MADISON — Roger Kitchen Jr. has been relentless when it comes to facing the trials and tribulations of his past, and now he wants to help others avoid facing similar obstacles in life by offering not only his experience but also elite training in the field of mental skills. Kitchen, 53, is the founder and mental skills coach of Power Mental Performance, a company he started in 2017 and has since impacted hundreds of athletes both as individuals and as team members across all sports.
“I will share my life story of being what you might call a 'wild child' because I lacked the dedication and work ethic to succeed both in sports and academics,” Kitchen said. “I missed out on a lot in high school and college because I didn't succeed. I tried every common sport and I wasn't good at any of them. I was cut from two baseball teams and one basketball team in high school. My grades were too low to get into college, but I was lucky because Kutztown University (in Pennsylvania) was the only one that talked to me and they gave me a conditional admission.”
While in college, Kitchen began lifting weights at a local gym and quickly fell in love with the sport of powerlifting, competing in several competitions with some success. As is often the case in life, Kitchen took a 24-year break from weightlifting and sports in general. He finally returned to the sport in 2016 and quickly began utilizing his unique mental skills training to compete in state and national championships. He holds the Alabama state record for each individual lift in powerlifting (squat 435 lbs, bench press 253 lbs, deadlift 501 lbs) and has won 198 lbs in the Masters 50-54 age division for a total of 1,190 lbs.
“I was his first client,” Kitchen says. “I was working at the Marshall Space Flight Center and was coached by Dr. Matt Park and skills coach Graham Betchert. I soon started my own business helping errant 'kitchens' all over the world who regretted their life choices. As an organizational development specialist, I met a new hire who was a sports psychologist and he became my first mental health coach. He helped get me back on track. After that job ended in 2019, I joined Guidehouse, one of the largest consulting firms in the world with over 17,000 employees. I work from home and host Power Mental Performance outside of work.”
Kitchen has been married to his wife, Sandy, for 27 years and they have two children, ages 23 and 20. He was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and moved to the Huntsville area with his family in 1995.
Through his private practice, Kitchen works with athletes from middle school to college level. He motivates his athletes to play hard and without regrets. He consults with them through workshops, team sessions and individual sessions. He identifies their concerns, gets into their minds and emotions and helps his clients achieve their optimal performance goals.
Kitchen said athletes, both male and female, have one thing in common: “Yes, there's a fear of failure and making mistakes. I help my athletes turn things around for the better, but they all have a fear of letting their coaches, their teams, their families down.”
Mr. Kitchen earned his Bachelor's degree in Speech Communications from Kutztown University in 1992 and his Master's degree in Christian Management and Leadership from Trinity Theological Seminary in 2007. He holds a variety of professional certifications, all of which help him evaluate complex athlete performance issues and develop unique, customized solutions for individuals and teams. He is passionate about mentoring all athletes who want to achieve greatness.
Bob Jones' recent Class 7A state champion baseball team utilized his training in both 2022 and 2023, and many of the players who participated in sessions with Kitchen went on to be part of the state title team in 2024. “Our players have utilized what Kitchen has taught them over the years,” Bob Jones head coach Jared Smith said.
For Kitchen, his skills coaching extends to the national level, where he assisted the Hampden-Sydney University (Va.) Tigers for three years and led the No. 1 ranked team to the NCAA Division III National Championship against Trine (Ind.) University in the 2024 season. The Tigers lost 69-61 in the final. “My mental skills coaching is completely ingrained in their culture, which helped them win their first conference championship since 2007 (13th place).”Number “It was a great performance overall,” Kitchen added. “This season has been special for the team, so they put their skills to good use and I feel like I've developed a special relationship with them.”
In his work as a mental skills coach, Kitchen emphasizes relationships. He gets inside each participant's mind and builds trust between athlete and coach. “I want them to dream big and have no regrets. I've been lucky to have repeat participants,” Kitchen added.
Power Mental Performance can be found on both Instagram and Facebook Kitchen or on their website at www.powermentalperformance.com or can be contacted by phone at 256-698-6389.
