There is tough. Then, there is Luie Gomes tough. Affectionately known as "Sweet Lu" or "Coach Lu" to the Springfield College community and beyond, he has inspired and impacted many through his "Never Give Up" mantra that he models daily. Gomes's relationship with wrestling began at a young age, and it's grown stronger ever since. The Connecticut native was a member of the Pride's Wrestling team while on Alden Street and earned a bachelor's in Health Education in 2018 and master's in Public Health Education and Promotion in 2020.

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy since birth, Gomes has never let his disability define him or prevent him from fulfilling his growth potential. At an early age, doctors told Gomes he would never walk. Today, you can count on seeing Gomes living an active lifestyle that includes wrestling, lifting, hiking, and injecting inspiration in others with his "Never Give Up" mantra. 

An example of courage and resiliency, Lu's impactful presence on Alden Street was recognized by President, Dr. Mary Booth Cooper visiting Gomes at his Connecticut home to deliver him a rightfully earned banner with his "Never Give Up" mantra printed in bold for the world to see.

Now, Gomes is a sought out motivational speaker, educator, and hopes to publish a book on his journey and message. 

If you want to connect with Sweet Lu, you can connect with him on Instagram & Twitter: @sweetlu1117 

Email: [email protected] | Personal: [email protected] 

Episode breakdown: 

0:15: Introduction

3:20: Overcoming the challenges of Cerebral Palsy and walking

6:00: The power of gratitude

8:50: Speaking to teams about "Never Give Up"

12:25: Trip to the B1G Ten Championships at Rutgers and meeting Wisconsin Head Coach, Chris Bono

21:40: The speech before the 2020 NCAA DIII Northeast Regional Championships

25:50: Favorite Springfield College Wrestling Moment

28:45: Impact that "Never Give Up" had on Springfield College

36:50: Relationship with professional UFC fighter, Nick Newell

41:45: Overtime

The leader of the Springfield Men's Volleyball Dynasty, Charlie Sullivan, joins the PrideCast to discuss his path to coaching a sport he's never played and the cultural pillars that have created a program that is unfamiliar to the loss column. 

In his 23rd year at the helm, Sullivan has guided the Pride's men's volleyball program to 11 national championships. The first five championships were Molten sponsored National titles. Once the NCAA sponsored championships began in 2012, Sullivan and the Pride won another six national titles, including the first three NCAA DIII Championships from 2012-14. 

Sullivan's success is driven by a philosophy centered around instilling belief in the hearts and minds of his players. The buy-in he has from his players have resulted in him being invited to co-author, Winning the Game of Belief: Cultivating the Cultural Grit that Defines America’s Greatest Coaches by Kevin Sheehan. The book is available on Amazon now: 

The principled and analytical approach of Sullivan has extended well beyond Alden Street. Sullivan was a member of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Gold Medal Men's Volleyball Team as a Scout Coach, and a member of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Bronze Medal Team. 

The Springfield Alumnus has been named the National Division III Coach of the year four times, USA Volleyball's All-Time Great Coach award in the Donald S. Shondell Contemporary Division for 2015, and honored with multiple Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association DIII Coach of the Year awards. 

In addition to leading the winningest Division III Volleyball Program in the country, Sullivan has also presented at business and leadership conferences all over the world. Most notably at the Traveler’s Insurance leadership conference, Pan American Sports Performance Conference, YMCA Leadership Conference, and the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Conference.

If you'd like to connect with Coach Sullivan, you can email him at [email protected]

Episode Breakdown: 

2:10: The Coin Flip in Rome: How Sullivan started coaching volleyball 

6:10: 11 national championships has nothing to do with volleyball: 4 relationship factors

9:15: Why we need core Values

15:05: Feeling vs. Thinking 

19:00: Competitive coordination

23:15: Bridging the achievement gap in teams 

24:20: Sullivan's favorite Springfield Wrestling Memory 

25:45: 1 minute overtime 

Following in the footsteps of legendary Coach Doug Parker, Dr. Daryl Arroyo etched his legacy on Alden Street by leading the Pride to 303 of Springfield's 1,000+ dual meet wins. Arroyo was inducted in to Springfield College's (SC) Athletic Hall of Fame (HOF) in 2019: SC Athletic HOF Inductee, Daryl Arroyo. 

Dr. Arroyo is currently the Division Dean of Humanities, Social Sciences, Education,  Kinesiology, and Athletics at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California. Prior to his role in Stockton, the Milford, Connecticut native was the Athletic Director at Alfred State College. Arroyo led the charge in successfully transitioning the Pioneers from a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) to a Division III member of the  National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 

Arroyo began his tenure at the helm of the Pride's storied program in 1990 following Doug Parker's departure. From 2008-2011, Arroyo also served as the Chair of Springfield's Department of Physical Education and Health Education in addition to his role as Head Wrestling Coach.

After 21 seasons with the Pride, it's evident Arroyo's impact extended well beyond the wrestling mat as countless alumni are now influential leaders in their communities and to young people across the country. 

Prior to returning to Springfield, Arroyo had assistant coaching stints at Central Connecticut State and California State University - Fullerton. 

After earning his bachelor's in Health Fitness from SC in 1984, Arroyo earned his M.S. from Fullerton in 1988, and his Ph.D. in Sport, Leisure, and Exercise Science, with a concentration in  Educational Sport Psychology from the University of Connecticut in 1996.

A snapshot of Arroyo's accomplishments and acknowledgments: 

Episode Breakdown:  

2:05: Why Arroyo chose Springfield College 

5:40: Path to his Ph.D. and coaching stints at Central Connecticut State and Cal State Fullerton 

10:25: Thoughts on intrinsic Motivation 

12:25: How Arroyo instilled confidence in his wrestlers 

14:35: Success of Alumni 

17:40: Key to being a great wrestling coach 

19:30: Balance of being the Head Wrestling Coach and Chair of the Department of Physical Education and Health Education 

22:15: Most memorable NCAA Championships 

24:15: Overtime 

If you'd like to connect with Dr. Arroyo, you can email him at [email protected] 

Springfield College is known as the Birthplace of Basketball, but in contemporary history, may be even more widely regarded as the "Mecca" of Strength & Conditioning. 

Dr. Brian Thompson (PhD, ATC, CSCS*D, RSCC*D, FMS) was just named the 2021 National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Collegiate Coach of the year.

In this episode of the PrideCast, Dr. Thompson's reflects on Springfield's vast coaching tree that has impacted every level of the profession. Springfield's Strength & Conditioning (S&C) alumni are leaders in the field and they are EVERYWHERE: Springfield Coaching Tree

His leadership and mentorship in the classroom, weight room, and beyond has developed elite coaches at every turn. 

Dr. Thompson has been at the helm of the Strength & Conditioning Department and the S&C Graduate program at Springfield since 1998. He dives into his experience as a wrestler, high school wrestling coach, and high school official. Thompson discusses why he loves wrestling and his favorite Springfield Wrestling memory. 

Thompson received his Bachelor’s degree from Ball State University in Athletic Training and his Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois, Champaign.

If you want to connect with the 2021 NSCA Collegiate Coach of the Year, you can email Dr. Thompson at [email protected]. 

Episode Breakdown:

1:20: What the award means for Springfield and Dr. Thompson

3:15: The alumni network of the Mecca of Strength and Conditioning

5:40: The culture of S&C at Springfield College

8:15: Balance between being a faculty member, supervisor, and coach

11:45: Sport Specific Training

14:45: How to make gains during the pandemic without equipment

17:00: Starting a career in Athletic Training and transitioning to S&C

19:00: Background in wrestling and why Thompson loves wrestling

21:00: Evolving with the profession

23:10: Favorite Springfield College Wrestling Memory

25:10: 1 minute OT

The FIRST episode of Springfield Wrestling’s PrideCast is here!

Hosts: Assistant Coaches, Pankil Chander and Jimmy Kaishian 

Sport and Exercise Psychology Doctoral Candidate, Rob Mendoza unpacks the value of emotional composure & what led the Pride to 4 NCAA qualifiers at the 2020 NCAA Northeast Regional.

Mendoza also discusses why he has chosen a career path as a sports psychologist and the parallels of working with professional fighters and wrestlers.

2:00: Why Sports Psychology

4:50: Parallels of working with combat athletes, professional fighters, and college wrestlers

7:50: Emotional Composure

13:15: What led to a successful NCAA regional performance in 2020

18:00: 1 minute OT

Want to connect with Coach Mendoza? You can email him at [email protected] or follow him on Instagram at @rmsportspsych 

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