Bobby Smith is the owner and founder of RYPT, Reach Your Potential Training. He is a coach, speaker, and mentor and brings an unparalleled energy to everything he does. This energy stems from passion, enthusiasm, love, service, and most importantly, caring.
Bobby has evolved from a two-time Division I college athlete into one of the top sports performance coaches in the business. The experiences he has had along this road have shaped the coach he is today. His dedication, desire, and drive come from not only his successes as an athlete but his failures as well. Not only from the highs but the lows as well.
As a collegiate football player and javelin thrower, his body was put into many stressful situations. During his five years at Monmouth University, he underwent 4 major surgeries: ACL reconstruction, Meniscal repair, UCL reconstruction (Tommy John surgery), and ankle reconstruction following a dislocation/fracture. Through all of these surgeries, he never once thought that he was done being an athlete. He learned perseverance and determination and used these traits to come back better from each injury. In spite of these 4 surgeries, he was an All-Conference running back and earned All-American honors in the javelin.
His senior year of college he was ranked as one of the top collegiate javelin throwers in the country and expected to win the NCAA championships. Although his body was ready to perform at that level, his mind was not prepared to handle the demands of the competition. He placed 13th in the preliminary round. 12 throwers moved on to the final round. Although devastated, he took the opportunity to learn from his failure and it motivated him to continue his javelin career. He went on the win the 2008 Olympic Trails.
After tearing his ACL just 8 months before the 2012 Olympic Trials, Bobby realized his true calling was sports performance coaching. Little did he know that his journey into coaching would not only allow him to positively affect young athletes but “by serving others, he would gain and grow in the process.” This is a quote from the book The Carpenter, by Jon Gordon, a book that has played a large role in his development as a coach and a person.
Bobby challenges himself as a coach to change the lives of his athletes in two ways:
First, by teaching and showing them how to physically become a better athlete. In the short time, he has with these athletes, he has the power to change and improve the way they move, thereby improving their athleticism and reducing their risk of injury.
Second, by positively impacting them mentally and emotionally. With his own positive energy and enthusiasm, they can feel the sincerity in the way he coaches allowing them to grow with confidence and self-esteem.
“I truly take every single opportunity that I am given to make a positive impact on my athletes. And it’s not just about motivation; it’s about empowering them to be the best they can be. And when I see these young athletes becoming confident, empowered young people, it motivates me even more to be the best strength coach I can be.”
-Coach Bobby Smith
