I am on a mission to see Alaska's youth find personal, lifelong fulfillment in learning to stretch beyond their limits, embrace discomfort, and create positive change within themselves and the people around them.
- Alysa Horn
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Coaching Career University of Alaska Anchorage, Record 68-5
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Professional Basketball Career Australia
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Collegiate Basketball Career University of Alaska Anchorage, record 87-26 West Region Championship • Elite 8 appearance • 2x Conference championships • 4x NCAA Tournament appearances |
The story behind Make Yourself |
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I believe every single person on this planet has the innate ability to make themselves into whoever they want to be.
I feel so strongly about this, because I was once a nobody from a small town on the remote island of Kodiak, Alaska. Like many other kids, it was my dream as a little girl to some day play college basketball, and maybe even professional basketball. At the time, I was one of the best players in my community, but that didn’t mean much at all as I transitioned from a small town high school to college basketball for the University of Alaska Anchorage.
My first year at UAA, I wasn't prepared for the drastic change in level, so I red-shirted.
This means I practiced every day with the team but did not play or travel, and therefore retained that year of eligibility. This was a developmental year through and through. My second year, excited to see all the work from the year prior translate to playing substantial minutes on the court, I was met right away with a bad bout of mono that hospitalized me at the beginning of the year, and wasn’t able to recover quickly enough to come in to the year and make an impact. I played limited minutes the entire season, only being put into the game when we were up by at least 25 points.
At the end of that year, having put in extra time on my own, having gave everything at every practice that I could, having done my best to have a great attitude and be a good teammate; my coach looked me in the eye and told me “If you do not get better, you will not play more than 5 minutes a game next year.” The cold, hard truth. She still didn’t think I was good enough to play at that level.
This felt like the biggest slap in the face anyone could have given me.
It wasn’t a “This is what you need to work on to get better.”
It wasn’t, “Hey we see how hard you’re working; keep at it, it will pay off.”
At the end of that year, having put in extra time on my own, having gave everything at every practice that I could, having done my best to have a great attitude and be a good teammate; my coach looked me in the eye and told me “If you do not get better, you will not play more than 5 minutes a game next year.” The cold, hard truth. She still didn’t think I was good enough to play at that level.
This felt like the biggest slap in the face anyone could have given me.
It wasn’t a “This is what you need to work on to get better.”
It wasn’t, “Hey we see how hard you’re working; keep at it, it will pay off.”
She was essentially telling me, "Quit. You are not good enough."
As I left her office, I felt devastated. By the time I got to my car in the parking lot, I was angry. That summer, with a chip on my shoulder, I completely transformed myself physically, mentally, and developed my skills. I said no to parties. I said no to eating junk food. I said no to accepting that I was only ever going to be a nobody. And I became obsessed with lonely journey of improving myself.
I went to open gyms at 6am with old men, because there were no other options in Kodiak. I would then put a rock in the door, and go back when I knew no one was going to be around, and work on my skills. I would go to the track, and run track workouts, having no idea what I was doing, but just knowing that if I ran hard it would have to make me faster and better conditioned. I went to the local gym to lift weights and get stronger, again having next to no idea what I was doing, but just knowing that it would have to make a difference. I gave up excess sugar and process carbs, and I leaned up. I read books on how to strengthen my mind, and my confidence expanded.
I went to open gyms at 6am with old men, because there were no other options in Kodiak. I would then put a rock in the door, and go back when I knew no one was going to be around, and work on my skills. I would go to the track, and run track workouts, having no idea what I was doing, but just knowing that if I ran hard it would have to make me faster and better conditioned. I went to the local gym to lift weights and get stronger, again having next to no idea what I was doing, but just knowing that it would have to make a difference. I gave up excess sugar and process carbs, and I leaned up. I read books on how to strengthen my mind, and my confidence expanded.
The next fall came around, and my teammates and coaches were shocked.
The relentless storm of work that I had put in that summer had paid off, and I found myself not just on the starting line up, but being one of the leading scorers and rebounders on the team. The next three years of college I continued to work hard and eventually earned a contract to play professionally in Germany for two years and another contract to play a in Australia. Part of me couldn’t believe it.
Had it not been for the two years of failure and adversity, and my summer of obsessive improving my mindset and habits, I would not have made it.
It was not an easy road, and I didn't have too many people to help me. I had to help myself.
This is why I love what I do now. I understand what it’s like to not know how to do something, and how to figure it out when your back is up against the wall. I know what it’s like to have a soft mindset, and transform it into an unstoppable mindset. I know how it feels to commit to making myself into who I want to be, and realize how much of that has to be done on your own.
I want this for everyone else who wants it as bad as I did. They could be basketball players in a rural village, or a big city. They could be athletes of any kind. They could be average Joes or Janes coming off the couch who simply want to reclaim their quality of life. It doesn’t matter. I want to help, because I know what it takes.
This is why I love what I do now. I understand what it’s like to not know how to do something, and how to figure it out when your back is up against the wall. I know what it’s like to have a soft mindset, and transform it into an unstoppable mindset. I know how it feels to commit to making myself into who I want to be, and realize how much of that has to be done on your own.
I want this for everyone else who wants it as bad as I did. They could be basketball players in a rural village, or a big city. They could be athletes of any kind. They could be average Joes or Janes coming off the couch who simply want to reclaim their quality of life. It doesn’t matter. I want to help, because I know what it takes.
The Mission
Make training accessible for everyone
Getting in shape or maximizing athleticism is hard, but tremendously worth the struggle.
- For "every day" athletes, our health is the central pillar that holds up everything else in our lives. Without it, we are all but worthless to ourself and others.
- For "sport specific" athletes, maximizing your athletic potential is one of the key factors for better performance and overall success in your sport.
Make training affordable for everyone
I currently only offer basketball skills training for individuals, small groups, teams, or clinics and camps. I also offer personal training and performance training for individuals, small groups, and teams.
Young aspiring athlete, elite athlete, or someone looking to find their inner athlete, this site is your opportunity to
make yourself.
make yourself.
