How did you initially get into football coaching?
I Initially started out as a Personal Trainer three years ago before realising there was scope and a market for 1 to 1 football coaching. I started out personal training at a gym which had an upstairs studio with a wooden floor which I found I was able to offer all the drills I still do today, such as your short sharp footwork and technical drills. From there as things started growing, we set up our own space with a 3G (third generation) surface and an enhanced customer experience, making it feel more like a place you would come to improve your performance.
Left: How Jake's space started. Right: The space now with it's 3G surface.
What do you love about your sport?
What I love most about football is the simplicity of it. It is a game that requires little equipment and can be played almost anywhere, all you need is a ball and a friend and can have fun for hours just kicking a ball back and forth. From a more competitive look at the game, there is nothing better than being involved in a big game and coming away with 3 points having given everything. The environment in the dressing room with your team mates afterwards is an amazing feeling.
Did you used to play football at a high level yourself? If so, what was your journey?
I currently play for local semi-professional club Newcastle Benfield. Before that I played over in the United States, in Kentucky, Missouri, West Virginia, and Minnesota.
What does your usual day look like at the moment?
Typical day for me would be to wake up 6am, have my morning coffee and breakfast before trying to get my daily stretching in. From there I like to sit down and go over my objectives for the day and plan out sessions for clients and teams I work with. I arrive at my gym at 9am and work with my morning clients until about 1pm. From then I will have a few hours spare which I look to get my own training in, sort out an admin tasks or produce content for my social channels. I generally start back up with clients at 3pm and sessions on some cases go until 8pm. Once I get back home, I will edit any content I have done for the day and respond to any emails or messages I have received, before trying to switch off at 10pm.
What is the proudest moment from your career?
The proudest moment in my football career would have to be scoring in my College Conference final back in America in 2015 – which we won! Hopefully I have still got a few more memories left in me!
What type of players do you coach?
I currently work with a range of players spanning from as young as 8 years old to senior professional players. An area I am seeing huge growth in is the women’s side of the game. I work with a number of players from the women’s Durham first team.
What injuries have you had and how did/do they affect you?
Luckily, I have never had any real serious muscular injuries. However, for years now I have been dealing with a hip impingement hence the morning stretching, and mobility work I need to do. I think having injuries as keen sportsmen is one of the most frustrating things ever as it keeps you out for a period of time of game you loved to play and at end of day your time is limited in playing sports to a good level. So, as I have grown older, I have tried to really look at ways I can reduce my chances of injury which is where NuroKor plays a big part in my life now.
How does NuroKor help your recovery?
NuroKor allows me to speed up my recovery process and get back to training harder and quicker after a tough 90-minute games of playing football. At the end of the day if you can recover faster and begin training harder, it is going to be key to being better than your competition.
What are your main goals in the short and long term as a coach?
My goals short term as a coach are to help the players I work with stay as fit as possible and improve technically. I want to visibly be able to see their performance improving on the pitch. Long term I would like to see some of the younger players I coach reach the professional game and really excel in the football.
Jake runs his own football coaching & fitness company JT Fitness.
Follow Jake Turnbull on Instagram @jt.fitness15
