanding of the owner and I've gotten to know like your why and you know, kind of your passions, like not only does it speak to some of the content that we get to create down the road, but I just I don't know. I for some reason origin stories kind of light me up and they kind of excite me. And that's just where I like to get a little bit nerdy, and that's why I'm excited to have you on so we can talk more about it. So um let me hand it off to you, Andrew Simpson. Let's hear, tell me more about yourself.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, well, uh I am married. I'll take you like present and then I'll go back to the origin story. Uh I'm married to a great Italian woman uh named Daniela, and we've got three kiddos: a six-year-old, a three-year-old, and a one-year-old. And every time I say that, the response is uh completely predictable. You're in the thick of it. Wow, you're in the thick of it. I'm like, yeah, that's what it feels like.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. You said I don't, I didn't have to tell you. I didn't have to teach you the one-year-old. I was like a six and three, but as soon as you said one, I was like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh yeah. They're also all three are so different, but uh it's a lot of fun and it's crazy at the same time. So that's like the most important thing. And then the business and the mission that we're on is uh obviously really, really important as well. Started back in 20, it really started back in 2011. I was still in college and I just fell in love with uh fitness and and the human body and training, and then realized that I could do that for athletes, and I got even more excited because I've played sports my entire life, and the idea that I could get paid to stay around sports and train athletes to get bigger, faster, stronger, it was like a win-win-win. Uh, and so opened up my own business in 2014, did not really expect much. I opened it up because there was no other options. The places that I was renting space from kept going out of business, and so it was like a really weird thing where it was like the only option I honestly have is to either go on a new path or open up my own thing. So 2014 opened up an 1800 square foot warehouse, uh, hired three, four people, told them that this thing was gonna be amazing and this, but I in in on the inside, I was like, it's a 12-month lease, and if it doesn't work out, I can go do something else. They didn't know that. Um but anyway, so we had you know 10, 12 clients that started with us in this small warehouse space, training athletes, training some adults, fitness and performance training. And uh in a year it grew to a hundred clients in our first year. And it became apparent um that number one, we had this really unique uh team member, her name is Tanya, who delivered a miraculous customer service experience for people as they were coming in the doors. Yeah, and to me, I was like, I just thought she was just gonna check people in and do some like admin type stuff.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

But she just delivered this amazing greeting and built relationships and connected with people. Um imagine that people want to connect and connect, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Like we're doing here, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Man, and she just did such a great job of that. I firmly believe that was a big part of the reason why we grew to a hundred people because people went out and told people that this is an amazing place. Um, and then the other unique part of our business in those early days was we recognized that fitness and performance and speed and agility, it can make an athlete physically more talented. But if we do not tap into between the ears, if we don't help them with their thinking, uh then it doesn't matter. Uh, we had a mom, I'll never forget it, call me up in those early days, and she was just frantic on the other end of the line. And she was like, My daughter, it's Megan, it happened again. She made one mistake in her volleyball game last night, and she got in her head, and then her body language is awful. Coach pulled her out, and this happens all the time, Andrew. Can you help her? And I was like, man, like I felt honestly like a failure as a coach because here we were claiming to get started. Yeah, because here we were here we were claiming to help athletes reach their full potential. Uh, yet this strong, fast, athletic young lady who played volleyball, she wasn't able to play to her best because she didn't have her mindset right. And so that's where the whole uh genesis of mindset coaching in our business model, which we can talk about as we go, um, that came into play. And so, yeah, that was 10, 11 years ago. And uh now we've got four facilities um in the state of Maryland, and we've got a lot of other stuff going on, just all centered towards trying to help young athletes reach their full potential in sports and life.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my gosh, that's huge. Um and uh I I love hearing that story. And wait, real quick, where did you go to school in Maryland?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I went to uh Frederick County Public School called Brunswick.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh yep.

SPEAKER_01:

Nice. I was like, all right, we got we got our good Maryland roots here. So we can hear that. And was the Frederick location the first one?

SPEAKER_00:

Yep.

SPEAKER_01:

And what are your um obviously we have the Columbia location, which we're obviously talking about with the business as a whole, but what are your so we've got Frederick, we got Columbia, uh Eldersburg in Carroll County, and then Westminster, also in Carroll County.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so you got Frederick Howard and two in Carroll.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, very cool. Yeah, um so um so sorry, going back what year was it that the facility opened again?

SPEAKER_00:

So we opened in 2014.

SPEAKER_01:

2014, and you said it was in that year that you grew to 100.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep, so 20 the end of 2015, we uh we tripled the size of our facility, so we expanded to a much bigger facility. And over COVID, we did that again. So we tripled to seven, we are we're now in Frederick in this 17,000 square foot facility in Frederick. Um, and so that's where I'm actually recording this from.

SPEAKER_01:

Nice, yeah, yeah. Real quick, just because uh again, I I I'm the queen of tangents, but you know, this obviously this talk is not about COVID, but how did a gym um like yours able to not only sustain and survive um uh COVID, but it sounds like you still grew.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Yeah, I mean, we the the initial hit of COVID was, you know, it it affected us um to some extent, but we had such a loyal following, a such a loyal community that um, you know, most a lot of my friends in the industry, like their business, they went out of business for sure. Right and and we were like, oh my gosh, like we knew we were we were coming to the end of our lease right around COVID, 2021. Yeah, and so we knew we were gonna either have to make a move because we were growing so much and take a leap of faith and expand, or you know, we could have stayed put, but that wouldn't have worked out very well. And so I went to my team and I was like, guys, look, like we could either make a big leap and kind of um place our bets on this community and what we're building here, or uh we can stay put, we can downside. We there's a lot of things we could do. What do we want to do? And the entire team was like, we need to go for it. Like, we were on an important mission to change people's lives, and um the community clearly is responding, and so we we did it. We uh we signed a lease over COVID, tripled the size of our facility, and a lot of people said, Don't do it. They were like, Y'all are nuts.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. So we were you granted again. I probably well, we were not we're not staying here in this COVID talk. I just um again, I love getting to know because that just affects like your growth, and that speaks to so much of the mission um and the power of what you guys are doing. So, were you guys doing in-person training, or did you incorporate virtual models? Like, how did you sustain?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we did virtual for maybe three months when we had to. We just we couldn't do we couldn't do in-person stuff, and then as soon as we could get back in person, we trained people outside for like, I don't know, a month or so, brought equipment outside because that was a thing for Jim. Yeah, yeah. And uh yeah, that was it. We just uh we just went with the flow. And we like our our big thing is like you get a beginning and an end to your experience, right? Like you we've got a director of first impressions that greets you by first name, that knows your story, that connects with you beforehand. And uh, you know, so over even over virtual sessions, uh, as people were coming into their workout, you know, virtually, um, you know, we would have people there greeting them, making it fun, making it exciting. So, you know, our tagline is more than just a gym. Yeah, it had to be more than just a virtual workout. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

True. Okay, so now that we've got the origin story and thank you for painting that picture for me. So exactly, because I saw your tagline. So talk to me, so tell me more about the gym per se. What I mean, I obviously I I kind of know what makes you different, but you know, is this a place where people are just signing up for a membership, or is it more based on one-on-one and small group training? Is this more geared towards when you said athletes, like young athletes, like our high schoolers and college students? Tell me more about that whole picture.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep. So it's there's multiple prongs to that answer because our flagship facility here in Frederick, uh, it is so big and we've had it for so long that we pretty much offer everything under the sun here. We've got physical therapy, we've got group training, we've got eight to eleven-year-old uh training, we've got it all at our Columbia location and the future ones, they're smaller. Um, and the primary thing that we are great at is the small group training. So up to six clients, one trainer. Uh, each person gets individualized attention because it is a small group, but you don't pay one-on-one pricing, you pay group pricing, so it drives the cost down. Um, and then yeah, the it's just more personalized, intimate. You know, you you really like everyone knows each other. It's it creates that community element. So those smaller facilities are pretty special. It honestly reminds us of the big facility when we were younger, right? Yep. So small group personal training for athletes and then small group personal training for adults as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Great. And um, so so it's so it's all small group style essentially.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. And um when I guess I'm sure I could obviously go to your website, but I'm just gonna have you tell it to me since we're here. Um I guess speaking to the Columbia location, what are your um class time availabilities for the young adults and adults? Sorry, young children or teens uh and adults.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so the adults are mornings, so in the smaller facilities, it's mornings for adults, and then the evenings are all athletes, and those run from 3 p.m. all the way till 8 p.m.

SPEAKER_01:

No doubt.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um okay, so that makes sense. Is there and the mornings? Well, how early do you guys start?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, great question. I think uh I have a business partner that runs all day-to-day operations and more of like the you, like the relationship. You're sitting up here, right? Yeah, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

Like calling him up.

SPEAKER_00:

Hey, what time did you open?

SPEAKER_01:

That's what I was saying, right?

SPEAKER_00:

I think it's like 5 30 a.m. is our first session. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Right, right, right. Um and they're like hour long, is that right? Hour, yep. Classes. Okay, cool. Um, so one of my questions. So, like, so many of us as moms sign up for our kids for sports, hoping they'll stay active, make friends, have fun. Why is mindset training such an important piece of the puzzle for moms to be thinking about beyond just the physical side of sports? Because, you know, I mean, I was raised in the 90s, and but I'm a good old millennial mom. But that being said, you know, um, obviously I see sports as a fun social component way to stay active, but how can we as moms kind of be looking out for that with our kids?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so when you think about what are my kids' most uh pressing challenges or problems that they're facing, um almost none of them are physical, right? Like on the surface, like, oh, they're not fast enough, they're not strong enough, they don't jump high enough. And those are real things that we solve those problems. But for most parents, when we ask them that question, they say things like the pressure really gets to them, they get so nervous before competition, or uh if they're not perfect or if they make a mistake, they beat themselves up and they get in their head and they get so down on themselves, uh, or uh they struggle with consistency, or you know, all these things that are either behavioral or mindset-related challenges.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Problem is, and I write about it in my first book, The Youth Truth. The problem is we oftentimes try to solve physical problem or mindset-related issues with physical solutions, right? Like, let me just get them a better trainer.

SPEAKER_01:

Let's that's what we're good at. What do we say? You know, into running, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, it's a quicker fix, right? But uh, that's where we really, as a team back in 2016, when I told you that parent called me up frantic about her daughter, and I felt like I really was uh a failure as a coach. Like I realized, wow, like why don't we learn about sports psychology and mindset? And it didn't, it's more than just sports psychology because it's not just sports, but like you know, we have kids that come in, and the first day that they sit down with their coach, they fill out a questionnaire and they fill out things like um there's it's it's self-selecting answers. And so it's like, I struggle with body image, I don't like the way I look. Uh, I struggle with perfectionism. I beat myself up if I don't do perfect. Um, just different, like again, mindset-related challenges that they're facing. And man, like these kids, they're honest too. They they fill it, they fill it out so honestly because the coach leaves the room and so they don't feel like the coach is like breathing.

SPEAKER_01:

I was just gonna ask about that, right?

SPEAKER_00:

It's unbelievable, Claire. Like it's so cool to see these kids like open up about what they're struggling with. Um, I'm stressed, I feel like I can't live up to the expectations, or I'm anxious all the time. Like we they they fill out this questionnaire and it gives us an idea of where they're at. And then it's like it opens the door, it allows us to be able to speak into their life and their challenges because our coaches, like it's not just about training, like this is mentorship. Uh, one in uh one in five kids nowadays has a mentor, which means four out of five kids don't. They don't have that person in their life that truly is trying to understand them and inspire them and coach them. Um, and so it's like we take that responsibility pretty seriously, and we say it all the time like we stand in the gap, right? There's a gap, and kids need that. They need that person, that trusted advisor in their life. So yeah, I don't know how we got on that tangent, but uh it far.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, this is all related, you know. Yeah, and um uh before we keep talking about the classes, um, because I I you've you kind of really mentioned it from the core part of your team. So I'm also curious. Um, when you're either hiring or training your team, what are their credentials outside of I guess just their um physical uh personal trainer certificate? Like, are there are there certain, or are there certain in-house training models that you've implemented to make sure that that's also hitting on this mindset piece that you're talking about?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. From a hiring standpoint, the the number one most important thing that has to be in place, and then the rest is usually trainable. We do look for certain characteristics, someone who's hungry, humble, go get her, all those things. Like we look for those things. But like the number one thing is when they hear about our mission and they hear about a kid who came in and struggled with body image, and then through the coaching and training they got here, they built confidence and they built courage and they no longer struggle with those things. Like when a potential team member hears about the stories of the kids that are in our doors, if it fires them up and makes them excited to serve and and make a difference, we can train you in the rest. Like it's really you got to have a heart to serve, yeah, and and a heart for kids, because not everyone's called to the same mission, you know. Like what what what breaks my heart doesn't necessarily break your heart, you know. You might not you might not like it when you hear about kids getting screamed at by their coach, and no one would, but for some of us, like that breaks our heart, and that's our calling, whereas we all have a different calling in life, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I love that. Well, I love how that aligns, and and then it sounds like what again makes you know your business so unique is is also that additional layer, not just like letting any person uh personal trainer walk in the door, you're then going ahead and training them on um these aspects to because I guess, yeah. So let me answer before I ask my next question.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, no, I think that's an important point. Like we you do prior to us hiring you, like you do have to have some sort of passion for athletic development or fitness because you're not just coming in here to sit down and talk to kids, like the parents are coming and paying for them to get faster, get stronger. And then once they're in here, they realize like, wow, like my kid is getting so much more than just that. And I realize that that's not actually the whole point. The point is the inside out development. So, yeah, the the team members that come on board, they have to definitely like want to learn anatomy and physiology and the mechanics of speed training. Like, they have to have some desire to know those things because yeah, you're not just sitting out talking to people all day.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. Well, I think of it too, like as a mom and any other moms that are listening and digesting this too. Like, if they're gonna sit again, sit here and and pay for their kid to be training or or themselves, you know what I mean? Like I would want to know that um that these individuals, either their credentials or the training that they do in-house, is also what makes um their expertise so much different than if they were gonna go to a small group training over here, blah, blah, blah.

SPEAKER_00:

100%. Yeah. Our mission that we take very seriously and that it informs all of our decisions as a business is to provide a love-powered coaching experience that helps people create results, relationships, and generational transformation. So results are an important part of that. Like we are paid to get people results with their fitness or with their sports performance, and so that's like a must. Like, if you can't do it, yeah, that's a must.

SPEAKER_01:

So now talk me through what um a session or class looks like. Um and um, I mean, it's funny that you say this, and I hope this model, I mean, I want this, well, I say this, I want this model to be obviously so uniquely yours, what it is, but I myself also do some small group style training and um and I and I have fallen in love with it for a kind of that personalized approach that you're kind of speaking to. Um, but I was kind of curious, like, you know, hey what a class sort of looks like, um, uh whether it's for again the um the athletes or the adults. And if like, you know, let's just I don't know if do you sign, do parents sign up their kid for like do you monthly, or do you kind of do like a three, six, twelve? And then are there certain training regimens, or is it kind of like a rinse and repeat monthly? I just kind of curious that aspect of it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So a couple different things there. Um, the first, honestly, is uh last night I just put a Facebook post up uh because Facebook's better for like asking a question and then getting engaged. So I said, uh as a kid, did you have more free time, less free time, or about the same amount of free time that your kids have nowadays? And dozens and dozens of comments. People are like, I had way more free time as a kid than my kid does nowadays. And so it's like the it's funny you ask that question because like it's the hard the thing that we battle with the most. Our only competitor is youth sports, like the amount of sports that consume the kids. Um, so people sign up for, I mean, the reason why I say that is because to answer your question, like our our payments are weekly, like you you pay weekly, and if you need to stop for a week because life gets too busy, you pause for a week, then restart the next week. And and that's just how we've we've done it for a long time, and we've considered like contracts and and we're exploring what that looks like, but we'll always have like that flexible option. Yeah, and uh the average kid, uh it depends on if they're in season or not, but the average kid throughout the year trains twice uh a week and they'll train uh nine months out of the year, right? Usually most kids have like one sports season that is like insanely busy where they're not even gonna be able to get in once a week, but usually it's twice a week, they'll drop down to one, maybe go up to three over summer. Uh adults are a lot more flexible, it's crazy. Like the average adult trains three days a week at PFB. If you look at like our numbers and whatnot, the average adult trains three days a week, the average kid trains one day or uh two days a week. So yeah, that's how that works. Um, and then the session, the way it looks, it's really cool. Like we've kind of uh perfected this model over the years for the athletes and adults, it's similar, but for the athletes, they come into their session, they sit down with the coach as soon as the session starts, and we huddle them up and we deliver what's called a motivational message, which is a quick three to five minute uh message that addresses one of the 12 most important topics that every kid needs to improve in, or every parent wants their kid to improve in. Communication and leadership, uh, mindset and how to get out of your head, how to manage your emotions and frustrations better. Um, so on and so forth. There's there's a ton of different uh messages that we deliver. Some are stories, some are analogies, some are writing exercises. And so the first uh five to uh it's about five to seven minutes actually of the session is that. Um, and there's some good engagement and good interaction. And then the kids get up, they do a warm-up together, they do speed and agility as a group because we found that in groups they push themselves a little more. There's some competition, there's some fun, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

No one wants to do that solo.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh-huh. Yep. And then uh after that, the next 40, 45 minutes, they grab their own program and they start to work through those exercises that were created for them. Um, and the coach is right there, kind of guiding them, pushing them, challenging them, uh, correcting them if their form needs correction. And then at the end, everybody ends with a big finish. And so it's something that's gonna kind of push you uh past that extra rep. Um, or maybe your athlete is in season and they need some more recovery at the end, and so it'll be a customized kind of recovery routine. Uh, but that's essentially the session for the athlete. For the adult, the only difference is that huddle in the beginning, it's not necessarily a motivational message, although there is usually something encouraging there. The adults we found, they really want to connect with each other, right? So, like we'll ask a question, get the group to connect, again, build community, build relationship, uh, and then get into that warm-up, that workout, and the big finish.

SPEAKER_01:

Nice.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep.

SPEAKER_01:

Then tell me, I mean, obviously, we're not giving away all the gems and the jewels here, but um, you mentioned that after, at least definitely for the athletes too, that like once they get through that initial warm-up, um, then they kind of pick up their own um their program. The coach is sort of monitoring them and all of that. How does that work essentially? I mean, you did mention that I think when they started, they have a questionnaire that they fill out, or or maybe just walk me through, I guess, maybe that onboarding like what that process looks like, um, and then what that plan then looks like.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep. So everyone starts out with a one-on-one evaluation. Um and again, it looks a little different for athletes versus adults, but essentially it's to help the athlete or the adult get comfortable, get confident, and get clear about where they're headed, why they want what they want, their goal, um, what's your why is a big tagline for us, and then build a plan to get it. And so, in that session, um, that one-on-one, we're also gonna assess how's your squat form, how's your core strength, how's your speed and agility. If it's an adult, maybe we're not doing speed and agility, but some version of that, because that's important for adults too. And so, yeah, we gather a lot of information in that assessment, and then we craft a plan based on that assessment. 75 to 80 percent of what everyone needs is very similar. Um, you know, if you're someone who wants to lose weight and and build lean muscle, like you know, your workout selection doesn't need to be completely unique necessarily, but there are little things that you might have. Like, let's say you get lower back pain in the morning, and we might need to emphasize a different type of a core exercise for you than somebody else, right? So, yeah, that's and the load.

SPEAKER_01:

Obviously, that's easy to just you can kind of take this same plan and just the loading will just look a little different.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you know, for the for since you have a lot of moms that listen to this, what we found, man, all these moms that come into PFP, all of them across all locations, they all want to be able to do a chin up. So it's like that's the goal. All these moms, we're like gonna push them and keep helping them until they do their chin up.

SPEAKER_01:

I've actually asked my trainer about that. I was like, should we be like doing this more? But um, for a while, like a camp or a pull-up or something like that. I mean, don't ask me to do one. I would probably cry.

SPEAKER_00:

Um first one's the hardest.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Once you get one, then you'll be able to do five before the end of the next two months.

SPEAKER_01:

Actually, wait, I feel like I've heard that too. It's like once you do that. Um but um and then questions. So one and then oh, sorry, two questions. The initial assessment is that like a verbal, all kind of like a verbal with the questionnaire, or are you doing any physical assessments?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so so to give you like the exact script for the the one-on-one, one hour uh evaluation consultation, uh the first five to seven minutes is get to know you, connect, learn about you, what are your likes, what are your dislikes. Um, you know, for an athlete, it's like you like video games? Cool, let's talk about the video games you like. Yeah, build a bridge of trust. Yeah, and then we give them that questionnaire that they fill out, and so they select a step back, yeah, they self-identify with those areas. That's about five minutes.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh, then we teach them something called the bounce back routine. It's a way to bounce back from mistakes quickly. So it's a sports psychology technique we teach every athlete. And then we get them out on the workout floor and do an injury injury prevention screening, uh, speed and agility testing, um, strength testing, kind of get the baseline numbers for where they're at today. And then if there's time, we usually take them through like an actual kind of metabolic workout to yeah. So you leave, everyone wants to leave their first session feeling like they accomplished something. So yeah, and that's for both athletes and adults.

SPEAKER_01:

No, thank you for, and again, I mean, obviously this helps me to understand it, but I want anybody else that's like listening and to, you know, if they take anything away from this, they can know what to expect, what it's like is again it's not just like, hey, I'm gonna go online, sign up, and just walk in, right? Like this is and and even knowing the depth in which you go in this initial assessment, like, you know, I love that you mentioned, I mean, I've it doesn't take much for me to build trust with someone like me, but my child will definitely need a lot more of that, you know what I mean? Um, to build trust with another um, you know, adult mentee, you know what I mean? So I think those are really core elements of that. And um, I'm kind of loving that. And then again, from the adult, I'm like, I'm actually loving that you're also taking the time to do the physical assessments because I would want to know that my program is obviously tailored to me, but that you um are kind of assessing really who who I am and factoring that in.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And then for that program specific, whether again, whether it's the athlete or the adult, is that plan just kind of like does those do those exercise exercises look the same each week, each month? Is it do you kind of operate on like a eight, 12-week sort of model that kind of grows and builds? Or I'm just curious what that ends up looking like.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I mean, progression is the goal. So every time you get a new program, we're gonna make it a little bit different, chat more challenging. So you keep making progress. Uh, but every four weeks your program changes.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, that's the part I was curious about.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

You don't need to give away the whole thing. I was just kind of like, you know, do you are, you know, are they just doing the same? Obviously, progression, you know, you and there's so many, you know, this, there's so many different ways to progress, not always just increasing weight. Sometimes it's the um the form um in which, you know, or the mode in which how you're doing it. Um, I mean, my trainers get on me all the time. Well, like, I'll give you one example. Like, I hate hamstrings, anything. Ironically, I'm I'm definitely like a uh a lower body strength gal. Um and I say all my weight or all my strength is in my legs. Um, but I anyways, my trainer like will always make me do like the one-legged um what bridges and things like that. And he's like, you can do a two-legged, but he's like, I'm gonna make sure you have to do it one-legged. And I was like, Oh, I don't want to. Yeah. Um, so anyways, progression definitely different ways, but that's cool. So, you know, if you again, whether you're an adult or an athlete, uh progression, I think, in my brain is assumed because it's just naturally going to happen, but knowing that you know your plan is still kind of always adjusting on that monthly kind of basis, which that's pretty cool to know, too.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, 100%. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Um and so a lot of moms see their kids freeze up. Well, and I feel like a lot of us, whether it's you know, kids on the field or at home, right, um, get discouraged, or you see their kids get discouraged or want to quit when things get hard. From your perspective, what's the most effective way a mom or com parent can help their child navigate these moments without piling on extra pressure?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I mean asking questions is really important. So that's just that's broad, and we could go, we could spend a lot of time on that, and I could talk about that forever.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, but asking questions, uh, using the right phrases that don't add pressure. Like the best phrase I ever tell a sports parent to tell their kid is, I really love watching you play. Right? Like, I really love watching you play. Instead of like, hey, what happened in the game today? Hey, why didn't you do this? Hey, it looks like you forgot to do this. When we give reminders or post-game critiques, um, it it definitely does add to the pressure because for most kids, the person that they want to make the most proud in their life, I could just ask you the question, right? Growing up, who did you want to make the most proud in your life?

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00:

Parents and coaches, right? Parents and coaches. And so this applies to coaches too. Um, yeah, so like it's like at the end of a game, if you just adopt that one thing from this um podcast, is like, I really love watching you play. It's like that's all your kid needs to hear, right? Uh, but uh the deeper, longer answer, oh, I won't give the long answer, but the deeper part of it is the meaning that we attach to an experience we have. Um, you know, we have an experience in sports, we mess up or we have a bad game, and then the the meaning that our brain assigns to that experience is the very next thing that happens. And oftentimes, kids, even adults, we don't know that we could change the meaning. And if you change the meaning, it changes everything, right? Like, does this mean that it's over for me and that I'm never gonna live up to the expectations people have for me? Or does this mean that I'm learning and growing and I'm gonna bounce back and I'm gonna become better and stronger because of this? Like, meaning is everything. We we really try to be meaning makers as coaches and help people change the meanings by asking them questions like, okay, like you're discouraged about that experience and you feel like a loser, but what else could this mean?

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

You have someone in your life that asks you a question that makes you stop and like rethink things. And I mean, that's that's that's powerful. So that's what our coaches try to do, especially with these athletes, because you're right, like failures, setbacks, yeah, tough losses, mistakes, they could really like shape a kid, especially if they feel a deep sense of embarrassment afterwards. Or yeah, we could go on and on and on about that. I know it's the whole obviously, and this is not even a sales pitch, but I've got a lot of books for that, so you can like share those.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Well, I was gonna say we will make sure. Um we have a show notes recap. We will make sure to link all of those in there for you to take a look at because I know you've got a lot of extensive material um that I think I might myself want to get just to have it for myself, but also for my kids too. Definitely. Um one kind of last question that kind of also goes along with the last one I just said there. But um, what is one thing that you wish parents either said or did more of? If there was like other than you know, I do love what you just said. Like, I love watching you play, but what if is there is there just what's one thing you're like, gosh, I just wish this happened more at home? Or parents did more of blank?

SPEAKER_00:

I'll give two quick ones. The first one just is comes from a meeting that I was just having with my team. Uh, I think parents, uh they and I I am I I'm in this right now, so I get how easy it is. Like, it's so easy for parents to lose control of their kids' schedule and just like look up and say, like, my kid has no free time, they're so booked to the nines with all these club teams and practices and skills coaches and all these things, and like just remember that like you can change that.

SPEAKER_01:

Like, you can you can we can change that.

SPEAKER_00:

It depends on how old your kid is, I guess. But yeah, you you could change that. And so a lot uh along with that is I wish more parents spent more time really thinking about what they value most as a family and what they value most for their kids, and then do two things. Number one, make sure schedules and what you spend money on and what you pay attention to the most and what you give the most energy to, make sure that it lines up with what you value most. And then the second thing, and this is super practical for parents, the questions that we ask teach our kids what we do value the most. And so the perfect example is if you're think about like what is the most important thing you want your kid to get out of sports. Just like think about what is that for you? Is it uh that they have fun? Okay, if that is the most important thing that you want your kid to get out of sports, what do you think the question that you could ask your kid is after a game or after a practice? If that's what you value most, right, you should ask the question, did you have fun? If you want them to learn from sports, and and learning and growing is the most important thing, the question you should start asking is, what did you learn today? Right?

SPEAKER_01:

Like my mind is blown right now.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm telling you, but but the question that we always ask, and we don't even think about it, is how did you do today or how was the game today? And it implies that performance and results are what matter most, and no wonder why our kids start striving or get more stressed when they aren't achieving it. So I I've talked with way too many parents to know like that most parents they're not intentionally putting pressure on their kids. No, of course not. Intentionally, uh yeah, but but this is something to be intentional about because the questions that we ask always, always, always point towards what we value most.

SPEAKER_01:

So that is hopefully that's helpful. Oh my gosh. Well, again, I that one line could be its own podcast, and I feel like I'm gonna send this to my husband and be like, we need to rethink our whole parenting strategy because it's always everything. But um, and that's why I asked that question because again, I think, you know, again, being kind of millennial parents, right? You know, and I'm also the kid. I mean, it's funny, I in a way, I do feel like I had um more time as a kid, but I also I'm one of five, and I also think that my schedule was clocked. But I had four brothers and sisters, so my mom was like, Y'all are getting out the house, and y'all are doing everything. Um, but interestingly enough, for me is I was like, okay, I don't want our kids to do everything. I want us to have a little bit of breathing room. Um that will that will ramp up and change as they get older, but yeah, yeah, I appreciate it. Um anyways, we could probably sit here talking for a whole nother two more hours. But Andrew, thank you so much for your time. Um, I feel like we just scraped the surface of the amazing power that you guys are doing here in Columbia with your business, with your team. And frankly, these athletes, I mean, that just makes my heart literally sing to know that these are the kinds of messages that we are valuing to push um for our children because these are the mindsets that we want them to carry, not just in sports, but for life. Um, and I do believe that it starts there. Um, so what um where how can parents get involved? How can they get started? Um, you know, obviously the fall scenes upon us, but what how can they um uh get linked to to move forward?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so pfpfit.com is our website, pftfit.com. Um we're all over social media, so players, fitness, and performance. We've got a different Instagram for each location. So PFP underscore Columbia. You can look at that. Um, and then to learn more about like the mindset stuff, um, you go to andrewjyssimpson.com for that.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, excellent. And we will link both of those on our show notes um page where you can get all of the recap details from this podcast. Um, obviously going to PFP and like I said, um your mindset um books and all those pieces, and then obviously to when to go into PFP is where you can all I'm assuming to schedule that initial consult and everything.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. Well, thank you so much for your time today, Andrew. Um, I'm now gonna have to come out and check out a class and and visit the Columbia location because this has me all kinds of jazz stuff.

SPEAKER_00:

Hey, that'd be fun.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Well, thank you so much for your time today, and uh look forward to seeing you soon.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks, Claire.

SPEAKER_01:

Thanks. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Mom Talk Maryland. If you loved it, leave a review, share it with a friend, or tag me at the.columbia mom on Instagram. I'd love to hear what you think. And don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep showing up, keep supporting local, and keep being the incredible mom, woman, human that you are.