personal fitness is a team sport
The decision to change your life has to come from within. But once you reach it, you need all the help you can get. I knew I’d never be able to tackle The Second Half alone, so I mined my personal network to assemble an A-plus support network. Besides the expertise they bring, the financial investment means I have that much more skin in the game, which will hopefully translate into correspondingly better results.
The actual expense varies from week to week, depending on my schedule and that of my team members. If I’m firing on all cylinders—a pair of soccer and yoga sessions each, a visit to the acupuncturist, a meeting with the nutritionist—the total outlay might be up around $200. Over the course of the month, it probably nets out around $600.
That’s real money, for sure. But I’m getting some it back through lifestyle changes. Going off the booze, for example, works out to more than I care to admit. And I’m cooking more meals at home, which means a much lighter restaurant bill.
Whatever the total cost of my professional support network, it’s absolutely worth it they’re able to see me on a path of lasting health and wellness. Here’s a closer look at the core members.
Stephen Hoogerwerf, Coach
I first met Stephen ten years ago at the pickup game in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park—the “dust bowl” as it’s known, after the dirt-and-sand pitch on which it’s played. Like me, Stephen has lived and breathed soccer his entire life, starting with the playing fields of his hometown New Orleans.
Stephen came to New York to study sports science at Long Island University, where he also served as an assistant coach for the men’s soccer team. His resume also includes stints with Manhattan Soccer Club and New York Cosmos. He’s currently the Director of Coaching at Chelsea Piers and Head Soccer Coach at the Collegiate School. And he does private lessons on the side, mainly youth, but more and more adults as well, which makes The Second Half a great fit for both of us.
Kahlila Kramer, Strength Trainer
Kahlila is a personal trainer and registered yoga teacher, as well as a fellow parent at my kids’ school in Brooklyn. She received her personal trainer certification in 2007 shortly before the birth of her first child; in 2011, she finished her 200-hour yoga teacher training and went on to complete another 100 hours in trauma-informed yoga. What drew me to Kahlila is the men’s class (aka “broga”) she offers, as well as her experience working with clients through specific injuries (a bum hamstring, in my case). I also like her non-judgemental approach to teaching and training, and the focus on self-acceptance. Besides yoga, Kahlila has a lifelong love of movement, dance, and martial arts.
Danika Hendrickson, Meditation Coach
Danika is a certified yoga teacher, astrologer and ayurveda practitioner, based in New York’s Hudson Valley. She teaches at the Omega Institute and Satya Yoga Center. I’ve known Danika personally for more than ten years, and have had a few professional sessions in that time, around yoga and astrology. When I first mentioned The Second Half project, she talked about how the alignment of my Virgo sign made this an ideal time in life to embark on a major transformation. Besides the meditation, I’m eager to benefit from Danika's expertise in restorative yoga, conscious eating, and more.
Elizabeth Fassberg, Nutritionist
Elizabeth is the founder and president of EAT FOOD, a food and nutrition consultancy based in Manhattan. We’ve crossed paths professionally over the years and she also happens to be my wife’s cousin, which helps with the rapport.
What I like most about Liz is her reality-based philosophy toward diet and nutrition. “There is a lot of misinformation out there,” she said during our first call about the project. “The silver-bullet, one-size-fits-all diet plan is a myth.” Liz is less rigid in her approach, working with clients to create nutritional programs that suit their lifestyle while still hitting the targets. I can’t wait to see what that looks like for me. My wife is pretty excited, too.