By Kyle Killilea (Paid Professional Intern Strength Coach for the University of Notre Dame Football)
The strength coach profession is the most underappreciated profession in athletics. A strength coach is more than someone who implements lifts and coaches them. A strength coach is there for the athlete physically, emotionally, and psychologically. The strength coaches that I had the honor of working for were hard on their athletes and demanded a lot of them, but they knew when the athlete needed someone to lean on. These strength coaches know what it takes and how to bring the best out of an athlete immediately. A positive strength coach can enhance an athlete’s life in so many ways. This is exactly why I chose to be in this profession.
My time in this profession is short but have been opportunities that will excel me further into this profession. I have been an intern at the high school level at Grandville High School, an intern coach for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats football team and currently a paid professional intern strength coach for the University of Notre Dame football team. Each place has been experiences full of growth and knowledge that I have loved doing. While at these places, I have been taught many lessons that I use every day. These lessons have been said to me by mentors of mine and things that have stuck in my head ever since. I hope that sharing these lessons I have been taught can help any young strength coach getting into this field, because I firmly believe that these will mold me into a great coach one day.
1. You are the thermostat in the room. You set the energy level to the lift. If you are not energetic, your athletes won’t be either. Make the weight room enjoyable for your athlete. I remember meeting Coach Court for the first time and him talking about setting the tone to the lift. If that is playing music loud as the players walk into the weight room or if it is bringing everyone up on the last set of squat for each athlete, then so be it. “To tired” should never be a thought in your head. You are there to serve the athlete, you cannot be too tired to coach. Bringing energy to the lift will make you stand out as a positive coach and make the lift fun and efficient for the athlete. And who really cares if it is early, let’s work!
2. Take pride in your area of work. Always make sure things are reset and look presentable. You never know who will come into the weight room to see it. Constantly check throughout the day if things are set. My boss, Coach Balis, always says that you can tell a lot about a program by the presentation of the weight room and if athletes take care of it as well. Teach your athletes accountability by showing them the proper way to reset the weight room and simply just cleaning up after themselves. Having some pride in what is your own is an easy way to help set the culture of the weight room. You can also get more work done in the day and develop as a coach when the weight room is reset quickly.
3. Take care of the little things first and the big things take care of themselves. This is something my strength coach in college, Coach Jimmy Rodenberg, harps on and I believe it to be true. It is a simple statement, but when the little details are done the bigger details become immensely easy. The little details are always crucial. If you make the little details with the job a big priority, things are always better. This can be applied to anything in your work and life.
4. Connection to the people you work with is crucial. Your connection to your athlete is the main reason why you are there. You are there to be their coach and lead them to where they need to be. No connection to them makes that impossible. If you cannot relate to the players, then what are you doing? In my opinion, it is a must to go out of your way to connect with the athletes you are working with. Having that connection will draw them even more to the weight room. Connection to other people in the field is crucial as well. How else do you think you can excel into this field? Having great connections can open doors up to new opportunities for yourself, new ideas on training to implement, and more growth within the field.
5. Be able to coach. Two of my mentors who I worked for at the University of Cincinnati, Coach Zach Higgins and Coach Danny Folino, would always say, “You could know an insane amount about the science of strength and conditioning, but if you cannot simply coach, you won’t make it.” It is as simple as that. There will be coaches that know way more about the field than you, but if you can out coach them, you are better off. Be able to coach and communicate. In my short career this is something take great pride in. There are a lot of coaches that know more, but I am going to try to out coach them.
6. Take on any role that has been given to you with pride. If you are asked to train an injured player, make it the most enjoyable thing that athlete did all day. If you are asked to help on a special project, attack it and make it perfect. I was once asked to come up with a way for the athletes to be interested in drinking post workout shakes. Sounds a little ridiculous, but if the athletes are engaged then so be it. The task or role may seem pointless, but if it is done with precision then it will only help you in the long run. People higher up will notice small things like that. Trust me.
7. Be a sponge. This is something my first boss, Coach Tully Chapman said to me before I left for my internship at Cincinnati last December. You need to absorb any knowledge you can. The people you are working for have been in this field way longer and know what it takes. Having this consistent growth of knowledge will propel you into your career and benefit you later in your career.
8. Make the athlete smile. Listen to me. One thing I know for sure is that if the athlete is engaged into what is being coached, it makes the job easier. Simply interacting with the athletes and make sure they know I care and want them to get better is the easiest way to get them to engage. Another is to just make them laugh or crack a smile. Sounds a little corny but if you can add a positive point to someone’s day it can change a lot. You have no idea what kind of day this athlete could be having.
9. Ask questions and ask how you can help. I currently sit next to Coach Tony Fusco in the office here at Notre Dame and I feel like I am always asking him questions about everything. Whether its programing, proper ways to coach a motion, or even just his opinion on something in a lift, I like to know more. It is also nice to just see other coach’s perspectives on how a program could be implemented. Do not be afraid to ask about something! Everyone learns by discussion. Looking back this is something I did more.
Trying to help in any way you can around the facility and in the program is another way to have positive interactions with the people in the building. If it is at practice and helping with drills or just simply helping someone carry something into the building. It may make the job easier for someone and can also help build relationships with other people that could lead to future opportunities.
10. Write everything down! I am not talking just about numbers athletes hit on certain lifts but anything you need to remember, write it down. If the head strength coach asks you to complete something later in the day, write yourself a note to do it. I am a big fan of check lists, I always write down things I need to get done for the day, week, etc. I have always been told growing up that writing things down will help you remember things easier. There are researches out there that have proven this to be right. If there is something in the lift you have a question about that can be answered after the lift, write it down and ask it later. It will only benefit you as a coach. I have also been one to try to write a handwritten note to someone at least once a month. A handwritten note to someone can go a long way, especially if it is a thank you note.
I have several people to thank for who I am today-
My parents, my sister, my grandparents, my family, my friends from GVSU and home, Coach Jimmy Rodenberg, Coach Tully Chapman, Coach Matt Balis, Coach Danny Folino, Coach Zach Higgins, Coach Jeremiah Ortiz, Coach Fred Hale, Coach Tony Fusco, Coach Kyle Seger, Coach Jake Flint, Coach Austin Mayfield, Coach Mason Garrison, Coach Chase Axelrod, all athletic and academic administration at GVSU and especially Coach Rick Court.
Thank you for always challenging me to be a consistently good person and coach every day.