The PBSCCS Podcast

Episode 237: 237. Interview with Meagan Vota (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Meagan Vota is a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Wichita Wind Surge, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. She is currently in her second season in this role which happens to be her first experience in professional baseball. Previously, she spent 2.5 years at IMG Academy, specializing in long-term athletic development for their 11 baseball teams from middle school through post-graduate levels. Meagan holds both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Exercise Physiology from the University of Louisville (2016 - 2022) and is certified through the NSCA (CSCS) and USA Weightlifting (L1). With experience ranging from youth and private sector to collegiate and professional sports, she is passionate about helping athletes maximize their performance while developing confidence, discipline, and leadership skills that extend into everyday life.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Coaching at IMG Academy
-Finding success and advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"That's why I love Spring Training so much and having everyone around you for a few months, you just get that social aspect a little bit more" (8:03)
-"I think at the end of the day I'm probably meant for youth athletics a little bit more than I am pro ball, but I am, again, loving where I'm at right now" (13:29)
-"I think you can be great at your job and still leave it at the field" (26:25)

If you would like to learn more from Meagan, you can connect with her on social media:

Instagram:
@meagan_vota

Episode 236: 236. Interview with Meagan Vota (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Meagan Vota is a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Wichita Wind Surge, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. She is currently in her second season in this role which happens to be her first experience in professional baseball. Previously, she spent 2.5 years at IMG Academy, specializing in long-term athletic development for their 11 baseball teams from middle school through post-graduate levels. Meagan holds both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Exercise Physiology from the University of Louisville (2016 - 2022) and is certified through the NSCA (CSCS) and USA Weightlifting (L1). With experience ranging from youth and private sector to collegiate and professional sports, she is passionate about helping athletes maximize their performance while developing confidence, discipline, and leadership skills that extend into everyday life.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Her journey to professional baseball
-Mastering the basics with athletes
-Bodybuilding, powerlifting, and long-term athletic development

Quotes:
-"I am someone that loves experiences" (5:47)
-"I absolutely love long-term athletic development, I love youth sports. But I wanted to find a version of myself that I didn't know, and that was working with professional athletes" (6:37)
-"I think that there is a difference between modifying to personalize for performance and modifying to just make your programming seem snazzy and appealing" (15:38)

If you would like to learn more from Meagan, you can connect with her on social media:

Instagram:
@meagan_vota

Episode 235: 235. 2026 WBC Group Discussion (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on the 2026 World Baseball Classic. This is Part Two of the interview.

Speakers:
-Alexa Garcia (Houston Astros)
-Jose Salas (Milwaukee Brewers)

Topics covered in this episode:
-All things related to working the World Baseball Classic

Quotes:
-"It's kind of like a balance of having that feel and understanding where to push and pull" (1:27) - Alexa Garcia
-"The best part was winning" (6:04) - Jose Salas
-"It really, really put into perspective to me that this game is more than just a game, and it's more than just something that gives me a paycheck and health insurance" (11:02) - Alexa Garcia
-"Everything is a learning experience" (14:22) - Jose Salas

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@alexaa_garciaa - Alexa Garcia
@josesc.ven - Jose Salas

Episode 234: 234. 2026 WBC Group Discussion (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on the 2026 World Baseball Classic. This is Part One of the interview.

Speakers:
-Alexa Garcia (Houston Astros)
-Jose Salas (Milwaukee Brewers)

Topics covered in this episode:
-All things related to working the World Baseball Classic

Quotes:
-"I think they did a great job of supplying the players with what they needed" (26:02) - Jose Salas
-"Sometimes when you go to a new organization you might have maybe, depends on the kind of person you are, maybe a week or two weeks to adapt. There, you probably had a day or two days to do all of that" (31:55) - Jose Salas
-"We've all been in this game a long time, we know how variable it can be" (34:45) - Alexa Garcia
-"Just knowing you can always get something done and being in that optimistic mindset the whole time helped a lot" (35:12) - Alexa Garcia

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@alexaa_garciaa - Alexa Garcia
@josesc.ven - Jose Salas

Episode 233: 233. Interview with Megan Pierro (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Megan Pierro is in her 3rd year as a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Tampa Bay Rays organization (seasonal in 2024, full-time in 2025 and 2026). She is originally from Lutz, FL and attended the University of South Florida, where she played 5 seasons as a D1 softball player (2019-2023). She graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Health Science and a Minor in Nutrition. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the NSCA and will be playing professional softball this summer for the Florida Breeze in the Professional Softball League (PSL).

Topics covered in this episode:
-Her softball playing career
-Finding success and advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I think for me as a coach establishing relationships with my players is a very important piece" (0:41)
-"Baseball you have to take into consideration that they're playing so many games, and we have to be able to optimize our players to go out there and perform to their greatest potential throughout the whole season" (5:21)
-"The best thing I think we can do as coaches is to just be a sponge to the information around us and try to absorb it all" (14:38)

If you would like to learn more from Megan, you can connect with her on social media:

Instagram:
@meganpierro

Episode 232: 232. Interview with Megan Pierro (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 27 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Megan Pierro is in her 3rd year as a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Tampa Bay Rays organization (seasonal in 2024, full-time in 2025 and 2026). She is originally from Lutz, FL and attended the University of South Florida, where she played 5 seasons as a D1 softball player (2019-2023). She graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Health Science and a Minor in Nutrition. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the NSCA and will be playing professional softball this summer for the Florida Breeze in the Professional Softball League (PSL).

Topics covered in this episode:
-Her journey to the Rays organization
-Participating in the "Spanish Immersion Program"
-The value of using the textbook

Quotes:
-"I learned very quickly that speaking Spanish is a huge part of working in baseball, especially at the complex level" (4:43)
-"I think it's easy to get caught up in wanting to always try new and different things, but at the end of the day, especially at the level that I work at, I think sometimes simple can be better" (14:39)
-"I started to realize that this was actually something that we might be able to make work, and turns out that we are, so I will be playing this summer" (18:49)

If you would like to learn more from Megan, you can connect with her on social media:

Instagram:
@meganpierro

Episode 231: 231. Interview with Blaine Taylor (Part Three)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 13 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Blaine Taylor is a strength and conditioning coach currently working in Lake Tahoe, California. Prior to his current role, he has had stops with both the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies organizations, working in various roles throughout their Minor League systems.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Advice for others
-Continuing education resources
-Lightning Round

Quotes:
-"I think as an athletic trainer or a physical therapist or what we do, you're sacrificing a lot of things for the job" (1:15)
-"Sometimes you need a little bit more to lean on; you gotta lean more on someone else than yourself" (15:42)
-"I think that's why I think social media is such a cool tool, you can use it almost as a journal or a resume in some sense" (19:55)

If you would like to learn more from Blaine, you can connect with him on social media:

Instagram:
@blainepatricktaylor

Episode 230: 230. Interview with Blaine Taylor (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Blaine Taylor is a strength and conditioning coach currently working in Lake Tahoe, California. Prior to his current role, he has had stops with both the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies organizations, working in various roles throughout their Minor League systems.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Life outside of professional baseball
-Ikigai
-Finding success

Quotes:
-"Some jobs don't always work out in certain phases of life" (3:09)
-"We have free will, but there is this divine path we are supposed to walk. And we have the choice to not walk it" (11:14)
-"You have to truly experience it yourself to speak the language and to know you're gonna deliver the right product to the right person" (21:38)

If you would like to learn more from Blaine, you can connect with him on social media:

Instagram:
@blainepatricktaylor

Episode 229: 229. Interview with Blaine Taylor (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Blaine Taylor is a strength and conditioning coach currently working in Lake Tahoe, California. Prior to his current role, he has had stops with both the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies organizations, working in various roles throughout their Minor League systems.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey to his current role
-Firefighting, martial arts, gymnastics, and climbing
-His best professional baseball stories

Quotes:
-"I think our road is paved and you follow that road. And you know when you're on the right road" (7:17)
-"Getting players through a season with zero injuries was always my goal as a strength coach every season" (14:44)
-"Sometimes, you know, we don't always get it right. But when you do, it's super cool, super rewarding" (19:00)

If you would like to learn more from Blaine, you can connect with him on social media:

Instagram:
@blainepatricktaylor

Episode 228: 228. 2026 Spring Training Group Discussion (Part Three)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on Spring Training. This is Part Three of the interview.

Speakers:
-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)
-Grace Cullen (Tampa Bay Rays)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Ways to stay sharp in the off-season
-Collaboration amongst departments
-Ways to improve Spring Training

Quotes:
-"I need to be coaching or doing something and working with athletes to get better" (10:38) - Grace Cullen
-"The prep work needs to come from how the athlete is moving when they're throwing or hitting" (11:27) - Grace Cullen
-"Whatever it is, how can we speak some of those common languages across disciplines to show the player we really are truly invested into their growth and development" (17:25) - Logan Jones
-"I think, by nature, we're problem solvers" (22:09) - Logan Jones

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@logan_jones95 - Logan Jones
@coachgracecullen - Grace Cullen

Episode 227: 227. 2026 Spring Training Group Discussion (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on Spring Training. This is Part Two of the interview.

Speakers:
-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)
-Grace Cullen (Tampa Bay Rays)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Excitement for the upcoming season
-Navigating the World Baseball Classic
-Current stressors and how they are navigating them

Quotes:
-"Obviously, as a strength coach, you want to have an impact on the guys and their routine and how they can prepare" (1:23) - Grace Cullen
-"I do believe that you could have all of the tactical knowledge and information in the world and if you can't communicate it to the player in a digestible and simplistic way it doesn't matter" (9:47) - Logan Jones
-"Bowling Green is kind of on the outskirts of everywhere, so our shortest travel is to Rome and it's five hours, and then everywhere else we usually bus seven hours or we fly" (26:24) - Grace Cullen
-"I think that Spring Training itself is always a form of a stressor and some years are better than others" (28:42) - Logan Jones

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@logan_jones95 - Logan Jones
@coachgracecullen - Grace Cullen

Episode 226: 226. 2026 Spring Training Group Discussion (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on Spring Training. This is Part One of the interview.

Speakers:
-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)
-Grace Cullen (Tampa Bay Rays)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Daily responsibilities during Spring Training for the strength and conditioning coach
-Intake testing and assessment during Spring Training
-Programming and individualization for players upon arrival

Quotes:
-"Upon arrival, on the Major League or Minor League side doesn't matter, most organizations have some form of intake" (3:07) - Logan Jones
-"I think the most important piece of this puzzle is closing the feedback loop with the player" (12:24) - Logan Jones
-They're obviously here to play baseball. It's our job as strength and conditioning professionals to help them prior to going out and make them stay on the field" (15:10) - Grace Cullen
-"I think the biggest thing we work on is the running progression. I feel like we do a really good job as a department in making sure we're not just having guys jump into really high yardage weeks or really high intensities" (17:06) - Grace Cullen

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@logan_jones95 - Logan Jones
@coachgracecullen - Grace Cullen

Episode 225: 225. Interview with Alexa Garcia (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Alexa Garcia, the Lead Florida Complex Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Houston Astros. Now entering her fifth season in professional baseball, Alexa has specialized in elite athlete development, a touch of rehabilitation, and long-term performance optimization.

Prior to her current role, she served two seasons as the Rehabilitation Strength & Conditioning Coordinator with the Astros, was the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Barry University, where she helped lead multiple programs to NCAA national championships, and also spent time as a strength coach in the Baltimore Orioles organization.

Alexa holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Performance from Louisiana Tech University, is a CSCS with RSCC distinction, and is a Colombian native, which allows her to bridge the communication gap with Spanish-speaking athletes.

Recognized as the 2021 MiLB Strength Coach of the Year, and most recently named the Strength Coach for Team Colombia for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Alexa is known for blending high-level strength & conditioning principles with traditional baseball “feel,” and for her passion in mentoring the next generation of coaches.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Collaboration and autonomy in programming
-Working in rehab and her new role
-Advice for others on how to find success
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"Rehab taught me a lot of patience" (7:12)
-"I genuinely feel like you'll always love this job if you love the game of baseball" (15:48)
-"I think in this profession network, network, network is number one" (17:24)

If you would like to learn more from Alexa, you can connect with her on social media:

Instagram:
@alexaa_garciaa

Episode 224: 224. Interview with Alexa Garcia (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Recognized as the 2021 MiLB Strength Coach of the Year, and most recently named the Strength Coach for Team Colombia for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Alexa is known for blending high-level strength & conditioning principles with traditional baseball “feel,” and for her passion in mentoring the next generation of coaches.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Her journey to her current role
-Valuable lessons in leadership
-Her best baseball story

Quotes:
-"I love strength and conditioning. I love baseball. But I also love leadership and helping develop the people around me" (6:36)
-"One thing that I will always keep neat and clean is my LinkedIn" (17:59)
-"I really pride myself when it comes to leadership on preparing those underneath or learning from me" (20:05)

If you would like to learn more from Alexa, you can connect with her on social media:

Instagram:
@alexaa_garciaa

Episode 223: 223. Interview with Steven Thayer (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Steven Thayer enters his fifth season in the Athletics organization and third year with AAA Las Vegas as sport performance coach. He spent 2023 in High A Lansing and 2022 in Low A Stockton in the same role. Prior to joining the Athletics organization, he served as sport performance coach in the DSL with the Giants in 2021. Before his time in professional baseball, he oversaw strength and conditioning programs for multiple varsity sports at Mater Dei High School. Additionally, he spent time as an assistant strength coach for Michigan State basketball and volleyball teams and as an intern with Cal football and Apple Wellness. A native of San Ramon, CA, he is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and has a master’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State University. He holds nine certifications in the strength and conditioning field.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Breaking up the monotony of a long season
-Defining success and advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"Every day is different, but we're doing the same thing every day. So any kind of change or adjustment goes a long way I think" (1:57)
-"We are in the business of people. We are in the business of relationships just as much as we are in the training business" (9:47)
-"I encourage people to ask questions. Ask a lot of questions" (16:43)

Episode 222: 222. Interview with Steven Thayer (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Steven Thayer enters his fifth season in the Athletics organization and third year with AAA Las Vegas as sport performance coach. He spent 2023 in High A Lansing and 2022 in Low A Stockton in the same role. Prior to joining the Athletics organization, he served as sport performance coach in the DSL with the Giants in 2021. Before his time in professional baseball, he oversaw strength and conditioning programs for multiple varsity sports at Mater Dei High School. Additionally, he spent time as an assistant strength coach for Michigan State basketball and volleyball teams and as an intern with Cal football and Apple Wellness. A native of San Ramon, CA, he is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and has a master’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State University. He holds nine certifications in the strength and conditioning field.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey (including working in the DR and corporate wellness with Apple)
-His best professional baseball story
-Current trends in the field
-Working in AAA Pacific Coast League

Quotes:
-"Baseball's my first love" (6:30)
-"A lot of the foundational stuff is the same. Everybody needs to squat, hinge, lunge, push, pull" (8:05)
-"It starts with the rapport. It starts with that getting to know the guy, getting to know that you care about them" (35:48)

Episode 221: 221. Interview with Campbell Quirk

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Campbell Quirk is a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He has been with the organization for four seasons, having worked two in Low-A and two in High-A. He was named the 2025 MiLB Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in the Midwest League. Campbell is also a former college baseball player.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey and best professional baseball story
-Being named the Midwest League SCOTY and finding success
-Advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I think, overall, Minor League Baseball has done a great job making sure the facilities are kept above par" (14:29)
-"Showing the athlete you care is crucial because at the end of the day it's their journey" (18:57)
-"The best day of my life was becoming a dad and having to learn how to look after someone else" (27:56)

If you would like to learn more from Campbell, you can connect with him on social media:

Instagram:
@quirky26

Episode 220: 220. Interview with Luis Cervantes (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Luis Cervantes was born in Mexico City, Mexico and was raised in Montrose, CO. He graduated in 2016 from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with a Bachelors in Sports Training and Conditioning. After spending 3 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Cervantes accepted an opportunity with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021. Prior to his career with Minor League Baseball, Cervantes was with the United States Airforce Academy and a few private training facilities. Luis currently resides in Mesa, AZ.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Effectively coaching athletes of different ages and cultural backgrounds
-Working the Arizona Fall League
-Finding success
-Advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"You're dealing with kids who don't know what it means to be an adult yet, so you're showing them more than just strength and conditioning X's and O's. You're trying to teach them how to be just an adult and a good human being" (5:26)
-"Maybe you know your X's and O's, but if people don't like you it's gonna be really hard to convince them to do things" (13:17)
-"I do use audio a lot, that's like a hack right there. Just put on some audio and listen to it right before you go to bed or when I'm walking the dog" (19:22)

If you would like to learn more from Luis, you can connect with him on LinkedIn!

Episode 219: 219. Interview with Luis Cervantes (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Luis Cervantes was born in Mexico City, Mexico and was raised in Montrose, CO. He graduated in 2016 from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with a Bachelors in Sports Training and Conditioning. After spending 3 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Cervantes accepted an opportunity with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021. Prior to his career with Minor League Baseball, Cervantes was with the United States Airforce Academy and a few private training facilities. Luis currently resides in Mesa, AZ.

Topics covered in this episode:
-The importance of being a good father and husband
-Being a 2x ACL Champion
-Similarities and differences between working in different organizations
-Emotional intelligence and soft skills

Quotes:
-"You grind during the season, but then you earn that offseason where you have a little bit more relaxing time with your family" (6:21)
-"I think that's something you need to teach: teaching how to win" (13:21)
-"You have to have the soft skills and emotional intelligence to know your audience and what you're gonna talk about" (25:38)

If you would like to learn more from Luis, you can connect with him on LinkedIn!

Episode 218: 218. Interview with Jake Kistaitis

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Jake Kistaitis is a strength and conditioning coach in the Oakland A's organization. Jake has been with the organization since 2022, where he has worked multiple levels from the DR up to AA. Prior to joining the A's, Jake spent time in 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Jake is a former college baseball player who grew up in the Omaha, Nebraska area. He was named the Texas League Strength Coach of the Year this season.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His professional baseball journey (including entering pro ball during the COVID chaos of 2020, time spent coaching in the DR, and working his way to AA)
-His best professional baseball story
-Being named the Texas League Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year
-Advice for others and continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"Trying to pick up as much as I can. Kind of getting overwhelmed, because your first few weeks in pro ball, as you know, it's crazy" (2:49)
-"I would say building relationships is probably the most important because once you have that relationship built with a player, them buying into your program or buying in to you as a human is gonna allow that relationship to move onward and upward because they know that you're in it for them, not for yourself" (16:56)
-"I think every off-season you find something that you're interested in and then you just try and learn as much as you can and then figure out how to utilize that on the day-to-day" (21:35)

If you would like to learn more from Jake, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@jake_kistaitis

And a special thank you to xcelerated recovery for sponsoring this episode!

Episode 217: 217. Interview with Grace Cullen (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Grace is a Minor League Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Tampa Bay Rays, where she works to support athlete performance and development throughout the organization. Before joining the Rays, she served as an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Queens University, working with baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s tennis. Grace has also spent time in professional baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals as a Player Development Strength & Conditioning Coach and previously interned with the Cleveland Guardians.

She holds a master’s degree in Applied Kinesiology and Physiology from the University of Florida, and a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Sports Psychology from the University of Evansville.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Working in the college setting vs. professional baseball
-Advice for others and finding success
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I think this year has really solidified that I want to be in pro ball" (4:33)
-"I think you should definitely experience both of them. For me, I'm obviously really glad that I experienced and went and worked in the college setting. It makes me appreciate being where I'm at a lot more" (10:36)
-"Every day I try and just be really appreciative of the people I get to work with, the athletes I get to work with, and the experience I get to have because it's a really cool job that we have" (23:42)

If you would like to learn more from Grace, you can follow her on social media:

Instagram:
@coachgracecullen

Episode 216: 216. Interview with Grace Cullen (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Topics covered in this episode:
-Her best professional baseball story
-Being a younger coach in the field
-Axial loading for baseball players
-Learning how to coach effectively without technology
-Working with unfamiliar sports and athletes

Quotes:
-"Their spine is so mobile and gets put in such crazy positions that I'm not really a huge fan of putting a bunch of weight on their back" (7:28)
-"I just think people need to hammer the basics when they're coming up and they're interning" (10:04)
-"I think whenever a coach writes a new program they probably modify it like five times" (19:39)

If you would like to learn more from Grace, you can follow her on social media:

Instagram:
@coachgracecullen

Episode 215: 215. Interview with Joe Hudson (Part Three)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Joe Hudson is in his first year as a Strength & Conditioning Coach at the Major League level with the Boston Red Sox organization. He has previously spent multiple seasons at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A within the organization and another 4 years managing private sector sports performance facilities in Massachusetts. He received his B.S. in Exercise Physiology from Plymouth State University (’12) and his M.S. in Exercise Science from Springfield College (’15). Joe and his wife Meghan currently live in Springfield, MA with their twin boys Callan & Griffin and their daughter Maeve.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Finding success at different levels
-Collaboration with staff and players
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"You experience the soft skills and learning how to navigate people and stuff like that through experience and through continued exposure to doing it" (11:41)
-"The message for me is accept that there's always more to learn and that the experience is still valuable" (12:30)
-"The science side of our profession is booming at a rapid pace, but the art side is getting lost, or passed over, just because there is so much technology and there is so much in the analytical space of tying this thing to that thing" (17:23)

If you would like to learn more from Joe, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@hudson_jr12

Twitter:
@Coach_JoeHudson

And a special thank you to Ecore Athletic for sponsoring this episode!

"As the Official Flooring Partner of the Professional Baseball Strength & Conditioning Coaches Society (PBSCCS), Ecore Athletic is proud to support the training environments where elite athletes prepare to perform at their best. From Major League to Minor League Baseball, Ecore Athletic surfaces are trusted in weight rooms and training facilities across the country — designed to deliver unmatched durability, performance, and safety. All manufactured right here in the USA."

Episode 214: 214. Interview with Joe Hudson (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Episode 213: 213. Interview with Joe Hudson (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Joe Hudson is in his first year as a Strength & Conditioning Coach at the Major League level with the Boston Red Sox organization. He has previously spent multiple seasons at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A within the organization and another 4 years managing private sector sports performance facilities in Massachusetts. He received his B.S. in Exercise Physiology from Plymouth State University (’12) and his M.S. in Exercise Science from Springfield College (’15). Joe and his wife Meghan currently live in Springfield, MA with their twin boys Callan & Griffin and their daughter Maeve.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey to the Big Leagues and Opening Day 2025
-Practicing gratitude and meditation
-Managing all the factors that go into being successful in the Big Leagues

Quotes:
-"What I started doing, which has been really helpful, is every couple Sundays when we were at home I'll get there early, I'll go up, walk up to The Monster and just sit on The Monster for like 10 minutes" (13:54)
-"We're lucky man. There are so many other (bad) jobs that we could be doing" (14:38)
-"The priority, first and foremost, is winning baseball games, right? And that requires a different type of consideration towards what you wanna do every day" (18:03)

If you would like to learn more from Joe, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@hudson_jr12

Twitter:
@Coach_JoeHudson

Episode 212: 212. 8-Year Anniversary (A Year in Review)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000

This is a celebration of the 8-Year Anniversary for The PBSCCS Podcast. The episode is a "Year in Review" episode discussing all of the interviews over the past year:

-Max Miller - Working in the Arizona Complex League and how to maximize relationships
-Adam Decker - Working outside of baseball and physical literacy
-Joe Leo - The value of good internships and programming for in-season athletes
-Ryan Harrel - Microdosing a daily training regimen and his family ties in professional baseball
-Phil Wilson - His company (Relax Saunas) and the value of far infrared saunas
-Chris Frosch - Strength and skill development and working the Arizona Fall League
-Joe Scire - Helping elite athletes connect the dots and the role of the dietitian in professional baseball
-Kirby Retzer - The value of training with machines and life during and after professional baseball
-Spring Training Roundtable (Joe Leo and Logan Jones) - All things Spring Training
-Ben Loftis - Training youth athletes and owning and operating a training business
-Nate Kolb - Being a coordinator compared to being at an affiliate and a deep dive into force plates
-Goldy Simmons - Working in the NBA vs the MLB and training basketball players compared to training baseball players

Episode 211: 211. Interview with Goldy Simmons (Part Three)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Goldy Simmons is currently a Head Strength and Conditioning Coach in the NBA. Prior to joining the NBA, he worked his way through the ranks in professional baseball. He spent one year in the AZL with the Kansas City Royals organization before joining the Chicago White Sox organization. He worked multiple levels with the White Sox, including three years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Major League club.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Training basketball players (areas of concern, management of programming, lines of communication)
-Advice for others and finding success as a strength and conditioning coach
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"There's a lot of adjustments that are made on the fly for proper execution because these guys are working so long to execute something that would be considered predominantly simple" (7:01)
-"Define who they are as a human being first, and that'll ultimately help you drive the athlete that's inside of them" (17:32)
-"I feel like if I were to step back onto the diamond I'm gonna be so much better of a strength coach on so many different levels just because I understand a different sport" (21:31)

If you'd like to learn more from Goldy, you can find him on LinkedIn.

Episode 210: 210. Interview with Goldy Simmons (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Goldy Simmons is currently a Head Strength and Conditioning Coach in the NBA. Prior to joining the NBA, he worked his way through the ranks in professional baseball. He spent one year in the AZL with the Kansas City Royals organization before joining the Chicago White Sox organization. He worked multiple levels with the White Sox, including three years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Major League club.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Life in the NBA vs. life in the MLB

Quotes:
-"We set it up to where if we need to adapt we can adapt and get guys what they need on a nightly basis" (11:52)
-"The cultural norm, in basketball, is like 'what do I need for the game?'" (20:22)
-"Sticking to the basics will drive the objective outputs that we seek as performance coaches" (22:25)

If you'd like to learn more from Goldy, you can find him on LinkedIn.

Episode 209: 209. Interview with Goldy Simmons (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Goldy Simmons is currently a Head Strength and Conditioning Coach in the NBA. Prior to joining the NBA, he worked his way through the ranks in professional baseball. He spent one year in the AZL with the Kansas City Royals organization before joining the Chicago White Sox organization. He worked multiple levels with the White Sox, including three years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Major League club.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey to both the MLB and NBA
-Smashing ping pong tables
-Operating daily with elite level athletes

Quotes:
-"Be careful about breaking ping pong tables prior to the end of a game because you never know what's gonna happen" (8:37)
-"What I've learned over the last 10-12 years is that these guys are at this level for a reason, and they could probably do without a lot that we're putting on to them" (13:50)
-"But I do think that there's probably some places that, still, the waters are a little muddy and people are trying to take on maybe more than what their job description entails" (19:12)

If you'd like to learn more from Goldy, you can find him on LinkedIn.

Episode 208: 208. Interview with Nate Kolb (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Nate Kolb is currently the Assistant Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the Seattle Mariners organization. Prior to his time with the Mariners, he was a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for three years.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Force plate testing and metrics
-Finding success and advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I think there's so many different avenues with force plate testing specifically that you can go in all sorts of different rabbit holes" (3:12)
-"If we're trying to create a robust athlete then we need to have as many degrees of freedom available within a safe bandwidth for us to move through" (6:09)
-"Find ways to continue staying curious" (21:47)

If you'd like to learn more from Nate, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@kolbnate

Episode 207: 207. Interview with Nate Kolb (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Nate Kolb is currently the Assistant Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the Seattle Mariners organization. Prior to his time with the Mariners, he was a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for three years.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Being a coordinator compared to being an affiliate level coach
-Going to the World Series with his father
-Using force plates in the rehab process

Quotes:
-"We try and treat things with this 'n=1' kind of philosophy, and that looks a little bit differently than when you're training a bunch of athletes in a team setting" (3:10)
-"That's the fun thing and the beautiful thing about baseball is if you leave with anything, you leave with stories after stories after stories" (4:42)
-"What's funny about the force plates is I always kind of viewed them as my ticket into pro ball" (16:23)

If you'd like to learn more from Nate, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@kolbnate

Episode 206: 206. Interview with Ben Loftis (Part Three)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 28 May 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Ben Loftis currently owns Resolute Performance with his wife, Emily. They have been training youth-professional athletes in Northwest Arkansas for the past 3 years. Prior to Resolute, Ben was a strength coach for the San Diego Padres organization for 4 seasons. In total he has been coaching for the past 13 years in the college and professional levels, with various stops along the way. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science/Strength and Conditioning from Northwestern College (IA) in 2014, and he obtained his MBA from the University of Sioux Falls (SD) in 2018.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Owning and running a business with his wife
-Finding success and advice for others
-Continuing Education Resources

Quotes:
-"I think, honestly, just being a really consistent person matters the most" (5:44)
-"I think any experience you've previously obtained in your life in any capacity is only wasted if you choose to waste it" (10:51)
-"I miss being 'in it' with the players probably the most" (26:19)

If you'd like to learn more from Ben, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@loftistrong
@resolute.nwa
or Ben can be reached at:
resolutenwa.com

Episode 205: 205. Interview with Ben Loftis (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Tue, 13 May 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Ben Loftis currently owns Resolute Performance with his wife, Emily. They have been training youth-professional athletes in Northwest Arkansas for the past 3 years. Prior to Resolute, Ben was a strength coach for the San Diego Padres organization for 4 seasons. In total he has been coaching for the past 13 years in the college and professional levels, with various stops along the way. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science/Strength and Conditioning from Northwestern College (IA) in 2014, and he obtained his MBA from the University of Sioux Falls (SD) in 2018.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Working with parents
-Assessments with his athletes
-Taking risks in business

Quotes:
-"If they can put more force in the ground and their range of motion is good, they're going to be somewhat better in competition" (3:08)
-"There's a ton of value in force plates; we use them in a lot of really cool ways. But 9 times out of 10, it's gonna tell me that you need to put more force in the ground" (9:27)
-"The worst thing that happens is you fail. And you'll deal with those consequences" (29:25)

If you'd like to learn more from Ben, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@loftistrong
@resolute.nwa

or Ben can be reached at:
resolutenwa.com

Episode 204: 204. Interview with Ben Loftis (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Ben Loftis currently owns Resolute Performance with his wife, Emily. They have been training youth-professional athletes in Northwest Arkansas for the past 3 years. Prior to Resolute, Ben was a strength coach for the San Diego Padres organization for 4 seasons. In total he has been coaching for the past 13 years in the college and professional levels, with various stops along the way. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science/Strength and Conditioning from Northwestern College (IA) in 2014, and he obtained his MBA from the University of Sioux Falls (SD) in 2018.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Competition and comparison
-Building a robust foundation
-Running his own business

Quotes:
-"We want to compete, we don't want to compare" (12:09)
-"I think that being strong matters, but not at the cost of accessible range of motion and hampering your overall athleticism and speed" (15:21)
-"If they know it in their bones then they start to take responsibility for their own career" (28:16)

If you'd like to learn more from Ben, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@loftistrong
@resolute.nwa

or Ben can be reached at:
resolutenwa.com

Episode 203: 203. Spring Training Group Discussion (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on Spring Training. This is Part Two of the interview.

Speakers:
-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)
-Joe Leo (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Using Spring Training to prepare players for the demands of the regular season
-The good, the bad, the ugly of Spring Training
-Finding time to take care of yourself

Quotes:
-"There's a lot of different things we can do to manage that workload as Spring Training goes on to keep guys fresh" (4:32 - Joe Leo)
-"There's been, I feel like, a pretty decent push recently to make Spring Training a bit more representative of the demands of what the season actually entails" (5:09 - Logan Jones)
-"Practicing gratitude, being present, meditating - doing all those things to take care of yourself. Because if you can't take care of yourself you're not gonna best be able to serve the people around you" (26:30 - Joe Leo)
-"I think this influence and impact probably extends beyond maybe what we even know" (27:50 - Logan Jones)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@logan_jones95 - Logan Jones
@joeyl2 - Joe Leo

Twitter:
@Logan_Jones95 - Logan Jones

Episode 202: 202. Spring Training Group Discussion (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on Spring Training. This is Part One of the interview.

Speakers:
-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)
-Joe Leo (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Daily responsibilities during Spring Training for the strength and conditioning coach
-Collaborating with other departments during Spring Training
-Intake testing and assessment during Spring Training
-Programming and individualization for players upon arrival

Quotes:
-"It is true chaos, but I've learned to embrace that" - Logan Jones (5:47)
-"Everyone in the organization is in the building this time of year, so there's a lot of cool opportunities to talk shop with people that you might not be seeing all year" - Joe Leo (16:42)
-"I've been super fortunate to just see really good people doing really good things and things that they're really smart in. And I've been able to kind of pick up and put my own spin on these things" - Logan Jones (29:53)
-"I think, on our end, leveraging the relationships we have and creating new relationships with the guys we haven't had is really powerful and a great way to get to the meat of what we're trying to do faster" - Joe Leo (40:51)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@logan_jones95 - Logan Jones
@joeyl2 - Joe Leo

Twitter:
@Logan_Jones95 - Logan Jones

Episode 201: 201. Interview with Kirby Retzer (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Kirby Retzer began his career with the Boston Red Sox Strength and Conditioning staff as a college intern in 2013. Upon graduation from the Exercise Science program at Florida Gulf Coast University, he was hired by the Minnesota Twins where he oversaw their rookie-level operations and injury rehabilitation programs for two seasons. Then, from 2016 to 2023, Kirby returned to the Red Sox and held 4 different leadership positions throughout his 8 seasons with the team. During his tenure with the Red Sox, he earned a Master’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Orthopedic Rehabilitation and studied to become a Certified Muscle Systems Specialist. Kirby has been able to prolong the careers of present Major League players and develop some of the young rising stars in the game today. He left the Red Sox organization to spend more time with his family and work with Symmetry.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Discussing life during and after professional baseball
-Maximizing impact as a Strength and Conditioning Coach
-Continuing Education Resources

Quotes:
-"The principles apply to everybody really" (9:45)
-"I want to provide really good evidence-based information layered within experience to help people, and I think that that's probably the way that I want to 'get back' to the game" (23:13)
-"Obviously biased right here, but the CMSS stuff, the Certified Muscle Systems Specialist, is the best thing I've found" (31:11)

If you'd like to learn more from Kirby, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@kirbyretzer

or Kirby can be reached at:
Kirby@SymmetryExerciseClinic.com

Episode 200: 200. Interview with Kirby Retzer (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Kirby Retzer began his career with the Boston Red Sox Strength and Conditioning staff as a college intern in 2013. Upon graduation from the Exercise Science program at Florida Gulf Coast University, he was hired by the Minnesota Twins where he oversaw their rookie-level operations and injury rehabilitation programs for two seasons. Then, from 2016 to 2023, Kirby returned to the Red Sox and held 4 different leadership positions throughout his 8 seasons with the team. During his tenure with the Red Sox, he earned a Master’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Orthopedic Rehabilitation and studied to become a Certified Muscle Systems Specialist. Kirby has been able to prolong the careers of present Major League players and develop some of the young rising stars in the game today. He left the Red Sox organization to spend more time with his family and work with Symmetry.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Working with Chris Sale on his journey to a National League Cy Young award
-The value of training with machines
-Being a Certified Muscle Systems Specialist

Quotes:
-"It's just of paramount importance for us to be able to develop tension in positions and under load and different configurations" (9:40)
-"But if we take the principles of what the machines afford us to do and apply that training methodology while we're in a hallway, we can be creative with banded resistance" (10:08)
-"It's a way to systematically analyze a person to help them reduce pain or eliminate unwanted sensation like tightness of stiffness" (25:34)

If you'd like to learn more from Kirby, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@kirbyretzer

or Kirby can be reached at:
Kirby@SymmetryExerciseClinic.com

Episode 199: 199. Interview with Joe Scire (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 12:48:45 +0000

Joe Scire is currently serving in his third season as the Team Dietitian and Coordinator of Performance Nutrition for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Before joining the Diamondbacks, Joe spent three years at Ohio State University, where he pursued his master’s in medical dietetics, worked closely with the baseball team, and researched performance biomarkers in the endurance athlete population. A New Hampshire native, he earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology from the University of New Hampshire.

Topics covered in this episode:
-A deep dive into his role with the Diamondbacks
-Advice for others on finding success
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I'm ready to serve whenever they are ready" (12:24)
-"If you can kind of like stand your ground and just do your best and show them that you care, I think you're gonna be in a good space with guys" (24:59)
-"The real measure of success in my mind is your commitment to personal growth" (30:07)

If you'd like to learn more from Joe, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@jmscire

Episode 198: 198. Interview with Joe Scire (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Joe Scire is currently serving in his third season as the Team Dietitian and Coordinator of Performance Nutrition for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Before joining the Diamondbacks, Joe spent three years at Ohio State University, where he pursued his master’s in medical dietetics, worked closely with the baseball team, and researched performance biomarkers in the endurance athlete population. A New Hampshire native, he earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology from the University of New Hampshire.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Betting on yourself and serving the next generation
-Helping elite athletes to connect the dots
-The secret to making a great smoothie

Quotes:
-"You have to look at it as like kind of an honor to serve the next generation" (9:53)
-"It's hard for things to stick, I think especially in our fields because we need a long runway for things to actually take affect" (15:38)
-"Avocados in smoothies is the secret ingredient to make it elite" (18:27)

If you'd like to learn more from Joe, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@jmscire

Episode 197: 197. Interview with Chris Frosch (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Chris Frosch is entering his 6th season in professional baseball and 4th year with the Baltimore Orioles organization, where he is currently their AA strength coach. Prior to joining the O's in 2022, he spent time with the Chicago Cubs as a MiLB S&C Coach and interned at both Florida State and Texas Christian University in 2019. He graduated from the University of Tampa with a degree in Human Performance

Topics covered in this episode:
-Working the Arizona Fall League
-Advice and ways to find success
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"You always want what's best for the guys" (8:50)
-"At the end of the day you're part of player development, and your job is to produce Big Leaguers that help the Major League club win" (16:58)
-"Be patient, take care of your people, do a good job, and the results will come" (31:36)

If you'd like to learn more from Chris, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@cfrosch_

X:
@cfrosch_

Episode 196: 196. Interview with Chris Frosch (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Chris Frosch is entering his 6th season in professional baseball and 4th year with the Baltimore Orioles organization, where he is currently their AA strength coach. Prior to joining the O's in 2022, he spent time with the Chicago Cubs as a MiLB S&C Coach and interned at both Florida State and Texas Christian University in 2019. He graduated from the University of Tampa with a degree in Human Performance

Topics covered in this episode:
-Completing a quality internship
-His best professional baseball story
-Strength and skill development

Quotes:
-"I think there's a kind of shift in baseball. Across the board seems to be heading that way towards athleticism and placing a premium on that" (9:20)
-"It's really easy to have a negative impact honestly, especially in-season, you know, if you ask too much of guys" (11:15)
-"Off-season is where the magic's gonna happen, and where you can make those big strides that some guys need" (24:26)

If you'd like to learn more from Chris, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@cfrosch_

X:
@cfrosch_

Episode 195: 195. Interview with Phil Wilson, Relax Saunas (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

This is Part Two of an interview with Phil Wilson of Relax Saunas. Relax Saunas is currently a sponsor of The PBSCCS. Relax Saunas are far infrared saunas, and in this episode we discuss far infrared light and therapy.

Quotes:
-"But what I like best about the Relax Sauna, and far infrared saunas in general of course, is that it activates the parasympathetic nervous system" (18:25)
-"Basically when it gets you into the present moment then that's when all the magic happens. And this helps you get into the present moment" (19:12)
-"10% average increase. Okay...what I'm saying is the Relax Sauna can make the difference between hitting a home run and doing an out" (31:05)

You can find much more information on the Relax Saunas website:
relaxsaunas.com

You can also get $200 off your purchase by using the code MLB200 at checkout below:
relaxsaunas.com/mlb

Episode 194: 194. Interview with Phil Wilson, Relax Saunas (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000

This is Part One of an interview with Phil Wilson of Relax Saunas. Relax Saunas is currently a sponsor of The PBSCCS. Relax Saunas are far infrared saunas, and in this episode we discuss far infrared light and therapy.

Quotes:
-"What a beautiful product that I can promote. And what's exciting is that it gets you into the now" (7:45)
-"The Relax Sauna is really the only portable sauna in the world in the sense that it will fit in a suitcase" (16:49)
-"Not all saunas are alike" (22:33)

You can find much more information on the Relax Saunas website:
relaxsaunas.com

You can also get $200 off your purchase by using the code MLB200 at checkout below:
relaxsaunas.com/mlb

Episode 193: 193. Interview with Ryan Harrel (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Ryan Harrel just completed his 3rd Year as a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ryan grew up in Cashion, Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Kinesiology. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, he spent time as an intern at Edge Sports Performance in Edmond, Oklahoma & Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Garden, Florida.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Moving up the ranks to AAA and what to expect
-Relationship building and finding success
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"That's one thing our department does a pretty good job of is communication, and we take a lot of pride in that" (3:36)
-"In all reality every staff member is just as important as the other one in getting whatever message it may be to the player" (19:02)
-"You have to be able to build relationships with people" (20:34)

If you'd like to learn more from Ryan, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@rjharrel10

Episode 192: 192. Interview with Ryan Harrel (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Ryan Harrel just completed his 3rd Year as a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ryan grew up in Cashion, Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Kinesiology. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, he spent time as an intern at Edge Sports Performance in Edmond, Oklahoma & Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Garden, Florida.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey and family ties in professional baseball
-His best professional baseball stories
-Microdosing within a daily training regiment

Quotes:
-"This is what I want to do. I love baseball. I love the gym. And then on top of it, it's so cool to get to help people accomplish what they want to accomplish" (3:20)
-"It's probably one of my favorite things about baseball: the stories and the laughing and the joking" (8:08)
-"Movement is medicine, and I think that that is critically important in sustaining long-term health and success" (16:06)

If you'd like to learn more from Ryan, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@rjharrel10

Episode 191: 191. Interview with Joe Leo (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Joe Leo just completed his 2nd Year as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, Joe has stops at Lift Chicago, Cressey Sports Performance, and The Ohio State University. Joe is a proud Buckeye and Chicagoan.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Working the Arizona Complex League
-Relationship building and creating buy-in
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I think getting them into a solid routine that they do every day is probably our primary objective" (4:57)
-"Team is so important" (12:27)
-"Building a relationship isn't just one day" (20:10)

If you'd like to learn more from Joe, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@joeyl2

Episode 190: 190. Interview with Joe Leo (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Joe Leo just completed his 2nd Year as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, Joe has stops at Lift Chicago, Cressey Sports Performance, and The Ohio State University. Joe is a proud Buckeye and Chicagoan.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey to professional baseball
-The value of an internship (especially in professional baseball)
-Programming for and working with in-season athletes

Quotes:
-"It was kind of a good last internship for me because you get out of it what you put into it" (7:47)
-"That's the easiest way to grow I think; just try not to make the same mistake twice" (14:12)
-"I think one of the most valuable things we can do as strength coaches is help pain a more well-rounded picture of the athlete" (23:56)

If you'd like to learn more from Joe, you can find him on social media:

Instagram:
@joeyl2

Episode 189: 189. Interview with Adam Decker (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Adam Decker is currently serving in his third season as the Director of Sports Medicine & Performance for the Houston Astros. Originally from Canada, Adam started his career with Sport Canada where he worked for 8 years in Strength & Conditioning, Performance Science, Talent Identification, and Athlete Development with Provincial and National/Olympic level athletes. Adam then moved to the world-renowned performing arts company, Cirque du Soleil, and later to the National Hockey League’s New Jersey Devils. Adam holds degrees in Exercise Science, Education, a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, and a PhD in Medical Rehabilitation.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Discussion on being Houston's Director of Sports Medicine and Performance
-Finding success and advice for others
-Continuing Education Resources

Quotes:
-"I get to work with a very diverse group of people, multiple disciplines, and I love it" (1:50)
-"You'd be amazed at how generous people are. I've had so many people who have helped me along the way" (13:30)
-"Probably more than any other industry, sport is about people and relationships" (14:20)

If you'd like to learn more from Adam, you can reach out to him on LinkedIn!

Episode 188: 188. Interview with Adam Decker (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Adam Decker is currently serving in his third season as the Director of Sports Medicine & Performance for the Houston Astros. Originally from Canada, Adam started his career with Sport Canada where he worked for 8 years in Strength & Conditioning, Performance Science, Talent Identification, and Athlete Development with Provincial and National/Olympic level athletes. Adam then moved to the world-renowned performing arts company, Cirque du Soleil, and later to the National Hockey League’s New Jersey Devils. Adam holds degrees in Exercise Science, Education, a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, and a PhD in Medical Rehabilitation.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey into professional baseball
-Working with Sport Canada, Cirque du Soleil, and the New Jersey Devils
-Movement Creativity and Physical Literacy

Quotes:
-"I mean I've worked with so many different people and cultures and just in different environments" (10:19)
-"I think that's probably the best thing about my career is that I've had those different experiences. Because I think, without a doubt, it's made me a much better practitioner" (11:32)
-"Those kinda personal stories are the ones that I think stick with me more than anything else" (20:44)

If you'd like to learn more from Adam, you can reach out to him on LinkedIn!

Episode 187: 187. Interview with Max Miller (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Max Miller is the Complex Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Seattle Mariners. He is from Parkersburg, WV and graduated with a B.S. in Exercise Science from Cedarville University in 2021. Max is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Finding success at work and at home
-Advice for others on how to win relationships
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"This is a relationship business. And that goes well beyond just baseball. Strength and conditioning in general, it's a relationship business" (5:53)
-"I think to succeed in this industry, relationships are of critical importance" (7:34)
-"Always close the loop" (13:28)

If you'd like to learn more from Max, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@maxmiller_6

Episode 186: 186. Interview with Max Miller (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Max Miller is the Complex Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Seattle Mariners. He is from Parkersburg, WV and graduated with a B.S. in Exercise Science from Cedarville University in 2021. Max is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey and best professional baseball story
-Programs and athlete buy-in
-Working the Arizona Complex League and the newer Bridge League

Quotes:
-"Whatever it is I just wanted to be in baseball" (3:27)
-"The things that bring the program to life, I think, are probably more important than the X's and O's of the specific program" (7:07)
-"The goal is by the time they move up to the next level, they are familiar and proficient with our big rock movements" (18:16)

If you'd like to learn more from Max, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@maxmiller_6

Episode 185: 185. Seven Year Anniversary (A Year in Review)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 06:00:00 +0000

This episode marks the Seven Year Anniversary of The PBSCCS Podcast. It is a "Year in Review" episode, discussing the 11 individual interviews and 2 group interviews published throughout the year.

Episode 184: 184. Interview with Yannick Plante (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Yannick Plante is entering his sixth season within the Kansas City Royals organization. He is working the 2024 season as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Surprise Royals after working three seasons in the same role with Triple-A Omaha. He is also serving as a Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach. In the fall of 2019, Yannick was a staff member of the Surprise Saguaros during the Arizona Fall League. Plante has a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Calgary and a bachelor’s degree in human kinetics with specialization in biophysics from the University of Ottawa. He is from Ottawa, Ontario and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Advice for others
-Finding success at different locations
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"We have an unbelievable privilege of working with athletes that come from all over the world" (1:45)
-"I think in due time everyone can find a place in a different setting" (9:48)
-"You've gotta be able to immerse yourself in a setting where other people are already comfortable in" (15:07)

If you'd like to learn more from Yannick, you can follow him on social media:

Twitter:
@YannPlantz

Instagram:
@yannplantz

Episode 183: 183. Interview with Yannick Plante (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Yannick Plante is entering his sixth season within the Kansas City Royals organization. He is working the 2024 season as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Surprise Royals after working three seasons in the same role with Triple-A Omaha. He is also serving as a Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach. In the fall of 2019, Yannick was a staff member of the Surprise Saguaros during the Arizona Fall League. Plante has a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Calgary and a bachelor’s degree in human kinetics with specialization in biophysics from the University of Ottawa. He is from Ottawa, Ontario and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey throughout the Minor League system
-The benefits of working in Rookie Ball
-The balance between technology and the human element of coaching

Quotes:
-"In Arizona, with the younger group, we're working on building solid routines, having consistency in their training, understanding exercises and why they have to do them" (8:32)
-"I think as we go forward the Arizona Complex is gonna have a lot of people looking for those positions if they can't move up or for whatever reason" (12:08)
-"If you can just take a moment and just appreciate what's in front of you and the person, and enjoy the session with them and coach them through it, over the course of the long-run you're gonna get buy-in from that athlete, and you're gonna be able to measure the things that are deemed important" (23:56)

If you'd like to learn more from Yannick, you can follow him on social media:

Twitter:
@YannPlantz

Instagram:
@yannplantz

Episode 182: 182. Interview with Mark Weisman (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Mark Weisman is currently working in the Chicago Cubs organization as the Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Mark has been part of the organization since 2022. Prior to the Cubs, he worked at the University of Iowa as both an intern and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with football (2016-2020), was the Director of Sports Performance at Southeast Missouri (2020-2021), and was a Performance Coach at SPEAR Training in Chicagoland (2021-2022).

Mark completed his undergraduate work at the University of Iowa (BA Health and Human Physiology) and his graduate work at Cal U in PA (MS Performance Enhancement & Injury Prevention). Mark was born and raised in Buffalo Grove, IL.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Being Minor League Coordinator and developing a culture
-Advice for others and finding success
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"As coaches we're holding you accountable, but as players, you also need to take accountability for what you're going to do" (2:15)
-"We have the backing of the whole organization right now, which is huge" (15:53)
-"It's crazy because a lot of the stuff that people think is new and sexy was old Russian training" (21:47)

If you'd like to learn more from Mark, you can follow him on social media:

Twitter:
@CoachWeisman

Instagram:
@mweisman45

Episode 181: 181. Interview with Mark Weisman (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Mark Weisman is currently working in the Chicago Cubs organization as the Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Mark has been part of the organization since 2022. Prior to the Cubs, he worked at the University of Iowa as both an intern and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with football (2016-2020), was the Director of Sports Performance at Southeast Missouri (2020-2021), and was a Performance Coach at SPEAR Training in Chicagoland (2021-2022).

Mark completed his undergraduate work at the University of Iowa (BA Health and Human Physiology) and his graduate work at Cal U in PA (MS Performance Enhancement & Injury Prevention). Mark was born and raised in Buffalo Grove, IL.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His time spent working with football and his journey into baseball
-His introduction to Minor League baseball
-"Traditional" strength training

Quotes:
-"Just having that consistency. Being able to do well with the highs and be able to overcome those lows. I think that's what a lot of baseball players aren't missing, but need to learn, especially these young guys" (5:40)
-"I think we've gotten away from training. The basics. The foundations" (17:01)
-"It should never be we're the 'old school' guys, we're the 'new school' guys. It's we're the guys that want to get these guys to be the best baseball players, in this case, that they possibly can be, and what we need to do to get them there thinking long-term" (21:44)

If you'd like to learn more from Mark, you can follow him on social media:

Twitter:
@CoachWeisman

Instagram:
@mweisman45

Episode 180: 180. Interview with Andy King (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 29 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Andy King is in his 11th year with the Giants and his fourth as Coordinator, Minor League Strength & Conditioning. Prior to this role, he spent the previous three years with Triple-A Sacramento. He also had stops with Richmond, San Jose and with short-season Salem-Keizer. He previously spent a year and a half as the Athletic Performance Graduate Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he worked with all 19 NCAA teams. King has his B.A. in Exercise & Sports Science with a concentration in Physical Therapy from Hamline University and a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Central Missouri. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach with Distinction (RSCC*D) through the NSCA. He currently resides in Phoenix with his wife, Daniella, and their twins, son Morgan and daughter Raegan.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Being a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
-Finding quality new hires
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I think adversity is beautiful" (1:27)
-"We want you to get your hands-on coaching experience because that's the best way to learn" (3:13)
-"This is an area we're passionate about because staff development is player development. If our staff are continuing to get better then ultimately our players are gonna get better, too" (16:40)

If you'd like to learn more from Andy, you can follow him on social media:

Twitter:
@CoachAK15

Instagram:
@CoachAK15

If you'd like to learn more about the camp discussed in the previous episode, you can follow the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m1qxXoPfUA

Episode 179: 179. Interview with Andy King (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 15 May 2024 03:19:05 +0000

Andy King is in his 11th year with the Giants and his fourth as Coordinator, Minor League Strength & Conditioning. Prior to this role, he spent the previous three years with Triple-A Sacramento. He also had stops with Richmond, San Jose and with short-season Salem-Keizer. He previously spent a year and a half as the Athletic Performance Graduate Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he worked with all 19 NCAA teams. King has his B.A. in Exercise & Sports Science with a concentration in Physical Therapy from Hamline University and a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Central Missouri. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach with Distinction (RSCC*D) through the NSCA. He currently resides in Phoenix with his wife, Daniella, and their twins, son Morgan and daughter Raegan.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Spending over a decade with the San Francisco Giants organization
-His best professional baseball moments
-San Francisco Giants Minor League Strength and Conditioning Camp in San Francisco

Quotes:
-"When the players have success, we all have success" (12:14)
-"But what I've always appreciated is the process of getting better, whatever better means for that individual. It's not always cute, but consistency is key" (13:41)
-"We've gone throughout the city to give them an experience of being in the city of San Francisco. But also they play catch, take ground balls, hit BP on the field because it's a Major League stadium, and no matter how many times you're there, it's one of the coolest things you're ever gonna do" (26:36)

If you'd like to learn more from Andy, you can follow him on social media:

Twitter:
@CoachAK15

Instagram:
@CoachAK15

If you'd like to learn more about the camp discussed in the episode, you can follow the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m1qxXoPfUA

Episode 178: 178. Interview with Connor Rooney (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 01 May 2024 04:05:58 +0000

Connor Rooney is starting his 3rd season in professional baseball. Prior to working in Professional Baseball, Connor was a High Performance Trainer at Driveline Baseball from 2019-2022, and a Graduate Assistant Strength & Pitching Coach Connor Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science & Psychology from Keiser University in 2019. While playing at Keiser, Connor was the assistant pitching coach for his JV team, and interned with the Football team. Pro Ball Resume: January 2022 - June 2022: Rehab Hitting & Assistant Pitching Coach June 2022 - February 2023: Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach February 2023 - September 2023: AA Strength & Conditioning Coach September 2023 - Present: Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach

Topics covered in this episode:
-Learning through your own training
-Return to Peak Performance and what that entails
-Advice for others and continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I just love the learning experience that I'm getting from actually going out and doing it myself" (4:23)
-"We tell the guys all the time the training should be fun" (21:29)
-"We don't just want to return them to performance; we want them to return to the best they've ever been, if not better" (23:17)

If you'd like to learn more from Connor, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@rooneyperformance

Twitter:
@ConnorRooney23

Episode 177: 177. Interview with Connor Rooney (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Connor Rooney is starting his 3rd season in professional baseball. Prior to working in Professional Baseball, Connor was a High Performance Trainer at Driveline Baseball from 2019-2022, and a Graduate Assistant Strength & Pitching Coach Connor Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science & Psychology from Keiser University in 2019. While playing at Keiser, Connor was the assistant pitching coach for his JV team, and interned with the Football team. Pro Ball Resume: January 2022 - June 2022: Rehab Hitting & Assistant Pitching Coach June 2022 - February 2023: Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach February 2023 - September 2023: AA Strength & Conditioning Coach September 2023 - Present: Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach

Topics covered in this episode:
-Superstition vs. Preparation
-Movement Screens
-Working in a rehab setting

Quotes:
-"I'm honestly open to anything. I just love helping guys perform well on the field" (5:45)
-"Some guys don't have it on the table, but they do it on the mound. And then some guys are the opposite, they have it on the table, they don't have it on the mound" (17:27)
-"Like I said, it can be very monotonous at times, but it's a very different experience than you'd have going to an affiliate" (35:13)

If you'd like to learn more from Connor, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@rooneyperformance

Twitter:
@ConnorRooney23

Episode 176: 176. Interview with BJ Foley (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 04:55:28 +0000

BJ Foley is entering his second season as the Rehab Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Red Sox organization. Prior to joining the Red Sox he worked as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Kansas State University directly overseeing the Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Golf programs. Other stops include Graduate Assistant at the University of West Florida, 108 Performance and Cressey Sports Performance.

Education and Certificates:
University of West Florida: Master of Science, Human Performance and Physical Education
University of Massachusetts-Lowell: Bachelor of Science, Exercise Physiology
National Strength & Conditioning Association: Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
National Strength & Conditioning Association: Registered Strength & Conditioning Specialist (RSCC)

Topics covered in this episode:
-Working in a collaborative environment
-Finding success as a strength and conditioning coach
-Advice for others and continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"It's been awesome, but it is certainly challenging at times. But, you know, when you get it right it's rewarding" (10:01)
-"There's no magic exercises. There's no magic schemes. There's no magic periodization plan. The magic is knowing what gets each guy going" (15:34)
-"It just makes you realize if you have one thing that you're passionate about go learn that" (32:20)

Episode 175: 175. Interview with BJ Foley (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 04:06:47 +0000

BJ Foley is currently the Rehab Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Red Sox organization. He has had previous stops at Kansas State, West Florida, and Cressey Sports Performance.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Life at the Complex
-Slow cooking the training process
-Being a rehab strength and conditioning coach

Quotes:
-"I think general training gets pushed to the wayside a lot sooner than most people want to give it credit for" (13:38)
-"And that's where it's like that slow progression builds the foundation that you stand on" (19:47)
-"They're all athletes. They all want to compete, so that part's huge" (36:28)

Episode 174: 174. Blended Approach Group Discussion (Part Three)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 04:04:42 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on blending the weightroom and on-field skill development. This is Part Three of the interview.

Speakers:
-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)
-Nate Friedman (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Player-led cultures
-Training under fatigue
-Health vs. Performance
-Closing remarks

Quotes:
-"One of my favorite pieces is that I think the best cultures in sports are player-led cultures" - Nate Friedman (2:46)
-"And if we're just being honest we work in a very gray environment that's such a technical, highly-skilled endeavor" - Logan Jones (6:35)
-"But it always comes back to the willingness to put yourself out there, the willingness to be vulnerable, the willingness to check your ego, the willingness to be okay with failure and learn from it, and the willingness to know that even in a results-based world, you need to be okay with falling in love with the process and learning the methods to then get those results" - Nate Friedman (28:02)
-"We're here to help guide, educate, and mold these people's lives" - Logan Jones (31:46)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@logan_jones95 - Logan Jones

Twitter:
@Logan_Jones95 - Logan Jones

Episode 173: 173. Blended Approach Group Discussion (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on blending the weightroom and on-field skill development. This is Part Two of the interview.

Speakers:
-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)
-Nate Friedman (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Assessments and training qualities
-Representative training and transfer of skill development
-Training under fatigue

Quotes:
-"To me, you're looking for outliers. You're looking for things that stand out on a normative scale" - Nate Friedman (6:29)
-"My first thought is I would be very skeptical of anyone that communicates in absolutes" - Logan Jones (16:31)
-"The best programs I've ever written were basically written by the player themselves through conversations" - Logan Jones (19:19)
-"I think there's ways we can come up with better drills and better, more representative practice design to help mimic what the situations are going to be like in-game" - Nate Friedman (20:31)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@logan_jones95 - Logan Jones

Twitter:
@Logan_Jones95 - Logan Jones

Episode 172: 172. Blended Approach Group Discussion (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 03:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on blending the weightroom and on-field skill development. This is Part One of the interview.

Speakers:
-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)
-Nate Friedman (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-General thoughts on how strength and conditioning coaches can influence on-field performance
-Discussing player development plans with on-field coaching staff
-Involving the player in the planning process

Quotes:
-"For me, first and foremost, I think it starts with leaving no stone unturned and committing to doing whatever it takes to help the player" - Nate Friedman (3:00)
-"I think we always need to realize that no matter what the situation, our field is a field of service. And no matter who we're dealing with, whether it's players, front office, pitching coaches, hitting coaches, the mindset needs to be 'How can I help?'" - Nate Friedman (13:39)
-"At the end of the day our guys are here professionally to play the game of baseball, to win games at the Major League level, to win a World Series championship" - Logan Jones (24:38)
-"It's an entertainment industry, but we entertain by winning baseball games" - Logan Jones (24:59)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@logan_jones95 - Logan Jones

Twitter:
@Logan_Jones95 - Logan Jones

Episode 171: 171. Interview with Brett Platts (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 03:00:00 +0000

Brett Platts just completed his second season in professional baseball. He spent this last year in both Low A (Down East Wood Ducks), & High A (Hickory Crawdads) in the Texas Rangers organization. Prior to his time in Texas he was with the Chicago Cubs organization where he spent the 22’ season in the Dominican Summer League. Previous stops include an internship at the University of Iowa (2022), and a full-time position at the Okotoks Dawgs Academy in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada (2019-2022). Platts has a MS in Exercise Science from Liberty University, and a BA in Psychology from Carleton University. Platts is from Albany, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Education & Certificates:

Liberty University: Masters of Science, Exercise Science, Fitness & Performance

Carleton University: Bachelors of Arts, Sport Psychology

National Strength & Conditioning Association: Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

National Strength & Conditioning Association: Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach (RSCC)

Topics covered in this episode:
-Advice for others
-Finding success as a strength and conditioning coach
-Continuing Education Resources

Quotes:
-"The realm of strength and conditioning is transitioning into the sports science field. I do envision many strength coaches probably having to have a sports science background or a sports science certification" (2:53)
-"Get as much experience as you possibly can" (7:01)
-"I think you have to be a coach; that's definitely the job you signed up for" (13:42)

If you would like to learn more from Brett, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@BrettPlatts

or read his Simplifaster article:

https://simplifaster.com/articles/athlete-monitoring-program-jump-data/

Episode 170: 170. Interview with Brett Platts (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 03:00:00 +0000

Brett Platts just completed his second season in professional baseball. He spent this last year in both Low A (Down East Wood Ducks), & High A (Hickory Crawdads) in the Texas Rangers organization. Prior to his time in Texas he was with the Chicago Cubs organization where he spent the 22’ season in the Dominican Summer League. Previous stops include an internship at the University of Iowa (2022), and a full-time position at the Okotoks Dawgs Academy in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada (2019-2022). Platts has a MS in Exercise Science from Liberty University, and a BA in Psychology from Carleton University. Platts is from Albany, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Education & Certificates:

Liberty University: Masters of Science, Exercise Science, Fitness & Performance

Carleton University: Bachelors of Arts, Sport Psychology

National Strength & Conditioning Association: Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

National Strength & Conditioning Association: Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach (RSCC)

Topics covered in this episode:
-His best professional baseball story
-Athlete monitoring and his Simplifaster article (https://simplifaster.com/articles/athlete-monitoring-program-jump-data/)
-Finding appropriate load and stimulus for in-season athletes

Quotes:
-"Reflection can be kind of a hard aspect to grasp. So kind of taking those moments and just making sure you're present for once" (3:20)
-At the end of the day we're prepping them to play 162 games" (7:44)
-"There's a lot of data out there. I think it's just about creating relationships with everybody and then displaying the data that you have" (16:53)

If you would like to learn more from Brett, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@BrettPlatts

Episode 169: 169. Interview with Donny Gress (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 03:00:00 +0000

Donny Gress just completed his 2nd season in professional baseball. He works for the Boston Red Sox as a minor league strength coach for the High-A Greenville Drive. He recently worked in the Arizona Fall League with the Glendale Desert Dogs. Prior to the Red Sox he was a coaching assistant and summer intern at the University of Kentucky with the Olympic Strength Staff and worked directly with baseball, softball, gymnastics, and started the strength training for Stunt. Other stops include Graduate Assistant for University of Kentucky Human Resources under their MoveWell division, Cape Cod Baseball League, John Carroll University, and Speed Strength Systems.

Education, Awards & Certificates:

2023 South Atlantic League MiLB Strength Coach of the Year

University of Kentucky – Master of Science: Exercise Physiology & Graduate Certificate in High Performance Coaching

John Carroll University – Bachelor of Arts: Exercise Science (Magna Cum Laude)

National Strength and Conditioning Association – Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

OnBaseU – Level 1 Hitting

Topics covered in this episode:
-Working the Arizona Fall League
-Advice for others and continuing education resources
-Attending his first Winter Meetings

Quotes:
-"Arizona itself that time of year is incredible" (12:40)
-"You never really know what door's gonna open" (22:38)
-"I know I have a reminder on my phone every day to read or do my Duolingo" (31:41)

If you would like to learn more from Donny, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram: dontron41

or email him:

Email: dgress@redsox.com

Episode 168: 168. Interview with Donny Gress (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 00:54:09 +0000

Education, Awards & Certificates:

2023 South Atlantic League MiLB Strength Coach of the Year

University of Kentucky – Master of Science: Exercise Physiology & Graduate Certificate in High Performance Coaching

John Carroll University – Bachelor of Arts: Exercise Science (Magna Cum Laude)

National Strength and Conditioning Association – Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

OnBaseU – Level 1 Hitting

Topics covered in this episode:
-Working with gymnasts
-His best professional baseball stories
-Winning SAL Strength Coach of the Year

Quotes:
-"We know that winning is as much a part of development as anything we do in the weightroom" (13:37)
-"At the end of the day it's a team sport. It has individual pieces to it, but you have to do the best you can with your ability to help the team win" (19:01)
-"I think a lot of it comes down to two things: communication and feel" (29:09)

If you would like to learn more from Donny, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram: dontron41

or email him:

Email: dgress@redsox.com

Episode 167: 167. Interview with Phil Hartt (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 03:00:00 +0000

Phil Hartt just completed his 8th season in professional baseball. He worked for the Minnesota Twins from 2016-2018 before coming to the Detroit Tigers in 2019. He has completed internships at Coastal Carolina University, University of Michigan Olympic Sports, University of Missouri Football, and a sport’s science position with the University of Minnesota M&W Hockey. Other stops include coaching high school baseball for three seasons and working at three private sector facilities.

Pro Ball Resume

2016 Elizabethton Twins (rookie)

2017 Cedar Rapids Kernels (low a)

2018 Chattanooga Lookouts (AA)

2019 West Michigan Whitecaps (Low a)

2020-2021 Erie Seawolves (AA)

2022-Present Toledo Mudhens (AAA)

Topics covered in this episode:
-Advice for others in the field
-Being named International League Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year
-Continuing Education Resources

Quotes:
-"It's not your way or the highway like some people think. I mean you can be out of a job a lot quicker than them with that kind of mindset" (3:47)
-"I don't ever want to turn a guy away from the weightroom" (10:19)
-"Always be open to working with the other team" (16:35)

If you would like to learn more from Phil, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@harttsandc

Episode 166: 166. Interview with Phil Hartt (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 03:00:00 +0000

Pro Ball Resume

2016 Elizabethton Twins (rookie)

2017 Cedar Rapids Kernels (low a)

2018 Chattanooga Lookouts (AA)

2019 West Michigan Whitecaps (Low a)

2020-2021 Erie Seawolves (AA)

2022-Present Toledo Mudhens (AAA)

Topics covered in this episode:
-Getting a Master's Degree from Australia
-His best professional baseball story
-Aerobic training
-Building a level system of development

Quotes:
-"I think that's how strength coaches should operate, you know, be the test dummy for yourself. See how you respond to different methods and stimulus" (2:22)
-"I just love learning. I'm not the best student, but I love learning" (5:32)
-"There's no reason everyone does the same program. A 17-year old Latin player compared to a potential Hall of Famer - they have different needs" (20:53)

If you would like to learn more from Phil, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@harttsandc

Episode 165: 165. Interview with Drew Weidner

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Drew Weidner is currently a strength and conditioning coach within the Seattle Mariners organization. He was named the 2023 Northwest League Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year. Prior to the Mariners, Drew has stops along the way at the University of Wisconsin and University of Minnesota - Duluth.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey and best professional baseball story
-Being named Northwest League SCOTY
-Advice for others and continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"Do the simple things very well, very consistently" (6:03)
-"In the Minor Leagues rarely does it go to plan" (14:54)
-"You don't know until you're in it" (23:46)

If you would like to learn more from Drew, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@dweid6

Episode 164: 164. Interview with Mia Salvemini

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Mia Salvemini is a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Salvemini was originally hired by the Rays in 2020 after graduating from the University of Tampa in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Performance. During her time at the University of Tampa, Salvemini completed an internship with Cressey Sports Performance, a mecca for baseball strength and conditioning. She also worked in the University of Tampa weight room and helped oversee a variety of teams ranging from women’s tennis to men's baseball. After spending the majority of the 2021 season with the Florida Complex League Rays, Mia moved up to the Low-A Affiliate, the Charleston Riverdogs to finish out the last six weeks. Salvemini spent the 2022 season with the Riverdogs in which they posted the best record in Minor League Baseball and earned back-to-back championships. She was also the strength coach for the Riverdogs for the 2023 season earning another championship. Mia is passionate about optimizing athletic performance. She has experience working with athletes of all levels ranging from youth to professional. Salvemini is also involved with Baseball For All, a non profit organization that helps build gender equity in baseball by providing girls with real opportunities to play, coach, and lead in this sport. This includes coaching young women via zoom about opportunities in this industry. Mia’s goal is to help pave the way for future females in the professional sports industry and one day earn the title of Major League strength coach.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Having won 3 Minor League championships already
-Crossfit
-Charleston, SC

Quotes:
-"I feel like at the end of the day we spend more time with these people than we do with our own family and they become part of our family" (14:42)
-"I think the more experience you get under your belt the better it becomes" (20:14)
-"I would say one big thing is if you want to be successful in baseball, learn Spanish" (26:21)

If you would like to learn more from Mia, you can follow her on social media:

Instagram:
@mia.salvemini

Twitter:
@Mia_Salvemini

Episode 163: 163. Have Some Feel Group Discussion (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on how to have some feel. This is Part Two of a two-part interview.

Speakers:
-Joe Hudson (Boston Red Sox)
-Casey Callison (Toronto Blue Jays)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Examples of good feel
-Can you ever have too much feel?

Quotes:
-"Any way you can alter the food schedule in their favor is gonna get you buy-in" - Joe Hudson (11:43)
-"I think it's a very, very valuable, important skill to have to be able to know how to manage conversations" - Casey Callison (17:27)
-"If you're never getting push back on something, like ever, I would say you probably have too much feel" - Joe Hudson (21:58)
-"Don't let yourself necessarily be a pushover just because you feel like you're establishing relationships with guys" - Casey Callison (25:03)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@hudson_jr12 - Joe Hudson
@casey_callison - Casey Callison

Twitter:
@Coach_JoeHudson - Joe Hudson

Episode 162: 162. Have Some Feel Group Discussion (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on how to have some feel. This is Part One of a two-part interview.

Speakers:
-Joe Hudson (Boston Red Sox)
-Casey Callison (Toronto Blue Jays)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Defining "Feel"
-Examples of bad feel

Quotes:
-"I would say for me having some feel is just kind of knowing the situation and environment that you're in. There's a time to do certain things and then there's also a time to not do that" - Casey Callison (1:50)
-"And really what I kind of kept falling back to as a definition is really acknowledging what is ideal versus what's realistic given the current situation you're in" - Joe Hudson (2:24)
-"If there was a manual on unwritten rules then they wouldn't be called unwritten rules to begin with, right?" - Joe Hudson (25:26)
-"It's not necessarily what happens to you, it's like how do you make those adjustments after the fact" - Casey Callison (28:49)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@hudson_jr12 - Joe Hudson
@casey_callison - Casey Callison

Twitter:
@Coach_JoeHudson - Joe Hudson

Episode 161: 161. Interview with Taylor Rhoades

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is with Taylor Rhoades of the Houston Astros organization. Taylor is currently a Strength and Conditioning Coach in the Big Leagues with Houston. He is a World Series Champion and has worked at multiple levels in the Minor League system of the Houston Astros organization over the past decade.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey to winning the World Series
-The aerobic base
-Working hard and being humble

Quotes:
-"For me the foundational things are extremely important. If you do the basics very, very well you're gonna have success" (6:33)
-"I think people that work hard, obviously, have great success. In this industry you have to work hard" (18:54)
-"For young coaches getting in hopefully you're doing it for the right reasons and you want to get in because you can help people and affect change" (24:14)

If you would like to learn more from Taylor, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@t_rhoades1

Twitter:
@T_Rhoades1

Episode 160: 160. Six Year Anniversary Episode

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This brief episode marks the six year anniversary of the PBSCCS Podcast.

If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave ratings and reviews on iTunes - this will help the outreach of the podcast grow.

If you want more information from the PBSCCS, you can follow along on social media:

Twitter: @PBSCCS
Instagram: PBSCCS

or go to the website: http://baseballstrength.org/

Thank you to all the listeners and guests for the support over the first six years of this podcast!

Episode 159: 159. Tommy John Rehab Group Discussion (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on Tommy John surgery and rehab. This is Part Two of a two-part interview.

Speakers:
-Ben Chadwick (Boston Red Sox)
-John Perry (formerly Texas Rangers)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Throwing Progressions post-surgery
-Time-based vs. Goal-based progression
-Pitcher vs. Position Player Tommy John rehab
-Affiliate vs. Complex rehab
-Keys to success in rehab

Quotes:
-"The more they can rally around each other, the more it keeps things fun" - Ben Chadwick (4:07)
-"Each guy is unique. You need to appreciate the variables that make everyone different" - Ben Chadwick (10:36)
-"You might as well just take your time with it and do it right" - John Perry (14:09)
-"I think that's a large chunk of it, is that people are actually able to take a step back from playing and they can then focus on their body" - John Perry (29:04)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@bchadwic - Ben Chadwick
@jtperry16 - John Perry

Twitter:
@jtperry16 - John Perry

Episode 158: 158. Tommy John Rehab Group Discussion (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on Tommy John surgery and rehab. This is Part One of a two-part interview.

Speakers:
-Ben Chadwick (Boston Red Sox)
-John Perry (Texas Rangers)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Pre-surgery prep
-Post-surgery planning
-Relationship building
-Upper-body and Lower-body progressions

Quotes:
-"I mean that's what rehab is. Day in, day out it's a grind. And you're just working your butts off trying to get back" - John Perry (5:39)
-"Before you even see the player I think getting on the same page as your PT is one of the most important things you can do, and also looking at the protocol" - Ben Chadwick (10:21)
-"Everything gets taken off on Week 24. They're full-go, and that's when we start treating them as if they're a healthy pitcher again" -John Perry (18:41)
-"Something you need to take into account unique to a Tommy John surgery is that unilateral phase is going to be so long" - Ben Chadwick (19:03)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@bchadwic - Ben Chadwick
@jtperry16 - John Perry

Twitter:
@jtperry16 - John Perry

Episode 157: 157. Interview with Hazael Wessin (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is with Hazael Wessin of the Houston Astros organization. Wes is currently a Strength and Conditioning Coach in the Big Leagues with Houston. He is a World Series Champion, has worked at various levels throughout the Minor League system, has worked with Team DR in the World Baseball Classic, and is the first Dominican-born Strength and Conditioning Coach to work in the Big Leagues. This is Part Two of a two-part interview.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Finding success and being confident
-Advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"The higher you go the more confidence you gotta have" (0:46)
-"Just don't be afraid to work for free if you're trying to get into this business. Because it's gonna be worth it" (14:45)
-"Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. I read it two years ago, and it really basically changed my life about how to think about sleep and how powerful sleep can be" (22:52)

If you would like to learn more from Wes, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@wessin16

Episode 156: 156. Interview with Hazael Wessin (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is with Hazael Wessin of the Houston Astros organization. Wes is currently a Strength and Conditioning Coach in the Big Leagues with Houston. He is a World Series Champion, has worked at various levels throughout the Minor League system, has worked with Team DR in the World Baseball Classic, and is the first Dominican-born Strength and Conditioning Coach to work in the Big Leagues. This is Part One of a two-part interview.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey to becoming the 1st Dominican-born Strength and Conditioning Coach in the Big Leagues
-Being adaptable and appreciative
-The importance of a quality prep routine

Quotes:
-"I look back now and I'm like 'Man, that was fun, but that was what really made me a good strength coach'" (17:07)
-"For me, I just look at everything like I'm blessed" (17:23)
-"You have to have a special mindset to make sure you stay in this game a long time, and you have to be adaptable" (20:45)

If you would like to learn more from Wes, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@wessin16

Episode 155: 155. Wearable Technology Group Discussion (Part 2)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on wearable technology. This is Part Two of a two-part interview.

Speakers:
-Larry Adegoke (New York Yankees)
-Joey Greany (Tampa Bay Rays)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Tricks of the trade
-Making adjustments based on both objective and subjective data
-In-depth look at actual Whoop data

Quotes:
-"For the majority of people you shouldn't be drinking coffee within an hour of waking up" - Larry Adegoke (5:36)
-"There's a lot of benefit to the sauna" - Joey Greany (9:57)
-"But at some point it's like 'listen most likely you're gonna be tired, most likely you're gonna be sore, but you still gotta play the game'" - Joey Greany (14:10)
-"The subjective aspect of it is almost just as important as the objective information" - Larry Adegoke (24:47)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@larry.strength - Larry Adegoke
@joeygreany - Joey Greany

Twitter:
@JoeyGreany - Joey Greany

Episode 154: 154. Wearable Technology Group Discussion (Part 1)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 31 May 2023 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on wearable technology. This is Part One of a two-part interview.

Speakers:
-Larry Adegoke (New York Yankees)
-Joey Greany (Tampa Bay Rays)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Wearables they are currently using
-What they like/dislike about wearable technology
-Metrics they look for to drive decision-making

Quotes:
-"I found that the Oura Ring is a little more accurate in Resting Heart Rate and HRV, as well as blood oxygen. But I do like the Whoop for the training aspect" - Joey Greany (3:42)
-"One thing that does play a role that I've seen over the years is the travel" - Joey Greany (8:30)
-"Movement is the best medicine" - Larry Adegoke (12:06)
-"For a lot of people the objective and subjective information don't always match up" - Larry Adegoke (29:07)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@larry.strength - Larry Adegoke
@joeygreany - Joey Greany

Twitter:
@JoeyGreany - Joey Greany

Episode 153: 153. Interview with Cory Cook

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 17 May 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Born in Carroll, OH, Cory Cook currently resides in Sarasota, FL. He is in his 10th season working in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, and is currently in his 4th as the Minor League Strength & Conditioning Coordinator. He spent four seasons overseeing operations at Pirate City (2016-19) after working the 2014 and 2015 campaigns in the same capacity with Low-A West Virginia. He served as an intern assistant coach at The Ohio State University prior to joining the Pirates organization in 2014. He began his career as a graduate assistant at the University of Central Oklahoma where he received his Masters of Science. He is also a 2011 graduate of Radford University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine. He was also a member of the Radford University baseball team as a catcher.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His best professional baseball story
-Assessing players and video breakdown
-Being in "start-up" mode and finding success

Quotes:
-"I believe in the on-field assessment as your assessment more than all the stuff that gets done off-field" (5:41)
-"Pick up an old book and you'll find a new idea" (27:01)
-"All the stuff we work on - force production, rate of force production - you know all those kind of things, it doesn't matter if they aren't moving correctly and applying it correctly out on the field" (29:57)

If you would like to learn more from Cory, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@coryncook

Episode 152: 152. Interview with John Gentile (Part Two)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 03 May 2023 02:00:00 +0000

John Gentile (MS, RSCC, CSCS) has been working in the Minnesota Twins organization as an MiLB S&C Coach since 2022. Prior to working with the Twins, John has worked as an MiLB S&C Coach for both the Detroit Tigers organization (2010-2013) and Colorado Rockies organization (2020-2021). John has a BS in Exercise Science from Florida Southern College and an MS in Kinesiology from California Baptist University. Originally from Connecticut, John and his wife, Mallory Gentile, currently reside in St. Petersburg, FL with their two boys, Luca (6) and Rory (2).

Topics covered in this episode:
-Being SCOTY and finding success
-Advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I would say communication is the number one key when it comes to being successful" (2:01)
-"One thing that I learned is use your off days as off days" (6:17)
-"I think if these guys can establish routines early on in their career they'll be more prepared for when they get the call up" (13:10)

If you would like to learn more from John, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@jgentile118

Episode 151: 151. Interview with John Gentile (Part One)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 02:00:00 +0000

John Gentile (MS, RSCC, CSCS) has been working in the Minnesota Twins organization as an MiLB S&C Coach since 2022. Prior to working with the Twins, John has worked as an MiLB S&C Coach for both the Detroit Tigers organization (2010-2013) and Colorado Rockies organization (2020-2021). John has a BS in Exercise Science from Florida Southern College and an MS in Kinesiology from California Baptist University. Originally from Connecticut, John and his wife, Mallory Gentile, currently reside in St. Petersburg, FL with their two boys, Luca (6) and Rory (2).

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey and perseverance into his new role
-His best professional baseball stories
-Maximizing interactions with players

Quotes:
-"I feel like sometimes we don't listen to the players enough to find out what they actually need or want" (20:29)
-"I'm not a big fan of the word maintenance. I feel like there's always a way for these players to get better on a daily basis" (21:20)
-"I think if we use the player as a resource as well, I think we can better serve them on a day-to-day basis" (21:38)

If you would like to learn more from John, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@jgentile118

Episode 150: 150. Interview with Henry Aleck

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 01:00:00 +0000

Henry Aleck is in his 2nd season with the Los Angeles Angels organization, recently serving as the Double-A Affiliate Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Rocket City Trash Pandas and previously in the same role with High-A Tri-City. He spent time in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, has worked at the University of Texas as a graduate Strength & Conditioning Coach, and as an intern at UCLA with Olympic Sports.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Training the cheer team and how it has helped in professional baseball
-His best professional baseball story
-Being named a SCOTY and finding success

Quotes:
-"If the preparation sucks for what we're giving then the product's gonna suck" (9:49)
-"I think if we as the coaches don't care about what we do then obviously the athlete's not gonna care" (10:05)
-"Getting guys to compete a little bit on a regular basis I think within the weightroom is just as important in-season as it is in the off-season" (13:03)

If you would like to learn more from Henry, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@henry_aleck22

Twitter:
@Henry_Aleck

Episode 149: 149. Interview with Casey Callison

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Casey Callison completed his fifth season in the Toronto Blue Jays organization this past year. He spent the 2022 & 2021 seasons with the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats. In 2020 he was suppose to be with the Low A Lansing Lugnuts, but the season was canceled due to covid. 2019 Casey spent the year with the Vancouver Canadians in Low A Short Season, and in his first year, he was the Florida Coast League Strength Coach for the Blue Jays in 2018.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His best professional baseball story
-Being named a SCOTY and finding success
-Workload management

Quotes:
-"Show the people around you that you care" (11:43)
-"Know what your year is going to look like and plan accordingly" (12:32)
-"I would say it's just very very important, no matter where we're at in our careers, to just go out and learn from other people" (31:02)

If you would like to learn more from Casey, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@casey_callison

Episode 148: 148. First Year MLB 2 Group Discussion

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 03:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on being a first year strength and conditioning coach in the Major Leagues.

Speakers:
-Goldy Simmons (Chicago White Sox organization)
-Tanner Miracle (New York Mets organization)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Journey to your current role and how your previous positions prepared you for it
-Advice for others
-Discussion on everyone's first year in the Big Leagues

Quotes:
-"I think just be where your feet are. Soak it all in." - Goldy Simmons (6:27)
-"Try to be a problem solver." - Tanner Miracle (8:08)
-"Every night means something." - Goldy Simmons (16:05)
-"Always be the same guy every day you come in" - Tanner Miracle (25:48)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@gsimmons88 - Goldy Simmons
@tanman_miracle - Tanner Miracle

Twitter:
@CoachMiracleTM - Tanner Miracle

Episode 147: 147. First Year MiLB 2 Group Discussion

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 03:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on being a first year strength and conditioning coach in professional baseball.

Speakers:
-Donny Gress (Boston Red Sox organization)
-Nate Kolb (Arizona Diamondbacks organization)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Journeys into professional baseball
-Overall discussion on first year in professional baseball
-Situations specific to the professional baseball strength and conditioning coach

Quotes:
-"It's easy to go out and chase certs and letters behind your name and all the alphabet soup that we like to throw out, but at the end of the day connections can take you so much further" - Nate Kolb (9:00)
-"The energy and effort that you put into yourself to keep growing and keep learning...it's gonna show" - Donny Gress (10:05)
-"You do what you gotta do with what you have" - Donny Gress (15:02)
-"I think for any young coach that is wanting to get in to pro baseball specifically you need to understand that communication is everything" - Nate Kolb (28:00)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@dontron41 - Donny Gress
@kolbnate - Nate Kolb

Twitter:
@dontron41 - Donny Gress
@nkolbster - Nate Kolb

Episode 146: 146. World Series Champion Houston Astros Group Discussion (Part 2)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 03:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on the Houston Astros winning the 2022 MLB World Series. This is Part Two of a two-part interview.

Speakers:
-Hazael Wessin (Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach)
-Taylor Rhoades (Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Navigating the lockout
-Playoff run and winning the World Series
-Finding a work/life balance
-Preparing for the upcoming 2023 season

Quotes:
-"We had other plans and other things that we did with our players behind-the-scenes to get them prepared for the season" - Taylor Rhoades (2:45)
-"The playoffs is a different animal. It's way different than the regular season" - Taylor Rhoades (11:08)
-"Sometimes you forget about stepping back and just think about the moment that you're living in" - Hazael Wessin (13:20)
-"I always think to myself try to show up to Spring Training with at least one new thing or something new to try with the guys" - Hazael Wessin (22:40)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@wessin16 - Hazael Wessin
@t_rhoades1 - Taylor Rhoades

Twitter:
@BigCoachWes - Hazael Wessin
@T_Rhoades1 - Taylor Rhoades

Episode 145: 145. World Series Champion Houston Astros Group Discussion (Part 1)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 03:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on the Houston Astros winning the 2022 MLB World Series. This is Part One of a two-part interview.

Speakers:
-Hazael Wessin (Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach)
-Taylor Rhoades (Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-How collaborating with coaches helped achieved the ultimate success this year
-Dividing up day-to-day roles
-Creating a system of continuity for players in the system
-Checks and balances to help keep players consistent and accountable

Quotes:
-"I think one big thing that led us to success this year is collaboration with the coaching staff" - Taylor Rhoades (1:54)
-"You can't do anything at that level without having the coaching staff on your side" - Hazael Wessin (2:58)
-"The players have to buy-in to the program, and I think if they get results from that program, they're gonna keep coming back and it's only gonna help the buy-in" - Taylor Rhoades (15:19)
-"Every player is different" - Hazael Wessin (15:49)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@wessin16 - Hazael Wessin
@t_rhoades1 - Taylor Rhoades

Twitter:
@BigCoachWes - Hazael Wessin
@T_Rhoades1 - Taylor Rhoades

Episode 144: Interview with Derek Cantieni (Part 2)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 03:00:00 +0000

Derek started his career at the University of San Diego in 2006 as the Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach. During his 4 plus years there he worked with 14 men's and women's varsity sports. He directly oversaw year round training programs for baseball, softball, women's volleyball, men's soccer, swimming & diving, golf, women's tennis, and men's & women's rowing. His first job in baseball was with the San Diego Padres in 2011 at their High A affiliate, and the following two seasons at the Double A level. In 2014 he moved to the Oakland A's to work with their AAA affiliate.

Derek then got out of baseball and spent time working at the Function Factory in San Diego as the Director of Sports Performance. In 2015 he became the first strength & conditioning coach at Kearny High School in San Diego, and in 2016, became their first athletic trainer as well. In 2018, he re-entered baseball with the Seattle Mariners as the Major League Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach.

Growing up in Fremont, Ca, Derek graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Kinesiology-Athletic Training, and also received his master's degree in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego. He is a certified athletic trainer through the NATA-BOC, as well as holding the distinction of RSCC-D* with the NSCA. Derek currently resides in Arizona with his wife Riki, their daughters Mia and Maisie, and is expecting twin girls.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Developing players and assessing success
-Keeping things in perspective
-Continuing Education Resources

Quotes:
-"Really what our goal is is to help develop players. You know, develop their ability to compete in their sport" (0:46)
-"The life that we lead, you know we don't control our destiny a lot of the times" (10:06)
-"Baseball will humble you. You know, it will expose you and it's 'How do you adapt?'" (17:06)

If you would like to learn more from Derek, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@coachcantieni

Twitter:
@DJCantieni

Episode 143: Interview with Derek Cantieni (Part 1)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 03:00:00 +0000

Derek started his career at the University of San Diego in 2006 as the Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach. During his 4 plus years there he worked with 14 men's and women's varsity sports. He directly oversaw year round training programs for baseball, softball, women's volleyball, men's soccer, swimming & diving, golf, women's tennis, and men's & women's rowing. His first job in baseball was with the San Diego Padres in 2011 at their High A affiliate, and the following two seasons at the Double A level. In 2014 he moved to the Oakland A's to work with their AAA affiliate.

Derek then got out of baseball and spent time working at the Function Factory in San Diego as the Director of Sports Performance. In 2015 he became the first strength & conditioning coach at Kearny High School in San Diego, and in 2016, became their first athletic trainer as well. In 2018, he re-entered baseball with the Seattle Mariners as the Major League Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach.

Growing up in Fremont, Ca, Derek graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Kinesiology-Athletic Training, and also received his master's degree in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego. He is a certified athletic trainer through the NATA-BOC, as well as holding the distinction of RSCC-D* with the NSCA. Derek currently resides in Arizona with his wife Riki, their daughters Mia and Maisie, and is expecting twin girls.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Derek's journey to the Big Leagues
-2022 Seattle Mariners playoff run
-Pendulum swings & Finding the sweet spot

Quotes:
-"I think, you know, working at different levels, I think coaching is still coaching" (5:21)
-"In the playoffs it all matters. You know, the energy level...you don't need anything to motivate you. The playoffs itself is the motivation" (11:59)
-"My personal opinion of where we should be is, you know, loading appropriately, moving appropriately, and combining those and putting them into the best programs we can" (19:44)

If you would like to learn more from Derek, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@coachcantieni Twitter:
@DJCantieni

Episode 142: Siblings in Pro Ball Group Discussion

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 03:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on being siblings working in professional baseball.

Speakers:
-Joe Hudson (Boston Red Sox organization)
-Garrett Hudson (Tampa Bay Rays organization)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Explain your journey to where you are now (Did one brother influence the other?)
-Do you guys talk shop/share ideas about strength and conditioning?
-Is there any "animosity" about working in different rival organizations?
-What are your ultimate goals? Could you guys ever see yourselves working together down the road?

Quotes:
-"I think all of us strength coaches our first client is ourselves" - Joe Hudson (3:37)
-"I would advocate for people to try and be like that. You know, I don't want to be just taking someone else's approach to it" - Garrett Hudson (12:59)
-"When we do communicate, especially about the field, I think we're very productive and very effective in what we turn out" - Garrett Hudson (24:50)
-"It'd be cool to, you know, know that ultimately, like we followed the same path, right, but we got there different ways" - Joe Hudson (25:54)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@hudson_jr12 - Joe Hudson
@hudson_sports_performance - Garrett Hudson

Twitter:
@Coach_JoeHudson - Joe Hudson
@Hud12G - Garrett Hudson

Episode 141: AA Strength Coach of the Year Group Discussion

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 03:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on being named a AA Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.

Speakers:
-Henry Aleck (Los Angeles Angels organization)
-John Gentile (Minnesota Twins organization)
-Casey Callison (Toronto Blue Jays organization)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-What did you learn in previous positions that helped you this year?
-Advice for others on looking to be successful at a Minor League affiliate
-Was there anything that you could have done better or different?
-What will you be working on this off-season and/or next season?

Quotes:
-"We get to wear shorts and a t-shirt. There should be no reason not to smile every day you walk in the clubhouse" - Henry Aleck (12:28)
-"Give yourself some time or you get burnt out quickly. It's a long season and if you're burnt out in May, you got a grind ahead of you" - John Gentile (12:59)
-"I think that's something that I know I can always do better of, of just developing better questions to be able to ask" - Casey Callison (19:49)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@henry_aleck22 - Henry Aleck
@jgentile118 - John Gentile
@casey_callison - Casey Callison

Twitter:
@Henry_Aleck - Henry Aleck

Episode 140: AAA Strength Coach of the Year Group Discussion

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 02:00:00 +0000

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on being named a AAA Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.

Speakers:
-Larry Adegoke (New York Yankees organization)
-AJ Russell (San Diego Padres organization)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-What did you learn in previous positions that helped you this year?
-Advice for others on looking to be successful at a Minor League affiliate
-Was there anything that you could have done better or different?
-What will you be working on this off-season and/or next season?

Quotes:
-"I think just building some real relationships, true relationships, with your coaching staff and your players - it goes a long, long way" - Larry Adegoke (10:53)
-"If you can't take care of yourself how are you supposed to take care of others?" - AJ Russell (12:58)
-"That's pretty much a major key for me - be willing to ask the skill coaches or other people in our department for their guidance at times" - Larry Adegoke (20:39)
-"Just trying to add more value to not just myself, but how can I add value to the organization?" - AJ Russell (30:40)

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@larry.strength - Larry Adegoke

Episode 139: Interview with Ben Chadwick (Part 2)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 02:00:00 +0000

Ben Chadwick has served as a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Red Sox organization the past 8 years. He just completed his 2nd season in AAA with the Worcester Red Sox after splitting the previous 6 years between AA Portland, High-A Salem, and Rookie GCL Red Sox. In 2015, he served as the strength and conditioning coach for Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Prior to his work in the Red Sox organization, he interned under former Red Sox strength and conditioning consultant Mike Boyle as well as with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks football team during the 2014 season. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2013 with a degree in Kinesiology.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Making sacrifices
-Continuing education
-Resume mistakes and advice for others

Quotes:
-"There's more competent people trying to get jobs in the field than there are jobs" (1:22)
-"It's very rare that you get that perfect job right where you grew up; it's just not that common" (8:10)
-"Something that so many young coaches screw up is their resume" (9:02)

If you would like to learn more from Ben, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@bchadwic

Episode 138: Interview with Ben Chadwick (Part 1)

Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 02:00:00 +0000

Topics covered in this episode:
-Best Professional Baseball story
-Personality Typing & Connecting with players
-Finding success & the extra layers of being a Strength and Conditioning Coach in professional baseball

Quotes:
-"I think the more you can learn people on a deeper level the better off you are" (7:05)
-"I think the more guys you can learn how to connect with the better you're gonna be as a coach" (14:07)
-"There's a lot of different personalities that end up being great strength coaches" (23:15)

If you would like to learn more from Ben, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@bchadwic