When athletes and coaches have opportunities to flourish in their sports, they grow in every area of life. We believe all athletes and coaches should have access to the resources and services that will help them reach their goals.

My new nonprofit organization, Athletic Foundations, Inc. (AFI), will provide the best educational and training support to Alabama’s athletes, coaches, administrators, and athletic trainers.

I have worked in Strength and Conditioning for more than 10 years, and I continue to face the same issues. Strength and conditioning coaches and other fitness professionals enter the field unprepared for interviews and interactions on the training floor. They have few financial resources to obtain the continuing education for the sufficient level of proficiency required for coaches.

In addition, I continue to meet and hear about athletes with great potential who aren’t able to improve through training or education because of lack of funds and resources. This happens too often on the individual and the team levels in middle schools, high schools, and even some smaller colleges.

Our vision is to deliver exceptional and accessible low-cost developmental opportunities for athletes and coaches in the United states and internationally.

Here’s a bit more about AFI:

Athletic Foundations, Inc. Values:

• Help underrepresented college-bound athletes attend training at reduced costs.

• Assist athletes during their transition from high school to college using a holistic approach that addresses academic and personal skill development.

• Provide coaches with cutting-edge instruction so they can meet their athletes’ social and emotional needs.

• Develop coaches through low-cost continuing education classes and advanced credentialing workshops.

Athletic Foundations, Inc. Goals:

• Elevate athletes’ interpersonal skills by maximizing their athletic participation and educational achievement.

• Promote the positive value and benefits of athletics, including teamwork, cooperation, and competition.

• Give as many athletes as possible the opportunities to participate in activities, camps, and professional development outside of their school environments.

• Offer continuing education to coaches and others who desire professional development or additional certification.

I’m in the process of gathering information from coaches, athletic directors, coaches, parents, and students. I’m also pulling together resources to help and service those who are unable to reach their maximum potential because of a lack of financial and educational support. 

Our plan is to onboard athletes first this summer with our inaugural group taking off June 1st of this year. AFI will not be an organization for handouts. I strongly believe in the strength and power of a community, and we are building an AFI community that will make positive changes in the athletic environment. All coaches and athletes that are a part of AFI will belong to this community with higher standards and greater expectations that will go far beyond the classroom, the competition fields, and the level of athletic performance.

I’m having a blast working to make AFI all it can be. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for AFI and the coaches, athletes, and trainers we work with in the coming months.

If you’d like to learn more about AFI or discover some ways you can join us in our efforts, please email me at dj@coachdjtaylor.com.