I was homeless as a teen. The survival skills I learned now help me coach Aryna Sabalenka.

Jason Stacy coaches Aryna Sabalenka, who is playing in the US Open.

Courtesy of Jason Stacy Jason Stacy is a performance coach who helps Sabalenka train physically and mentally.

He's also a dad of four, and he aims to teach his kids the same things he coaches.

He draws on skills like reading people and staying true to himself.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jason Stacy , author of " The Pressure Code: How Elite Performers Align their Energy, Emotions, and Environment.

" It has been edited for length and clarity.

My dad died in my arms when I was 11.

He had been in a motorcycle accident and was home, recovering.

I heard my mom yell for me, and I tried to keep my dad breathing, but he stopped.

We later learned it was a blood clot that killed him.

From there, my life became about surviving, minute by minute.

My mom was really struggling, understandably.

She was caring for my two younger siblings, and in my young mind, I thought her life would be easier if I weren't there.

I started staying away and was largely homeless from 12 to 15.