Elitefts SPP: Cory Schlesinger Interview

Cory Schlesinger

Assistant Director of Sports Enhancement for men's basketball

University of Alabama-Birmingham

Topics Covered in this Podcast

 The Nautilus Checklist

A Strength Coach at age 19

Intern to Director

The advantage of being an assistant

General and Foundational Strength

Noon ball to a new job

The Coyote Kettlebell Club with Dan John

Primal Movements - Motor Skills

Movement for Body Awareness

Complexes for multiple modalities

Assessments for basketball players

Joint by Joint from the ground up

Don't need to be a genius to see dysfunction

Modifications by height

Olympic Lifting Variations for taller players

Multiple squat variations

the Wingspan Phenomena; Training Spiders

Off-Season = Should be most variation

Changes in the culture of Basketball

Physicality can dictate the way players play

The beauty of the younger sport coach

The Southern culture in basketball

Players are not education and it's not their fault

Technology in sports performance

Technology reinforces what you already know

How weight training can turn into regeneration

Experience beats technology

Perceived maxes based on velocity: Fast and Smooth

Programming  strength training in-season

Off-Season Training

Linear periodization using RPE

Olympic Complex

Conditioning throw extensive complexes and sled work

Key to communications need to be transparent

Find the universal language

Mentoring

Learning how to learn

Identify how others learn

Feel to replicate

Give credit where credit is due

How to reach Cory.

The Cory Schlesinger File

Cory Schlesinger is an Assistant Director of Sports Enhancement to work with the Blazers' men's basketball program along with the men's golf program.

"Coming to UAB is a dream job and it is a destination," Schlesinger said. "Mainly because I get to work specifically with Coach Jerod Haase. I believe in Coach Haase, and I believe that he will win and win at a high level."

Schlesinger served a pair of internships at the University of North Carolina, in 2008 and 2009, while Haase was an assistant coach on Roy Williams' staff with the Tar Heels.

“Cory’s knowledge for strength and conditioning is something that I love,” Haase said. “He is always trying to learn and grow as a coach, but what he brings with his knowledge is what already really sets him apart from others. He is young and energetic like the rest of our staff and will fit right in.  We have a chance to be really good in a lot of different ways and I think strength and conditioning is in good shape.”

Schlesinger plans to not only get the Blazers' men's basketball players in best possible shape for the upcoming 2013-14 campaign, but also have their bodies ready for the long, grueling season.

"One of my major goals is to impact the team in the offseason but also in season, when traveling with the team on the road," Schlesinger said. "Whether it be training, nutrition, supplementation or regeneration sessions, I want the guys recovered and ready for the next game."

Schlesinger, a native of Hillsville, Va., spent the last three years as Director of Strength and Conditioning at Santa Clara University, working with student-athletes on the men's and women's basketball teams.

Prior to joining the staff at Santa Clara, Schlesinger spent time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. In addition, he was a sports nutritionist for the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) along with being a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and also earned certification in United States Weightlifting.

Schlesinger earned his master's degree in education with a concentration in exercise science at Campbell University in 2011. During his time as a graduate assistant, he worked with the volleyball, men's soccer, swimming and diving, golf and tennis programs, while also assisting with football.

A former basketball player at Berea College in Berea, Ky., Schlesinger graduated with a bachelor of arts in physical education with a concentration in exercise science and sports medicine in 2009. During his time as an undergraduate, Schlesinger completed a pair of internships at Wake Forest in 2007 under strength coach Ethan Reeve and a pair of internships at North Carolina in 2008 and 2009.

At UNC he worked under strength coach Jonas Sahratian where he helped train the men's basketball team.

"None of my experiences and I would not be where I am at today without Coach Jonas Sahratian," Schlesinger said. "He's my mentor and biggest influence and I owe everything to him for helping and guiding me."

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