Taken from our most recent hang clean test day. Enjoy.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Interns
This is the maiden posting on the Triton Performance Blog. I thought it was fitting that it be about interns since one of my current interns, Chris Wicus, launched our blog. If you're a coach and reading this you may be gasping for air thinking "why would you let an intern do that." My response is that starting blogs as well as many other things that we encourage our interns to do are just a few of the ways that we set our strength and conditioning department and our intern experience apart from others.
If you've been in the field awhile chances are you've done one if not multiple unpaid (or very low paying) internships. It's just one of the many necessities of being in this particular business. All coaches have done them and most can recount (now laughing about it) horror stories about the long hours they spent "on the floor" and how they spent a great deal of time being a very well educated janitor. I believe it is getting better these days but unfortunetly there was a time when being an intern meant a lot of picking up towels, cleaning machines, floors, barbells, dumbells, even toilets - but without much learning. Which I believe is what an intern is there to do.
At UCSD I've taken a different approach from that of my colleagues. I guess I would call my internship program an "advanced internship" for multiple reasons. One - I don't hire many students right out of college or those that need and internship for college credit. It's not that I won't, I just prefer an individual who is more seasoned as a coach. In hiring a more seasoned coach, I expect them to do just that, coach. I tell fellow coaches as well as my new interns that I run my intern program for the purpose of developing future coaches and so that they can leave our program better than they found it.
With that in mind I need them out on the floor coaching. Now don't get me wrong - it doesn't happen day one, but once they feel comfortable and I feel comfortable with them - I expect them to be out there assisting our athletes. Because I try to hire more experienced interns I also expect them to be able to contribute in our discusssions regarding programming. It has been my experience that many of my interns have had and continue to have very valuable insights pertaining to athlete preparation. Like I said, I wouldn't hire them if I didn't think they could contribute. I don't want to say that my approach is the best or the only way. Without question, a lot of what I do with regards to interns my run contrary to many of my colleagues who say interns shouldnt do anything but set up and tear down or help spot. I've even helped endorse intern programs that are different than mine, but in this day and age we are measured by what we accomplish as well as the people we associate with. With that in mind my goal is to never allow an intern to leave my charge having not been fully prepared as possible to be a successful coach. Remember, many interns travel great distances on their own dime to work very hard for us for little to no pay - we as coaches owe it to them to give them our best in every way possible.
If you've been in the field awhile chances are you've done one if not multiple unpaid (or very low paying) internships. It's just one of the many necessities of being in this particular business. All coaches have done them and most can recount (now laughing about it) horror stories about the long hours they spent "on the floor" and how they spent a great deal of time being a very well educated janitor. I believe it is getting better these days but unfortunetly there was a time when being an intern meant a lot of picking up towels, cleaning machines, floors, barbells, dumbells, even toilets - but without much learning. Which I believe is what an intern is there to do.
At UCSD I've taken a different approach from that of my colleagues. I guess I would call my internship program an "advanced internship" for multiple reasons. One - I don't hire many students right out of college or those that need and internship for college credit. It's not that I won't, I just prefer an individual who is more seasoned as a coach. In hiring a more seasoned coach, I expect them to do just that, coach. I tell fellow coaches as well as my new interns that I run my intern program for the purpose of developing future coaches and so that they can leave our program better than they found it.
With that in mind I need them out on the floor coaching. Now don't get me wrong - it doesn't happen day one, but once they feel comfortable and I feel comfortable with them - I expect them to be out there assisting our athletes. Because I try to hire more experienced interns I also expect them to be able to contribute in our discusssions regarding programming. It has been my experience that many of my interns have had and continue to have very valuable insights pertaining to athlete preparation. Like I said, I wouldn't hire them if I didn't think they could contribute. I don't want to say that my approach is the best or the only way. Without question, a lot of what I do with regards to interns my run contrary to many of my colleagues who say interns shouldnt do anything but set up and tear down or help spot. I've even helped endorse intern programs that are different than mine, but in this day and age we are measured by what we accomplish as well as the people we associate with. With that in mind my goal is to never allow an intern to leave my charge having not been fully prepared as possible to be a successful coach. Remember, many interns travel great distances on their own dime to work very hard for us for little to no pay - we as coaches owe it to them to give them our best in every way possible.
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