When The University of Cincinnati Bearcats' Director of Football Sports Performance, Niko Palazeti, took on his new role in January 2023, he recognized an immediate need for his program and the Bearcats football squad: he needed a strength and conditioning performance staff. Palazeti had been a member of Coach Mickey Marotti's sports performance staff at Ohio State Football. Yet now, he found himself having to formulate a complete staff to complement new Head Football Coach Scott Satterfield's vision and mission. Coach Palazeti moved quickly, as time was ticking away and the Bearcats would soon be returning from the holiday break.
The returning squad had not quite really met him yet and he needed a staff that could hit the ground running to prepare the team for the rapidly approaching spring football practices. Nobody occupied the small and cramped assistant strength & conditioning office. Palazeti made his first call to Columbus, Ohio. His fellow strength and conditioning partner, Coach Chris Friend, had been a strength intern at OSU Football and was later promoted as a full-time strength coach under the olympic sports strength training umbrella. Coach Friend was ALL-IN for Cincy and made the 90 minute trip with his sleeves rolled up and ready to go. Next came Coach Brandon Garcia, who decided to depart Las Vegas, Nevada and UNLV to take on a fresh challenge of Big 12 Conference Football in Cincinnati. Garcia, a former football player at West Virginia State University, also had coaching stints at WVSU and Maryland Terrapins as well as some experience as a personal trainer down in Knoxville, Tennessee. Next on board was Scottie Etherington who had gained some early coaching experience at Marshall University with some intern experience at Ohio State Football and also Maryland Football. Finally, Robert "Robo" Williams was brought back into the fold. Robo had gained football playing experience at Miami University (Ohio) and also played a fifth year at Ohio Dominican where he completed his Masters Degree in Exercise Science, did an internship at Robert Morris University as well one back in his hometown at Cincinnati. He was an assistant at Toledo Rockets, Duke Blue Devils and at Army Football.
This is an energetic, meticulous and hard working strength staff with some very good early on coaching experience that is sure to provide solid strength and conditioning knowledge and motivation for a very good and surging college football team. So, here's the ASAP~Athletic Strength And Power Podcast with all four members of Niko Palazeti's strength staff.
Tags: Jimmy Rodenberg, Penguins, strength and conditioning, strength training, Youngstown
Presentation Title: Freestyle Warm-Up
Description: This presentation will debunk current methods and strategies incorporated during warm-up/prep periods, and explore outside-the-box methods to enhance overall athleticism, motor learning, and skill acquisition. Concepts that will be explored are autonomy/choice, differential learning, games/free play, and the importance of exploration within training. Attendees will leave with tangible ideas and drills to incorporate immediately.
Presentation Title: Programming for the JUCO Athlete: From Weight Room to Speed Training
Description: This presentation will cover the challenges and triumphs of programming the strength and speed components in a Junior College setting for football, basketball and softball. As well as what is a JUCO athlete and how you coach them.
Presentation Title: 30+ Years in the Profession: "What I Learned Along The Way"
Description: My journey in the profession and an overview of how strength and conditioning has changed but in some ways has remained the same.
Presentation Title: Developing Speed, Strength and Conditioning for Field Sports
Description: This presentation will cover the macro, meso and micro cycle development for field sports and show examples of each.
Presentation Title: Angular Acceleration for Performance and Rehabilitation
Description: How concepts of linear speed development can be applied to nonlinear movement patterns to better express force, improve efficiency in cutting, and potentially improve return-from-injury outcomes.
Presentation Title: Assent of the Edsman: Department-Wide LTAD at St. Ed's
Description: In this session we will take a deep dive into some of the details, principles and key points that drive long term athlete development in the St. Edward High School environment.
Presentation Title: Coach has a Question…..do you have an answer?
Description: At some point in the season, your head coach will come to you with a performance-related question. The question could be regarding an individual or the team. When this moment happens, will you response with “your opinion” or will you have the “facts” to answer their question? Your answer may very well decide what type of impact you have on the program. What kind of impact do you want to make?
Presentation Title: Strength and Conditioning Onboarding: Strategies for Transitioning Faster and Smarter
Description: Reflection and key take away on Transitioning Roles and Responsibilities
Presentation Title: Coming Soon
This is a re-issue of my podcast with the late Chris Simmons, who has passed unexpectantly, just this week, January 2023. He was the best! Chris spent over ten years as The University of Kentucky Mens Basketball Head Athletic Trainer with Basketball Coach John Calipari. He will be dearly missed as a friend to many and an ASAP associate and podcast guest. He truly loved Kentucky Basketball and he had the good fortune of working with "Coach Cal" for many a Wildcats victory. Athletic Trainers from coast to coast mourn this loss of a great human being who touched the lives of many.
RIP Chris Simmons
Chris Simmons .Head Athletic Trainer at The University of Kentucky. He joins ASAP~Athletic Strength And Power~ Podcaster Ed Cicale for ASAP's 100th Podcast. Simmons' responsibility is the Kentucky Wildcat Basketball team. The winningest program in all of college basketball. Presently, his main focus is helping to make sure the recent arrivals, the incoming freshman class.... get oriented to their new collegiate experience.
The topics discussed in this podcast are:
This podcast is sponsored by The Bill Jacobs Power Company, and by The CBD HealthCare Company
The University of Notre Dame Football Strength and Conditioning staff will be opening up their training center for an opportunity for S&C coaches, sports performance trainers, physical therapists, sport coaches and sports nutritionists to gain training and performance knowledge at one of the premier college football programs in all the land. There's a very impressive speaker list as this clinic promises to be a winner. February 24th & 25th (Fri/Sat)
The Ohio State Football Strength and Conditioning Clinic is intended for coaches and fitness professionals who are interested in learning about strength and athletic performance training that is exclusively geared to football players. The fee for this clinic is $75 and includes one single day parking pass. CEUs will also be given during the clinic. The clinic is open to all coaches ages 18 and older. College students who are studying strength training or who are interested in a strength training career may also attend. The fee for college students is $25 and proof of a student ID is required. High school students are NOT permitted to attend this clinic. Full payment is required at the time of registration. You may register here:
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2023
Who: Open to coaches and fitness professionals at all levels who are 18 & Older (Grade School, College, Professional, Private Sector) interested in learning about strength and athletic performance training exclusively for football players.
Location: Woody Hayes Athletic Center (Weight Room and Team Meeting Room)
Clinic Staff: Clinic will be hosted by the Ohio State Football Strength and Conditioning Staff
Check-in: 8-9am
Instruction: 9:00am-3:00pm
CEUs: Yes
Breakfast and lunch will be provided. The Football Strength and Conditioning Clinic is a day clinic only and no overnight accommodations will be provided. Participants are responsible for providing their own overnight accommodations if needed. Hotel information can be provided upon request.