With stadiums of fans gearing up for Major League Baseball’s opening day that’s now only hours away, this April’s Friends Who Juice profilee is getting us into the swing of the season by sharing how he—a former MLB player himself—transitioned from the big leagues to helping teens tap into their potential on and off the field using their mind before they ever grab their glove.
James “JJ” Sherrill is the founder of F.O.M Training Academy (short for Frame of Mind), the holistic arm of a cutting-edge baseball training facility in Sacramento, Calif., called Rip It Davis, which features ProBatter Virtual Pitching Simulators that help young players hone mad bat skills. The first baseball charter school in the country that does awesome things like churn out the current holder of the nation’s best high school batting average, what makes the facility so elite is Sherrill’s molding today’s newbee players into tomorrow’s mindful sluggers using visualization and breathing techniques that any yogi would cherish. And coupled with his deep belief in WHealthy™ eating and juicing being an important part of every smart athlete’s arsenal, Sherrill is the kind of whole-student coach that parents dream of.
During his 15 years in baseball, Sherrill was a Tony Gwynn mentee and played last for the Cleveland Indians. Ask him about his true accomplishments, though, and he’ll tell you it’s helping his students achieve mind-over-matter mastery and beelieve in themselves through positive affirmations.
Now, we’re not into mind-games but that’s a strategy we could, er, throw ourselves into.
How’d that scene go in Ferris Bueller? Time to play ball with JJ Sherrill.
All About JJ
When people ask me where I’m from, I tell them…“Seaside California” (Monterey Peninsula) but home for me, now, is…Sacramento.
When I was a little boy, I dreamed of being…a professional baseball player for Major League Baseball. I also wanted to play football in the NFL.
What surprised me most about growing up was realizing that for my life’s work, I’d end up…being a powerful influence and mentor/leader to the students and adults I work with on a daily basis.
It has also been a great plus to turn my method of helping students, players, athletes, and adults learn to prepare mentally for everything from baseball games to life using my FOM Method (which stands for “Frame Of Mind”). By using breathing techniques, positive visualization, postive “I Am” affirmations, and repetitive binearal beats, my method helps people to master their minds and feelings in various situations. I’m proud to now be turning FOM into a successful brand by the same name.
Las time I was in Las Vegas it was to…attend the Magic Fashion Show with the purpose of and focus on building business relationships with manufactuers for the FOM brand.
JJ Sherrill with his little inspiration, Jaron Julius.
When I go to Vegas, favorite spots are …The Juice Standard and Holstein’s.
If I had to pick a theme song for my life it would be…One Man Can Change The World by
Big Sean.
A person who inspires me every day is…my 3-and-a-half-year-old-son Jaron Julius James Sherrill. And, I draw insipration from within myself.
…and in case you were wondering, the JJ stands for…James Julius.
About JJ’s Work
When people ask me what I do for a living, this is what I say I do on a day-to-day basis: I am a father first, a mentor, a life skills coach, a baseball and basketball coach, and an educational facilitator for a charter school. I’m also a business man; a believer; and a self-investor in the care and health of the mind, body, and soul. I’m a person who takes the time to give back with the knowledge I have gained through my personal and professional experiences. I utilize this wisdom to allow people to see by leading from example.
The age range of the kids I coach is…3 and up.
In decidedly atypical warm-up sessions, Sherrill’s FOM students practice pre-game visualization where they see themselves swinging for the rafters and fielding like champs.
I work for a very unique sports-related school. This is how it’s unique: We are a charter school out in Elverta, Calif., that has partnered with three different programs to bring our students a variety of options. The first partnership we developed was with the Jerry Manuel Foundation, through which we our able to bring a wealth of knowledge about the game of baseball to kids who might not have the opportunity otherwise. All of our coaches have at one point or another played on a professional level.
Our second sports-related program is our softball program, which has partnered with the California Comments. The heart of these programs has its basis in “Jackie Robinson’s 9 Values.
Our third magnet is called Alpha Garden Arts, which is a farm-to-fork program that introduces students to aspects of agricultural science.
Our high school curriculum is a blended model of online course and direct instruction. We are a small school with a ratio of one adult to every four students. We see ourselves as family, and it’s truly a pleasure for me working with our students. Our situation and setting allow me to build personal relationships with all our students. They are a source of motivation for me. When I see positive changes in them, it challenges me to continue to be and stay positive and productive in what I do so that I may lead by example by my actions, words and selfless deeds.
In 5 years, my “daffy desire” is to…take my FOM brand and my mental focus training method and develop it into a successful business that can touch the lives of others.
Sherrill aspires to his FOM method and logo becoming as eponymous as that Nike swoosh. (Don’t know ’bout you but we here at TJS hope he just does it.)