Santa Cruz trainer Joey Wolfe opens Paradigm Sport

Joey-headshotWEB

Joey Wolfe is a man with a passion for helping others reach their potential. A former professional baseball player, Wolfe has now switched his focus to training some of the top outdoor athletes in the world at his brand new facility.

His current client list includes professional surfers like Nat Young, Ratboy, and Peter Mel, as well as mountain bike legends Cameron and Tyler McCaul. If you drew the connection between these athletes and the city of Santa Cruz you are right. Wolfe is the trainer of choice for many of the top and emerging outdoor athletes from the Santa Cruz area.

In June, Joey opened Paradigm Sport, an 8000 square foot facility on the west side of town, near Costco. An ambitious undertaking in an area with more health clubs, gyms, and training facilities per square mile than just about anywhere else, Paradigm is already busy with clients looking to perform better in a variety of disciplines.

Tyler McCaul goes very big at the 2013 Red Bull Rampage (Ian Collins)

Tyler McCaul goes very big at the 2013 Red Bull Rampage (Ian Collins)

This early success can be attributed to Joeyโ€™s unique approach to training for physical performance in high-pressure situations. Years spent toiling away on college and minor league baseball teams taught Joey that the right physical and mental training is key to performing well.

According to Joey, successful baseball players learn that mental toughness coupled with a drive to secure any and all advantages through relentless training is the secret to high performance. Apparently this hard working approach carries over very well to outdoor sports like big wave surfing and freestyle mountain biking.

Nat Young feeling the burn (Chachi)

Nat Young feeling the burn (Chachi)

โ€œBefore I met Joey Wolfe, I had never done any off the bike training. Since I started training with Joey, not only do I feel stronger on the bike, I also feel more confident knowing that my body will be able sustain a hard crash better than before,โ€ said longtime client Tyler McCaul.

Perhaps Joeyโ€™s best-known client is Nat Young, a professional surfer whose career has seen a meteoric rise since he has been working with Joey. An enthusiastic supporter of Joeyโ€™s methods, he remarked that, โ€œI have been working with Joey for four years and I feel stronger and more flexible than ever.โ€

The hard work pays off for Nat Young (Nelly)

The hard work pays off for Nat Young (Nelly)

When asked why he thought a baseball mentality would be such an effective coaching tool for training outdoor athletes, Joey had to pause and think for a bit. โ€œI donโ€™t know if it is so much a โ€˜baseball mentalityโ€™ as it is a yearning to be the best you are capable of becoming. Regardless of the chosen discipline, to compete at the highest level most athletes have some distinct commonalities. First, they must have a desire to be the absolute best that they can be at their sport. Next, they have an unwavering focus and are willing to do whatever it takes to get to the highest level possible. Lastly, they are committed to the process it takes to get them where they want to go.โ€

People hire a trainer because they need help reaching their potential. Everyone knows this requires a committment to hard physical toil, but thatโ€บs only half of the equation. The tricky part is the mental side and bringing both together is where Joey shines. Whether working with young up and coming little leaguers or the next up and coming pro surfer, the reward for Joey Wolfe is watching all the hard work pay off.

For information on private training programs, baseball camps, private baseball training, after school programs or any other programs offered at Paradigm Sport check out paradigmsport.com.