Today we’d like to introduce you to Blair Sohl
Hi Blair, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I spent the first 5 years of my life between the small towns of Apline and Ozona TX where my parents were teachers and I had a relatively normal early childhood. We moved to San Antonio when I was 6 years old. My grandmother passed away when I was 9 years old and that sent my family into some turbulance. My parents seperated and I moved across town with my mom where she provided the most stable home she could.
After we moved into the new neighborhood. I bonded with a tight group of friend in the neighborhood where we honed our skills and movements which became a huge passion of mine. That led to a standout athletic career in high school at St. Anthony Catholic HS. I lettered in 3 sports and was the top runningback in the City earning 2x All- City honors and runner up offensive POTY. We had no athletic period or strength program, but an amazing track coach in JG Gonzales. My coaches and mentors helped fuel my hunger to learn everything I could in sports and movement. I earned a scholarship to Adam State University for Football and after 5 years of playing football and pole vaulting for the track team I left college as a D2 All American pole vaulter.
I began my coaching career at UIW as a gradaute assistant that August after I graduated. I began my personal training job after I was hired at Spectrum Fitness which was bought out by Golds the next year. That change in corporate structure led me to look elsewhere.
I left Golds to begin at the San Antonio Country Club. At this point I was a part time track and field coach. UIW was transitioning to Division 1 athletics. I was bartending and I began teaching for 2 years in the Kinesiology Department at San Antonio College before being hired fulltime at UIW in 2014.
During my coaching tenur at UIW I have coached 20 All Conference Atheltes, 7 Conference Champions, 6 NCAA Regional Qualifiers, and 2 NCAA National Qualifing atheltes between the jumping and multi event atheltes. As the recruiting coordinator for the UIW track and field program we broke all but 1 school record. The athletes and program set several meet and conference records and we elevated the team from a below average D2 program to a 5x Conference Champion D1 program in 12 years.
I left coaching to spend more time with my wife Lauren and 2 young boys (5) Jackson and (3) Everett. I was working 2 jobs and spending way more time away from them than I felt OK with. I was blessed with everyone I crossed paths with at UIW because I have a very broad and extensive hybrid background with rehab and performance. My wife was also able to get her 2nd degree and find a job she loves which is extremely rewarding for me. The last year and a half has allowed me to focus on family, Alamo Athletics and Training LLC. while growing my offering and cleintele base at the San Antonio Country Club.
I have worked with kids as young as 10 in camp and coaching enviroments and I have personal trained clients over 100 years old. After doing this for over 10 years and learning so much from my mentors and peers, I feel fully confident in helping most people have a better quality of life and healthier movement.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some struggles that I have experienced was being raised by parents who had me very late in life. It was difficult being a very active boy and having a non existant father who was dealing with some major battles of his own. My mom did an amazing job setting a solid foundation of how a person should treat others. Her being older made it hard for me to explore and grow into the man I wanted to be. I had to learn from different mentors, coaches and other dads to help show by an example of what a man should be and to all of those men in my life that helped shaped me I want to say thank you.
One of those men, coach Jordan taught me that struggles are just an ‘ opportiunty for improvement’ or OFI. The struggles that were a product of my environment, or a product of poor decision making all were an opportiunty to improve.
My struggles were very small in comparison to what others around have to go through. My goal for the next 10 years of my career is to find ways to give back to communities who need mentorship and to help kids who are at a disadvantage growing up.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Alamo Athletics and Training LLC
alamoathletics.com
I am a personal trainer and movement specialist whose background and knowledge is hard to emcompass in one paragraph. I specialize in caring about people and finding ways to build them up. I do my best in finding what people can do well and building off of strengths rather than telling people what they cant do. I spend alot of time working to help them find ways to increase their strength and mobility while decreasing risk.
I am known for helping atheltes, because of my an extensive backgroup in sport and performance. That is a niche I work with in the evenings 3 days a week year around and during summers/ Christmas break. I have atheltes rehabbing injuries, working on increasing speed, weightlifting technique, plyometrics and areas that many high school coaches may not have as much experience in.
What sets me apart is how I break down difficult skills into easily digeistable teaching progressions to help athletes and adults build confidence, safely. Not many trainers or coaches can work on hamstring or ACL rehab with an athlete, then help them progress from injury rehab into sport specific training. I have also helped numerous parents or grandparents in my 5a or 6:30a adult workout group to build a more resilant body and mind for a functional and strong life.
I train athlete’s, dad groups, mom groups, gradma’s and grandpa’s. You name it. I can analyze that persons movement, then help them to rehab and progress ahead safely.
Hill Country Kayak Charters
hillcountrykayakcharters.com
HCKC is a side job that came to life during COVID and it is a tremendous amount of fun to help expose people to the world of kayaking rivers in south Texas or catching fish while doing it.
I take small groups of 1-4 people down secluded stretches of river for adventures people didnt know exsisted.
I provide fishing lessons, fly fishing lessons and any sort of adventure you can think of!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Some of the most important lesson I have learned has been:
‘If your gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough, you get knocked down, you get back up’
More importantly the message about finding the positive in every situation and that every situation is a opportiunity for growth from coach Jordan.
Of course the ‘Mamba mentality’ has shaped my perspective and drive which is the will to be better than I was yesterday. 1% improvement is all I am working towards daily. The end goal will be there.
Pricing:
- Adult Group Training $200
- Athelte group training: $25/ workout $300/ month
- Individual Training: $100/ hour
- Kayak Tour: $350+ $125 each additional person
Contact Info:
- Website: alamoathletics.com and hillcountrykayakcharters.com
- Instagram: @alamoathletics210
- Facebook: @AlamoAthletics
