Meet Jerry Gonzales | Owner at Power Alley Training Facility

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jerry Gonzales and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jerry, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Opening a sports training facility has always been something I’ve wanted to do. I grew up playing, watching, reading and analyzing sports. The classic Steve Sabo NFL films, the E:60 documentaries on ESPN, footage of Bruce Lee and his writings, Muscle and Fitness magazines, they all contributed to wanting to be involved in sports somehow someway. I knew that after years of teaching and coaching, that I wanted to create something that would help athletes reach their goals, something different, something that was an extension of myself.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Here at Power Alley, we strive to offer things you may not find at your typical batting/pitching facility. I have always wanted this to be more than just a place to hit and throw. I want to create an environment that encourages positivity in an unforgiving sport where it can be very easy to focus on your failures. There is no room for negativity here. Work hard, be humble, share what you know, be present, mindful, give back to the community, do it out of love for the game. We will also be offering baseball and softball specific yoga classes here taught by the amazing people at YogaAthletex. The physical benefits of doing yoga is unbelievable. Increase power and strength, increase in range of motion, body awareness, increase focus and on and on…. but there’s more. In today’s world of select/travel ball, there is little talk about injury prevention, how to handle pressure and stress, and the mindfulness that the game of baseball and softball requires. We want our athletes to be healthy all around. If they are struggling with some internal things it can effect how they perform, if they are playing these weekend long tournaments 2-3x a month, where is the emphasis on staying healthy? I want to see our athletes have long careers because they learned early how the body moves and how to listen to their bodies. I want our athletes to be able to perform well in pressure situations, and I want to help them acquire tools that can serve them off the field as well, such as, in school, at home and in relationships. Power Alley will also encourage healthy eating and drinking habits by offering healthy drinks and snacks. No junk food or sugary products will be offered. Power Alley will also sell baseball & softball equipment at prices that can’t be beat. I’d like to see our athletes get their hands on quality gear at an affordable price. Growing up with a single mother, I know exactly what it was like to struggle with buying sports equipment. This is just a way that we here at PA can help parents as well as I know firsthand just how expensive the sport of baseball/softball can be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have always enjoyed going to the Astros games, stopping by the local breweries like 8th Wonder Brewery and Saint Arnolds. I’m a huge fan of Thai and Vietnamese food, there are no shortage of amazing restaurants in Houston but those two cuisines and of course tacos would be the way to go. Shout out to Taco Keto, Boombox Taco, Kanomwon, Street to Kitchen, Hunyh and Cali Sandwich and Pho. I also love live music, would have to catch some music somewhere when this Covid stuff dies down. Really looking forward to that.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I could not have done this alone of course. Without the support from my uncle Steve Rowe, a big fan of the sport, my cousins Ben and Joe, and my kids Nathan, Jacob and Emma. This is a family endeavor, their enthusiasm and encouragement to see this through has meant the world and I can’t thank them enough. I’d also like to thank the baseball and softball community for the support they have shown me since opening my doors here at Power Alley.

Instagram: power_alley_training

Twitter: @poweralley4

Facebook: facebook.com/poweralleyhtx

Youtube: Power Alley

Image Credits
Photos by: Favian Cortez