About

Ron has spent the last thirteen years serving the County of Sacramento with providing character development, physical fitness, and building strong nutrition habits with youth. After serving as a Taekwondo instructor in a well respected martial arts school in Sacramento, Ron launched Black Belt in Fitness to help schools promote fun physical games that educated youth on the benefits of being physically active while raising money for their school. Through the success of the program, he began developing strategic business plans, finding and retaining passionate and dedicated staff, and developing collaborative partnerships. Ron currently serves as a consultant to the HEAL Zone which is funded program by Kaiser Permanente, to California GEAR UP which is a federal funded program housed under the University of California Office of Education.

Kharen has been coaching and teaching children, teens and adults since 1997. He has a huge passion for helping others because every day there is something new to learn, and no 2 days are ever alike. His greatest joy is seeing students, coaches and teachers' confidence and self-worth increase through their own efforts and through our instruction and care. Lessons and classes can be intense yet fun at the same time, students should walk away confident, happy, improved, and hungry for more. His approach is straightforward, providing direct and honest feedback that ultimately ensures student and coach success at achieving their own high expectations. Kharen owned and operated a very successful martial arts academy for over eight years. In 2010, Ka’Ren co-founded the STORM program with a mission to bring character education, nutrition, safety and fitness to the as many children as possible. His attention to detail, extremely hard work ethic and excellent problem solving skills help him and his team succeed and become the best in the industry.

Just hours from the Sacramento Valley Al Venegas was born and raised in the central coast. He has always been passionate about working with people and giving back to the community. As a sports coach and a mentor he has over 9 years of experience working with the youth. Growing up in his community he experienced first hand the need and demand for outstanding role models. At the age of 10 Al discovered he was able to influence those around him and had the gift to captivate and engage others. One career Al pursued at the age of 18 was acting and television. With hard work and dedication he was casted on 2 television shows and a radio show. After achieving many goals and dreams of his Al knew he wanted to share his experiences with others and help inspire those around him. Now as a S.T.O.R.M coach, Al knows he has a responsibility and feels extremely fortunate to be in the unique position to be able to influence and empower thousands of kids each and every day. Al's mission is to help others discover deep thoughts and empower them to reach their full potential and a balanced life.

Anyssa is a motivated individual that strives for positively impacting the lives and minds of the amazing youth she has the pleasure of meeting. She has mentored youth at her high school and local parish when she served as a Youth Group Leader. There she was able to provide students with skills and resources necessary for various transitions in their lives. She is currently attending Sacramento State University and is on her way to earning her Bachelor of Arts in Child Development with a concentration in Social and Community Settings. Becoming a S.T.O.R.M. Coach provided Anyssa with many opportunities. The most rewarding opportunity was allowing her to achieve her goal of educating youth on the importance of having positive character. It is her mission to provide students with a fun experience while challenging them to be role models for their communities and for themselves. The S.T.O.R.M. Program Coaches empower children and encourage them to achieve greatness.

Coach Sim grew up right here in Sacramento and has over 5 years of experience working with kids. A graduate of both American River College and UC Berkeley, he grew a passion for working with and inspiring kids while developing a youth education program on a grassroots project in rural India. He joined the S.T.O.R.M. Team in 2014 after witnessing first-hand the tremendous skill S.T.O.R.M. Coaches had in motivating and influencing students to reach for greatness. Since joining the team, Sim has transformed the nutrition curriculum and pioneered the S.T.O.R.M. program for home-schoolers. Sim’s S.T.O.R.M. sessions are lively, fast-paced, and fun. Students will experience, and help to build, a positive and encouraging team environment. One that allows them to be challenged without feeling judged. An imaginative person by nature, Sim utilizes his creativity, and encourages students to use theirs, to build new exciting activities. The experience leaves kids feeling more motivated, educated, and ready to take on life’s challenges.