E15 | Lew Porchiazzo: Strength & Conditioning

[0:00:01 Speaker 0] Welcome to the team behind the team podcast. I am your host. Dani May. This is the monthly show focused on building conversations around the team based model approach to ethics, performance, strength, conditioning, sports, medicine, sports, science, mental health and wellness and sports nutrition. Hello and welcome back to the team behind the team podcast. I’m your host, Dani made. And today I’ve got my trusty sidekick. Co host coach Michael Helton is in the house. Call attention. Say what’s going on today?

[0:00:43 Speaker 2] What’s up? Everybody happy to be back?

[0:00:45 Speaker 0] Co Tansen Real quick Before we get into this show, How is 2020 been for you?

[0:00:50 Speaker 2] 2020? It’s tough on everybody, but I think there’s a lot of positives that you confined within it. And I think all of us crew, at least in some manner, that we probably weren’t prepared to growing.

[0:01:01 Speaker 0] That’s right. That’s good. Good. Good answer. This episode is we’re definitely in. The 2021 2020 is behind us is gonna be good vibes. Only Coach Hansen with you moving forward on the team behind the team. We got great. Guests will get through here in a second. We couldn’t have a better guest to kick us off for the new year. And you know what? Right now I’m gonna give it to you. Coach Hansen. Won’t you introduce our guest to the to our listeners today?

[0:01:25 Speaker 2] Yeah, I’m a little run down with our guest. Our guest, um, currently serves as a head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Michigan, Working with softball, women’s gymnastics and men’s soccer. He has served as a strength and conditioning coach at Michigan since 2000 and nine, when he started as a graduate assistant. Prior to that, he completed an internship at Baylor University and at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Over the years, he’s contributed to our field, the of multiple articles and presentations. And so, without further ado, we welcome Coach Lou Porch Diaz. Oh, say hello to the listeners, Lou.

[0:02:00 Speaker 1] Hey, guys, I appreciate you making the time to chat with me and reaching out. I’m have to share whatever insights and thoughts that I can for for you and your listeners and the greater community.

[0:02:11 Speaker 2] Absolutely. Thanks for joining us today, um, to kick us off flu. If you could explain to us and our listeners why you chose strength and conditioning as a profession. And then also how you found your way to University of Michigan.

[0:02:24 Speaker 1] Yeah, you know, it’s I think, like a lot of coaches myself. I found I found myself as an undersized athlete. I was, and still am 56 maybe 57 on a good day. But as a 56 £210 college freshman offensive lineman found it really, really tough even after the division three level toe to compete with with guys and teammates and opponents that were significantly larger than me. Eso I found it that challenging. But for me, the biggest motivation of success that I had in high school and college athletics is probably related. Thio my time in the weight room and preparing for competition. And so, as I went through undergrad and put on a couple pounds and tryto get is why? Why does It was tall, which is pretty darn wide. I realized that for me, my my path wasn’t so much coaching sport. It was. It was coaching where I excelled and enjoy the most, which is in the in the weight room. And so I started to explore what strength and conditioning was what my options and opportunities were, what academic programs that need to pursue and about midway through my undergrad career decided that Thio switch out of physical education and pursue exercise science as a major. I started looking at various internships and was just really fortunate to land, uh, my first internship at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as my last graduation requirement for undergrad. So I left my Division three school in New Jersey, drove halfway across the country, landed in Colorado Springs in January of 2009 and realized I know almost nothing as it relates to the profession. And I realized that pretty darn quick. And I was really fortunate and still have to have some some great mentors during my first internship that they helped me to really realize what the profession is about, what’s opportunity, what opportunities are out there to be successful and what I can pursue in the profession of how I can impact that the athletes that I get to work with eso I took as much time as I could Thio embed and immerse myself in strength, conditioning and the coaching staff there and and start toe to wrap my head around with the profession and tail. I did another internship at Baylor working with football, which is my first and really only exposure to Division one Power five football. Uh, it was a great experience for a lot of reasons and a lot of credit to the staff that I worked with their only during my time. But since since that time I’ve realized how much I learned during that short stint ultimately ended up at at the University of Michigan a Ziggy A. And 11.5 years later, I’m sitting in our beautiful, newer started the conditioning facility. Here are weight room and cardio and into a terse space, having this conversation with you. So, uh, for me, it started as an undersized offensive lineman that that wanted a non opportunity to compete with guys that were bigger, faster and stronger on it’s evolved into my avenue to help others and to impact their lives a zey prepare for sport and life bound sport.

[0:05:32 Speaker 2] Absolutely. Um, you know something about you. So I had just to get more context to our listeners as I had the privilege to intern under you and the staff at Michigan back in the fall of 2014, which is a crazy 5.5 years ago now. But something that I had noticed then and I still noticed now is, and it’s always stood out to me is that whether you’re coaching a group or simply having a conversation with somebody, um, it could be anyone is. I’ve always noticed that you’re very meticulous and discerning with your words, and perhaps consequently, your demeanor is often calm and collected. And I just think that that’s like a huge contrast to our field that’s kind of filled with boisterous personalities and a time where noise kind of attracts all the attention. And so my question is, what does that slow to speak quality that you have, like, where does that stem from?

[0:06:25 Speaker 1] Yeah, for me, I think it’s I spent a lot of time self reflecting. I think it’s important. It’s something that that I value for myself and in time, alone in my own thought, in my own thoughts. And so one of the realizations I had early on in really my life is that I am not, uh, I’m not very loud. I don’t project my voice tremendously. Well, it’s not. It’s not a skill set that that comes easy to me. I don’t have a booming voice. Uh, so I don’t I try not to pretend to be something I’m not s So I think one recognizing that in recognizing that that in and of itself is not a skill set that that I pretty possess. I thought I can’t work on it and it hasn’t improved, but I’ll never have the voice off of one of my mentors. Both sandbar or one of my former colleagues here in Tommy Gate Field will never have that voice on. That’s okay. And I accepted that, Uh, I think you can still effectively communicate your message in a very composed and clear and concise way and how you present yourself and how you present your language and in the words that you use. And I think that words matter. Uh, earlier on just a few minutes ago, we were talking about my my path, and I used a very specific words. I was fortunate. Tow land. My first internship of the USOC. That’s something that I’ve talked to a lot of people about over the course of my career, and I use the word fortune. It’s I was fortunate was good timing. It was good fortune. It wasn’t luck. And I had had a really close friend. Uh, correct man that and I appreciate that and that’s that’s stuck with me over the last probably a decade. Um, it wasn’t good luck. I worked my tail off Thio, align myself and prepare myself for that next opportunity. So it wasn’t luck that just stumbled. I just stumbled upon. It was it was good timing and good fortune, and and I think those words really matter. So I think communicating a message, uh, in the voice that’s appropriate for you as an individual for me as an individual is really important. And I try not to pretend to be someone I’m not. I’ll do what I need to do to project my voice, to be effective as necessary. But I think connecting with others is about being real and being authentic, and I I strive to be that for for the people around me. Sure

[0:08:43 Speaker 0] So, coach, you know, just toe add to that. So you talk about Mike says you’ve got this column demeanor, Coach. What’s your pet peeves in the weight room? Give me at least one or two of them. What you got?

[0:08:57 Speaker 1] Yeah, I think pet peeves for me are Are I’m gonna I’m gonna use the phrase I’ll call it lack of coach ability or unwillingness to be to be coached. Um, that’s that drives me bonkers. I’m not. Don’t get me wrong. I love a session with great energy and kids that are fired up and soon athletes that they’re engaged and want to be in there and and at six, that you don’t know if it’s six AM six PM You don’t know if it’s Monday or Friday. It’s they’re just excited to be in there, but I’m also okay if they’re not in their diligent about their work, and they do what they need to dio, I’m fine with the group if it’s if it’s quieter than maybe some other groups. Frankly, that doesn’t matter to me as much as being open and willing to be coached and being open Thio having ah to A to a street and open conversation that my biggest pet peeve is when somebody is turned off and refuses to be communicated with that That will drive me up the wall on. That’s something that I think I take very seriously and try to address it as necessary because, uh, we’re I’m here for them and likewise, they’re here for me, It z, this is not a dictatorship. It’s ah, it’s a democratic process, if you will. Eso So we’re both involved in that training process, and all I ask is for them to be open with me the same way that that I want to be open with them and have that good back and forth, uh, to give them the best experience they can during their time in the weight room and ultimately, their time in Michigan.

[0:10:28 Speaker 0] Yeah, I know. You know, just listen to your story and because when Mike was talking about your calm and all that was like, those were usually the guys that you don’t want to get upset, you know, it’s like they’ve got a because some people, you know, carry their intensity on the outside. But I’ve met some of the most intense guy’s arm or it is kind of it’s more internal. So I knew there was something I knew there was something there, coach, that you got some hot button, just like we all do. Um, next question. So think back, Coach you talked about in your opening statement about being at the USOC. Kind of get started. So from that from then, maybe up till, like currently, like, how is your coaching? Evolved or changed somewhat Would be some ways that you would speak to that. And maybe you could things you’ve learned or whatever. Just how do you What would you speak into that coach?

[0:11:17 Speaker 1] Yeah, I like that question on I like that question because again, I’ll go back to that that self reflection piece over the last 10, 12 years, I’ve I’ve spent a lot of time trying to evaluate who I am is a coach who I am as a person and what I bring to the people around me. Uh, and I think initially my first few years in the field to me, it was I was trying to be really textbook on and very regimented in how I approached my interactions with with soon athletes with colleagues. I thought I’m informal or or unprofessional now, but I think it’s important to understand that that every situation is, uh, is unique and independent of of other situations on. But I think the ability thio old and I’ll use a 2020 phrase. Be fluid on, be adaptable, I think is really important. And so for me when I talked Thio young coaches and and colleagues and I think I remember a couple different conversations with Mike 66 years ago or so when he was here. One of the the best attributes that I think you confined in a professional, especially a young coach that’s still learning some of the hard skill set necessary to be successful is adaptability. And I think there’s something to be said about being around people that are adaptable to circumstances. They find themselves in Andi being ableto work with anyone and everyone that walks through the door. It might not be perfect, but I think the ability to connect with others and toe work effectively and um progressively with others is a really important skill set. So I don’t know that I recognize that in 2009, when I left undergrad and and got into the profession and kind of dove in headfirst, but over the course of the last decade or orm. Or at this point, I’ve realized that that adaptability is really crucial to to my successes of professional my ability Thio continue moving forward in spite of X, y or Z roadblocks that come in the way. And that’s that’s not just specifically related to Cove it. It’s, um, when somebody comes in with an injury, when somebody comes in with with some sort of, uh, problem that is obviously contributing or being a detriment thio their performance that needs to be addressed and, uh, and work through for their well being. So, to me, it’s important toe to be adaptable to whatever the situation you find yourself in, uh, to continue moving in the direction that we all wanna, we all want to move it.

[0:13:55 Speaker 0] Yeah, you made me think of a book I just finished last earlier this year is called Leadership by John Maxwell. I’m a big John Maxwell leader. He talks about that book like you mean, you nailed it on the head like the future. If whatever organization you’re in or, uh, job, career, path E. I mean, think about this pandemic right now, things are changing so fast, you can’t keep up with it. But in that book, he talked about how I think it was the the cheetah of how everybody talks about a cheating and run fast. You know, vertically, the vertical speed is really, really quick. But really, where their their sweet spot is being able to change direction on the dime, going that same speed. And he kind of use that that analogy and leadership. You’ve got to be adaptable, Bill. You know, especially these bigger organizations be able to change on a dime like that if you wanna have the continued success. So you’re spot on. So this stuff, you

[0:14:54 Speaker 1] know, I couldn’t agree more. I think, uh, I think it’s important to be able to continue moving in the direction that we want. We all want to move in, right? We’re all pulling in the same direction it might be. It might not look the same each time, but you gotta find a way to claw and drag yourself in the same direction that that we all went ahead in terms of competing for championships and developing life ready men and women here.

[0:15:21 Speaker 2] Yeah, I think I think that example, Coach um of the Cheetah and being adaptable and being able to kind of keep things rolling at the same speed like that’s so practical. Probably too many professions, but especially are so like today and an easy example to kind of latch onto is Swimmer comes in And hey, you know, I hurt my back. I was doing this and that and then practice made it worse. And, you know, on our on our sheet or you know, what she had for the day she had expert that lift. It’s like, Okay, well, can we exported lift with a lightweight? No. Okay, well, can we do this instead? Can we do that? And so it’s just like little things that happen in our field every single day where you have you have no choice. You have to be adaptable. Um, so that’s I think that’s a good quality that you kind of pointed out, Lou, and especially for our field, you know, obviously carry over too many fields. But I think that’s something that adaptability, like you said to young coaches like that’s such a strong skill that maybe young coaches don’t think of, you know, right away But that’s just something that we have to deal with kind of on the daily.

[0:16:22 Speaker 1] Yeah, no doubt about that. And I think you can shape it in any frame. I think you just you provided a nice example with with your swimmer, and that happens frequently, right as more than we care for it to happen. But it’s the fact of the matter, and it’s the reality of the situation. Uh, but I think it also happens with, uh, how you carry yourself differently with different groups, uh, on and and what different groups need out of of you as a ZA coach in the room e think it’s it’s important to be able to connect with them on that and adjust and adapt to, uh to what they need out of us in the moment. If it’s one person that’s that has, ah, a bad thing or, ah, lower body injury or some limitation. Physically, it’s a different conversation than if everyone seems to be run down and on there, just kind of dragon. It’s a different conversation, and it’s a different adjustment, and I think, uh, to me, it’s it’s important to look at them as humans and not as robots, because that’s how I would want to be treated. Yeah, is as a human.

[0:17:23 Speaker 2] Yeah, well, said eso I mean, kind of with that, it’s pivoting a little bit, but, I mean, we’re on the topic of of working with people. And I know 11 thing is that with strength and conditioning and again, this this could be across so many fields is I know for me as a young coach, it’s easy to kind of think of myself as I’m driving the training when, at the end of the day, you know their sport is what should drive the training. Um, we’re just a piece of the puzzle. And with that, there are other professionals that also have a piece to that performance puzzle. So there’s like nutritionists. We have sports scientists, behavior, health, you know you have tutors so on and so forth and the list can keep going. Sport coaches of the big piece, right? And so my question views. Are there challenges collaborating with all those groups of people, All those pieces to the performance puzzle And what are the payoffs to those challenges if there are any

[0:18:19 Speaker 1] sure. Yeah, I hesitate toe hesitate to use the word challenge, right? It’s e think it has a negative connotation. I think inherently, when you have a conversation amongst a large group of professionals that come from different angles and and different, uh, from different land means, if you will, the challenges is being able to just have have a conversation and concise manner. Uh, because we all have our areas of expertise that it’s just and and we’re all working a lot, uh, with different team from programs that sometimes just challenging, in a sense, off getting together but to me that there’s a lot of benefit to it. So I use a Elaine analogy often. And so I write in my lane. I’m in the strength conditionally. So I’m in that physical development and that performance lane, a zit, relates to the physical, the physical development of our of our student athletes. That’s strength, speed, power, mobility. Whatever attributes that that’s better required to that individual or that sport are athletic trainer or sports medicine team has their lane or dieticians right in the in their lane. This sport cake sport coaches have their lane or performance. Sykora Athletic Counseling Team has their lane, and that’s probably 567 other other lanes that are important equipment and facilities and so on. So we each have our lanes. But to me it’s important to be able to bob and weave in and out of lanes as as is necessary for us to be successful. I am not omnipresent as much as I try to be everywhere at the same time, I’m not. I can’t be. And neither can our coaches as much as they try or athletic trainers, or are dietitians or anyone in any of their own lanes. But to me, I need to be able to bob and weave in and out of lanes appropriately and effectively Thio again. Get that, get everyone pulling in the same direction and headed towards where we all want to be at the end of the season. So, uh, that that could mean okay. It’s a conversation that I hear two or three student athletes having related to sleep or related to their most recent Bob Potter Dexter results or related to how they haven’t eaten breakfast or whatever the conversation ist. To me, it’s an opportunity to step in and say something in terms of either one, referring them out to the appropriate, uh, appropriate party and appropriate unit and an individual, or to be able to echo a message from from one of those other lanes. That doesn’t That isn’t inappropriate for me to say, but echoes the message from somebody else on that performance team. And that’s, uh, we’ll have you. Have you thought about meal planning or have you talked to Caroline? Or have you talked to Kayla, uh, two of our dietitians, about how you can avoid that in the future, knowing that you have class back to back to back before practice and starting to open those conversations or well, I saw that you’re kind of I’m working on your wrist a little bit in between sets. Is that just a little stiff or just Something happened? Well, yeah, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to Brian or Lisa. Okay, well, let’s do that. Let’s let’s get on the same page there and pulling those those other people from those other lanes and be able to step in and out as appropriate because I think we often get stuck in our silos, and I think that’s where that the high performance model or that that performance team model starts to kind of crumble is when people stay in their silos and are too afraid to step out of just their area of expertise. I don’t pretend to be any of those other people, but I know enough about what they do to be able to, to determine whether or not certain individuals or groups need to take advantage of their services. Or it’s just a group that’s kind of chit chatting about, I don’t know, having too much coffee one day and not eating breakfast. Okay, let’s clean it up. Maybe. Let’s stop exaggerating. You probably didn’t drinking gallons of coffee today, although we have some kids that my my drinking gallons of coffee a day, I’m not sure uh, and Mike, I’ll make one other point. This is not to correct because I don’t like to be this guy, but But I’ll go back to the to the meticulous choice of words. Uh, I think and and this is this is not me being perfect. It’s It’s a realization. Eso I used the phrase registered dietitian because that’s what that’s what our team, our our performance nutrition team is. I think there’s a distinct difference between nutritionists, which a lot of people can claim they are, and and that the legitimate medical professional of registered dietitians. And I think it’s important differentiation and gives us our profession credibility as well, because I view us that’s trying to conditioning professionals were not trainers, right? There’s a distinct difference there, and I think it’s important in terms of establishing professionalism and credibility amongst everyone that comprises that performance team.

[0:23:11 Speaker 2] Yeah, that’s a great point. Uh, as you were explaining that I was just thinking back toe how my family still thinks I’m a personal trainer, and friends think I’m a glorified personal trainer, So there’s a good point. I do stand corrected, registered dietitian. So part of any nutritionist who are listening?

[0:23:28 Speaker 1] Yeah, Z e Think its’s. It’s a it’s important, right? And that’s not to knock nutritionists and and personal trainers. But words matter. I think it’s important toe to be specific, a za necessary and as appropriate. And frankly, I like when I’m corrected and saying something wrong, because I want to speak appropriately for the remainder of the time that I find myself don’t breathe Kicking. Um, absolutely

[0:23:58 Speaker 0] good. Definitely. I agree. I mean, I think you know, you talk about what you’re saying, like the correct word Burbage in words, but credibility and respect if you don’t have that in our profession, I mean, you really got nothing to stand on. That’s a good point. Um, shifting gears a little bit on our topic. So, Coach Lou, if we were to do a take a 50,000 ft snapshot view of your training, philosophy and programming, how would you briefly describe just in a nutshell, what are some fundamentals? Some principles of your training philosophy and how you work with your different teams and how you build athletes in the champions? How do you do that, Coach?

[0:24:41 Speaker 1] Yeah, you know, I think for me it Zbynek fairly consistent over the course of my career. And it’s It’s evolved, I think. But I think ultimately I believe even ground ground based multi drug movements as the most effective means of note developing strength and power in our student athletes. Um, I think that it’s a it’s important address sports specific energy system development. I think it’s a new area that needs thio. We need to continue Thio address and and evolve the end conditioning portion of our of our profession for for every sport, not just field space field based sports that we typically think of as needing, uh, high levels of E S d on, I think, really, I look at at movements as five primary buckets are in five primary buckets and that Z squatting, hip hinging, upper body pressing, upper body pulling, embracing. So I think addressing those five basic fundamental areas of movement for me are really important. And I think, honestly, I think it’s It’s an area that probably needs to be addressed earlier than it is for for a lot of student athletes and a it’s it’s not uncommon that that they come in without the ability to do one or multiple, uh, address multiple movements in those in those five buckets. So it’s it’s important for me to be able to establish good habits and then build off of those and to connect the dots for student athletes in terms of helping them understand how bracing impacts, squatting, how their upper body pulling, uh improves and impacts their hip hinging and how it all ties together and connects. So a simple example to me is a powerful, and it’s a fundamental exercise for for us and this foundational for a lot of the teams that I worked with. But a power clean in and of itself is comprised of multiple different positions that can be addressed in a variety of different exercises. So even if we only power clean once a week, we might front squad another day. We might clean pull another day. We might do rd l’s on one of those other days. So those air three different movements, uh, that air not power, cleans that are covered and addressed and empower clean that build on top of each other. So to me, it’s it’s connecting the dots so that they understand when we get to power, cleans or when you get to front squats and their greater power cleans. But their front squad rack position, let’s say, is not up to park. Well, it’s just like that. It’s that same receiving position in the power clean, except it’s, um, or controlled environment that you get step under the bar. So it’s it’s again connecting the dots for our student athletes in a variety of different movements to get them to figure it out for themselves. But lead them, lead them towards that conclusion. S o. I think that’s how I kind of describe my training philosophy and what I think is important. A za professional.

[0:27:34 Speaker 0] Really real quick. Just add. So I appreciate you sharing that. So I worked with overhead sports. I know you train softball have for a while, so pick that a layer a little deeper on your philosophy. How do you address those demands of, ah, softball athlete? That’s an overhead. They’re throwing pitching. Got some imbalances and some weird things going there. How do you take your philosophy and adjust that for those demands of that sport?

[0:28:01 Speaker 1] Yeah, I think it’s, uh, I’ve gotten that question a lot over time and how I individualized so with softball. Specifically, how individualized for position groups for, uh, Catcher’s pictures outfield in field. And I think there’s some basic elements that are different amongst those those different position groups and some areas, too. Be a little bit more aware of for state pictures and how much upper body, especially overhead pressing and but really upper body pressing we’re doing. I’m aware of it, and I might be a little bit more conservative, especially as we get into season and through the season. But I don’t I don’t look at it as OK, their pictures that have to do this. They’re catchers that have to do this. They’re outfielders. They have to do this. Every every person is different in in individual in their own right, based on their training history, their injury history, their current status in the program, whether they’re a starter and getting a ton of playing time or, uh, they’re they’re reserving. Their primary role is a pinch runner, and and they have the ability to train a little bit more aggressively. So while I look at what position early to an extent, I look at it individually as well. So some of the areas that I look at that are that important and that I address with software specifically as an overhead sport, uh, thio limit. The amount of stress on the shoulder is hip and Jurassic mobility, and I address the address that so I think Jurassic Rotation and drastic extension is incredibly important for overhead athletes. Uh, I think taking some of the stress off the shoulder and, uh, and getting them to be able to rotate through the trunk effectively and associate movement from from the hips from the lower body and hips and the trunk is really important for for anyone that swings or throws eso. I look at that hip mobility as well and being able to understand where their where their body is in space, where the pressure in their foot is what their pelvises doing from a rotational on a tilting standpoint and getting them in the right positions more often under load to reinforce good movement patterns that hopefully we’ll cross over into sport again. It’s connect the dots what we’re doing. These weird drills were doing this this segmented, uh, spinal flexion extension drill. So we’re doing a harassed Eqecat camera I’ll call it. It just looks weird and we’re doing and everyone looks like they’re kind of doing it. But why the hell are we doing it if I if I don’t? If I don’t try to express that and get that message across our student athletes I’ve missed, I’ve missed the boat. I’ve missed opportunity. Thio paint a picture of why it’s important to do something that’s probably a little bit nontraditional and probably looks just a little bit weird. But when I explained the importance of the role of thoracic extension and in basic terms and throwing, my hope is that it gets the message across to more and more kids so that they put more effort into that 32nd drill that we’re doing a few times a week. And they understand it, and they can use it on their own when they get off a five hour playing flat plane ride from here to Southern California in February. Because you can’t play softball in Michigan in February or they do it in between games when you’re when you’re on your feet for six hours because you’re playing to seven inning doubleheaders in 40 degrees in Bloomington, Indiana, right? So I think that’s to me the area that that, uh, I look at our role as as educators and the ability to impact their time beyond just the one hour session we get in the weight room two or three times a week. Eso its’s, increasing the effectiveness of touch points that I think goes a long way and helping to prepare them again. for competition, but life beyond athletics because ultimately, I want them to be healthy and successful whatever realms they choose, Thio to pursue professionally and continue working out and exercising on their own for their own wellness and health and well being. So I started get fired up about that stuff because it’s, uh, it’s important to me, even though it’s just that the rasac cat count well, it’s important to me that they understand why we’re doing something that’s a little bit outside the box and a little bit nontraditional, if you will.

[0:32:10 Speaker 2] Now that’s huge. Um, you know, one of the biggest takeaways we try toe instill in our interns is have a reason why and then push that even further and be able to explain why to whatever audience you’re speaking Thio. And so it’s I think it’s easy to get caught up right, and there’s a lot of there’s a lot of, you know, the newest, latest and greatest shiny objects in our field, you know, especially with is much communication that’s been happening with social media. But it’s like have a reason why not just because or because I saw so and so do it and I think that’s huge. And then explaining it to athletes find, like you said, find a concise way to do it that connects with them. And a lot of times with athletes. It’s How does this relate to your sport? How is this gonna help me perform? Or if you’re speaking to a sport coach used Burbage or language that they understand? Not necessarily something you’d find in a strength conditioning textbook S. So I think that’s huge and you kind of ended on It is at the end of the day when Coach Portugal’s is not there and they get off the plane in California. It empowers them because now they know what to dio, and they can kind of use that tool at their own will. So I think that’s that’s a huge point you touch on again that we try toe kind of instill in our interns constantly is understand why and then be able to explain it.

[0:33:23 Speaker 1] Yeah, Mike, you know I love that word, and you just use the word empowerment. Uh, it’s to me more and more of the course of my career as I continue to grow and evolve and and aspired to be in leadership positions on Try to hone my Skill set currently, and I usually refer to as leading from within a somebody that’s not in it in a super high level. Currently super high level or leadership position assed faras title and exact responsibility goes. That doesn’t mean that I can’t impact others and that I can’t I can’t lead from within and that I can’t empower others on board. As I think about my leadership style, it z empowering those around me to go out and do what they believe is best for them to be successful, for for themselves and for the team they find themselves on. And Team is a literal sense. And athletics, uh, whether softball, gymnastics, soccer, sewing, diving, tennis, whatever it may be. But it’s we all find ourselves on teams. You guys are on the same team the same way I’m I’m on a team with with my favorite, my boss, and Ashley and Kate. And Jason and Joe are some of my co workers. We’re on the same team, Andi, for me, it z empowering the people around you to take ownership of their development. That’s physical, mental, Andi, Everything everything related thio the individuals to an individual’s will be. But it’s it’s something that’s important to me. And actually just a last week. No, a few weeks ago, no sorry. Losing track of time, uh, recorder presentation for the NFC, the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association. And the title was evolved around empowering, uh, empowerment in appearing others in strength and conditioning related to software, specifically, But it z empowerment is it? No pun intended its powerful word, and it’s impactful, and I love that you just use that. So I had had to give you kudos today to that

[0:35:27 Speaker 2] ticket e mean likewise, Thio demands of softball you’ve worked with with gymnastics for a number of years. It’s kind of it’s one of those sports that isn’t too often talked about. But you wanna talk about demands, Um, in the amount of skills that that they have to perform eso gymnastics in part of me again, I’m not as familiar with it, you know, even close to as you would be. But in a sense it’s a it’s a it’s a bit like basketball or volleyball where it requires a large number of jumps. And that’s not just in competition. That’s through practices you’re around. And also with those jumps you get incredibly high ground reaction forces. Um and so my question is like, How do you prepare gymnasts to handle those huge demands? Uh, like through the course of a year, whether it’s off season and in season and coach made after Lugo’s, You could touch on it, too, because I know you’ve worked with volleyball for, you know, a decade or even more than that.

[0:36:30 Speaker 1] You know, gymnastics is, I think this goes back toe being adapted like we talked about earlier. When when I got to Michigan and I found out had gymnastics, I thought, Cool. I remember Kerry shrug from the 96 96 Olympics when I was a kid, uh, winning a gold medal, helping her team won a gold medal on the broken leg when she when she stuck her vault and I thought, Man gymnastics, this is just it’s cool. And over the course of time, I don’t disagree with that statement in that thought process, but it was so so amateur. What they do day in and day out is is as impressive as any other sport that I’ve been around and I’ve come toe appreciate them more and more over the course off of my time at Michigan on I say that from a physical development standpoint, but I think the sport as a whole is is working to recover from from a long time of some overall gross and uh, negligence by the people that are in leadership positions. And so I think there’s some negative connotations related Thio strength training and gymnasts and the benefit or the lack thereof. At least this. This myth that there’s there’s no reason that gymnasts todo additional strength training and use external load on. I disagree that, obviously, and and it’s taken me time over the course of my career to build that relationship with poor and that trust with not only the coaches that are head coach. Bev has been here for over 30 years, and Scott’s been been with her for 20 plus, and so they’re established staff and established program. But it took time for me to find an in road to building a relationship with them is a coaching staff and likewise with with our student athletes, uh, and getting them realize that I am I am not going thio forced to demand they do anything that’s, uh, inappropriate for them both as an individual and collectively as a team. So, uh, that that first and foremost was the biggest step for me. I think that the next biggest step is understanding where they come from, from a training standpoint, outside of just gymnastics. And I think a lot of traditional, a lot of train training, strength output, air quotes around this shrink training for gymnastics comes via the form of body weight circuits that are really Maura little bit muscular endurance or energy system development based but understanding that that’s what they’re familiar with. That’s what they love. And they’re probably not going to want to get away from them entirely. So I need to embrace that. And how do I give them a little bit of what they want? Uh, to get a good chunk of what I think is valuable for them from from a strength standpoint to a stand, the pounding and that that those high ground reaction forces that you talked about earlier So, uh, that’s one area I think is really important. So we typically include, you know, could be a three minute circuit could be, Ah, +678 minutes circuit. We’ll include Cem Cem circuit training at the end of the session. It’s a little bit of SD and make them feel like they left here, uh, having accomplished something. Meanwhile, the 1st 40 minutes of that workout is based on some of those fundamental movements who talked about earlier, uh, squatting, hip hinging provided, pressing, pulling, embracing. And I think addressing those areas, uh, with external loading is really valuable and important in the off season for our gymnasts and then tapering down as we get closer and closer to competitive season in January, February and then ultimately championship season in March and April. Uh, so to me, it’s just like any other sport in the sense of proper prioritization and and understanding, uh, what they’re doing in training and how their body reacts to the increase in volume and or intensity in the gym and the dramatics, uh, facility and what I need to do to complement and not not be detrimental to their development. So understanding that and understanding what a typical year looks like from how much in terms of how much time they spend in the gym how intense it is. What their volume is just generally allows me to be a little bit more effective and strategic in our setting. To address those +55 basic movement categories also work on some other basics that they probably haven’t done in a long time, if ever. And that’s good mechanics on landings that step drops and lending in a non gymnastic, specific, stiff, rigid position, getting them to understand how to absorb force through there through the lower half. Effectively, Uh, that’s getting them to understand how do to brace because they spend so much time in trunk flexion and training training, their core quote unquote core, uh, their tours to training via trunk flexion exercise, which are fine and important for gymnastics. But what can we do from a bracing standpoint from an anti extension from an anti rotation anti lateral flexion? A stabilization standpoint and get them toe improve their understanding of their body, their body position under load on how again that intersects with other movement categories? I think it’s really important, uh, and ultimately it zapping that back and forth and giving ground where I need to. But standing firm where I believe, uh, it’s important to stand ground with our coaches and student athletes. And having this, uh, this good to a street of communication, I think is, is crucial success I found in gymnastics and other sports as well.

[0:42:07 Speaker 2] One thing that came to mind thinking about gymnastics is it’s a sport seemingly again. You can correct me if I’m wrong. That requires a lot of flexibility and mobility. Um, and again there’s that there’s that kind of common. I’m gonna call it a myth out there that, you know, if you strength train, you’re gonna lose mobility and flexibility. And I think there might be correlation there. But I would happen to disagree with the causation. Some What I would say is, Do you find that you have to, um, kind of educate your athletes or even coaches on Hey, if we strength train, we’re not necessarily gonna lose flexibility or mobility. Is that something that you deal with?

[0:42:48 Speaker 1] Uh, I think, and it’s this is my twat will be my 12 season with dramatics, so I kind of alluded to it earlier. But I feel as if I built a really good relationship with a student athletes and our coaches, Um, and just because I feel like we’ve developed it doesn’t mean that I can. I can neglect the culture that we’ve all helped to create because I think you’re constantly, uh, cultivating the culture that you’re currently living within. Uh, so for me, it’s We made a lot of headway and progress, but I always have a conversation, especially with with any newcomers, whether that’s freshman or transfers. Or over the course of my 12 years, there’s been several assistant coaches that have come into that, that second assistant coach position. It’s important for me Thio to express to them that my interest is to help them stay healthy and improve their overall durability to withstand the demands of the sport. So they’re available to compete for championships. You know, there’s there’s Ah yeah, I don’t know who to attribute this to, but, uh, the it’s a phrase that’s resonated with me Over the course of the last several years. The best ability is availability, so I think being available and healthy and being able to stand the demands of a rigorous and physical sport are important, and so t get to your to answer your question specifically at this point with with the established relationship I have with our student athletes, it’s important to address that with the freshman and get my message across that this might be different from what you’ve done previously. You may have never done ah, back squatter or front squad or or an already L before, Uh, but my my objective is not to make you big and bulky and slow. My objective is to help you stay as healthy and available as possible so that you can get out and compete and do what you came to Michigan to do from an athletic standpoint. Uh, and it’s a It’s a continual conversation there, and I think it takes time. And it’s not just gymnasts bit’s any any newcomer. It takes time for them to understand who you are for me to understand who they are, what makes them tick, how I could connect with them and vice versa. But I think it’s a it’s important to continue to address that. And if we have some upperclassmen or or some individuals that maybe aren’t has bought in, then then to understand why and try to get to the root of that and break down whatever barriers air in the way for them to be bought into what we’re doing in our space on how it impacts them in in their space. Eso ItT’s less of a conversation than it was my first two or three years, but it’s something that’s still important to address. And, uh, I’m really fortunate. I say this unfortunate to have, ah strong relationship with with upperclassmen, Andi obviously alumni now which some of them are coaching some of the incoming kids at different times. It’s just crazy with our athletic trainer release that he’s been a gymnastic for years, and the coaches that, uh, what I do and what I offer and who I am for for gymnastics is sold by those other people which I love, and I think that’s important on bits. Not that I’m trying to be manipulated anyway. It’s more people that can can sell you and speak positively of you. I think the easier it is to break down whatever barriers might exist for you to have an effective, an authentic relationship with another person,

[0:46:19 Speaker 0] it’s the up coach. Appreciate you sharing it. I had question kind of the tie in all the training a little bit about talking a little bit about recovery with your teams. It’s kind of a hot topic right now. It’s pretty. It’s pretty in. Obviously, um, talk a little bit about your recovery strategies, maybe protocols, you know? How do you How do you filter through, like, what really works? What doesn’t Because a lot of stuff out there, maybe just a little fluff, but, like, talk about your strategies, how you filter that. But then how do you implement those with your your athletes and teams?

[0:46:56 Speaker 1] Yeah, recovery is that I find an interesting topic to talk about. I think my perspective on recovery e. I don’t know if it’s different, but it z it z how I view it. I think that recovery modalities are effective if they’re used strategically at at certain parts of competitive year. If you look at the annual training plan and so I’ll use a couple examples of various modalities will say compression pants, normal tech or or whatever we use normal tech. There’s several other companies I’m sure that are out there or if you look at, uh, some other um, self Maya factual release devices like Tarragon or old school tennis ball across ball would have you form roller. I think they’re those air valuable resource is, uh, but I think that there’s an increasing reliance on them, too, Uh, almost as a way out or as an excuse from hard training and progressive training, especially in the off season. And so to me, I think that one of the best sources of recovery is consistency and training, uh, consistency and training and progressive overload. And on pushing the limits for each individual from from a strength end or conditioning SD standpoint, Uh, and, uh, and dozing appropriate volumes and intensities over the course of the entire year, uh, to elicit the results that we’re looking to elicit in terms off being at their their strongest and fittest as their as their getting into into the deep part of the competitive season. And I think that’s the time where those those various recovering modalities can help complement and add just a little bit more. Even if there’s a slight placebo effect, uh, can add a little bit more to how they feel heading into deep into the competitive year. But I think that physical preparation leading into the competitive season on pushing through the hard parts of the off season, which are just unpleasant physically and can be unpleasant because of the soreness and just the general fatigue. That’s that’s that’s accumulated over the course of an offseason. Uh, I think that’s the the one of the most important factors in terms of recovery. I’d rather take somebody that that can withstand the demands of the sport because they’ve trained appropriately and can rebound from whatever. I’ll take soccer as an example. Uh, my first go around with soccer and this is my second go around now. So it’s probably combined five or so years that have worked with the program. Uh, we used catapult, Uh, and for us, it was the first year we used. It was about trying to understand What is this information? How do we use this information? What do we get out of it, then? We did a lot of retrospective analysis on it, and we came to realize that there was some soft tissue injuries that occurred, and we didn’t blame it on this specifically. But it’s a strange coincidence, you see, when match high speed distance in a match is three or four times what they experienced in several days of preparation leading up to that match. And you see soft tissue injuries pop up. Uh, you know, like, wait a second. Maybe maybe they’re just under prepared. It’s not that they need more stretching or that they need more recovery boots that they need massage or what have you? Maybe they just need to be pushed harder so they can withstand the demands of off the competition itself. And so that was a big eye open for me five years ago, or so that recovery is great and various modalities are important and valuable during that competitive season or selectively. But it cannot replace the work that’s put in over the course of several weeks and months, uh, consistently in an offseason. Similarly, I think eating, eating well and hydrating and getting sleep appropriate sleep or some of the best recovery modalities that are out there and available to everyone there available. Thio, all three of us in this call, regardless of Mike being in his twenties, not 29 me being in my thirties, and Donny, you as well being in your body, your thirties as well. I think it’s for me. It SSM thing we all have access to. We all have access to the ability thio eat better toe hydrate. Better to get both mawr and better quality sleep and to prepare our bodies more effectively in terms off of the pushing our physical limits for whatever our competitive realm is. For me, it z a level of demo fitness need to be able to demonstrate every exercise that I prescribe pretty close to every exercise, at least twice. You need to be able to least do two reps of it so that our student athletes get a good picture and then I’m good. That’s the base level of my fitness and he’d be able to demonstrate exercises. I put a caveat to that because there’s some things I can’t demonstrate with the gymnast. E. Just make sure that one of our kids can demonstrate for me because I lack some of those abilities.

[0:52:15 Speaker 2] Um, man, that’s a great point. Near the end, there is Doctor Dr Mark Bubs is his name. He wrote a book peak. Um, but he talks about like like the Pyramid of Recovery. And I can’t remember who he got it from. It was some coach who at one point was with the Golden State Warriors. But he talks about the recovery pyramid, where the base of it is like you just touched on its its nutrition. It’s stress management and its sleep. And so his whole point was, If you can’t achieve those three things right, if you’re missing out on sleep or you’re not eating correctly, he said, there’s no point in putting on compression pants. There’s no point in doing a contrast, Bath says, because that’s never gonna, you know, repair you from four hours of sleep. And so he touches on. That is, you have to work your way up the pyramid if you want to be, you know, grabbing a thorough gun or whatever. The latest and greatest thing is I’m working on yourself is make sure you address the bottom of the pyramid first. Hey hasn’t laid out pretty good. And then the other point that you touched on is that actually heard recently Damn path I go that and he talked about how we rush Tau kind of jump or grab at, you know Well, how can what can I use for recovery. What can I do for this? And his big things, like training training prepares, you trainings why you can recover for the next day or the next stimulus. I mean, that’s of course, in the context that you’re not taking away from the neuro muscular motor abilities from sport, you know, time of your dependent. But I think those are both excellent points again. Just talking about dressing the bottom of the pyramid there something that’s available toe all of us and tough with student athletes, the realm that US three working. When you have academics, you have early morning practices. Um, typically, social relationships are pretty stressful for student athletes the ages of 18 and 22. But something Thio again, coming back to what we had said earlier is educating your athletes, making them aware of it and certainly selling it to the point where they understand it so that they’re actually buy into it and do their best to prioritize it.

[0:54:11 Speaker 0] I heard it’s a one time coach, Lou, and Coach Mike. I love what you guys were saying kind of simplistic way of putting. It is like I forget where I got this from, But you’re you know, when you when you play a sport, your body metaphorically. You’re writing a check. Your body spins whatever energy your body. Basically, it costs your body a price, right? But the stronger you are, the more fit the more in shape, the better you do The fundamental foundational things the best. What the right way, the smaller the check your body rights so don’t get in shape. Don’t get stronger in off season. Then you like. You just said, Coach Lou, you’re gonna be way more fatigue. There’s gonna be residual effects of that. You know that will last. Maybe days versus if you’re stronger, you’re in better shape conditioned. You may recover, you know, a day and a half. And so I think that’s spot on. But a lot of people getting They’re looking for the bells and whistles sometimes, because that’s the buzz word right now. Recovery on. They’re looking for that kind of, like, wave that magic wand to make them feel better when they really just need to train harder sometimes. Good stuff.

[0:55:23 Speaker 1] Yeah, I just wrote down that check analogy. Uh, that’s great. I love that. It’s, uh you got to write a check. You’re gonna write a check on game day? You have enough cash? You’ve got enough cash in the bank for that thing to not bounce. Or is it gonna bounce?

[0:55:40 Speaker 2] Yeah, I think I think it was. You told me. Coaches like trainings like deposits, right? And so if you want more return, obviously you have toe. Make sure you’re putting in consistent deposits. Um, to shift to shift kind of topic of conversation here. We have enough time for a few more questions as long as you do, Coach Lou. But what would you say are some of the challenges to our job as strength and conditioning or performance coaches that maybe younger coaches or aspiring coaches may not see or may not hear about?

[0:56:19 Speaker 1] I think when I think back Thio in my day a Z Young coach, uh, I had I was pretty confident My undergrad and my graduate education on Certainly my undergrad is what kind of jumpstarted me in the profession to allow me to pursue graduate work simultaneously with with with working, uh, in the field. I don’t know that I recall any specific textbooks. That’s that’s the essentials book That’s, uh, Dr Stone’s book Or that’s your ski or you name it that, uh, that ever said anything about how you handle when somebody comes into the weight room and starts crying? I don’t I don’t recall seeing that. And I don’t I don’t think I’ve scrubbed textbooks, but I certainly have thumb thumb through enough textbooks as it relates to strength, conditioning and human performance. Uh, Thio be pretty confident that nobody has ever talked about what happens when somebody walks in crying. Uh, we work with humans. We work with real people that have real problems, Uh, and to pretend like they don’t or to not not be considerate and empathetic to the fact that they might have something going on outside of the weight room and outside of their sport, I think is wrong. And I think it’s It’s not negligent. Eso To me, it’s it’s understanding that we work with people and we work with people first. Uh, that’s that’s hard to wrap your head around because we were rooted in science, and I think it’s important that we are, And I would I would surmise that that you guys agree with that, that what we do is rooted in science, but it’s not black and white and it can’t be. And for us to be successful for me specifically to be successful, it can’t be black and white. This is the way it has to be and leave your problems at the door. That’s not really it’s not that it’s not the world we live in, and I don’t suspect that it will ever be that way. And maybe it. Maybe it was previously, uh, but for me, I I don’t have any interest in being in that type of realm. Uh, I wanna I wanna be able to work with people. Sure, I prefer they don’t walk in the door cry. Uh, e think that would make everyone’s life a little bit more enjoyable. Um, but the fact of the matter is, is that has happened and will likely happen again in my time. It’s not an everyday thing, Uh, but certainly if it happens once, uh, it’ll happen again. And I think being will understand and relate and empathize with others, is important in building relationships and report that in the long run, in terms of being consistent in training and helping them Prepare for sport will be beneficial if you can actually have Ah ah, civil and productive conversation with them Related. Thio. What’s going on? Um, and I’ll go back toe something I said earlier. We talked about kind of bobbing and weaving in a in and out of lanes and working with thes thes other performance units. That’s a time for me that’s important to determine. I’ll use the word triage. Thio Really triage situation. What’s going on right now? Why? Why is this person in here? Why are they crying? And what do I need to do to ensure that their well being is, uh, that they’re safer? There will be, uh, and immediately determine whether or not I need to call in some backup for lack of better term in terms of our athletic counselors Or if I don’t know, they had a they stubbed their toe in the way in and their eyes were just water. And they’re not actually crying, who knows? Right thes air, the things that that happened, Um but I think understanding that there might be somebody else that needs to be part of the conversation. Um, but in that moment they walked in and it might be 6 30 in the morning and they’re crying, and there’s probably not a whole lot of other people on campus right now. What do I need to do to ensure that by the time that they leave whenever they leave that they’re in a good enough spot to be able to do what they need to do for the rest of the day and to do it, do it safely and healthily? Uh, that that’s one of the areas that would say that as as young coaches and as young professionals. So we need to be ready for the human element, uh, and the human element of the people that were working with because they have stressors just like you and me. And and sometimes they infiltrate other areas or life. As much as we try toe to compartmentalize, it’s It’s not always possible to do so. Um, and ignoring it is is negligent and, frankly, just rude, in my opinion. So that’s that’s one area that I would encourage young coaches to at least consider. And if you have some sports psychology classes that you can that you can take an undergrad or grad school. Or if you could build a relationship at your institution with, um with your athletic counseling team, whether that’s within athletics or counselors on campus and and have access to them in those types of moments, Um, I think is important and will continue to be increasingly important over the course of my career. Uh, and certainly certainly the rest of our careers, in my opinion.

[1:01:50 Speaker 2] Absolutely. Um, you know, I even think back. So I think I’m that stereotypical intern. I was that stereotypical intern who it was, get super excited to read all the like you said that sort ski. Um, Dan, John, you know, Cathy, it doesn’t matter what your super consumed in these textbooks, the excess knows because it’s pretty exciting at that age and at that point when you start to learn the science behind training. But the science, I think that isn’t as often spoken about, is the interpersonal skill piece that you’re touching on because, like you said, it happens. I think it’s gonna happen to every strength coach at some point where an athlete’s going to come in and, you know, for whatever reason could be a multitude of reasons it’s not their day are another pieces, even speaking with sport coaches and understanding the skill of listening. Um, more so than than speaking or talking about what you read in page 67 of that sword ski. So I think that’s a great point that you hit on and then also related to that is we talked about adaptability earlier, and so kind of touching on that is what is something, Um, what are other skills that you you look for an intern’s? What are other qualities that you look for and successful interns who are, you know, up incoming coaches and looking to make a good impression?

[1:03:13 Speaker 1] Yeah, uh, I use the word coachable. I said that earlier about one of my pet peeves. Uh, Coach John, you had mentioned that what was one of my pet peeves, and and it’s a lack of coach ability not only first in athletes, but, uh, for interns and colleagues. Uh, so to me, uh, I love when interns ask questions because they have a thought and they have an idea and they want to better understand it, and it drives me insane. When, when interns or other coaches asked a question. They already know the answer, and they’re just looking for, uh, affirmation that that they’re right. Uh, if it’s done consistently, right? So I think there’s a difference between asking a question. Thio seek somebody’s input and and guidance versus looking for affirmation for whatever thought process they have in a given situation. Eso being open and receptive to that coaching, I think is really valuable. Um, I think as as we look, thio kind of advance the profession. It’s, uh it’s understanding that I want them to pay it forward in the future. We’re on this. We’re on this thing, this podcast and having this conversation and maybe one day, I don’t know. In a few weeks, a young coach, listen to this, and maybe one of us inspires him to look into a certain concept or look into the profession as a whole because he didn’t think it was for him. But, uh, maybe it is. Maybe it is because there’s some other examples and models out there that that he can follow it and I want to be that person. There’s, uh, strike coach, and actually, he just finished up his PhD and somebody that I respect and have for a long time are referred to him now as Dr Adam fight. Um, and I’m not sure if you guys were familiar with with with Adam. But when I was an undergrad in 2006 or seven or so, uh, trying to figure out what’s trying to conditioning is and Googling as much as I can about the profession and what avenues air out there it came across. I think there’s a two or three part article that he wrote for elite FTS dot com. Uh, Andi, he wrote about being young strength coach and breaking into the field. Uh, and at some point, well, I was at Michigan around probably 2010 or so. He was at Eastern Michigan just right down the road, uh, as the head football strength coach, and I got to meet him, and I told him about that. And over the course of the last decade, we’ve interacted several times, and I’ve told him, and some of some of the people that have come from history at at Springfield now, that that that moment that article was impactful for me on Frankly, I don’t even know if it’s even still on the website or, uh or how even access it is. It’s been a while since I read it. I think I could, I think I found part one and two just recently when I when I spoke to Adam and reminded him about that. But Adam didn’t sit down and write that article and say, I want Luke Porch Ozzy to go read this article. He wrote it because he wanted to try and impact somebody in the profession. And if it was literally, if I was literally the only person that read, it was impacted. My guess is that if you asked him that question right now is was it worth this time? He will respond with Absolutely. Because I got through to one person and I say that understanding that we have the ability to impact the lives of the people around us, not just who were specifically trying to impact, but the people that don’t We don’t know that we’re impacting, and that’s that somebody in the street that you smile at that, somebody in that somebody that you walked by and, uh, in the grocery store and and thank them for for doing what they do. That Czar Custodio Creek, that’s that’s Arturo and Powell of that that come in here and shut off the lights every night. And sometimes I’ve been here to see it. But oftentimes I’m not. And they do an important job for us, and I think it’s important and I’m kind of getting on a soapbox and a tangent, But it’s Ah, it’s something that I think I take really seriously and part of the reason why I’m I’m thio paraphrase you meticulous with my choice of words on dime specific in my language. If somebody likes to, somebody doesn’t like being called by their last name. I’m going to call them by their first name or whatever nickname they prefer that that is a pity for some people. And if I know that I’m gonna make every effort I can to refer to them as by whatever name they preferred to be referred to ask, because that’s important. It’s important. It’s important. I don’t like being. When I was a kid, I was a pudgy little kid in back in New Jersey, and my last name is hard to say so that coaches, youth coaches called me pork chop. Well, in hindsight, that’s that’s kind of rude. I didn’t love that, but what did I know? Trouble, little kid. And my last name is hard to say. Uh, it’s important, right? It’s all these things that matter in terms off, impacting the lives and people were around and having them leave your presence feeling good about what they have accomplished and where they’re heading on. It’s not just to blow smoke its’s to help build them up versus tear them down even in a bad session, even if a session was garbage, addressing it and looking at them in the eye as as another human and saying that wasn’t good enough. And this is where each of you need Thio to improve individually, and we need to improve collectively and pointing out where I need to improve as well, right? It Zim perfect, and that’s fine. We’re all trying to move together. Don’t let don’t let perfection get in the way. In the great get in the way of greatness. They’re not synonymous. Perfection and greatness or not synonymous. Be great in what you do day in, day out, be great and how you tie your own shoes be great. And how you feel your water bottle degree and how you wear your mask during covitz, right? Be great. And the things that that that that don’t you don’t necessarily think matter because they add up, they add up. And don’t let perfection get in the way of greatness. Sorry, I’m off my soapbox now.

[1:09:31 Speaker 0] All right, that’s a good That’s a whole nother episode right there. I love it. Okay, well, hey, I got one last question that I let my kind of close this out, But you kind of touched on a what comes to mind talking about professional development one or two of your top things that have impacted you as far as growth and just advancement in your career over your whole life. So what’s been one or two professional development things that had the biggest impact on you? What is that?

[1:10:05 Speaker 1] Sure, I’ll give you. I’ll give you two examples and I’ll give you and they’re kind of different avenues in terms off professionalism. So I give you one that’s a little bit more of a hard skill set directly directly related to thio performance and physical development. And it’s, uh DNS dynamic neuro muscular stabilization. Um, one of our athletic trainers, Brian, with the softball, have over the last five or six years, we’ve built a great relationship, and Brian is really big proponent of DNS. Taking several courses and has several certifications. So it got to the point where I needed to start to look into it for myself because I wasn’t. I wasn’t well versed enough to understand what he was, what he was trying to explain to me, that that I wanted to see if what it was about. And so they ran a They run a DNS for. I think it’s a DNS weightlifting, Um, and so let’s talk, uh, my costs, what my course was taught by Dr OEM. He’s a chiropractor at at Columbus, and it was great. I had spent a long time since I’ve felt like I was the, uh, bottom 5% of intelligence in the room on that course was one of them. I was surrounded by people that were incredibly intelligent, intelligent and was really humbling on. I loved every second of it, and it’s for me. It was cleaning up some areas of understanding, bracing posture and diaphragmatic breathing that were gaps for me. There were gaps for me and understanding, movement and movement under load. And how Thio how to improve that and to do so to do so. I think under load and get it. Thio Stick with athletes more consistently, so that was a huge, huge course for me, and it’s kind of reshaped a little bit of how, like you different movements as simple as, uh, taking a deep breath on the back squat. I look at different parts now, and I teach that deep breath in terms of bracing differently than I did previously. Likewise with foot position and where the pressure is in the foot. So I haven’t gotten away from squatting and power cleans and already else I’ve just looked at. I’ve looked at it from a different angle and use different cues to accomplish what I’ve always tried to accomplish. And I found that it’s effective, Uh, and I’ll continue using some of those concepts and looking into it. So that’s one area that that was really helpful for me, cleaning up some of the specifics behind movements that I’ve used for a long time. We’ll continue thio the other area for me is not necessarily, uh, performance related. It was actually through the University of Michigan, and I imagine that Texas and a lot of institutions have leadership development coursework. Eso for us, it’s L. P. D s, uh, learning and Professional Development Department. It’s previously I think it was HRD, but it was basically a full year program. They called it the career passport program that I enrolled in a few years ago. And there’s certain I think they were probably seven or eight categories of this educational curriculum. They offered maybe up to a dozen courses. Each of those areas those those categories and you’re required to take. I think two or three from each thio kind of check off your passport, um, for successful completion of the program, and some of them were more interesting than others. I took a course on, uh, writing at Policies and Procedure manual, which was not as riveting as it sounds so, but it was certainly it was beneficial. And then it took several several different courses on interviewing skills and resume cover cover letter writing. And those are areas that for me are not only important for for where I aspired to be in my career over the next 30 plus years. But it’s important for for young coaches that come through the door that that we don’t want to be interns for more than a semester. To that, we don’t want to spend in a NFL position for more than a year or two that we want to go on from here and get full time jobs, better paying jobs and positions where they can. They could really start living a comfortable life and and feel successful in there right as they continue to grow. I just last week I helped Ah, former intern that’s finishing up grad school in the next four or five months with a cover letter and resume. Um, and I took the time with it because I enjoyed it and that, and I sent him some of the stuff I did from that career development program so and that for me, that was I was super fortunate was ah free, free of cost for all employees that that enrolled in the program. The only cost to me was the time that that I needed to take it to commit to the program toe complete the coursework, and it was tremendous. And at this point, with coursera and uh, other online platforms that offer free or low cost professional development and professional development coursework. ITT’s silly not to pursue that, uh, in in conjunction with addressing and improving the hard skill set that makes us successful. US professionals, uh, in straight to get a sheep. Specifically, I think you talk about professionalism for me, and I think I don’t think there’s a video that will come to this. But I went home after after the day ended, and I put it on a button down shirt and I put on a pair of pants that requires the use of a belt. And I came in and I sat down at my my computer in the office because it’s important to me to put off as high level professionalism as possible and carry myself not for the position that I’m currently in, but for the positions I aspire to be in. Uh, that’s not the It’s not to say I want to take Mike’s job. He’s a great job as my boss, but I aspire to be in in his seat and ultimately in the seats above him. Over the course of my professional career. In the next 30 plus years,

[1:16:10 Speaker 2] I’m gunning for your seat. Donny, Come

[1:16:13 Speaker 0] on. Come on. Like I like, I like you think I’m

[1:16:15 Speaker 2] coming for you Have a 10 year plan. That’s

[1:16:19 Speaker 0] right. You’ll be

[1:16:20 Speaker 1] better. You might. You might wanna watch your back. You better be careful on this guy,

[1:16:24 Speaker 0] Mike. Mike’s crawling up the backside. I gotta keep it

[1:16:26 Speaker 2] on. Um, as we wrap up here, Last thing, Lou, for anyone listening, who might want to connect with you to talk about whatever What’s the best way that they can reach out to you, Whether that’s email, social media, etcetera.

[1:16:42 Speaker 1] Yeah, I think, uh, email, social media, both work for me. My email is actually the same as I think my twitter and Instagram and all the twitter is probably a little bit better for me. I’m on on the singular instagram posts of my niece and I Christmas a couple years ago. Uh, s Oh, my email is Lou porch L e w porch like front or back porch at you. Mish. Um, I c h dot e d u My twitter handles at Lou Porch again. L E W porch like front or back porch eso you can check me out there on dshea me a message always happy to have a conversation about training and growth and development. And to me, it’s like I said earlier is an opportunity to pay it forward for the people that have impacted my life, both those that know they have and those that maybe don’t really even aren’t even really aware of the fact that what they’ve done has helped me to grow to who I am and who I aspire to be.

[1:17:43 Speaker 2] Thanks a lot for your time today, Lou. That was awesome.

[1:17:46 Speaker 1] Yeah, I appreciate your assignments. It’s cool Opportunity, I think, give you guys kudos for for taking time to do this, for for the strength conditioning community. And And I think it’s important and valuable. And I look forward to at some point seeing you guys in person, Uh, whenever that time comes and shake your hands and and sitting down having a coffee or to with you,

[1:18:07 Speaker 0] you know, we appreciate it, Lou. Coach Lou and get this Echo Mike sentiments. Thank you for your time and just for you just taking just taking some moments tow car about time to give back. Because I know there will be individuals that will listen to this for years to come that they’ll get a lot of this. So thank you for your time and expertise and your professionalism today. So with that, we’re gonna call it a day. Coach Hansen, you ready to take this thing in the 2021? Hopefully, we’re gonna Coach Lou’s gonna lead us with some good vibes in the 2021. Come on, Coach Lou.

[1:18:41 Speaker 2] Hopefully you’re following up about 1000 followers, so,

[1:18:45 Speaker 1] uh, okay, I’m ready for it.

[1:18:47 Speaker 2] Starts sending it out to your cousins, aunts, uncles.

[1:18:51 Speaker 1] We, uh I’ll tell you what, we obviously both Sandoval I mentioned earlier is one of my mentors, along with Mike. Mike Favor, like my current director and boss s o. I did listen to you guys podcast with him. And also listen, toe Zach Devonish, Jersey guy, Jersey Gotthard actually got that That followed for a long time. Back to his days kinda, along with Joe de Franco. So it’s ah, it’s cool to be part of it. And to be mentioned in the same breath with those guys and a lot of other people that you’ve had on this call and frankly, your staff, I just, uh, this week and have sex and back and forth with Melissa Little bit. She had some nice things to say about the softball presentation, and I learned a couple of tricks and the iPhone from her on replying to specific messages. So I’ll tell you what. You never know who you’re gonna learn from or when you’re gonna learn it, But, uh, you got some good people down there, so keep up the good work.

[1:19:43 Speaker 0] Yeah, I see Coaster being coachable right there. There it is. Your there’s your is your main key point. But, uh, were the feeling is mutual to you, Thio, Coach Lou, your coach favor your host staff? Nothing but the utmost respect. Admiration. You guys were just a standard that we look to as well, So just keep raising the bar. But, hey, that’s it for the day on the team behind the team here in Austin, Texas. Coach Lou, thank you for your time. Coach Mike Hanson, the co host. You You did an awesome job. We appreciate you coach lining this up. So that’s it from us Team behind the team will catch on the flip side, thanks so much for tuning in and listening to this episode of the team behind the team podcast for future episodes. Goto, iTunes, Spotify, Google podcast or Stitcher way. Definitely wanna keep having great guests on the show and great content. So if you have a moment, please go to iTunes, leave a rating and review and let us know how we’re doing. I’m Donny made and thanks so much for tuning in