Benjamin Brownsberger
Founder of Optimum Performance Consulting, Inc.
Ben is an elite and uniquely gifted performance coach. His experience extends through many major sports and disciplines. His unique approach to physiology throws most of our preconceived notions of fitness, conditioning and optimized movement out the window. Ben’s passion for training started in 1989 when he began daily exercise to prepare for athletics. Soon after, sports injuries became an unwelcome fact of his athletic life cycle. Over the span of 10 years of team sports (6 years of Jr/Sr High and 4 years University) he overcame 18 soft tissue and bone injuries in addition to 8 head/neck injuries.
Ben’s injuries include: 2 ankle sprains, 2 hip pointers, 2 lower back injuries, 1 spondylolisthesis (fractured vertebrae), 2 hyperextended knees, 1 MCL, Osgood-Schlatter’s (bone/tendon below knee), Plantar fasciitis, 2 hamstring tears, 1 dislocated clavicle, 1 separated AC joint, 1 adductor (groin) tear, 1 avulsed extensor tendon, numerous jammed fingers and thumbs, and 8 head/neck injuries (5 x “Bell Rung” and 3 x “Stinger”).
That being said, Ben found himself at university with a certain ferocity, studying and researching into the early hours of the morning, on a mission to compare and contrast what was being taught in the lecture halls with what would actually produce results both recovering from injuries and improving sports performance. As with all sports careers, the clock eventually runs out. Making lemonade out of lemons, he began to view his experiences as learning opportunities which would be of benefit to others. In 1998, Ben redirected his time and passion from resolving his injuries and personal performance training into working with athletes: specializing in “Managing The Athletic Life Cycle(™)” a term he created to encompass all the pieces of the puzzle, which come together to develop into and maintain elite athletic performance.
After 7 years as performance coach of 8 teams at his alma mater, he followed his belief and passion in the concept of Managing the Athletic Life Cycle(™) and founded Optimum Performance (OPC) in 2004. Instrumental in the development of Ben's expertise and forming OPC was a series of mentors who, by their own right, are internationally recognized elite coaches and performance specialists. Among them, the most life changing was the founders of the ARPwave system who Ben had a unique mentorship with for over a decade. At the end of that time he served as head of virtual therapy and education before resuming his consulting business full-time.
Throughout the last decade Ben has enjoyed consulting with players on 15 NHL teams as well as several international professional clubs. During this time he had the privilege to work with clients who represented 5 countries in the Olympic Games, including Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalists. In addition to training several hundred NCAA athletes from 22 different sports; he has also served as a consultant to athletes and trainers in the NFL, MLS, NBA, USA Rugby, LPGA, PGA & USATF. He has had the privilege of consulting with 3 professional league MVP’s.
As President of OPC, Inc., Ben does more than assist athletes to rapid recoveries. Now in his third decade facilitating elite athlete development and performance; he works tirelessly researching and innovating at the forefront of peak performance technologies and methodologies to ensure his clients are always light years ahead of the pack.
Ben’s passion is Managing The Athletic Life Cycle(™) which consists of four components: Preparation, Recovery, Performance and Rehabilitation. He has concluded through observations and experiences, spanning youth to professional and Olympic level sports, that there is an enormous gap between athletic talent level and the availability of skilled talent support specialists. Outside of the athlete’s practices and competitions, the preparation for these events is what makes the athlete fail or succeed.
Ben is an advocate for his clients and is there to guide them to the longest, healthiest athletic career and best quality of life after their career. He is an experienced and knowledgeable expert who can assist them in managing their daily performance, from gym work, mental and emotional clarity, bouncing back from injuries and the demands of the daily stresses of being an elite athlete.