360 Sports Performance Training
Where: 71 Ruth’s Place, #8, Carlsborg
Contact: 461-0482, johnqualls34@gmail.com
On the web: www.360SportsPerformanceTraining.com
One Sequim couple wants to help local athletes be great people while becoming the next Husky or Mariners great.
John Qualls, with his partner Lisa Jones, recently opened 360 Sports Performance Training, 71 Ruth’s Place, #8, in Carlsborg, as a facility to help children and young adult athletes on the Olympic Peninsula have a better opportunity for athletic college scholarships and to play professionally.
“Our kids have all of the potential to achieve greatness,” Qualls said. “Unfortunately, they just don’t have the resources available to maximize their potential here on the peninsula which means they miss out on scholarships and opportunities that are common in bigger cities.”
The facility follows former Sequim resident and now elite baseball trainer Jeff Millet’s Northcore Performance Training, which approaches both athletic training and mental preparation for competition and academic achievement.
“As a graduate of Sequim High School, I have always dreamed of having the opportunity to impact youth athletes in my hometown,” Millet said.
Qualls also partners with BASE by Pros, a youth sports mentorship program that connects children with professional athletes twice a month for clinics and mentorship. Participating athletes include Mitch Canham, Brent Lillibridge, Danielle Lawrie and Steven Bougher.
Qualls said these resources will help “kids to be successful and keep them local.”
Partnering with Millet and the professional athletes is the “catalysts to instill change in our community while teaching life lessons through the games of baseball and softball,” he said.
Beginning the game
Qualls, who has been coaching at the high school and Little League levels for 20-plus years, said there’s been a huge demand in the past five years to find resources like his.
“A lot of kids are uprooting and making the difficult decision to play for programs across the water,” he said. “You can imagine the cost of travel and for programs and yet they later regret it for not being able to be kids at the same time.”
At 360 Sports Performance Training, Qualls says the No. 1 thing a participant can get out of the facility is a sense of community.
“We want to help these kids achieve their goals with a sense of belonging and community,” he said.
To do that, the facility offers networking for counseling, tutoring, nutritional guidance, college prep and more.
Working with professional athletes is a big part of his programming, too, and Qualls plans to provide follow-up one-on-one during the weekdays while the athletes can remain connected with the pros through phone and the Internet.
Jones said while their focus may be on baseball and softball, they can help build a core foundation for any athlete to help prevent injuries and increase their inner-core strength.
Qualls and Jones held their grand opening on Jan. 26 and continue to seek athletes and teams across the Olympic Peninsula.
The facility offers retractable battings cages for rent, too, along with training and clinic opportunities.
For more information on 360 Sports Performance Training, call 461-0482 or visit www.360SportsPerformanceTraining.com.
