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You are about to take part in an epic journey.  A journey that will solidify your evolution as an athlete.  As a former aspiring athlete, I have often wondered what piece of the puzzle was missing in my failed transition from average ability to exceptional ability.  I had dreams of going pro in every sport that I participated in, and I certainly had the potential.  I was tall and lanky, at 6 foot 6 inches and 225lbs, had decent speed and once could jump high enough to pull off a 360 degree dunk.  So what was lacking.  One word….

Support

Looking back on my years as an athlete, I can honestly say that support was the biggest piece of the puzzle that was missing.  Support encompasses so many factors when it comes to athletics, but little was found in the sports community where I grew up.  I remember my mother didn’t want me to play sports in seventh grade and I was cut from the football team in the eighth grade. 

 

I remember when I finally made a sports team, I found myself walking home from practice several times.  I had coaches who really didn’t have a clue on how to cultivate an athlete.  I played basketball three years straight and no one even took the time to teach me how to dribble.  As a 15-17 year old kid, I was young and dumb and entrusted in my coaches to do the job of making me a great athlete, the best my town has ever seen.  Boy was I wrong.  Fifteen+ years later, I realize becoming a great athlete is largely due to your own drive, determination, and perseverance.  Support, however, is the deciding factor for someone, like me, who is clueless to what it takes to be great.  That is the sole reason why Certified Athlete was created.

EducationEncouragement = Excellence

Certified Athlete hearkens to the player who needs guidance and is not getting it, the teammate who doesn’t get the personalized attention he needs, and the athlete that needs a little extra inspiration.  While also serving the exceptional players, our pledge is to Educate and Encourage our site members so that through hard work and determination, they can achieve excellence.

All are Welcome

Certified Athlete is for everyone.  There is a place here for anyone of any age or ability level.  Our sole purpose is to

Get Better.

Stay Tuned

We have some great things planned for this community, so please sign up and join today.  You will be a part of something special.


May 31st, 2011 by

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ALS is a debilitating disease characterized by progressive weakness and muscle atrophy in limbs and vital organs.  Recent research has linked the possible development of ALS with activities that have increased incidence of head trauma such as full contact athletics.  This post is an attempt to provide an unabridged list of coaches, athletes and former athletes, living or dead, that have suffered the effects of this monstrous disease.  (more…)


February 14th, 2014 by

One of the hottest topics of the next few weeks will undoubtedly be the statements made in the following video:

 

 
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January 19th, 2014 by

The concept of wearable art has intrigued me every since I saw an impressive collection of hand painted shirts over ten years ago.  The artist was Jason Ford of www.nosajauthentics.com.  We were both students at East Carolina University at the time.   His superior artistic ability made his works actually come to life on a wearable cloth canvas.  Inspired, I also started to paint these types shirts for my personal use and for friends.
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January 11th, 2014 by

Since moving to Houston over two years ago, I have noticed one thing.  Don’t talk trash about the Texans!  Despite the terrible season the Texans had this year, there are definitely some die-hard fans down here.

 
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January 5th, 2014 by

 

Before the infamous “Decision”  of 2010, I was inspired to paint this shirt depicting two men who have embodied the future of NBA Basketball.  My goal was to catch two competitors of equal caliber matching up against each other and perhaps sharing a little trash talk before the next play.

 

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January 2nd, 2014 by

 

How bad do you want it?  Do you want it so bad that you cant sleep?  Do you want it so bad that you cant breathe? Watch this inspirational video.


January 5th, 2012 by