Background behind resilient athletes
My goal with individual lessons is to teach the players not only how to become a better athlete but also to equip them with valuable skills and mindset that prepare them for a successful future both on and off the field.
With the brand name Resilient Athletes, it speaks to all athletes and people that know what it is to be resilient and overcome any obstacles to reach a goal. Whether it’s everyday life, intense practices, or focused training sessions, the RA Family fully understands and embraces exactly what it takes to succeed.
With that being said, I am appreciative and thankful for those that have been here since the beginning. For those that are new to Resilient Athletes, I just wanted to provide some background of my baseball experience and how this all came about.
I graduated back in '09 from Edison High School, playing all 4 years at the varsity level. My main position was starting pitcher and also played 1st base and outfield. I took my team to Edison’s first valley championship in 2009 and was the winning pitcher.
From there, I played in Washington at Lower Columbia College while nursing a rotator cuff injury. After a year there I came back to the valley to play for Porterville College putting up good pitching stats becoming 3rd in valley. In between high school and college I have been to many elite camps across a few states gaining the knowledge from former professional players and learning what it takes to play at the next level.
I came up with the name Resilient Athletes because I know first hand what it takes to keep pushing through injuries, not being the biggest player, the strongest, nor having everything handed to you, doing whatever it takes to become better and defying the odds. To this day I continue to Stay Resilient in everyday life also since dealing with a chronic back injury. Working a normal full time job isn’t in the cards anymore so I’m trying to put health well being above everything else. I still have some really bad back days and am thankful of those that are understanding if a health-related issue arises.
I wouldn’t be where I am at now without the help of my wife Amanda and the support from her and our kids. We started throwing different ideas out there when life started changing and once we started this we’re always progressing and improving. As always, more to come! Thank you—Kurt Rathjens