The Gridiron Warrior Podcast “Building a Middle School Feeder System That Transforms Your High School Program” with Coach Mike Morgan
In this episode, I sit down with Coach Mike Morgan of Jefferson High School in Georgia — one of the best in the business when it comes to building a true middle school to high school strength pipeline. We talk structure, expectations, buy-in, PE integration, culture, lifting progressions, organization, and the hidden details that make a feeder system work.
👇 Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Welcome back to the Gridiron Warrior Podcast
00:29 – TrainHeroic partnership + 90-day trial + two 12-week programs
01:12 – Why I train with TrainHeroic and recommend it for all coaches
01:56 – Partner highlight: The Plyomat and why it’s a difference-maker
03:03 – Introducing Coach Mike Morgan
03:29 – Mike’s story: URI → Springfield → Citadel → Jefferson High School
04:22 – What Jefferson football looks like in Georgia
04:55 – School size, out-of-district rules, and competing at higher classifications
05:14 – State titles, Final Four runs, and building a winning athletic department
05:36 – Why Mike loves strength & conditioning and high school coaching
06:01 – Impact, community, and living where you coach
06:37 – Seeing athletes from age 10 to graduation
07:02 – Why coaches need help with S&C and structure
07:45 – The power of a middle school feeder program
08:01 – Georgia PE integration and how weight training works in-school
08:16 – 6th, 7th, and 8th grade differences in schedule and exposure
08:42 – Year-round 8th grade model and alternating health/weights
09:01 – Two middle school coaches running the program
09:18 – How Mike checks in with each grade weekly
09:40 – Before-school lifting at the high school
10:05 – Baseball team model and academic schedule flexibility
10:27 – Summer camp for Grades 4–7 and early buy-in
10:54 – How strong high school programs create middle school demand
11:12 – Parent buy-in and eliminating “lifting too young” myths
11:38 – Administrators, communication, and keeping everything smooth
12:14 – Older sibling influence and competitiveness
12:32 – The progression: 8th → 7th → 6th grades
13:01 – What 8th graders must know before high school
13:43 – Teaching front squat, power clean, bench, row, and warmups
14:00 – Why Mike flipped his philosophy: teach lifting first, movement later
14:37 – Cutting speed days and going 4 lifting days + 1 movement
15:14 – 6th grade: goblet squats, training bar cleans, learning basics
15:37 – Why bench press is now introduced earlier
16:02 – Movement training: speed, plyos, pogo hops, broad jumps
16:46 – Using tennis courts, hurdles, lasers, and jump mats
17:18 – Why broad jumps have huge ROI at these ages
17:54 – SAQ setups and rotating stations for large groups
18:18 – Gen-pop students: how they train and why it works
18:58 – Why athletic-style training benefits every kid
19:29 – The rise of functional fitness, CrossFit, Hyrox, and why training like an athlete matters
20:38 – Developing maturity at the middle and high school level
21:05 – Why everything must be structured and coached on cadence
21:26 – Calling every warmup set by whistle
22:05 – Keeping middle schoolers focused with rigid organization
22:52 – Accessory work at the rack only
23:31 – Matching circuits to cadence and limiting chaos
24:01 – Why simplicity increases quality
24:57 – The phone problem and the phone bin solution
25:37 – Why paper programs still dominate at the high school level
26:32 – Cubbies, safety, and keeping backpacks out
27:15 – Microplates, female athletes, and smarter progressions
28:34 – Advice for coaches starting a program from scratch
29:09 – Reduce injury, increase performance, simplify everything
29:36 – Why 3 days per week is the minimum effective dose
29:57 – Start with 8th graders in the spring if resources are limited
30:26 – Summer as the accelerator for new programs
31:18 – How Mike collaborates weekly with the middle school staff
31:44 – A-group vs B-group programming differences
32:29 – Transitioning seniors to college programs
33:03 – Freshman college programs vs high school training realities
33:49 – Guiding athletes who also have private trainers
34:07 – Summer open hours and self-guided lifting
34:49 – Winter break policies and protecting family time
35:16 – Being a father vs being always available
35:30 – How to contact Coach Morgan
36:11 – Final message + Insiders community pitch
36:38 – What’s inside the Insiders: film study, webinars, early podcasts, discounts, community
37:31 – Closing
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