AJ Middleton is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Seattle Prep High School, but to me, he’s much more than just a title. I first met AJ during our time at the University of Washington, where he was not only a coach but also the driving force behind the internship program. It was in that setting that I had the privilege to learn directly under his guidance.

AJ shaped a huge part of my coaching foundation. His mentorship went beyond just sets and reps—he taught me how to think critically, communicate effectively, and lead with intent. A lot of how I approach coaching today—my systems, standards, and even the way I handle athlete development—can be traced back to what I learned from AJ in those early days.

Having him on the podcast was not only a full-circle moment, but a reminder of how impactful great mentorship can be. If you’re a young coach looking to learn from someone who genuinely invests in people, AJ’s someone you want in your corner.

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

Coach AJ:

Instagram - @coach_aj_middleton

Manny Silveira:

Instagram -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.primitiveathletix.com