Today we’d like to introduce you to Rayshawn Robinson Jr.
Hi Rayshawn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up in Jackson, Michigan wasn’t easy. I was raised in a single-mother household with 2 siblings, one with special needs, and responsibility found me early. When my mom lost her job of 11 years and our house foreclosed, we were living in and out of friends’ homes and cars just to stay afloat. I was holding things down for my brother and sister while she fought to get us back on solid ground. Sports was my anchor through all of it, not just an escape, but the thing that kept me locked in when everything around me was uncertain.
That no-quit mentality never left me. It carried me through my athletic career and into everything I’ve built since. I was able to obtain a Bachelors in Psychology and Kinesiology from Albion College where I played Football and Ran track for the college. Continued my education to Adler University to start my Masters degree in Sports Psychology. Through genuine connections and a work ethic that doesn’t know how to stop, I earned two coaching positions at Detroit Catholic Central, and that door led to another. I’m now an
Admissions Officer at the school, and honestly it hits different knowing what it feels like to be the kid who needed someone in their corner. Being able to impact lives through this school has been a genuinely joyful experience. I don’t take that lightly at all.
Outside of Catholic Central I run 2 businesses. Xray Media is my photography and videography company focused on fitness and lifestyle content. And Separation Lab is where I work with athletes one on one on skill-specific football training for the ones who are serious about standing out.
Everything I’m building traces back to living in Jackson. The foundation was hard. But the vision is generational, and we’re just getting started.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing was ever smooth. Every time I gained momentum, another roadblock would come into view. COVID hit in the middle of my Master’s degree, and on top of that I experienced some painful losses in my family. I had to step away from school and restart my life from scratch. I went back to blue collar work, landscaping, and rebuilt my momentum the same way I always have, through discipline and showing up every day.
Life kept moving me around too. From Jackson to Ypsilanti where I stayed with my brother, then Canton, then Novi, and finally Wixom. Different cities, different jobs, and the inconsistency made it hard to build any real foundation. At one point I totaled my car and had to figure out transportation on top of everything else I was already carrying. But I kept going. Now I have a reliable car, a stable home, and for the first time in a while I can actually breathe and build.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I played arena football professionally for 2 years after college, and that experience taught me more about myself than any classroom could. Competing at that level after playing college football showed me what it really means to maximize your ability and never leave anything on the table. When that chapter closed, I didn’t step away from the game, I just found a new way to stay in it.
Now I coach football, Track and work as an Admissions Officer at Detroit Catholic Central, and honestly both roles feel like a natural extension of everything I’ve been through. In admissions I specialize in connecting with families, building genuine relationships, and helping students find a path that actually fits who they are and where they want to go. In coaching I focus on skill development and helping athletes unlock levels they didn’t know they had in them. That’s what I’m known for, the real ones, the genuine connections, and showing up the same way every time regardless of the circumstances.
That’s what sets me apart. I’m not just coaching kids or guiding families from a textbook. I’m doing it from a lived experience that most people in these roles don’t have. I know what it feels like to need someone in your corner. So when I show up for someone, it’s never surface level. It’s personal.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Resilience with self awareness. Not just resilience alone, because a lot of people grind through hard times and never grow from them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/00ray__/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-robinson-jr-a977a5186/
