2021: "The Year of Collaborations"

Camping World & Marcus Lemonis

As 2020 wrapped up, we turned our shock about the unexpected move of Erik from Maryland to his native Long Island to excitement for to have a New York HQ for AEP.

This came during an even more unexpected surprise: winning a brand-new camper from Marcus Lemonis and Camping World, during a holiday giveaway campaign called #RVfromSanta.

Camping World Giveaway Winners Announcement

It took a near-magical effort by friends, families and supporters who stepped up to create a Twitter campaign where Erik was un-ignorable by Camping World and even Marcus Lemonis himself, and we were immediately inspired by the goodness of humanity. With this outlook on how change can bring forth wonderful new adventures and people, we felt like we had our theme for 2021: The Year of Collaborations.

Team RWB & Shootout For Soldiers

Most recently, there has been an announcement by two organizations that Erik and Alexis have been involved with for several years: Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB) announced the acquisition of Shootout For Soldiers. We were not only thrilled about this combination, but also that the Shootout For Soldiers will host 3 cities this year after canceling the 2020 tour. Baltimore, Long Island, and Canandaigua will anchor the 2021 summer season and there are sure to be some unique, inclusive and fun experiences at each! We're already seeing some outstanding collaborations gaining momentum as we hit the planning of this summer full steam ahead.

We look forward to continuing our collaborations in ways that are unfolding as we type this! Don't hesitate to reach out on social media DMs or our website to keep the collaboration momentum rolling well into 2022 and beyond!

TECH X 2021

TechX 2021 (Nov 16-18, 2021)

Get ready for #TechX2021, Nov. 17-19 at the Guardian Centers in Perry, Georgia, USA, where emergency responders experience immersive training in realistic scenarios. Setting the standard for public safety training, #TechX2021 certifies teams in the latest technologies and protocols to save more lives.

Through this partnership with Global Convergent Technologies, we are thrilled to have an opportunity to prepare teams and develop scenarios similarly to the way our AEP teammates worked as their "bread and butter" focus during their time as trainers with the Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group.

AEP's focus on Readiness, Performance, and Recovery will be especially important during these realistic crisis scenarios so teams think their way through the problems they encounter and thrive under pressure as they progress as team. AEP will be training teams and role players in the weeks leading up to #TechX2021 so they may use their skills to be ready, to perform as an individual, a team, and/or leader, and to recover between moments, between events, between days, and make these skills a part of their own toolkit.

Our three main training pillars will be tested throughout the engagement:

(1) Team Resilience: core values, team creative problem-solving, innovating under pressure, comfort in discomfort

(2) Elite Communication: verbal, non-verbal/body language, digital

(3) Awareness: situational awareness, self awareness, awareness of others

"Public sector emergency responders will use cutting-edge technologies to solve challenges in realistic crisis scenarios during the inaugural TechX."

Alpha Echo Project will bring a collection of our skills to TechX 2021, including:

Guardian Centers

1. SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT "Civil unrest. Wildfire. Industrial explosion. Border alert. Pandemic attack. Train your team to solve these real-world crises with life-saving technologies during TechX 2021."

2. TEAM TRAINING for events in the weeks leading up to the event to develop self-aware leaders, resilient teams with chemistry, and skills around Readiness, Performance, and Recovery.

3. SCENARIO EXECUTION Including possible role playing.

Follow #TechX2021 to stay updated and inspired. This unique event is guaranteed to be a formative experience!

Coaching Philosophy: Tomita

by: Alexis Brandolini

This is Tomita. He is Japanese. He is also a Coach for the Identy Mirai soccer club.

Erik and I set off to Japan in search of understanding sports in different cultures around the world. The chance to learn from a lifelong coach in a culture that esteems the notion of Mastery was the opportunity of a lifetime. Despite our language barrier, I learned a lot from Tomita san. (The word "san" is used after a name to show respect.) He referred to the "traditional" coaches and how they don't connect with their players' motivations and learning styles. That they use more of a hierarchical approach where coaches give orders and athletes obey. To question authority is of utmost disrespect. "Tomita san, what is your coaching philosophy?"

Humbly, he seemed to feel that to have a coaching philosophy would be too brash. As I reflect, I think perhaps the way he replied would suggest that a coaching philosophy would be too close-minded for him (and essentially is closer to what that very "traditional coach" does. So how did Tomita san come to this approach to coaching? Where did he learn to seek out connection and feedback from players? In a setting like Erik and I had been in all week, we'd noticed this culture of respect and honoring tradition and law was palpable, so even the way we approached Tomita san in this comfort zone sports setting was something we prepared for, thanks to my dear friends Takako san and Masumi san (in the photos). Tomita san seemed to have a certain glow about his face as he recalled his earlier days in coaching. He told us about moving to Germany to coach an international club team there (impressive move, to say the least). This was an early exposure to a different style of play and a different perspective on sports and teams and coaching. At one point, he started coaching young kids, a mere 5 years of age. This, Tomita san said. This is where his coaching and connection to players really found a new paradigm. Tomita san started coaching these kids in his usual way and quickly learned they were not at a point in their development where they followed a coach's orders. Discipline did not exist in their world. Tomita san realized he needed to shift his style to meet their language, their attention, their desires to explore. He would teach them the game through PLAY. Instead of a stern approach with drills, he smiled and laughed and made games of the movements. Just learning how the ball moves off the feet -- these are fundamentals that kids are grasping through their own play, their own immediate feedback of trial and error.

And Tomita san discovered a love of sport. He set a standard for learning and thriving, for both his players and himself. And everyone wants to play for his team or work for his organization. What a wonderful way to win.