Discover the drive behind Johnston County's athletic progress with Alyssa Hellman of Dynamic Performance Training and the Greater Cleveland Athletic Association. Join us for an energizing episode with host Jonathan Breeden on the Best of Johnston County Podcast.

Um, And I thought they were kidding for a while. And so I asked my cousin who's living there. I said, you know, I need a job. He was working for the patent and trademark office. And he connected me with his actual real estate agent. At the time, I worked as her assistant for about a year and then got my license and What I realized is it was something I was great at but not something that really, like, ignited my passion and that I loved.

Jonathan Breeden: Hello and welcome to another episode of the best of Johnson County podcast. And I'm your host Jonathan Breeden.

And today we have a special guest with us, Alyssa Hellman, and she owns Dynamic performance training and she also runs the basketball program for the Greater Cleveland Athletic Association So we're happy to have her here where we talk a little bit about physical training We talk a little bit about Greater Cleveland Athletic Association.

We talk a little bit about Johnston County I've been looking forward to this since we were able to get her scheduled a few weeks ago. Welcome to the program

Alyssa Heilman: Thank you for having me

you do.

Alyssa Heilman: Sure. So I'm Alyssa Heilman I've run a company called Dynamic Performance Training which is an athletic performance training company focused on youth athletes.

So we train athletes from ages about seven years old all the way up to college athletes.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay. And what kind of training do y'all provide?

Alyssa Heilman: Sure. So everything from hand eye coordination to speed and agility to strength conditioning. Really, most athletes come to us some with sports specific goals. Some just with, hey, they need to be faster, whatever their goals are, then we uniquely tailor a program to them to help them achieve whatever those goals may

be.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay, so what are some of the exercises that you have them do to try to. Get faster. That's always the one that everybody wants to be faster.

So your parents teach you how to walk, but then everybody's so excited that you're walking, that nobody teaches you anything else and you just. Learn how to run yourself and oftentimes pick up some really bad habits. So, for instance, your knees may not drive as high as they need to, your stride might be fairly short, and it's really a much different movement if you're sprinting than if you're running a mile.

And so helping kids kind of understand that, because a lot of the time in sports, unless you're an endurance, long distance runner or something like that, it's a very specific way where you're using the balls of your feet and things like that. So. That's really what we help kids kind of wrap their head around and then it translates incredibly fast, which is actually part of why we, we initially went with kids is things connect and you see the changes so rapidly with kids that we really enjoy it.

Well, and

Alyssa Heilman: children on. Yeah. So we talk a lot about lean fall run. So the trajectory of their shoulders and how they get a good start, what foot that they're leading with, how their arms are moving along with their legs.

And that's where. Once somebody sits there and takes the time to teach them how to do those things, then we see drastic results in only two to three lessons. And then from there, we can really build on it.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. And then I guess the children have to go home and they have homework between the sessions.

Some of us parents get a little frustrated. My son is trained with you some. And, you know, you got to do the homework. You're not going to get so much better. An hour a week working with you and the trainers that you have, you know what I mean, you still have to do the homework.

Sometimes kids don't want to do the homework,

And so, so much of it is just consistency and repetition, especially at those young ages kind of that 7 to 13, though, that's all repetition and your body learning. those muscle movement, building that fast twitch muscle. So yes, unfortunately, I do have to push the homework. But I think a lot of parents actually appreciate as well.

And I have two athletes of my own. I realized that it comes different when I'm telling them to do it than when you're probably telling them to do

it.

Jonathan Breeden: Right, right, right. Right. Once they get to be middle school, the last person they want to hear from is their parent. That is for sure. I think you just kind of become background noise.

Yes,

Jonathan Breeden: Probably. Cause your parents don't know anything.

Alyssa Heilman: No. Even if they went through the exact same thing. Right,

Jonathan Breeden: right, right. Believe me. My parents didn't know anything when I was in middle school either. And now I, you know, the funny thing is my children are now old enough. I have very clear memories of being their age and I knew everything when I was their age.

Alyssa Heilman: Well, and that's actually kind of why the company started is I played competitive softball and even got recruited to play in college. And so much of what I'm teaching kids at 7, 8, 9 years old, I didn't learn until I was 16, 17 years old. And I've been playing. For a really long time. So I was breaking a lot of really naturally bad habits that I picked up over time and it changed my game once I learned how to do that.

You see 2,000,000 additional kids in high school ages getting medical treatment for athletic related injuries. So that is something that I really want to help them. And that comes with more than once a week, which they never want to hear.

Jonathan Breeden: Right, right. Well, it is amazing. You know, I mean, I just think about my son would play more games in a year that I played maybe in my entire childhood.

You know, I mean, one year we did rec baseball and then we got into travel baseball at the same time and he was eight turning nine. And I think he played 75 games in 6 months or something. It was some unbelievable amount

So they're leaving their travel baseball and going to wreck baseball or vice versa. And so they actually are going over what some of these healthy minimums are. And those minimums not only exist for their own safety, but those minimums aren't Universal, in my opinion, if they're not doing the appropriate strength and conditioning appropriate mobility work, those minimums can be way higher than what they should be at their

Jonathan Breeden: age and that's true.

And what I always said, when we were doing that is. It's the parents job to keep up with the pitch count. It's not the rec baseball coach may not know what the kid did in a travel tournament and the travels coach isn't particularly know what the kid did in the rec tournament played rec ball that week.

And so. The other trick for parents. If your kid is a catcher and my child was a catcher back then throwing the ball back to the pitcher is also a pitch. And so I think you can lose track of well, he caught 6 innings. But in that six innings, he may have caught 100 pitches, which means he threw the ball back 100 times in the picture, and he may have been throwing it full speed, but he still threw it back.

So one of the things that I tried to count was the number. Times he basically was throwing the ball. Because I didn't want him to get an overuse injury as a eight or nine year old when he was doing

Because they're going to these tournaments, whether it's baseball, soccer, basketball any of these sports, really. My daughter plays tennis. She's a perfect example. She was serving a ton on a Saturday, but if she's not consistently serving throughout the week, she's going to get sore on Saturday with how much she does it.

And that's really actually where overuse injuries come from is it's not just It's overusing it in that moment because your body's not used to using it that much. So, an NBA player, for instance, they have so many reps that you're seeing a lot fewer overuse injuries because their body's used to that kind of taxing, repetition, consistency, building, it's built the strength to be able to do that.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. Right. Right. And you get all the caloric acid that causes you to be sore, right?

And it's not an athlete,

Alyssa Heilman: but it's hydration. It's what they're putting in their bodies and look. Like I said, I have an almost 13 and 14 year old that love Bojangles and pizza and crap, basically, but, and, you know, are practically allergic to water sometimes, but I also know how much that does for an athlete and their ability to perform.

So, some of this is just education of. How can we get the kids doing this? And a lot of, and you know this from your own son, a lot of the homework that they may have, they don't have to go to a gym. They don't have to be lifting weights, especially at those young ages when they shouldn't be lifting weights.

I want them to enjoy the things that they enjoy, like the iPads and the Xbox is and all that sort of stuff because You only have time to do that, but I also think if you're committed to your sport and you're committed to what you want to do, you have to prepare.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay, well, good. Well, let's talk about, I guess, a little bit about how you got here.

I know you were a very good athlete as as a child. We've been friends for a long time. So where were you born? Where'd you

Alyssa Heilman: grow up? So I grew up in Eastern Long Island. I played was a three sport athlete growing up. I played Basketball. I'm not standing. Luckily, so no one's gonna be shocked that I played basketball.

That's what I'm really fascinated by. And so that has really helped kind of shift who I am and what I wanted to get into. I got you. So where'd you go to college? I went to the University of Oklahoma, Boomer Sooner. You're a huge Sooner fan. Yes, I am a huge Sooner fan. Oh, golly. To me, there is no greater place on earth.

But, Did you play sports in Oklahoma? I did not. So, I was invited as a preferred walk on tryout. I elected not to play. I was facing an injury at the time. And As I say, I wanted to be a kid and have that college experience when it wasn't really going to be an option to play right then. And so I elected to do that.

Jonathan Breeden: that point.

Right.

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Jonathan Breeden: And you've you moved into real estate. How did you end up in real estate?

And I thought they were kidding for a while. And so I asked my cousin who's living there. I said, you know, I need a job. He was working for the patent and trademark office. And he connected me with his actual real estate agent. At the time I worked as her assistant for about a year and then got my license and What I realized is it was something I was great at but not something that really like ignited my passion and that I loved.

And this was where I landed,

Jonathan Breeden: right? And you spit. When I first met you, you were traveling around the country giving speeches to large groups of people, training realtors, correct?

Alyssa Heilman: Yeah. So I've always had this saying that a coach is a coach, so once you get coaching in your blood, you're going to coach no matter what.

And so once you become good at something, you're going to coach people to try to do it better. And so I naturally kind of fell into coaching and in real estate, which. Went well, but again, it's the subject matter wasn't what lit my fire. So I, that's kind of how I came, how do I mesh those two passions?

And that's how DPT started. All right.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, when and how did you get to Johnston

You know, as I say, a lot of times, you know, I moved to North Carolina on a leap of faith and haven't found one reason to leave, but have found a million reasons to stay. And I think, you know, having lived in Wake County and Johnston County, we have a home down in new Hanover County. The sense of community that you have here in Johnston County is, To me, unlike any other place I've ever been to me, it's a very strong community.

It's a very supportive community. I say that from both running, you know, GCAA and being on that board with you as well as building my own business here and launching my business here. You know, people do for each other and care about one another, and they care about the community that we live in.

aS a kid, even that's something I always wanted and I've definitely found

I I was about, you know, my son was playing baseball and they asked me to help write some grants to try to get That's how they get you right, right. Help write some grants so that we could get some open space funding. From the county to start fixing the facilities there right across from the Cleveland Fire Department behind the old Cleveland Elementary School, which is where the majority of G.

And But we needed some things. So the 1st grant I wrote was I went to the county and the county wasn't actually giving out open space funds in the time they were sort of sitting on it. And and I think they were trying to count it towards their fund balance, which you can't really do trying to get the triple a bond rating, which they finally now have.

And I was like, look, we got all these needs. I went to an open forum in the county, like, at the beginning where you give the 3 minute talk. And I was like. We need to do something and they knew I was coming and it happened to be an election year and that all sort of helped and They said yes, and they came up with the plan and if other people listen this podcast you'll find the episode of adrian o'neill it's going to be out where we go through all of that and some of the things we've done He's the parks and rec director for johnson county.

I think the court's like 76 feet. We're now a regulation kind of court is 94 feet. And and then we were able to get. 40, 000 to pave the driveway around the gym which is led to some flooding issue. The gym we've had to work on. You and I worked on that, but because that was just a bunch of potholes and it was like seven lakes out there.

You took over the basketball program, what, three years ago? About four now. Four years ago from Earl Crawford, who'd run it for about ten years. What's involved with the Greater Columbia Association's basketball program?

a testament to the community that Johnston County is. It was absolutely in that boardroom at that time, because I know all of the conversations were, how can we keep these kids playing? They need to do something. And obviously health and well being and safety was our chief concern, but it was also their kids, right?

And so, I know how much support kids need at that age, how important it is for them to have a safe, fun outlet to play. I was, as I said, I was a basketball player, but a very elementary basketball player at best and, you know, a lot, it's been such a joy to be in the lives of so many of those kids and watch them grow up.

Jonathan Breeden: place, right?

Right? Well, and it's right. And so this year how many kids are in the program? About

Right? And so I think, you know, we're constantly looking for places and ways to serve more kids and kind of the most rewarding thing that I see in is. This past season, we had kids show up to our assessments who were on the wait list saying we've been trying to get into your league. We've gone to Clayton, we've gone to McGee's, we've played other places, but we know this is the best run program around.

And I don't say that to pat myself on the back. That is true. I could not do that without my coaches and the volunteers and the committee and even the kids. But I stand by that statement and I do think that we are and I think that is a testament to this Cleveland area

Jonathan Breeden: community. Yeah, and it's tremendous and I've enjoyed every minute that I've dedicated to the greater association.

You have to have the group in micro you know, the South Johnson baseball organization, which is sort of a combination of Smithfield and Vincent and four oaks because, you know, we don't have a, we don't have a county parks and rent. That does programming. We didn't even have a parks and rec period until three years ago.

Alyssa Heilman: Yeah, I think the growth that we're experiencing is good. Not just good.

It's great because I look at folks like you and I, your son's just about aged out of something like a G. C. A. A. My son will age out in the next two years. But I also see this community growing and people who still want to stay involved. So you look at our president or vice president of G. C. A. A. It's been 10 years since their kids were aged

Jonathan Breeden: in, right?

I don't know. Right. His kids are all grown in college

Alyssa Heilman: married. And as soon every time he threatens to be off of the board, we, no one will let him. Um, But, and I say that, you know, in jest, but the truth is I don't think he really wants to either because I think that he cares so deeply about this community.

So, I mean, what I'm so excited about is not just. Who we are as a community, but what this growth is doing for our community and who it's bringing in people who really want, you know, the future of Johnson County to

Alyssa Heilman: they do that?

Sure. So you can visit us at dynamic performance training. com. You can also find us on Instagram dynamic performance training. We post a lot of videos and content of what we're doing with the kids. And. Drills that you can even do at home without us, but we'd love to

Jonathan Breeden: talk to you guys, right? And the program for you know is based right here in the cleveland community And I think all the training happens right out here in the cleveland community So you don't have to live in the cleveland community You just have to be willing to get to the cleveland community to get the training.

Yes, you have people come from all over So, you know, anybody in Johnson County or Wake County or anywhere, if they would like this training they just need to get in touch with you and move it that way. All right. Well, that's going to do it for this episode of the best of Johnson County. If you are going to go where you're at, if you would be kind enough to like or subscribe or follow this podcast, whether you're seeing it on Instagram or Apple podcasts or Spotify or YouTube, so that you'll be aware of the future episodes that come out every Monday.

I think it's going to be exciting. You're like what you're going to hear. I am learning something every single time I do this. It's been fascinating. And my office is going to continue to bring this to you. So until next time, I'm Jonathan Breeden.

That's the end of today's episode of Best of Johnston County, a show brought to you by the trusted team at Breeden Law Office. We thank you for joining us today and we look forward to sharing more interesting facets of this community next week. Every story, every viewpoint adds another thread to the rich tapestry of Johnston County.

If the legal aspects highlighted raised some questions, help is just around the corner at www. breedenfirm. com.