Coach Ramirez is a great coach that is relentless in developing himself and his athletes, He is a coach that is the poster for doing the job for the right reasons. He is a coach that is a rising star!
My name is Javier Ramirez and I am the head of strength and conditioning at Franklin Pierce University. Among other things, I oversee the design and implementation of the physical and mental development of over 500 student athletes and 20 plus teams.
My experience consists of eight years in the submarine service, four years of personal training/athletic performance, internships with Kennesaw State Football, George Mason Athletics, Maryland Football and a Graduate Assistant with Tusculum University. I graduated with my bachelors degree in Kinesiology in December of 2018 and less than a year later I was hired to be the head of strength and conditioning at Franklin Pierce University.
My path in this field is not so different from anyone else, yet all I hear/read about is how oversaturated the market is and how scarce jobs are. So, what did I do so differently to be in the position I am in now? Is it sheer dumb luck? Is it knowing the right people? Is it my ability to recite Super training and Triphasic word for word (this I cannot do, btw)? Or is it a combination of everything?
Just like we preach to our athletes I believe that success leaves clues. And by no means do I think I have reached the pinnacle of success in my very young career. I do however believe I can offer some things that were pivotal for my development.
I listed my experience not because I like to brag about myself but to show you the diverse set of encounters that I accumulated throughout the years that benefited me.
Being on board a submarine showed me the value of personal responsibility to a greater cause and forced me to have a strong work ethic, among other things. This is a story for another time but I once had to clean and shine a toilet for three hours, just to watch someone walk in to use it, seconds later, so a little weight room set up, sweep and mop isn’t above me.
Personal training forced me to expand what I thought I knew about training and communication. I was working largely with general population clients which consisted of soccer moms and computer engineers. The training and communication was different than what I was used to in the military, but I did not pout or think I was above it. I adjusted and grew another valuable skill set that would benefit me later when having to communicate to football players for one session then switching it up for our golfers the next session.
From there I got my exposure into collegiate strength and conditioning starting with Kennesaw State and continuing to where I am now at Franklin Pierce. It is important to understand each stop provided value, at KSU I got first-hand experience working with football players in the south. If you have ever worked with football in the south than you know what I am talking about. At George mason I witnessed how hard female athletes train (and with no ego). At Maryland I was exposed to BIG 10 football and was surrounded by amazing athletes. Lastly, at Tusculum I saw just how important it was to be in alignment with sport coaches and how developing that relationship is key.
It is worth noting that a majority of this was done while getting my undergrad in kinesiology. I accumulated all this experience in my undergrad so when I graduated, I could confidently walk into an interview for a graduate or low-level assistant position knowing I had put in the work. You see, I was not worried about getting paid, the number of hours spent at the facility, working with football versus female sports or training general population clients. I knew I wanted to be a strength coach and everything that came with it. Maybe I was a little naïve, but I firmly believe that if you put your head down, do a good job and have a great attitude, then good things will happen to you. And so far, I have been right.
Thank you to everyone that has given me opportunities, opened doors for me, and mentored me.