MEET OUR COACHES
Mac James
Head Strength & Conditioning Coach | Guelph Gryphons
Lead S&C for Gryphon Basketball and Hockey
Mac received a Specialized Honours Degree in Kinesiology with a Diploma in Fitness & Health Promotion from the University of Guelph-Humber.
Mac joined the University of Guelph in 2015 as a graduate intern with previous head strength & conditioning coach, Josh Ford. In 2016, Mac led the Gryphon women's and men's soccer teams as their strength and conditioning coach and was fortunate to watch the men's team win an OUA gold and U SPORTS bronze medal. The same year, Mac assisted in the initiation of the community youth training service 'Gryphon Performance Academy' as the lead coach and would grow the program for the next three years, adding 22 community sport teams, numerous individuals who now play collegiate sport, and creating community Sports Performance Camps. In 2017, Mac became a full-time assistant with strength and conditioning and in the coming years would lead soccer, swimming, volleyball and basketball programs and assist with six other varsity teams being a part of 6 OUA Gold, 1 OUA Bronze, 1 USPORT Gold, and 1 USPORT Bronze finishes.
Since returning to the University of Guelph in 2021 as the head strength & conditioning coach, Mac has taken on a larger leadership role where his focus lies in guiding, mentoring, and developing student-athletes, staff, and community members. Mac values building meaningful relationships that in turn foster sustainable training habits and supporting long-term health lifestyles.
Mac holds the following certifications: CSCS from the National Strength & Conditioning Association, Reconditioning Level 1, and Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach.
Justin Mayo
Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach | Guelph Gryphons
Lead S&C for Gryphon Soccer, Swimming and Volleyball
Upon completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph in 2017, Justin began pursuing a career in the world of health & performance. Justin kickstarted his journey by personal training general population clients at both McMaster University and the University of Guelph. In the summer of 2018, Justin began interning in the Gryphon Performance Centre and worked his way up to a part-time S&C coaching position with a variety of varsity teams (Soccer, Baseball and Lacrosse) and took the lead on the ‘Gryphon Performance Academy’, coaching youth athletes. In the 2019-2020 season, Justin helped lead the Men’s Baseball team to a National Championship and the Men’s Soccer team to an OUA Bronze medal.
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Most recently Justin was a lead performance coach at Pursuit Athletic Centre from 2021 – 2023, working with athletes as young as 8 years old, all the way up to the NCAA, OHL, ECHL and NHL. In addition, Justin developed an internship curriculum for incoming coaches as well as established a strong social media presence for Pursuit, showcasing training & therapy.
Justin prides himself in helping athletes understand the “Why?” behind everything they do in the gym. Justin values simplicity in training and the idea that it's not ‘what’ you do but rather, ‘how’ you do it!
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Justin holds the following certifications: CSCS from the National Strength & Conditioning Association, Altis Foundations, EXOS Performance Specialist and successful completion of a NCAA Internship with Elon University in North Carolina.
JORDAN SHANNICK
Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach | Gryphon Performance Academy
Lead S&C for Gryphon Rugby
Student Coaches
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erika neubrand
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Taylor embree
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sydney vanderhoef
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anna chotenovsky
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kathryn chapman
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