BIOGRAPHY
Born and raised in Troy, Michigan, James played competitive soccer from age 8. Throughout his youth, he played club at a high level and was part of the ODP program for the state of Michigan. After high school and club, James played two years at Schoolcraft College and credits much of his love for pursuing fitness to those years.
After his playing career, the gym filled the gap in his competitive and athletic pursuits and quickly turned into a passion for working out. What started as a daily workout turned into an obsession with human movement, performance, and athletic development. From academic publications and certifications to T-Nation articles, he committed himself to studying strength and conditioning. While chasing milestones and numbers was exciting, fitness became stale when training alone on a daily basis. That’s when James found CrossFit.
James was first introduced to CrossFit in 2014. While working at the LifeTime Cafe, a co-worker asked if he wanted to try a class at a local affiliate. He took his first class, got lapped during a 3-round workout, and was hooked.
Training regularly turned into coaching as James found his training background could help others develop and succeed in their CrossFit pursuits. James began coaching in 2018 at Stay Strong CrossFit in Troy, Michigan. At Stay Strong, he earned his CrossFit Level 2 credential and passed the Certified CrossFit Training exam (CrossFit Level 3), committing to making coaching his career.
In 2026, James moved from Michigan to Colorado to pursue the coaching profession further and join the coaching staff at Roots. James thrives in helping athletes identify weaknesses and gaps in potential and creating thoughtful longterm approaches to athlete development.
Outside of the gym, James loves sports and uses his fitness on hikes, biking, and spending time with his girlfriend, Michelle, and their three dogs.
COACHING CREDENTIALS
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND