In August of 2013, I was driving up to my dad’s house in Pennsylvania and it was a car ride that would change the direction of my life. I get a lot of thinking done on long car rides and, on this one, I was contemplating what to do with my life. I was soaking in the last bits of summer before another high school football season was to begin, and I didn’t know how much more I had left in me.
At this time, the newspaper business was a six-to-seven day a week grind and it was grind that I loved. But, that love was fading away because most of the friends I made along the way that made the grind more bearable were gone. They either moved on to another field or were let go. I was 27 and went from one of the youngest guys in the building to one of the most tenured. The hours will increase, but the pay won’t. In newspapers, you’re just a number. Whether you work hard or not, if you’re next on the list to go, you’re gone.
During this car ride, I had to be an adult and figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Growing up there were only two jobs I ever considered: being a sportswriter or a special education teacher. Now that I realized writing wasn’t going to cut it, I had to figure out a way to get into the school system. Fortunately, I was able to.
Then, the thought of becoming a trainer came into my mind. I started looking online for training information in 2010 when I got badly out of shape and would constantly scour the web looking for ways to train to get stronger and be more athletic. I was always reading things online when I had the chance and always looking for the right coaches to follow. I’d try sharing what I found with other people, but nobody cared.
I figured that since I liked reading and learning about training so much, I should try to pursue it. I had no idea how to get into becoming a trainer and didn’t even know it was possible. It’s crazy looking back at it now, but I thought there was this huge barrier to entry. By the end of my car ride, I decided I was going to dive deeper into it.
The next week, I went into my gym and decided to ask John Errichello if it was possible. John ran the training business at the gym, and I’ve known John since I was in high school. I was nervous to ask because I didn’t want to come off as disrespectful thinking that anyone could become a trainer. John is just a genuinely nice person and has always been good to my family so I knew he wouldn’t steer me wrong.
While most people would try to shut you down, John was helpful and told me I could become a trainer and that I’d actually be good at it. John said he would help me get in, I just needed to get certified. He said a good certification to start off with would be through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He would help me with the studying along the way and, at the gym, took time to go over and answer any questions I had about training people.
I wound up studying the textbook every night when I got home from work. I’d get home around 1-to-2 a.m. and would read for about an hour or two each night. Outside of weekends, I didn’t have to get up early, so it wasn’t a problem. I was used to going to bed when the sun came out anyway.
The work paid off and I passed my training exam. On February 7, 2014, I was officially a certified trainer. I had no idea what the future would hold.