Hidden Gems: Meet Morris Mitchell of PLAY Sports/Athletics

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morris Mitchell.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I spent 8 years in the military and was in charge of my unit’s physical training program. That’s when I decided to take personal training as a career path. I went through NASM to become a certified fitness trainer, youth exercise specialist, and performance enhancement specialist.

During the pandemic, schools were shut down and I noticed my kids weren’t getting outside and active. I started taking them to the park and going through speed and agility drills with them and their friends. My wife told me that this was it… kids have always been drawn to me, so I should use my passion for fitness to get the youth active and turn it into a business.

I started off by renting out a field at the KC soccer dome for 3 months, just to hold classes twice a week and get a feel for everything. When I started getting requests for one on one training and was limited by the soccer domes’ availability, I decided to go out and find my own location.

My current gym is not your traditional gym, full of weights and treadmills. PLAY Sports/Athletics is a private studio that specializes in athletic development. I currently take on adult clients as well as my specialization in youth athletic development.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Originally, I left the soccer dome because I wanted more availability and room to grow. What I didn’t realize is that I might to biting off more than I can chew.

With school starting back and kids’ sporting events taking off again, people didn’t need an additional activity to keep their kids active. I had to change my approach to off-season training for athletes and take on adult clients to make ends meet.

As you know, we’re big fans of PLAY Sports/Athletics. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Originally, PLAY was an acronym for Physically Leading At-risk Youth. My goal was to help kids through sports and fitness. As an active kid, I feel like I didn’t notice a lot of the drama going on at home. It wasn’t until I grew up that I learned about some of the things my parents were going through. I started my business because I wanted to give that back to this generation.

I specialize in non-sports-specific conditioning and athletic development skills… I think what sets my business apart from other trainers is that I allow kids to still be kids. Sure we work hard, but I also incorporate games to keep them engaged and excited to come back.

When I tell people that I specialize in youth athletic development, they often say, “ my kids are not an athlete”, “ I just want to get him/her off the couch.” I have programs designed for them as well. On my wall, I have the definition of an athlete and it states A person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical strength and skill.

I tell them if they send me their kids, I will send them back as an athlete.

How do you define success?
I think success is defined by reputation.

As shallow as it may seem, you can be clicking on all cylinders, but if people don’t mention you in the realm you want to be mentioned in, can you call yourself successful?

Like if your having a conversation about speed and agility courses training for youth athletes and PLAY Sports/Athletics or Coach Mo is mentioned… that’s when I know I’m winning.

Contact Info:

• Email: Morris.mitchell@playsportsllc.com
• Website: Playsportsllc.com
• Instagram: @Shape_tomorrow
• Facebook: Playsportsllc