This article originally appeared in the Harvard Crimson in September, 2019. Football season is upon us. The current instantiation of the 10,000 men of Harvard take the field on Sept. 21 and finish on Nov. 23 when, for the 136th time, Harvard locks horns with Yale. But the battle surrounding…
Illinois, we’re heading in the right direction! There are so many exciting moments to come as we seemingly turn a corner in this pandemic. That is, if we take up the charge of ensuring a thoughtful return to training. Coaches across the state agree that the goal of the spring…
by Chris Dertz The Powerlifting Team at Eastland High School in Lanark, Illinois is making a name for itself. Although it is a new sport at the school, and despite limited gym access, a few dedicated Cougars have found ways to compete… and they are excelling. The weekend of December…
In the newest episode of “Coffee with a Coach,” Jim sat down with Tom Sroka. Tom is an elite athlete, competing at a world-class level in the Olympic weightlifting, Highland Games, and pretty much anything that requires strength and power. Tom owns and operates The Strength Agenda, a gym located…
East of Humboldt County, in the Trinity Wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, Chris Duffin heated river water in a jug to bathe. He was a child then and, in his own words, “a different level of poor.” His story goes beyond poverty. During Chris’ developmental years he was exposed to…
The energy in the E & L Andrew Fitness was palpable. Winter sunlight cascaded through the expanse of windows in the Knox College weightroom to highlight a bar loaded with almost 600 pounds. GiHo Jeong was approaching the platform. One year prior, GiHo was leading the Whitney Young High School…
On New Year’s day, Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer went down with a head injury, again. It was his fourth concussion this season. The tackle that sent him out did not seem like a devastating blow. One announcer called it “fairly routine.” The issue wasn’t the hit, it was the state…
Guest author: Will Wasielewski A strength and conditioning coach must be able to lead large groups and promote a healthy atmosphere. This requires comfort and confidence in the gym setting, which was not the case for me, initially. Although I was nervous during my early experiences in the weight room,…
by Rijad Pekmez People were cheering as a bar loaded with 370 pounds hovered above my chest. If I were to drop it, I’d be in serious trouble. Knox College was hosting a collegiate powerlifting meet and I was on my last bench press attempt of the day. After a…
In his new book, Weight Room Wisdom, Ron McKeefery recognizes the “opportunities our work affords us to provide a positive influence on the lives of those we train.” He’s not talking about winning a championship. He refers instead to the idea that some of the most empowering moments in an…