Toledo Head FB Coach Jason Candle with Coach Brad Bichey
For this ASAP Podcast, we traveled I-75 just about to its Ohio-Michigan border, crossed over the Maumee River to the University of Toledo. it's a pretty cool looking campus because just about all of the buildings are constructed with the same Indiana limestone. In fact, much of the football stadium, called the Glass Bowl, utilizes the same rock. Great looking college campus. And a couple of miles away is where our nutritional fuel-up took place.... a little place called Scrambler Marie's. And that's where to go for a really great breakfast. REAL. And that's the way we keep it on our ASAP Road Trips. While speaking with Brad Bichey, the Rocket's Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for Football, decorations that included hearts and flowers and chocolates were all being cleaned up and put away. Coach Bichey and his staff had just celebrated Valentines day with the football squad! A special workout just for the players. It's a little workout plan that he picked up off one of his coaching mentors, Ohio State's Mickey Marotti.
One note of interest, the Toledo Rockets started "spring" practice much earlier than normal his season... it all kicked of on February 14th this year... an early jump out of the blocks this year!
For today's podcast, brought to you by TEAMBUILDR just click the PLAY button to hear all about it...and about the training program used by the Toledo Rockets. Also, take note of the squat tips that Coach Brad Bichey gave out!
The Ohio State Buckeye Strength Staff, once again, did a stellar job churning out practical training information for coaches and clinicians trying to further their knowledge of the complexities of strength training & conditioning for athletics. Ohio State's Asst A.D. for Football Sports Performance Mickey Marotti doesn't stand upon the mountaintop to proclaim that his way is the best way to achieve results. He encourages that coaches find what works for them and roll with it. Don't get too caught up in all the percentages schemes and numbers games that are out there. Take basic philosophies and develop your program around very hard work, effort and discipline. He purports that there are several ways to accomplish training... but to make sure that it's proper, safe and age appropriate. Marotti has been training championship caliber athletes for over 30 years. He's been able to take the sound approaches of the different training methodologies and combine that with proper nutrition and timely rest. Walking around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and seeing his football athletes engaging in non-training activities and then seeing them in training as well, there's no question that "Coach Mick" has a handle on the situation and the guys look the part, too!
Coach Mickey Marotti:
"Building a Program"
Clinic Director Jeff Uhlenhake had all his assignments down big time. The registration and parking process was smooth. Plenty of coffee and bagels and spreads were available for all. Vendors and booths were easy to access product information for coaches. The big strength companies...Hammer Strength, Rogers Athletic were all represented. Power-Lift was there, too and all provided clinic materials and take home note sheets. Coach Uhlenhake also organized a Clinic Speaker Staff that laid down the practical stuff that coaches on hand can add to their training tool boxes. Coach Quinn Barham gave a polished talk on Developing & Maximizing the Posterior Chain. It couldn't be covered and explained more thoroughly than what Coach Barham put down! Explanations, the exercises and the demonstrations all easy to understand and follow. And he put new addition assistant strength coach Niko Palazeti through a few of the paces!
One of the other speakers, a quite familiar face at "The Woody", was Coach Brady Collins who covered the gamut of Alternative Training Methods. This talk covered all of the warm-ups, dynamic warm-up, neck training and upper & lower body training guidelines. Collins is now the Director of Football Sports Performance at The University of Cincinnati. Brady has been featured in several ASAP Videos from his previous strength coaching stops at Kentucky Wildcats, Mississippi State Bulldogs and Ohio State. His hyped up enthusiastic style is right out of the "Marotti-Court-Oliver & Lambrinides" Handbook. When Luke Fickell accepted the Cincinnati Bearcats head football coaching assignment, he grabbed Brady Collins for the ride down I-71. Booom!
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An interesting addition to this year's clinic was when Uhlenhake tabbed OSU physical Therapist Adam Stewart who gave a really interesting talk and explanation of the Buckeyes' approach to Functional Training. Again, practical information that one can take back home and use! Also, strength intern Jimmy Rodenberg, emerged as a very good demonstrator of proper form coach!
Coach Phil Matusz covered the psychological aspects of training with his "Mental Approach to Training Under the Bar" session. University of Toledo Rockets' Director of Football Strength & Conditioning discussed and explained some effective methods to overcome budget and staff restrictions. Just about everyone can use information like Brad described!
ASAP made the visit to Bowling Green State University to check in on the Director of Strength & Conditioning Kenny Goodrich. In our ASAP Podcast Coach Goodrich shared great information about how he runs a program at a school that has 18 sports.... and they all have a need to train! Coach Goodrich figures it out and does it through his skills and understanding of interpersonal relationship building with the many coaches and athletes. Kenny has an infectious love of his profession and the BGSU Falcon athletes are blessed to have a dedicated and knowledgeable coach like him. Today's podcast is brought to you by: ALPHA DOG SPORTS The leader in athletic development products
Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society