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About the YSCCa: About the YSCCa: About the YSCCa: “We are a neutral organiza- “We are a neutral organiza- “We are a neutral organiza- tion, supporting all governing tion, supporting all governing tion, supporting all governing bodies of Strength & bodies of Strength & bodies of Strength & Conditioning. Conditioning. Conditioning. We offer an unbiased We offer an unbiased We offer an unbiased resource of professional resource of professional resource of professional development & advancement development & advancement development & advancement for interns, GA’s, newly hired for interns, GA’s, newly hired for interns, GA’s, newly hired and veteran coaches.” and veteran coaches.” and veteran coaches.” If you are interested in learn- If you are interested in learn- If you are interested in learn- ing more, visit us on the web ing more, visit us on the web ing more, visit us on the web www.yscca.groupsite.com www.yscca.groupsite.com and and and Thank you for your interest & Thank you for your interest & Thank you for your interest & support! support! support! Inside this issue: Feature Arcle 1 Feature Arcle (cont.) 2 Feature Arcle (cont.) 3 Feature Arcle (cont.) 4 Coach’s Corner 5 Note to our Readers 5 Strength Hacker 6 Str. Hacker (cont.) 7 This month we interviewed 3 experienced Directors of S&C to get some insight to their careers and professional porolios. Donnie Maib (Texas), Mi- chael Szemborski (Maryland) and John Jost (Florida State) all share some valuable informaon. Q: Briefly describe your dues strictly as Director of your department and your path to this posi- on, include how long you have been in the field. Maib: My dues include overseeing 4 other staff members, design and layout of our new Olympic weight room they just started building this past March, oversight of our internship program year round, working with 3 teams, and assisng with leadership and life skill development with our ath- letes and administrave staff. Szemborski: Is in his fourth year at the University of Maryland as a full-me strength coach, and is in his seventh year overall at Maryland. He was named the Director of Strength and Condioning for Olym- pic Sports in August 2011. During his me on the Maryland staff, Szemborski worked as the top as- sistant for football under former head strength coach Dwight Galt for three seasons. Along with his football responsibilies, Szemborski has worked as the strength coach for men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, women's basketball, men's tennis, wom- en's tennis, volleyball, cross country, women's golf, acrobacs and tumbling and gymnascs. Prior to coming to Maryland, Szemborski spent three years as a volunteer assistant and one year as a part-me assistant at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. Szemborski is a Cerfied Strength and Condioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA. He graduated from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Va., in 2002, and later received his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Longwood University in 2007. Jost: I oversee our strength and condioning de- partment. This includes; overseeing athlec devel- opment for all sports except FB, staff, four facilies, budget, policies and procedures, and department development. I have been in strength and condi- oning field for 25 years. I was an assistant at the University of Nebraska for 7 years, Head Strength Coach at Holy Cross for 2 years, Head Strength Coach at SMU for 5 years, and have been at Florida State for 11 years (7 as Head Strength Coach, 5 as Director of Strength and Condioning). Q: Do you solely control annual budget, ordering, and other dues or do you distribute responsibili- es among your staff? Maib: Right now no, my posion is barely a year old. We have restricted our whole department along building a new Olympic weight-room, when May 2012 Under the Bar with... Olympic Sports Directors Interviewed by: Megan Young Mike Szemborski Director of S&C Olympic Sports University of Maryland Donnie Maib Director of S&C Olympic Sports University of Texas Jon Jost Director of S&C Olympic Sports Florida State University
7

YSCCa May 2012 Newsletter

Dec 18, 2015

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  • About the YSCCa:About the YSCCa:About the YSCCa:

    We are a neutral organiza-We are a neutral organiza-We are a neutral organiza-

    tion, supporting all governing tion, supporting all governing tion, supporting all governing

    bodies of Strength & bodies of Strength & bodies of Strength &

    Conditioning.Conditioning.Conditioning.

    We offer an unbiased We offer an unbiased We offer an unbiased

    resource of professional resource of professional resource of professional

    development & advancement development & advancement development & advancement

    for interns, GAs, newly hired for interns, GAs, newly hired for interns, GAs, newly hired

    and veteran coaches.and veteran coaches.and veteran coaches.

    If you are interested in learn-If you are interested in learn-If you are interested in learn-

    ing more, visit us on the web ing more, visit us on the web ing more, visit us on the web

    www.yscca.groupsite.comwww.yscca.groupsite.com

    andandand

    Thank you for your interest & Thank you for your interest & Thank you for your interest &

    support!support!support!

    Inside this issue:

    Feature Article 1

    Feature Article (cont.) 2

    Feature Article (cont.) 3

    Feature Article (cont.) 4

    Coachs Corner 5

    Note to our Readers 5

    Strength Hacker 6

    Str. Hacker (cont.) 7

    This month we interviewed 3 experienced Directors

    of S&C to get some insight to their careers and

    professional portfolios. Donnie Maib (Texas), Mi-

    chael Szemborski (Maryland) and John Jost (Florida

    State) all share some valuable information.

    Q: Briefly describe your duties strictly as Director

    of your department and your path to this posi-

    tion, include how long you have been in the field.

    Maib: My duties include overseeing 4 other staff

    members, design and layout of our new Olympic

    weight room they just started building this past

    March, oversight of our internship program year

    round, working with 3 teams, and assisting with

    leadership and life skill development with our ath-

    letes and administrative staff.

    Szemborski: Is in his fourth year at the University of

    Maryland as a full-time strength coach, and is in his

    seventh year overall at Maryland. He was named

    the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Olym-

    pic Sports in August 2011. During his time on the

    Maryland staff, Szemborski worked as the top as-

    sistant for football under former head strength

    coach Dwight Galt for three seasons. Along with his

    football responsibilities, Szemborski has worked as

    the strength coach for men's lacrosse, women's

    lacrosse, women's basketball, men's tennis, wom-

    en's tennis, volleyball, cross country, women's golf,

    acrobatics and tumbling and gymnastics. Prior to

    coming to Maryland, Szemborski spent three years

    as a volunteer assistant and one year as a part-time

    assistant at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.

    Szemborski is a Certified Strength and Conditioning

    Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA. He graduated

    from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Va.,

    in 2002, and later received his bachelor's degree in

    Kinesiology from Longwood University in 2007.

    Jost: I oversee our strength and conditioning de-

    partment. This includes; overseeing athletic devel-

    opment for all sports except FB, staff, four facilities,

    budget, policies and procedures, and department

    development. I have been in strength and condi-

    tioning field for 25 years. I was an assistant at the

    University of Nebraska for 7 years, Head Strength

    Coach at Holy Cross for 2 years, Head Strength

    Coach at SMU for 5 years, and have been at Florida

    State for 11 years (7 as Head Strength Coach, 5 as

    Director of Strength and Conditioning).

    Q: Do you solely control annual budget, ordering,

    and other duties or do you distribute responsibili-

    ties among your staff?

    Maib: Right now no, my position is barely a year

    old. We have restricted our whole department

    along building a new Olympic weight-room, when

    May 2012

    Under the Bar with... Olympic Sports Directors Interviewed by: Megan Young

    Mike Szemborski Director of S&C Olympic Sports

    University of Maryland

    Donnie Maib Director of S&C Olympic Sports

    University of Texas

    Jon Jost Director of S&C Olympic Sports

    Florida State University

  • that happens there will be some budg-

    eting changes.

    Szemborski: In terms of total control I

    have the final say to everything, but as far

    as distributing duties I break that up and

    give them almost completely to my staff.

    If the staff needs a piece of equipment or

    needs more of any one thing, I make that

    happen.

    Jost: I solely control (the budget) because I

    am solely responsible. However, I do del-

    egate a portion to an assistant that works

    with vendors on getting quotes. I ask for

    and encourage input on equipment that

    we buy and purchase. Everyone has two

    or three teams they are responsible for,

    plus an additional responsibility such as:

    Nike allotment, facility maintenance and

    repair, baseball facility, basketball facility,

    satellite facility, staff development, and

    internships. So there are a lot of responsi-

    bilities outside of training teams I delegat-

    ed.

    Q: Do you still oversee the programming

    of any teams? If so, which teams?

    Maib: Womens Soccer, Volleyball and

    Mens tennis

    Szemborski: Yes I am the head strength

    coach for Mens and Womens Lacrosse,

    Womens Field Hockey, Womens Volley-

    ball, Mens Tennis and gymnastics.

    Jost: No, I do not oversee the program-

    ming for any one team. I provide the prin-

    ciples and framework in which I expect my

    staff to work and then give them owner-

    ship with their teams and programs. I feel

    like if I am going to delegate responsibility,

    I have to delegate ownership; the worst

    position to be in is one of responsibility

    without power. We have a departmental

    framework or template I would like all of

    my assistants to follow, but they have a

    great deal of freedom. I dont spend time

    with just any one team, but I give my

    blessing on each coachs programs before

    it is implemented so that no one coach is

    on an island and so if a sport coach ever

    has an issue with us, we present a united

    departmental front on why we do what

    we do.

    Q: Was having this responsibility/title a

    goal of your career?

    Maib: No it wasnt, I knew I wanted to be

    a head strength coach I had no idea that it

    would end up being on the Olympic side.

    At 42, 18 years into my career with four

    kids I was able to accept a position that

    moved me out of football, and with that

    move I have more career stability and

    have enjoyed the change. I have more

    freedom and flexibility with my own

    schedule, which is great to spend time my

    family.

    Szemborski: I started my career complete-

    ly on the football side, but I took over

    Mens Lacrosse a few years ago and real-

    ized how much I enjoy working in the

    Olympic Sports side. This past May when

    the position became available I had a

    tough time deciding to change and no

    longer being a part of football. It wasnt

    really a career goal but now that I am here

    I enjoy it, and like the direction it is taking

    my career.

    Jost: Yes, after being an assistant at the

    University of Nebraska for 7 years, I real-

    ized if I wanted to advance I would need

    to move on. This was one of the most

    difficult decisions I have ever made. It was

    so challenging to leave where I was raised,

    my alma mater and dream position. But, I

    would not change a thing about my career

    path. I left a school that had a lot of re-

    sources and a great staff to take a position

    at Holy Cross where I had to learn how to

    function without all of those things. I was

    newly-wed and had made a lot of mis-

    takes, but it helped me grow so much as a

    coach. Then I had an opportunity at SMU,

    where it was a step back into major D1

    athletics and that lead me to a position I

    am blessed to have.

    Q: Do you currently have an internship

    program with curriculum set in place?

    What does that entail?

    Maib: Summer program is 8 weeks in du-

    ration with one discretionary week in the

    month of July; the internship program is

    football or Olympic split. They get a manu-

    al when they begin with our contact info,

    confidentiality statements, social media

    agreements, protocol and regulations,

    suggested reads, and assignments due at

    the end of summer consisting of a 10-12

    week off-season program. Each week of

    the summer, the interns have a staff in-

    service with a lecture and weight room

    application if possible. Every Friday is a

    staff roundtable discussion. We will have

    a final evaluation form that we will go

    through to give them some feedback of

    steps to take when they leave.

    Szemborski: We do. My assistant Brent is

    in charge of the internship program. Right

    now we have four interns; they go

    through a continuing education curricu-

    lum with Brent. This involves them having

    to program for teams, performing those

    workouts themselves, and discuss the

    science behind the periodization. I want

    them when they leave Maryland to know

    how to program, along with the practical

    experience of working in collegiate ath-

    letics to ready them for their career as

    strength and conditioning coaches.

    Jost: My assistant Adam Ross has an 8-12

    week program in place. We have interns

    each semester and also during the sum-

    mer. The length of each internship pro-

    gram is tailored to the requirements for

    each individuals internship (hours, class

    (Continued from Page 1)(Continued from Page 1)

    Under the Bar with... Olympic Sports Directors Interviewed by: Megan Young

  • credit). The intern meets with a coach 1-2

    times a week, are assigned homework,

    practical and/or curriculum in nature

    (articles). They also will present a pro-

    gram design to the staff. At least every

    two weeks they will be called to demon-

    strate and communicate exercises or ide-

    as.

    Q: Do you feel all collegiate programs

    should have a position which is strictly

    administrative in overseeing the depart-

    ment? If yes, why? If no, why not?

    Maib: I lean heavy towards the yes, I be-

    lieve with our field that as you get older as

    a strength coach that if you are a lifer

    there is nowhere to go professionally.

    Dealing with administration they really do

    not understand the importance of what

    we do, and having someone to speak as

    an administrator to fight for our depart-

    ment whether it be raises or approvals on

    budgets.

    Szemborski: I do not really think that is

    necessary. I have seen both ends of that

    spectrum; to me it is important for a

    strength coach to always have a responsi-

    bility in training athletes, even while hav-

    ing other administrative duties. During

    the day I love training and being active

    around the student-athlete, I get my ad-

    ministrative duties done in the morning or

    at night. I feel that just having the admin-

    istrative duties would too far remove me

    from my passion as a coach.

    Jost: Yes, I do but unfortunately but there

    are few athletic departments that can

    commit financially to this position. The

    way major athletic departments operate

    today, it is important that the Director of S

    & C has a strong voice and is very involved

    with the other administrators in the ath-

    letic department at a high level. In addi-

    tion to developing and supporting the

    student-athletes, it is another way the

    strength and conditioning profession will

    continue to gain respect within an athletic

    department. There is not enough time in

    the day for a coach to train multiple teams

    and then have administrative duties, and

    give full due diligence to both

    Q: Do you make your associate(s) use the

    same programming style as them or let

    them do what they want?

    Maib: No I do not, I do not agree with

    that. I want my coaches to have their

    beliefs and philosophies and as long as

    their coaches are happy then I am fine

    with that. I say this having a situation

    where all my coaches are platform based.

    Szemborski: That is part of the hiring pro-

    cess for me; I ask what your philosophy is.

    I am not big on mandating certain things,

    but I feel if there is a big philosophical

    difference between how I would do some-

    thing versus what I see being done, I will

    sit down and try to understand their ra-

    tional for why they do what they do. The

    only time I will stop something is if I see it

    as being an injury risk.

    Jost: I try not to make or dictate how

    something should be done, I try instead to

    teach and learn from the different

    thoughts and models of the coaches I hire.

    I want to understand their thought pro-

    cesses. With that being said, I probably

    would not hire someone who had a very

    different approach or philosophy. We all

    use excel and all follow a pretty similar

    periodization style. Again, I feel it is im-

    portant to provide freedom within certain

    boundaries. It is important to remember

    that being a strength coach combines art

    and science. If you asked three different

    coaches to administer the same program

    you could get three different results. You

    cannot separate the soup from the cook

    who is stirring the pot. Each coach must

    be given the freedom to express their

    personality and have ownership in the

    program they are implementing in order

    to get the best results.

    Q: What are the most essential attrib-

    utes you look for in graduate assistants

    and interns?

    Maib: Number one would have to be pro-

    fessionalism; in emails, opening state-

    ments, resume presentation, how we

    communicate back and forth in emails,

    how you dress for an interview. Second,

    that they played a sport themselves at the

    collegiate level or at least was a starter or

    captain in high school; if they do not then

    they must have experience in a college

    weight room setting. Those two are inter-

    changeable and equal qualifications.

    Szemborski: I look for variety, in terms of

    where they have been. I like to see that

    they have been at multiple schools; be-

    cause you have learned from more people

    and seeing programs done different ways.

    I look for someone that is up-tempo and

    high-energy that likes to get after it. I like

    to ask How would you get a team moti-

    vated to work at 5:30AM?

    Jost: Someone that wants to be a strength

    coach. This may sound crazy, but I have

    come across so many people who think

    strength and conditioning is a way into

    coaching football, and it is not. Initiative,

    dedication, work ethic, reliable, effective

    communicator, and someone that truly

    cares about helping develop peopleI

    think you can apply these characteristics

    to any profession and if you have those

    characteristics then you are setup to ex-

    cel.

    Q: What advice do you have for those

    trying to begin their network and begin-

    ning their career into strength and condi-

    tioning?

    Maib: Always take an opportunity over

    money, starting out. Go if you get an op-

    portunity because they lead to doors

    opening down the road.

    (Continued from Page 2)(Continued from Page 2)

    Under the Bar with... Olympic Sports Directors Interviewed by: Megan Young

  • Szemborski: I think the biggest thing is

    when you talk to coaches to network, the

    best thing you can do is pick their brain.

    Ask how they got to their current position

    and what they recommend to get there.

    Develop as many relationships as you can

    and continue to learn as much as possible.

    The day you think you know it all, youre

    in trouble. I cannot emphasize enough

    how important constant learning is.

    Jost: Have initiative, meaning it is so im-

    portant to learn, read, ask questions,

    grow, and to networkIf you have initia-

    tive, there a lot of other things that will

    take care of itself. Also if you work harder

    than anyone expects you to, you will soon

    be in a position you did not expect to be

    in.

    Q: When hiring a full-time assistant,

    what type of experience and background

    do you look for?

    Maib: Again I go back to being a college

    athlete, when you have a coach that has

    played at a high level, that was successful

    you have a huge advantage. You under-

    stand the language, the culture, sense of

    urgency; there is a learning curve there

    that you do not have to teach.

    Szemborski: To me a certification and

    Masters degree as synonymous with each

    other, I would like both but I do not re-

    quire it. If I hire you, within a year I will

    want you to work towards having a certifi-

    cation. If I find a candidate who is recom-

    mended by people I trust, but I prefer

    people with my coaching personality.

    Jost: It depends on the actual position,

    what sport and teams, but across the

    board someone with strength coach expe-

    riences, whether it be a GA or previous full

    -time staff. Even a GA spot I want some-

    one who has experience within an athletic

    setting, not a personal trainer. Experience

    with coaches and teams are extremely

    important. The more environments and

    teams you have had the opportunity to

    coach or be around, the better, you can

    learn something from each environment

    and situation.

    Q: How do you continue to educate and

    evaluate yourself, as well as your staff?

    Maib: I am a big resource guy. I have a

    passion for leadership and going to the UT

    Professional Development Center and

    take a one day classes to further my

    knowledge. Whether its time manage-

    ment, team building, they have it all. I go

    to the CSCCa, a few hammer strength

    clinics. For my staff I just started this posi-

    tion, but I will go buy them books or take a

    staff development trip to a conference. I

    try to take a team approach.

    Szemborski: We attend CEU seminars; we

    try to meet at least once a month where a

    staff member presents on a topic. We

    exchange ideas, debate, and learn from

    each other. We all attend at least one

    conference every year. Also at Maryland

    we have PRDs (performance review and

    development surveys) is done twice a

    year, I review their expectations given

    upon hiring and give appropriate feed-

    back.

    Jost: For myself, I make it a priority to

    read, ask questions and continue to con-

    tact other people and network. I proba-

    bly learn more from my staff than they

    learn from me. We use each other as

    resources and a sounding board. I keep a

    daily to-do list and log. This acts as a great

    barometer to make sure that I am getting

    my daily tasks accomplished.

    Formal staff evaluations are done once a

    year. More often evaluation comes in the

    form of frequent honest feedback, if

    something has not gone well or I think

    should be improved I will let me staff

    member know that directly and honestly.

    We attend at least one conference every

    year; also we have a staff member in

    charge of professional development so we

    may read articles, research a topic, etc. to

    continue to educate one another. When

    we have one large project we work on

    together, as when we spoke last year at

    the NSCA conference as a staff, it really

    helped our staff grow and develop.

    Q: What are you currently reading?

    Maib: I am trying to learn to deal with

    administration and coaches so I am read-

    ing, Just Listen by Mark Goulston about

    how to get through absolutely anyone

    when you speak with them.

    Szemborski: Personal The Hunger

    Games. Field- I read the Journal of

    Strength and Conditioning every month.

    Jost: A book called Will Power by Roy

    Baumeister and Getting Things Done by

    David Allen neither one are strength and

    conditioning specific.

    Q: What conferences will you attend this

    year?

    Maib: Hammer Strength in New Jersey,

    FMS seminar in May, CSCCa in May, Grow-

    ing Leaders National Conference in Atlanta

    Szemborski: NSCA National Conference.

    Jost: Already attended the NSCA coaches

    conference in January, I usually attended

    the CSCCa conference but I have taken my

    wife the past two years (during our anni-

    versary) and she will not allow it this year!

    (Continued from Page 3)(Continued from Page 3)

    Under the Bar with... Olympic Sports Directors Interviewed by: Megan Young

  • Coachs CornerCoachs Corner 1/4 Change is Enough by: Dr. Bryan Mann

    One of the main reasons people

    go to conferences is to learn

    new material, exercises, ways of

    programming, methods of trait

    development, and ways to teach

    exercises. Often times strength

    coaches return from a confer-

    ence and completely change

    their program based off of what

    they learned at the conference.

    The same goes for many training

    fads; there was the aerobic

    training craze, the anaerobic

    training craze, low fat, low carb,

    cross fit, power factor training,

    iso-eccentrics, concurrent train-

    ing, conjugate training, etc.

    There is a pendulum of belief

    that swings wide to each angle.

    Something new comes along

    and everyone jumps on the

    band wagon.

    Have you ever thought as to

    why people jump on the band

    wagon? They are looking for the

    magic bullet, the magic piece of

    the program that will make

    them better than everyone else.

    Well, for those who are intelli-

    gent enough to realize it, there

    is no bullet that will ever replace

    hard work. The other reason for

    jumping on the band wagon is a

    lack of education or belief in

    their own program.

    I feel, and this is entirely my

    own opinion, that you should be

    able to explain every single exer-

    cise, set, and rep in your pro-

    gram. If you cant do that, you

    shouldnt have written the pro-

    gram the way you did. I also

    believe in the old three-

    fourths rule that I learned

    many years ago from a guy by

    the name of Dave Tate, and yes,

    it is that Dave Tate of

    elitefts.com. He said that at any

    point in time, even when your

    training (or your athletes train-

    ing) is not going as hoped, that

    three-fourths of it is right. Its

    your job to find out what that

    other one-fourth is. If you con-

    stantly jump from program to

    program, no gains can ever be

    truly made.

    Be confident enough in your

    program your own education to

    a conference looking to change

    that one-fourth, not the whole

    thing.

    Avoid the:

    Readers,

    Wed like to sincerely thank you for all of your support

    and inf luence over this past year. Since our team ex-

    pansion last May, we have strived to improve the way

    our organization presents in the field ideas and dis-

    cussions in sports performance for everyone to benefit

    from. We launched an interactive website, al lowing

    coaches, interns and graduate assistants al ike to dis-

    cuss current issues in the field and establish connec-

    tions amongst each other. We revamped our newslet-

    ter format, allowing us to present a wide variety of

    topics to an even greater audience. Lastly, we have

    begun to speak on the state, regional and national lev-

    el; bringing our personal and practical experiences to

    others so they too may learn from our successes and

    mistakes.

    It is our mission to continue to provide guidance and

    leadership to performance coaches through sensible,

    scientif ic, administrative and practical information. We

    ask that you continue to follow us, support us and em-

    brace the changes that we as coaches wil l be bringing

    to the front l ines of the field in order to continue to

    serve those around us.

    Sincerely,

    The YSCCa Team

  • Do you know the difference between in-

    vesting and spending? Quite simple;

    investing returns something to you later,

    while spending does not. The subject

    matter in this piece will no doubt return

    some dividends to you in the future, except

    they wont come in the form of money or

    anything you can see. They will return

    things that are more important. Should

    you choose to invest in the concept of

    Social Media, you will see pay-offs in the

    form of stronger relationships, knowledge,

    connections, notoriety and opportunities

    to grow.

    There are 5 main reasons to take your

    online presence more seriously, and each

    can have a profound impact on your ca-

    reer. Ill also warn against some of the

    common pitfalls I see.

    Build Relationships

    How many times have you heard, Its not

    what you know, its WHO you know!!

    Hopefully not as much as me. I agree with

    half of this. The half thats missing is who

    knows YOU? It honestly doesnt matter

    how many hands you shake. What

    matters is what you made happen after-

    wards. Did you strike up a productive con-

    versation? Did you follow up with an

    email/phone call? Did you listen atten-

    tively??? Its the relationships that GROW

    from new acquaintances that count. Nev-

    er before in history has it been easier to

    connect and interact. I could honestly fill

    this page with the names of new profes-

    sionals in my life due to Social Mediaand

    Im not talking about just names on a list.

    Im referring to mutually beneficial and

    productive connections that made both

    sides better.

    Relationships go two ways; vertically and

    horizontally. Vertically is how I describe a

    relationship I might have with a person

    that could hire me or advise me some day.

    Horizontally is in regards to the people

    you currently work with, fans & support-

    ers, and sometimes even the athletes you

    coach. Its a way of practicing MOBILITY;

    coming down from your perch and being

    out AMONGST your people.

    Pitfall Warning: Know the difference be-

    tween supplements and a good diet. The

    diet is real and what matters; its the meat

    and potatoes. Supplements can only as-

    sist, and should never replace. Dont let

    the supplemental relationships online take

    the place of the real ones in your life. My

    wife and I were out at dinner the other

    night, and saw a kid and his dad sitting

    nearby. The dad was texting/emailing on

    his blackberry and the kid was playing on

    his iPadNeither of them said a word to

    each other! LOL (Im sorry but Ill laugh

    every timetrue story.)

    Strength Hacker Social Media in S&C by: Donnell Boucher

    Learn

    This one is pretty straight forward; AB-

    SORB. Id say this is probably the top rea-

    son for visiting YouTube, Strength Perfor-

    mance and other sites that specialize in

    media sharing. See what others are doing

    and have done. I remember when I got to

    college you had to go physically visit

    schools to see what was going on. Nowa-

    days, youre in the minority if your school

    doesnt have a YouTube page. Also, the

    coaching climate is always changing. Its

    important to have your fingers on the

    pulse of the industry. When opportunities

    arise you dont want to be late to that

    party. News aggregators and mobile tech-

    nology can keep you informed with no

    delay.

    Pitfall Warning: 1.) Dont fall victim to the

    Karate Kid syndrome. Daniel-son, the

    most un-athletic person on earth, meets

    Mr. Miyagi and after painting a fence and

    washing a car, beats the entire Cobra-Kai

    to win the championship!!! Quality takes

    time and dedication. Highlights are HIGH-

    LIGHTS. A 3 minute highlight video cant

    possibly encapsulate the entire year or

    many years that led up to it. Also, make

    sure your situation warrants any change

    youre going to make. I worked as Director

    for 3 full years before I even thought about

    a Facebook page for our department;

    we had more

    pressing

    matters that

    needed atten-

    tion. 2.) Find

    balance. Use

    email filters,

    turn off phone notifications for set periods,

    and make sure youre not being a slave to

    Football/StrengthScoop.

  • Communicate

    Efficiency is what Im after. Schedule

    changes, important dates, instructions,

    etc. are all as easy as a few types on a key-

    board. For staff, use SMS updates on Fa-

    cebook. For athletes, use a Facebook

    Group. On Twitter, use Hash Tags. FYI;

    todays youth is called the YouTube gen-

    eration. Patrick Lencioni writes about the

    importance of using several communica-

    tion avenues in his book, The Four Obses-

    sions of an Extraordinary Executive. He

    states; People react to information in

    many ways; use a variety of mediums.

    We know that each athlete has their own

    style of button that needs pushing. Social

    Media can help you reach the few that

    might have been missed during the pre-lift

    speech, and reinforce the ones that were-

    nt.

    Pitfall Warning: Stay out of the private

    lives of your players/staff. I believe in

    more of a one-way approach in terms of

    communication with them. To me, com-

    munication is about availability and acces-

    sibility, not gossip. I hide athlete activity

    from my news feed and avoid visiting indi-

    viduals pages. Like Nino Brown said, Its

    always business, never personal.

    Promote

    Alumni and fans LOVE to see whats going

    on inside collegiate athletics, and since

    more time is spent inside the weight room

    than anywhere else, why not share some

    of the magic? Its also a plus for athletes

    to be able to update their families and

    friends elsewhere on their progress. This

    is possible now like no one ever imagined

    with Facebook Pages, Tumblr, Twitter, and

    other similar services. In the Football

    Coaching Bible, Kansas State Football

    Coach Bill Snyder talked about moving

    the program into a positive lightby shar-

    ing the values and principles of our pro-

    gram. Bill Snyder knew the value of

    Brand Awareness before the term even

    existed.

    Pitfall Warning: Shortcuts wont help you.

    Make sure you put all your time and effort

    into a quality product or program first, and

    then promote it. Over-promoting an under

    -built effort is the quickest way to discredit

    yourself, not to mention your school. PS

    Can somebody PLEASE stop whoever is

    behind those awful sneaker pictures on

    facebook?

    Strength Hacker Social Media in S&C by: Donnell Boucher

    Teach

    Smile and nod your head if you agree; Im

    at where Im at because SOMEONE ELSE

    took the time to teach me, or didnt.

    There are no Mozarts or Will Huntings in

    the coaching profession. This whole entire

    industry is built on the passing of

    knowledge. If you feel youve got some-

    thing to offer, you dont have to find a

    major publisher anymore. You just need

    to channel some of your energy into new

    technologies. If you want to make money

    off of your products, youve literally got

    NOTHING stopping you besides your own

    lack of ambition.

    Pitfall Warning: 1.) Dont spend time on

    trying to teach other people if your OWN

    athletes cant execute. Prioritize your time

    and energy. 2.) Be careful just how much

    you share with people youve never met.

    Ill clinic with people all day & night, but

    when people start asking me for my excel

    templates, etc., thats when the conversa-

    tion takes a turn. Share your program

    with people, but dont do their work for

    them.

    People are building some amazing tools

    these days. Ill leave you with a quote that

    I cannot credit because the author escapes

    me; Embrace where the world is going,

    or you will be left behind.

    Continued from Page 6Continued from Page 6

    Some of us will be on hand at the CSCCa Conference in Orlando, FL. We hope to catch up with old friends, and Some of us will be on hand at the CSCCa Conference in Orlando, FL. We hope to catch up with old friends, and

    meet some new ones! Look us up if youre in attendance, wed love to meet you.meet some new ones! Look us up if youre in attendance, wed love to meet you.

    Vice President

    Andrew Althoff

    Board Member

    Dr. Bryan Mann

    Board Member

    Megan Young

    Board Member

    Donnell Boucher