BECOACHABLE.ORG
Meet Coach AJ
“Basketball translates to real- life situations”
A.J. Mastin
Former Basketball Player. Entrepreneur. His experience in the game spans from high school to a professional career. His journey started at Red Bank High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he led his team to the state tournament for the first time in 60 years.
Basketball led him to St. Catharine Junior College, which was ranked 13th in the nation when he arrived. While there, he dominated on the court and became a top 10 scorer in the country. His basketball journey continued as he signed a Division 1 Scholarship with the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga. While there, his team won the Southern Conference Championship and made an NCAA tournament appearance. A.J. finished his senior year at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia, where he was First Team All-Conference and an NAIA All-American.
After college, A.J. played semi-professional basketball with a stint in Mexico. He eventually moved to Atlanta, intent on becoming a Basketball Skill Coach. However, his plans changed. He became a certified Personal Trainer to further his understanding of strength and conditioning as it relates to sports performance. In 2012, he began A.J. Mastin Fitness, LLC., stepping away from the world of gym franchises and becoming an entrepreneur. A.J. enjoys living and training in the South Fulton community. He is a resident of Atlanta and enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 children.
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The Story
Though personal fitness was his focus, A.J. sporadically worked with clients on basketball skill training. In 2020, when the COVID pandemic started, he found himself training a small population of kids in the neighborhood. The number of kids started to grow, and he realized there was a need in the community.
A.J.’s vision of being able to provide an outlet for kids during a challenging time and expose them to various pathways led to The Be Coachable Experience. This experience provides basketball skill training which leads to discipline and accountability, as well as early career exposure that young people may not necessarily experience anywhere else. With a goal to combat negativity that plagues communities, A.J.’s program seeks to offer a glimpse into entrepreneurial skills, vocational options, and opportunities for mentorship.
The nucleus of The Be Coachable Experience is basketball. The ultimate goal is to impact the community and prepare the youth for challenges that they face as they enter into adulthood. Providing the exposure to these opportunities ensures that when the ball stops bouncing, young people are able to make the best choices for their future.
