Meet Our Founder
Lester Sanchez Mayo
Founder & Executive Director, Ahead Of The Game Academy
Lester Sanchez Mayo is a San Diego native, educator, coach, entrepreneur, athlete, and community leader dedicated to empowering youth through sports, mentorship, and personal development.
Born and raised in Paradise Hills, Lester developed a passion for athletics and leadership at an early age through local recreation programs and community sports. His experiences competing alongside teammates from diverse backgrounds helped shape his belief that sports can unite communities, build character, and create opportunities for personal growth.
A graduate of University City High School's Class of 2008, Lester was a three-sport varsity athlete in basketball, football, and track and field. Despite facing significant setbacks due to injuries and personal challenges, he remained committed to his goals and continued pursuing excellence both academically and athletically.
Lester earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from California State University Northridge (CSUN) in 2017. His journey taught him the value of perseverance, resilience, and maintaining faith through adversity—lessons that continue to guide his work today.
In 2020, Lester founded Ahead Of The Game Academy with a vision of creating opportunities for youth to develop confidence, discipline, leadership, and life skills through sports, education, and mentorship. The organization was built on the belief that every young person deserves positive guidance, encouragement, and access to programs that help them reach their full potential.
Over the years, Lester has coached and instructed youth in basketball, football, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, track and field, strength and conditioning, and athletic development. Through partnerships with schools, recreation programs, municipalities, and community organizations, he has dedicated himself to creating meaningful experiences that inspire the next generation.
In addition to leading Ahead Of The Game Academy, Lester continues pursuing his passion for athletics while serving as a mentor, educator, and advocate for youth development throughout the San Diego community.
His mission is simple: to help young people become not only better athletes, but better leaders, students, teammates, and citizens.
Why Ahead Of The Game Academy Was Created
Ahead Of The Game Academy was created from personal experience, perseverance, and a desire to make a lasting impact on the community.
Throughout his athletic journey, Lester experienced both success and adversity. He witnessed talented athletes lose opportunities due to injuries, lack of resources, limited exposure, negative influences, and a lack of mentorship. He also experienced many of these challenges firsthand.
Rather than allowing those obstacles to define him, Lester used those experiences as motivation to build an organization that could help others overcome similar barriers.
Ahead Of The Game Academy was founded to provide young people with access to quality coaching, mentorship, leadership development, educational support, health and wellness programs, and positive role models. The organization focuses on developing the complete individual—not just the athlete.
The Academy believes sports are more than games. Sports teach discipline, accountability, teamwork, communication, resilience, and leadership skills that can be applied throughout life.
Our goal is to create an environment where every participant feels valued, supported, challenged, and inspired to pursue greatness in their own unique way.
Our Vision
Our vision is to become a leading youth development organization that empowers individuals and families through sports, education, mentorship, health, wellness, and community engagement.
We envision a future where young people from all backgrounds have access to opportunities that help them discover their purpose, develop their talents, and build confidence in themselves and their future.
Through innovative programs, community partnerships, athletic development, educational enrichment, and positive mentorship, we strive to create future leaders who make meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond.
At Ahead Of The Game Academy, we believe that success is not measured solely by wins and losses, but by the lives we impact, the character we build, and the positive change we create.
Our commitment is to remain Ahead Of The Game by inspiring growth, encouraging lifelong learning, promoting healthy lifestyles, and helping every participant become the best version of themselves.
