Ronald Mendel, Ph.D.
Dr. Mendel holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from Kent State University. He is Program Director of Exercise Science and an assistant professor at Mount Union College in Alliance, OH. Aside from his academic responsibilities, he is active sport- specific programming for athletes, general health and wellness programming and consulting for firefighters and EMTs to improve fitness levels for optimal job performance. Dr. Mendel is also co-founder of the Ohio Research Group which primarily focuses on sport and dietary supplement research. He is also an active member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP) and is the former president of the Ohio Association of Exercise Physiologists.
Douglas Katona
Mr. Katona is a well-rounded, southern California-based entrepreneur. He works closely with Leigh Steinberg Enterprises in Newport Beach, CA focusing on representing and marketing professional athletes. He’s currently spearheading the agency’s foray into the Endurance category and represents professional road racers Fred Rodriguez and David Zabriskie. Under Mr. Katona’s guidance the outfit has also added triathlete Julie Swail – an Olympic hopeful in 2008 - to its talented roster. In addition, he is Managing Partner for Magic Movement, Inc., a health and fitness company that owns a successful health club in Corona del Mar, CA. Mr. Katona consults for several other fitness companies, including Mad Dogg Athletics (home of Spinning), where he is a Master Instructor. He has authored educational workshops and appeared as an educator at many fitness conferences. Mr. Katona also serves as President of the MOTOR TABS Cycling team and races competitively as a Category 2 road cyclist. His athletic prowess also includes the Ball & Stick realm, as he spent time playing baseball in Taiwan on the USA Ambassador’s Baseball team in 1988 and was selected to carry the Olympic Torch in 1996. Mr. Katona graduated from the University of Southern California.
Charlie Wright
Mr. Wright has a long history both as an athlete and working with elite athletes. Currently he serves as a special consultant for Velocity Performance, lending key insights into its business and athletic management operations. In addition, he is an advisor to Sunfare, a custom home-delivered meal service. Prior experience includes a post as Director of Sales & Marketing/General Manager of Athletes' Performance Los Angeles. He managed all operational aspects of the Los Angeles area facility including fiscal oversight, athlete recruiting and relations, staff development and scheduling, and the systematic integration of athlete service strategies and procedures with the company's Phoenix based headquarters. He was also the primary support liaison to the Home Depot Center's tenant sports organizations - US Soccer, USA Cycling, US Tennis Association and the LA Galaxy, among others. Mr. Wright previously served as the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Santa Monica College. Prior to his stint in Santa Monica he managed the Sports Marketing efforts for MET-Rx Engineered Nutrition. His areas of responsibility included athlete and coach education, direct sale and team sponsorship programs, endorsements, sports media advertising and retail promotions for the Team Sports, Bodybuilding & Fitness and Endurance Sports industries. Mr. Wright recruited Greg Sellers, Sports Engine’s Chief Executive Manager into the Sports Marketing division. Mr. Wright earned his Master's Degree in Education from Stanford University and possesses extensive administrative experience through his work in the athletic departments at UNLV and University of California, Irvine. Additionally, he had a successful collegiate football playing career at the University of Florida as an OG blocking for Emmitt Smith and had a cup of coffee with the Green Bay Packers (an unfortunate injury squashed his pro career). Following his playing days, he served as a graduate assistant football coach at Stanford while completing his graduate work.
John Ellsworth, M.A
John Ellsworth knows that every athlete wants one thing—to achieve peak performance, especially in competition. As both president and founder of Protex Sports, LLC, John is dedicated to helping serious athletes strengthen confidence, refine focus and build composure to provide them the winning advantage—mental endurance.
With over 30 years of experience in business, education, coaching and sport psychology, He is highly regarded as an accomplished authority on achieving excellence and reaching optimal performance. He brings a multi-faceted approach to the mental aspects of sports and health by looking at the attitudes, beliefs and thoughts that influence performance behaviors.
In addition to his extensive experience in both clinical and applied sports psychology, Mr. Ellsworth has worked with sports parents, sports teams, coaches, athletic trainers, sports agents and physicians to train them in the skills to boost mental toughness or assist athletes recovering from a sports related injury.
Mr. Ellsworth works throughout North America with athletes and teams from a variety of sport backgrounds. He earned his Masters Degree from John F. Kennedy University in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Sport Psychology (2001); has obtained undergraduate degrees in Business, and Psychology, as well as teaching credentials from Hillsdale College; and is presently working on his doctorate degree.