Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Phillips.
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started out working professional hockey as an athletic training intern while going to college at Quinnipiac in Connecticut. My first job after graduation was with the same team in the American Hockey League which is the main minor leagues for the NHL. After eight years, I was offered the Head Athletic Trainer position with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. I spent six seasons with them which included a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2003 and a chance to work with players such as Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. While with the Ducks, I was also selected as the athletic trainer for Team USA at the 2002 IIHF Hockey World Championships in Sweden. Following my time with the Ducks, I joined the Washington Capitals during Alex Ovechkin’s first two seasons.
In 2013, I opened Compete Sports Performance and Rehab to offer the same services I had performed with professional athletes to the public. We offer sports performance training and sports rehab for athletes as well as personal training and injury rehab for adults. My vision is to incorporate the same services provided in a pro setting with a team to all types of athletes and active adults. One of our first contracts was with the LA Sol Women’s Soccer Team that had 10 Olympians including Marta, Shannon Boxx and Aly Wagner. This experience led to working with the Men’s USL Soccer team for the next 5 seasons.
Today we have three locations in Lake Forest, Yorba Linda and Westminster. Our staff of athletic trainers and strength coaches work with every level of athletes from youth through professional and Olympic athletes. We have had over 100 college commitments since we opened, had numerous athletes turn pro and had eight clients compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing where I was a member of the sports medicine team for the Czech Republic working with figure skating.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Running a small business is never a smooth road. There are always obstacles to handle whether it’s expansion, dealing with unexpected expenses, understanding the ebbs and flows of the business or managing how to survive during the pandemic. Fortunately, we have committed clients who trust our experience and stuck with us through the hard times and I was not going to fail because of the pandemic. Today we still have to come up with new ideas of ways to offer the best possible services to our clients. I feel having an excellent staff with vast experience is what makes us great.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The biggest thing Compete offers is a vast experience in the sports world. Our staff has worked in the NHL, professional soccer, US Soccer, professional football and the Olympics. We have worked with athletes from many different sports at the highest levels. Watching the business expand from a goal of 25 clients a week to now seeing upwards of 40-50 a day has been such an accomplishment. I think I’m the most proud of watching our clients grow and succeed. We have seen clients obtain college scholarships, turn pro, make the Olympics as well as getting into our profession because of their experience at Compete.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I feel the major characteristic in my success is the refusal to fail. We will all fail at times, but the ability to re-assess and try again is the key. Another key is to never stop learning. Learn more about your profession, learn more about business and learn more about dealing with people are important parts to success. Listening to people around you, their likes and dislikes and opinions matter whether you agree or not. I feel this is important because it keeps your mind open to new things that can lead to success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.competeperformance.com
- Instagram: competesportsperformance
