Meet ATH-Allen Athletic Performance Director Brock Christopher

“Big things are accomplished only through the perfection of minor details.” – John Wooden 

Can you recall a time you made an impact on an athlete? How did it make you feel?

Yes, I think over the last 12 years there have been many of those instances and I love the experience of helping people achieve what they find the most important. My goal in this profession has always been to impact lives. Whether it is helping a youth athlete gain confidence by learning how to move better, helping adults alleviate discomfort and have newfound energy to do the things they love, or helping a professional athlete in some small way do their job better – I honestly can’t think of a better feeling. We live in our bodies 24/7 and 365 days a year and if I can help optimize and improve that daily experience, I can’t think of anything more worthwhile.

What motivated you to become an ATH coach? 

Honestly, my mom always wanted me to be a doctor. I come from a family line of nurses, medical researchers, and doctors and since I always enjoyed the academic process, it was pretty much decided since I was in diapers that I would be in the medical field. Post-graduating from Pepperdine, I had the opportunity to work in a Sports Therapy and Performance clinic and I fell in love with proactive health and wellness. A proactive approach towards one’s health always made more sense to me than the reactive model that really has been espoused since the beginning of healthcare. While I was talking to our Vice President of Performance and Sports Science, Micheál Cahill, I fell in love with the company’s ethos and vision. ATH has a commitment to education, proactive health and wellness, healthcare integration, and both human and sports performance. I am not sure that I have ever felt more at home this early in a business venture. Plus, I have some of the most humble and accomplished colleagues that I can’t wait to wake up and work with to fulfill our company’s mission.

What is one piece of advice you would give athletes trying to excel to the next level?

I think this answer is two-fold. First and foremost, have an appetite for growing, learning, and getting out of your comfort zone. As has been proven by science over the years, our skills are not finite and youth athletes, especially, can get bigger, faster, stronger, and move with greater proficiency if they are willing to learn and expose themselves to different sports, training opportunities, and fitness activities. While everyone has a genetic ceiling, most people never scratch the surface of what they are capable of. The ones that do, have an appetite for learning and self-improvement. If you instill that mentality from a young age you will not believe what you can do and where you can go. 

Second, I would say become familiar with the details that go hand-in-hand with success. While your talent can take you a long way, the athletes that have the best and longest careers often do the simple things really, really well. If you are an injured athlete, attack your rehab process like you would a game. Take your sleep and nutrition seriously. If you listen to successful people, you will find a common thread of being excellent at all the small details that go hand-in-hand with success. 

Where did you go to school and get your training?

I’m not ashamed to say that I got my Sports Medicine degree on the beaches of Malibu at Pepperdine University. While I’m still paying for it to this day, it was a wonderful experience and an excellent education. Go Waves! 

As far as my training, I have always been put in work situations where I haven’t had as much time to solely focus on my craft. Almost everything that I have done in this line of work has required me to engage with business as much as Human Performance. I am grateful for that because my whole career has been built on problem-solving and working to create a great performance product from very few resources. I’ve made lots of mistakes along the way but I have come to pride myself on being a bit of a swiss army knife in this industry. I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way! 

What is a quote or phrase you live by?

I am not a huge quote guy but when it comes to excellent quotes, it usually comes from the mouth of UCLA’s legendary coach, John Wooden. But since I live and die by the idea that success hinges on important details, I would have to say that this quote by Wooden sums up my mantra in a nice and concise way. “Big things are accomplished only through the perfection of minor details.” – John Wooden 

How do you spend your time outside of ATH?

I have two beautiful nieces and two strapping nephews. One of the biggest perks of moving back to Texas is getting to be in their lives again. So if you don’t find me with family, I am probably hanging out with my dog. I’ve always been fortunate to travel for work and this has developed the love of exploring different cultures and meeting different people. This pandemic has been tough because I need to scratch my travel itch again! 

Who has impacted your coaching career?

Man, this is a really tough question for me on a lot of different fronts. I have always craved a mentor but never really had the opportunity to be the mentee because I have had to grow my business ventures fast and I’ve never been able to just sit back and learn. With that being said, I have had lots of people impact me throughout my career and there would be no way that I would have survived 12 years in this industry without them. The first that comes to my mind is a guy named Russ Orr, who was my first boss at EXOS. Almost all of my opportunities inside the company came from him championing me and I am so genuinely grateful for him. He is also an excellent leader and an absolute machine at getting work done, so I have definitely tried to model his approach in my work. This is also a very tough career path and I would be remiss not to mention the support of my amazing parents. Zero chance that I would be in this line of work without them.

What was the biggest game-changer in your career?

The biggest game-changer in my career was when Michael Johnson Performance chose to send me to England to open their first international location. It was a huge blessing to go overseas and the amount of growth experienced from being exposed to a new culture, a new approach to Human Performance and being exposed to Sports Science for the first time, and having to pretty much run every aspect of the business on my own – it was definitely a pivotal moment in my career. If a coach has the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone and travel to a foreign country, I highly recommend it. 

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?

I am so excited to be a part of ATH and grow with the company. Culture always permeates from the top and Micheál Cahill has personified our ethos from the start. We are humble, hard-working, and ready to roll up our sleeves and make a big impact in Texas, on the industry, and in healthcare.

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