Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerome Howard.
Jerome, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was first introduced to sports at the age of six when I played for the Lauderhill Lions Little League football team. I would later attend Plantation high school, in Plantation, FL, where I faced the harsh reality of recognizing my skills (or lack thereof). Things that I got away with in optimist sports were no longer able to slide by in this current level of competition. In fact, I would refer to myself as a head-scratcher – one of those guys the coach just throws into a line contemplating if I’d even be worth the time or investment of being invited out to future practices.
I made sure to enroll in many programs, camps, and clinics. Unfortunately, many of those were made for the genetically gifted, setting them up for success while the less gifted and late bloomers would leave feeling embarrassed, betrayed or misunderstood. If that wasn’t bad enough, parents also had to deal with basically being robbed blindly of their money.
There wasn’t a big focus on development in any programs that would meet the client where he/she was and help further develop their performance. I would gain my second experience during my tenure at Prairie View A & M University where the NCAA limits the amount of time student-athletes can interact with position coaches or strength & conditioning coaches. Collegiate coaches had systems in place to work with redshirt guys who would spend their entire freshman year (JEROME, is this right? Red shirts are freshman, right?) developing their strength & skills, while others may focus more or less on other components of their craft.
I graduated in 2015 with a Bachelors of Science in human performance. I would relocate to Pittsburgh, PA in 2016 where Dynamic Performance Development was created. Our goal is to meet our clients where they are to develop their performance while creating the most DYNAMIC version of themselves. In just a few short years, I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with an array of clientele ranging from youth & collegiate athletes to elite professional athletes.
Has it been a smooth road?
As with all, I’ve had my fair share of lessons. Many of those range from money wasted and pointless meetings to poor time mismanagement and instances where my kindness was taken for granted. It has and still is a daily faith walk asking God for wisdom, patience, and discernment in all things. One of my biggest struggles early on was realizing that someone else’s inability to see my vision or gift doesn’t devalue my worth. I believe often we can have an idea or concept we want to do yet we allow friends, family, or even our own self-doubt to delay things; or worse, never acting on them.
There will never be a perfect time, and you don’t have to be perfect to get started. However, when you take one step forward you allow God (or whatever spiritual realm you believe in) to take two steps and so on. Another struggle was dealing with allowing people to bargain or negotiate with rates about services or products. I learned rather quickly that, usually, those type of people are headaches and aren’t worth the investment of your time in the long run.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Dynamic Performance Development story. Tell us more about it.
We are proudest when our abilities are able to meet the clients where they are not only physically prepared but mentally. Many of our clients may have worked with previous professionals, taken online courses or boot camps, but fall into the category of head scratchers and/or later bloomers; they were just a number and forced to fit into someone’s “system” or methodology. Some clients attest to attending sessions numerous times per week for long durations and the previous instructor(s) didn’t know their name or anything about them physically. Exercise is similar to medicine in the sense of one client‘s results to a program may be different, for better or worse, than someone else. A prescription that you take to heal or reduce something may cause an allergic reaction to the next person. Therefore, we must always question and revise things with the client in mind. This governs us a chance to develop the client’s performance with the goal of creating the most DYNAMIC version of themselves.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In the next 5-10 years, I see the fitness industry increasing tremendously. I believe everyone from your general population to elite athletes are starting to understand the importance of wellness. I believe in years prior to not having access or financial means to afford certain equipment, trainers, or memberships was a pitfall for many who didn’t have the fitness background or experience. However, now with social media, online training, and various specialized gyms there’s a home for everyone for who is willing to take the first step.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.triandynamicpd.com
- Email: info.dynamicpd@gmail.com
- Instagram: @dynamic_pd
- Facebook: @dynamicpd
- Twitter: @Dynamic_DPD
Image Credit:
Connor James, Reginald Thorpe
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