Meet Brandon James | Baseball Trainer and Pitching Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon James and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Getting out of college was a time to just apply my degree to my life profession. Quickly realizing that many times people get a degree in a field, and then are never able to use it. Starting out after college using my degree was great, but very unhappy with the job title. I wanted to help people more and was just stuck behind a desk and a phone. I had gone through many jobs such as a Recruitor for Grand Canyon University to working as a server on a cruise ship here in San Diego. Finding my way as a human was important to and the way God brought me in the world was for a different purpose. Meeting my wife to give me the courage to follow the ambition of helping others in a sport I played was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I became more organized then ever and used my passion for sports to build where we are today. I say we because without a village of people, mentors and athletes we wouldn’t be where we are today. I wouldn’t be having this interview at all. Now I am able to utilize my business and communications degree in my everyday life even as a baseball coach. It is about applying what you have learned and this baseball facility is a place for everyone to call home not just me. We are a family. I would hope that one of my players takes this same dream and passion and continues to give players opportunities that we have been able to provide.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As a pitching coach there are so many others with the same ideas or same teaching tricks. My facility is a place to come train and get better period. We have funs, but we are for sure looking to be different than others. I have been able to really learn more of bio-mechanics recently during covid and really just continue to try and learn how the body moves for the most efficient result as an athlete who plays baseball. I really focus on throwing the ball with a proper arm path and body mechanics. Many players at every position/age have a problem with the way they throw a baseball. It is important to throw correctly in baseball whatever position you play as there have been a rise in arm and shoulder injuries due to lack of training and proper sequencing of the body. In the facility we focus on ankle mobility and how the body holds weight during the transition of throwing a baseball. The second focus is building now that foundation in the movements that apply to that position in weight training. I have been through a couple business partners and many parents who didn’t agree with me or my philosophy so it been difficult sometimes with the turnover. My heart is really big and I get attached to the players as they many times become role models for my own kids. Loosing them to other people who have more of a social media presence or who sell a bigger dream sucks, but as I have learned from Coach Ayala and other mentors to stay true to who you are. There is this saying “education starts at home.” Our job as parents is to put our kids in positions to be successful, but not to let them fall through the cracks. Every athlete is a reflection of all the coaches, teachers and mentors who have trained me so I want to make sure those individuals know they didn’t waste a breathe ever when teaching me. I take that seriously and at a young age really tried more to impress everyone by trying to save everyone. I was emotional and stayed up all hours of the night trying to figure out how to get out of being depressed not being able to do what I wanted to do in the game selfishly instead of taking time to learn how to be a good coach. I needed to realize that it was more about me proving myself right than proving others wrong. Once I figured that out, the road to being one of the top pitching coaches in San Diego has been something you have to earn and continue to maintain in order to have a presence in the game. When people come out from different states I want them to feel that they were blown away not just from the data they received, but the passion in what I teach is something that cant be matched by anyone. I am humbled that people want to train with me, but when I die I hope that people continue take after what we built as a player coach on and off the field. I want every player to be an amazing dad, business owner and husband. We value time, effort and accountability. The character we have in our daily life is a reflection of the people around us. Sometimes it’s ok to be a jerk, but it takes more of a man to apologize and get better from our downfalls cause thats the only way to learn and get better. Our athletes are family and have these principles installed in them from the time they step in the facility into our lives. I love my athletes through the ups and downs and that is what the vibe is like in the building.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
California Burritos or Taco Tuesday. It doesn’t matter where you are in San Diego, having a California burrito is the first stop off the plane. Carne asada , french fries, guacamole , cheese and hot sauce. Santana’s and Lolitas are for sure the spot for a good California burrito. The meat is a big part for me and the outside of the tortilla has to be crispy. The next stop would for sure be one of my favorite golf courses in Mission Trails GC out in San Carlos or Riverside off the 8 freeway. The courses both have good favorable places for experienced or average golfers and always have some good grub. Lastly I would say either Old Town would be my night life since I am a parent and love to eat food so going to Miguels or Cafe Coyote is great to eat a lot of homemade tortillas and walk around afterwards a beautiful part of the history of San Diego. Coronado is always a great place to visit as the views are amazing during the day and night. During the holidays Coronado Island has ice skating next to the beach and an awesome view of downtown SD with the lights is just one of the many reasons to live in this amazing city. Well I guess other than the weather ha ha.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would say two people influenced me to get here today. Issac Ayala would be a huge influence in my life. He was the JV baseball coach at the high school that I attended from 1999-2003 in Palmdale, CA. After high school I moved to Big Bear and didn’t move back until 2005. I went back to college and decided to get back into baseball. I reached out to Coach Ayala and immedietly brought me into his home, feed me and got me to focus on one goal. He wanted me to learn what it was like to just give every single day to the one thing you love without any other distractions. I was in the middle of know where on his ranch and everyday watched baseball games on sequences while he worked and ate a lot of food. When he got home it was time to get to work. He taught me so many things in the two months that I stayed at his house. He mad me grow up as a person, baseball player and now these traits have turned into me being a business owner/parent/husband. Leadership and organization is key to being successful and without dedication someone is out there looking to outwork you. As a coach now I have taken some of his traits such as inviting players and coaches over for food and learning to not put on a show for people around you. Learning to be learn my craft and believe in it 100%. Lastly he was there at my first college baseball game , my college graduation and my first born child. I reached out to him recently to let him know what impact he had on me and how I wanted to make sure I stayed in touch with him cause I didn’t want to forget who helped get me where I am today.

The other would be Coach John Altobelli. He was someone that I admired and looked up to in the coaching world. I will always remember anytime that he saw me the would say “whats up Mr. James how’s the family doing there coach?” He was always more worried about me asa a person first before I was going to do my job. Looking at it now, thinking if your having problems before you walk on the field you’re going to be skewed in you coaching abilities that day so he wanted to make sure if you need to talk at all he would. If you know me I like to talk lol. I loved to tell him about my wife and my kids. My wife had a tough time during my daughter’s birth and I still drove from the hospital after she was born to a summer league game in Orange County. We had a double header that day and I didn’t want to miss coaching that day. My wife had her mom in town and it was good for her to relax so she told me to go. When I got there Alto and I talked and he said “Look stay for one game, but go back home and be with your wife and baby. There are more important things than baseball.” It hit me hard driving home knowing that I put m priority of baseball in front of my family even though my wife had told me I could. From the day on I would say I have done everything in my power to make sure that my family is number one! He taught me to have character and how to win! My great friend Nick McDonald was the one who gave me the opportunity to coach at Coast and I cant thank him enough in this lifetime for giving me that opportunity. I would tell Alto how much of an impact he had on me in talks. He just was so humble always saying that it was more me learning what others taught him and me applying it then ever giving himself credit. Last thing I got to tell him the last time I saw him, was that I was planning to quit baseball. I drove down to OC and talked with him in his office. I told him how I didn’t want to have to consistently prove myself and my knowledge through social media platforms and upset that younger guys passing me up for bigger jobs in MLB or Division 1 baseball I felt qualified for. He told me to believe in my dream and my passion and if I wanted it I could do anything I wanted. It was one of the lowest points in my life. I was a grown man at 30 years old in tears realizing that I had lost a business, 2 business partners and had zero direction on my next step as a sole provider for my family. He gave me a hug and told me he loved me and was proud of me no matter what I did. He sat with me for over a hour when he should have been home with his own family just letting me vent and tell him my frustrations. I went home and focused on building a baseball facility for my athletes to train and get them to college, which is why I am able to speak to you today during this interview. Alto took a couple of my players and really was able to have the same impact on them that he did on me before he tragically passed in a plane crash last year. He helped athletes get to college, embrace life challenges and taught baseball players to win! I have never really healed from his death and don’t think I ever will. I will forever coach with him in my heart everyday. I cry during ever national anthem before a game if have coached since he passed and ask him to help me coach. I then hear him in my head “shut up and win, you don’t need me Brandon.” He was a strong Italian man and always told you how he felt. I would hope he would be proud of the accomplishments the players he helped by giving me the courage to continue in my life dream.

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