So many of us became strength and conditioning coaches because our hearts were broken because of sports. Whether it was due to an injury or our careers running out, we became lost, with nowhere to go next, trying to put together the pieces of what was left of our existences. Somehow we were introduced to the weight room, then we were led down a path of formal education, acquiring a degree that gave us the necessary background to understand the mechanisms that go into becoming an athlete.

Athletic Foundations Inc is excited to offer the inaugural AFI Elite Camp this summer for Blockout Academy Varsity Elite athletes. Members of this group are a part of the exciting launch of AFI’s mission and vision. They are laying the foundation for girls who want to excel as athletes and make a positive impact in their communities and beyond. We are so thankful for everyone participating in this first AFI Elite Camp.

We are happy to feature this guest post contributed by Coach Daniel Heller, a new regular contributor here at coachdjtaylor.com. We’re excited to introduce you to him and share his knowledge and skills with our readers! Please read more about Coach Daniel below. You can also connect with him on Instagram at @coach_danielh.

I’ve benefitted in many ways from creative thinking. Being curious and open to innovation has helped me develop new ways to coach athletes, run a business, and form a non-profit. This post includes some habits that have nurtured my creativity. I hope they do the same for you!

As a coach, a business owner, and a founder of a new nonprofit, I’ve experienced all kinds of setbacks and obstacles that required me to have a whole lot of grit. Life isn’t perfect. Things will never go 100% smoothly. So when we face difficulty while trying to reach our coaching, athletic, and other work goals, we need to remind ourselves that this is another opportunity to grow and persevere.

One thing I do that really helps keep my week on track is preparing my food at the beginning of every week. Preparing my food for the week not only keeps my nutrition in line, but also helps me remain more consistent in other parts of my day-to-day rhythms and routine. I’ve tried a few meal prep options over the years and here are a few things I’ve discovered:

In this post, I more details about how this goals and purposes exercise unfolded in case other coaches want to do a similar exercise. If you decide use any of the prompts or reminders included here, let me know how it goes!

If you don’t have a purpose, there’s no common goal. If you don’t agree on your common goal, there’s not going be a purpose. So for me to really help these athletes continue to grow, I need them to discover their purpose with regard to their training goals.