I grew up in South Central Los Angeles in my early years where I played pop warner football for the LA Demos starting at 8 years old. We moved to the valley for my 5th and 6th grade years before relocating to West LA and the Fairfax district. I continued to flourish in sports playing basketball, football and baseball at Fairfax High school before I settled in on Football only, I knew I had a much better chance at receiving a scholarship to play college football. I always had top grades throughout high school excelling in honors and AP classes; I passed the SAT my first time taking it when most of my teammates did not. Yet, I didn’t like the colleges that were offering me scholarships so I chose to attend Santa Monica community college to give myself more options after playing there developing more and getting bigger and stronger. I settled on Marshall University in West Virginia because I wanted a change from Los Angeles where I’d lived my entire life. I did well there played some major big time football in front of thousands of people each week and on television. I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Phys Ed, I knew I wanted to work with kids. My 1st job in LA after I graduated was as a social worker for troubled teens and I was barely 23 years old but I loved it. At 25 years old I took a job as a Fitness Director for the up and coming LA Fitness franchise and I flourished in the position working there for 8 years. I then met my soon to be Pali YMCA director Jim Kirtley playing pick up basketball games at The Willows school. He told me they needed a good trainer in the Palisades that knew his stuff, and the rest is history…
Let’s Share Your Story
Tell us a little about yourself. Where did your story begin, and what led you to the Palisades?
I grew up in South Central Los Angeles in my early years where I played pop warner football for the LA Demos starting at 8 years old. We moved to the valley for my 5th and 6th grade years before relocating to West LA and the Fairfax district. I continued to flourish in sports playing basketball, football and baseball at Fairfax High school before I settled in on football only, I knew I had a much better chance at receiving a scholarship to play college football. I always had top grades throughout high school excelling in honors and AP classes; I passed the SAT my first time taking it when most of my teammates did not. Yet, I didn’t like the colleges that were offering me scholarships so I chose to attend Santa Monica community college to give myself more options after playing there developing more and getting bigger and stronger. I settled on Marshall University in West Virginia because I wanted a change from Los Angeles where I’d lived my entire life. I did well there played some major big time football in front of thousands of people each week and on television. I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Phys Ed, I knew I wanted to work with kids. My first job in LA after I graduated was as a social worker for troubled teens and I was barely 23 years old but I loved it. At 25 years old I took a job as a Fitness Director for the up and coming LA Fitness franchise and I flourished in the position working there for 8 years. I then met my soon to be Pali YMCA director Jim Kirtley playing pick up basketball games at The Willows school. He told me they needed a good trainer in the Palisades that knew his stuff, and the rest is history…
How long have you lived or worked here — and what do you love most about it?
I have worked in the Pacific Palisades for 19 years this coming October. I love it because it has a great small hometown feel to it, everyone speaks to each other, and faces are very familiar walking through the village.
Tell us about your work or your passion — past, present, or future. What lights you up?
I am a Fitness professional for the Palisades YMCA since 2006 and an 8th grade head football coach at Calvary Christian school since 2012. I love assisting adults and kids in reaching their fitness goals. And as a former All LA City football player and collegiate champion playing at Marshall University in West Virginia, teaching kids the fundamentals of the game and having them compete on a high level is very rewarding for me.
Tell us a little about your family, community or what “home” means to you.
I’m married to a wonderful woman Kia Todd, my wife and I just celebrated our 16-year wedding anniversary on June 2nd. I have five kids, the baby boy TJ is 14 years old, my baby girl Peyton is 16, my oldest son Brandon played college football like me in West Virginia at West Liberty University graduated with his Masters in Criminology, he is 28, my collegiate athlete track star daughter Destiny is 29 and engaged to be married in 2026, and finally the oldest is my daughter Tayler 31 years old. Family means the world to me and throughout the years my kids have loved coming to the Palisades for various events that I’ve been involved in. TJ was a top football player at Pali Rec as an 8 and 9 year old, we loved watching him play football. I ran my summer football camps at Pali High and Calvary for the past 12 years straight, working with hundreds of kids ages 6-13 years old, that was a personal joy of mine to provide the community..
What’s something unique or special about the Palisades that you’ve experienced firsthand?
I have coached so many kids from the area through the YMCA, Pali High, Calvary, and Pali Rec, what’s really special to me are the kids and in the Palisades community it’s the annual “Pancake Breakfast” for PPBA at Pali Rec Park.
Community Favorites
Is/Was there a local business that makes you feel nostalgic or rooted here?
Palisades Garden Cafe is definitely the place that is home to so many of us looking to grab a quick meal. I have also been fortunate enough to have a front page article of me posted up there from the Pali-Post when I became head football coach at Pali high in 2022.
Who’s the most interesting or inspiring person you’ve met here in the Palisades?
I’ve had the honor and pleasure of working with and training The Champ Sugar Ray Leonard for three years after his wife took one of my very popular bootcamp classes at the YMCA. Ray Leonard was someone I grew up idolizing, so meeting him in the Palisades and then being hired to train him three days a week for years was awesome, and he’s a really good guy, too.
Fire Reflection
What stands out most from your experience?
I was really just in shock that a community that beautiful would not be protected at all costs. Such prestige and wealth lined those streets of the Pacific Palisades and there was not a bonified plan to save it from devastation and that hurt my heart to the core. I have very strong ties with so many families there from my 19 years of service in the area, I felt for them losing their homes.
Was there someone — a neighbor, local hero, or group — that really made a difference for you during or after the fires?
Katherine Coleman who lives in the Huntington. She’s a retired USC Law Professor and fortunately her house didn’t burn down but it was unlivable for 4 months because of smoke and damage to her home. I’ve trained with this dear lady who’s 71 years of age for the past 16 years after meeting at the YMCA, she had to move to her daughter’s new home in Comstock Hills. I was in a depression I had lost 95% of my businesses in the fire since clients and families were displaced. I didn’t really want to or know how to reach out to people who had lost homes to discuss my loss of financial stability due to the fires. Miss Coleman was the first to reach out to me and give me insight on programs for small businesses affected and federal grants being offered, she also began training with me again at her daughter’s home twice a week with the two of them – her daughter Reed a new mother of a 1-year-old baby boy Miles.
What did the experience teach you about the Palisades or about yourself?
It taught me that the Pacific Palisades was very much indeed a powerful thriving community that supports one another and has great resolve. 19 years ago, I fell in love with the area and through this unfortunate situation it proved to me why.
A Few Fun Ones
What advice would you give to others — in life, work, or being a good neighbor?
I would tell others that life is too short, and to please be kind to your neighbor they could very well be the person that saves your life or your home..
What’s something about you that would surprise most people?
I’m a big strong guy on the surface because I love strength training and lifting weights, I’ve taught the most popular bootcamp class in the Palisades for the past 19 years, yet I’m very sensitive when it comes to watching movies. I often cry watching a good movie, even if I’ve seen it multiple times. Movies like Pretty Woman, Lean On Me, Rudy and Remember The Titans have me crying like a baby.
Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
In 5 to 10 years I see myself helping lead the surge returning families back to the Pacific Palisades. I see myself coaching football at Pali High School and I see all of the kids I’ve coached over the years returning to the football field to see me retire and see me off into the Sunset. I’d like to be remembered for the impact I’ve had on kids and families of the Pacific Palisades Community.
