of high school students played on a school or community team in 2025.
202352%
202557.6%
Only one in four students also reported 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
CDC, 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey ↗ABOUT CL2
Train with purpose.
Build a better life.
My experience as an athlete, first responder, and youth coach shaped why I built CL2 Performance.
Start a conversationCARLTON
LAWSON
LAWSON
CL2PERFORMANCE
MY WHY · COACH LAWSON
I learned the hard way.
Now I coach the whole person.
I’m Carlton Laurent Lawson, founder and owner of CL2 Performance LLC. I became a performance coach because I know what happens when the drive to perform gets ahead of the preparation needed to sustain it.
In 2004, I suffered an injury as a competitive athlete after overtraining without giving proper nutrition and recovery the attention they deserved. I had the determination to work hard. I needed a better understanding of how to take care of myself while doing it. That experience still shapes how I coach.
As a first responder, tactical physical training was part of my daily routine. I saw gaps between the demands of high-risk, high-stress work and how we prepared and recovered—especially when disrupted sleep was part of the job. Working through the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath reinforced how much preparation has to account for the person’s actual life.
I began coaching with First Tee in 2023 to give back to the community. After coaching hundreds of students, I’ve become concerned about how difficult it can be for some young people to stay present, connect face to face, and work through a challenge independently. Those are my observations as a coach, and they motivate me to create more opportunities to practice those skills.
With phones, computers, and now AI competing for attention, I want young people to have space to move, ask questions, think critically, and build relationships. I want adults to have that same opportunity to reconnect with their health, confidence, and goals.
That is why CL2 exists: to help people become the best versions of themselves through holistic training and purposeful intention. Golf, strength, mindset, nutrition, and recovery belong in the same conversation. We start with where you are, build habits you can sustain, and give the work a purpose beyond the next session.
The experience I bring.
I came to golf in my 30s looking for a way to be an athlete again. I fell in love with the process. Who am I kidding? I became hooked on the game. I wanted to learn everything and play whenever I could. “One more bucket” became a fairly loose estimate. That curiosity is still with me today. I’m a coach, but I’m very much a student of the game.
In 2021, I had the privilege of taking the Warrior’s Edge course with Dr. Michael Gervais, a sport and performance psychologist whose work includes nine seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Olympic athletes, and Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting Red Bull Stratos jump. The course piqued my interest in sports performance and psychology, particularly how we train attention, respond to pressure, and prepare ourselves to perform. More about Dr. Gervais ↗
What shapes my coaching.
Butch Harmon, Dr. Bob Rotella, and Dr. Michael Gervais have each influenced how I think about coaching. My approach brings sound fundamentals together with confidence, self-awareness, and purposeful preparation. I want players to understand their own game, commit to a shot, and handle what comes next. There’s room to take the work seriously and still enjoy being out there. That’s the balance I bring to CL2.
I played collegiate soccer at Marian University and grew up competing in hockey and baseball. I previously trained in Tang Soo Do, the Korean martial art, and have practiced yoga for over 15 years.
I’m a Chicago native and lifelong learner with a Master of Public Administration in Aviation from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. My college administration work includes the Green River College Aviation Department and the Office of the Chancellor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. My broader background also includes aviation operations, aircraft rescue firefighting, EMS, and emergency management. With a retired school principal and college professor for a father and a National Board Certified Teacher for a mother, education is the family business.
I’m co-founder of the Guild of Golf App, built in partnership with Chicago-based INOV8 LLC to help golfers connect locally, find playing partners, and coordinate rounds.
Master of Public Administration in AviationAAAE Certified Member (C.M.)National Registry Emergency Medical TechnicianFirst Tee Level I CoachTom Watson Mentorship Program CoachPGA pathway in progress
WHY THE WORK MATTERS
The need is real.
So is the opportunity.
A few national findings help explain why movement, supportive coaching, and access to sport matter—from a young person’s first team to adult wellness and the people who serve our communities.
RESEARCH SNAPSHOTU.S. national data · sources linked below
01
Youth, sport & what comes next
Participation can build skills, connection, and options that last beyond the season.
High school athletics are associated with graduation and college attendance.
A longitudinal analysis of two nationally representative cohorts found higher likelihoods of graduating high school and attending college among student athletes. The study reports an association, not a guarantee for each student.
University of Chicago, Becker Friedman Institute ↗Supportive, high-quality sports settings can help girls thrive.
The Women’s Sports Foundation found that sport can help lower depression and anxiety and strengthen peer relationships, meaning, and purpose. Autonomy and positive coach relationships matter.
Women’s Sports Foundation, Thriving Through Sport ↗of high school students reported persistent sadness or hopelessness in 2025.
202340%
202533%
This measure improved from 40% in 2023. It reflects distress, not a clinical diagnosis.
CDC, 2025 youth health findings ↗02
Adult wellness & lifelong play
Coaching can make movement, strength, and continued participation easier to build into real life.
of U.S. adults met the federal aerobic activity guideline in 2024.
The guideline is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week. Strength work is a separate part of the full recommendations.
CDC/NCHS, Data Brief 555 ↗of U.S. adults had obesity in 2021–2023.
This population-level measure reinforces why sustainable movement and strength habits matter. It is context for coaching, not a judgment about any individual.
CDC/NCHS, Data Brief 508 ↗19%ever diagnosed with depression
12%regularly reported anxiety
Movement can be part of a supportive routine.
These 2024 CDC measures show why connection and well-being belong in the conversation. Coaching supports routines and community; it does not replace mental-health care.
CDC, Mental Health Conditions & Care ↗female golfers played on course in 2025.
28% of on-course golfers were women35% of junior golfers were girls
More access and welcoming coaching can help this momentum continue.
National Golf Foundation, 2025 industry facts ↗03
A healthier life beyond the shift
For first responders, emergency medical professionals, military members, veterans, and everyone who serves.
First responders are my community. We take care of others for a living; we need to make room for ourselves, too. Through golf and purposeful movement, I want to help people build healthy routines and friendships that reach beyond the job.
Make movement part of your recovery.
Even one session of moderate-to-vigorous activity can reduce feelings of anxiety and improve sleep. We build sustainable movement around your schedule, ability, and goals.
CDC · Activity, anxiety & sleep ↗Shared interests. Different perspectives.
Supportive relationships help us manage stress. Golf creates an opportunity to meet people outside your profession, enjoy a shared challenge, and build a life that feels fuller off duty.
CDC · Connection & wellbeing ↗Explore golf & fitness opportunities
Local golf & practiceAmerican Lake · veteran golf, instruction & adaptive access ↗Eagle’s Pride · JBLM public golf, practice & Golf Academy ↗Whispering Firs · McChord golf & practice; access requirements apply ↗
Independent programs set their own eligibility, fees, and availability. Military programs may not include civilian first responders. Listing does not imply a CL2 partnership or PGA HOPE affiliation.
Coaching supports movement and connection. It complements, and does not replace, clinical mental health care. Activity research is not specific to golf; intensity and individual benefits vary.
These studies and surveys cover different populations and methods. Associations do not prove that sport alone causes an outcome. CL2 coaching focuses on movement, skill, confidence, and connection; diagnosis and treatment belong with qualified health professionals.
Sources reviewed October 26, 2026.
Build your next step with Coach Lawson →THE STANDARD
Mastering the Game.
Honoring the Craft.
CL2 is built on steady improvement, thoughtful preparation, and respect for the person and the game. Coaching is collaborative: your goals set the direction, and the process helps you keep moving forward.
Explore the five pillars