Todd Kubacki just completed his 11th season in the Cleveland Indians organization. He spent 5 years as a minor league strength and conditioning coach, with stops in Low-A (1 year), AA (1 year), and AAA (3 years). He was also the Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for 4 years and a Performance Coordinator for 1 year. He now currently works as an Analyst, with a focus on performance domain metrics.

He completed his undergraduate work at Youngstown State University in 2007, and received his Master’s degree in Performance Psychology in 2014. He currently lives in Phoenix with his wife, Phuong.

Topics covered in this episode:

-Todd's journey through professional baseball

-The future of strength and conditioning in professional baseball

-Todd's "craziest" beliefs

Quotes:

-"I think the biggest lesson is meeting the player where they are at" (6:28)

-"The basics are the basics for a reason - it's because they work" (10:40)

-"Great coaches are generally pretty great people" (16:27)

If you would like to learn more from Todd, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:

@tkub1114

Twitter:

@tkubacki11

Esteban Doria just completed his 2nd season in the Houston Astros organization, working primarily with rehab and DR Academy operations.

Prior to joining the Astros, Esteban was at the University of Maryland, working as the strength and conditioning coach for baseball, wrestling, and golf. During his two seasons there, there were 9 players drafted and 4 NCAA qualifying wrestlers. He was also the internship coordinator.

Esteban also has experience with the St. Louis Cardinals organization (2015 GCL Cardinals), LSU (GA 2014-2015), Gayle Hatch Weightlifting (2013-2014), and FSU football as an undergraduate intern. He holds a number of certifications, including: CSCS, USAW-1, FMS-2, and TPI-1.

Through his various experiences, he has worked with champions in professional sports, collegiate sports, and Olympic weightlifting.

Topics covered in this episode:

-Rehabilitation Process

-Power Development

-Aerobic Conditioning/Max Aerobic Speed

Quotes:

-"It's not what you do, it's how you do it" (4:12)

-"It's my goal to always help you get to where you want to be even when you don't want to be there" (22:44)

-"Control what you can control" (24:39)

If you would like to learn more from Esteban, you can check out his video below from the PBSCCS website:

http://baseballstrength.org/clean-grip-pulls/

or by following him on social media:

Twitter:

@Coach_eDoria

Brian Buck is a former St. Louis Cardinals draft pick now going on his 8th year in Physical Performance. Brian currently serves as a Performance Analyst at Sparta Science, but had previous stops as a Strength Coach in the MLB and the Boras Sports Training Institute. Brian is a native of Portland, OR and now resides in San Francisco, CA.

Topics covered in this episode:

-Sparta Science

-Brian's best professional baseball story

-Thoughts on lifting and conditioning in-season

Quotes:

-"Transparency can be so big for buy-in with athletes" (11:53)

-"It's just having a plan and executing based off what you think is right" (25:54)

-"At the end of the day have the best interest of the player in mind" (34:06)

If you would like to learn more from Brian, you can check out some of his blog posts on the Sparta Science website:

https://spartascience.com/resources

or by following him on social media:

Instagram:

@brianbuck6

Twitter:

@brianbuck6

Ian Kadish is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and a 2011 graduate of Marshall University. He played three seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league organization.

In 2014, he did an internship with The Ohio State University football strength and conditioning program under Mickey Marotti. Ian was a strength coach at Performance Compound overseeing all baseball strength and conditioning in 2015 before being hired by the Miami Marlins prior to the 2016 season. Ian spent 2016 and 2017 in the Miami Marlins organization before being hired by the Minnesota Twins in December 2017 and serving in his current role as Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator.

He is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and has his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification as well as being a Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC). He is also certified with Functional Movement Systems and has his Functional Movement Screen (FMS) certification as well as his Precision Nutrition Level 1, Certificate of Exercise Nutrition (PN1).

Ian is the proud husband to Emily Kadish and proud father of Knox Kadish (2).

Topics covered in this episode:

-Ian's journey to becoming a coordinator

-Programming systems and beliefs

-Continuing education and networking advice

Quotes:

-"Our number one job is to keep guys healthy and on the field" (8:44)

-"I think communication is the biggest thing" (16:37)

-"The game is changing at a rapid pace, and I think we need to evolve with it" (25:20)

If you would like to learn more from Ian, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:

@ikadishstrength

Twitter:

@ikadishstrengh

Jacob Bunce is the Founder and Head Strength & Conditioning Coach of ROC Strength located in Rochester, NY. He spent the last three years in Professional Baseball as a Minor League Strength & Conditioning Coach. The previous two years Jacob spent with the Philadelphia Phillies as the Strength Coach for the Short Season Williamsport Crosscutters and Low-A Lakewood Blueclaws. His first year was spent with the Cincinnati Reds in the Pioneer League with the Billings Mustangs.

Currently, he runs his business ROC Strength, which is a sports performance facility built of high school aged athletes. With a movement awareness based philosophy that is challenged by external load, they have found positive results with mental and physical health. In addition to running his business, Jacob is also an Adjunct Faculty at Monroe Community College in the Physical Education/Kinesiology department. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree at SUNY Brockport and his Master’s Degree in Applied Exercise Science at Concordia University Chicago. Jacob was the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in the South Atlantic League this past year.

Topics covered in this episode:

-Opening your own training facility

-Training the youth athlete

-What it takes to be the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year

Quotes:

-"I think everything works" (18:56)

-"You don't learn unless you fail" (19:38)

-"Try to communicate as best as you can" (20:30)

If you would like to learn more from Jacob, you can read his article on the PBSCCS website:

http://baseballstrength.org/the-kettlebell-swing/

Check out the website of his business:

http://www.rocstrength.com/

or by following him on social media:

Instagram:

@jakebunce21

@rocstrength

Kory is currently in his second season as the strength and conditioning coach of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, AA affiliate of the New York Mets. He has spent five years with the Mets making stops in Kingsport, TN (Rookie Ball), Savannah, GA (Low-A), & Port St. Lucie, FL (High-A), before joining the Rumble Ponies last season.

Prior to joining the Mets, Kory interned at Saint Leo University, where he worked primarily with the Men’s Baseball team and Women’s softball team, under Stuart Hart.

Kory is recognized as an Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach(RSCC) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association(NSCA), and holds a B.A. in Psychology from Saint Leo University in 2013.

Topics covered in this episode:

-College playing days

-Heavy lifting in-season

-Advice for others and ways to find success in the field

Quotes:

-"Feel is huge" (11:41)

-"Mold the program around the guy" (12:03)

-"If you have any sort of self-doubt, that's no good" (17:02)

If you would like to learn more from Kory, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:

@kory_wan9

Twitter:

@kory_wan9

A native of Elmira, NY, Jeff enters his 5th season as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Detroit Tigers. He is currently working with the Triple A, Toledo Mud Hens. Mathers previously worked for the Double A Erie Seawolves (2017), the High A Lakeland Tigers (2015/2016) and the Low A West Michigan Whitecaps (2014). Jeff graduated from Ithaca College in December 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science.

Topics covered in this episode:

-Animal Flows

-Adjusting to life in AAA

-Advice for others and ways to find success in the field

Quotes:

-"A good strength coach at the higher levels finds something that works for each specific guy" (10:05)

-"You can never have a big enough network" (11:48)

-"Start really basic and progress from there" (20:50)

If you would like to learn more from Jeff, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:

@jmathers2

Johnny Larson began his strength and conditioning career as an Exercise Science Major at Hofstra University where he also served as the Student Manager for their Division 1 Collegiate Softball Program. It is during this time where he began interning at the Professional Athletic Performance Center in Garden City, New York. Upon completion of his Dual Bachelor’s Degree program at Hofstra, Johnny enrolled in the Graduate Program for Sport Sciences at Hofstra while simultaneously interning at the United States Military Academy at West Point under the guidance and direction of Coach Scott Swanson, Kyle Ferrell and Tanna Burge and worked primarily with their Division 1 Wrestling Team. After several months at Army West Point, Johnny took his professional endeavors down to Tuscaloosa where he was able to serve as a Volunteer Assistant Strength Coach at the University of Alabama. During his tenure in T-Town, he assisted with the implementation of their Softball Program which went to the College World Series Final, working alongside Michelle Diltz and Head Coach Patrick Murphy, as well as writing the programs for the Alabama Cheerleading team, which in that year, won the UCA National Championship. After working the floor for several months, Coach Terry Jones, Master CSCCA Strength Coach and former Alabama Crimson Tide Athlete and Green Bay Packer, brought Johnny on to work with Alabama Football’s tight end and linebackers during the first season of the College Football Playoff System. It is during this time where he also had the opportunity to work under Scott Cochran, arguably one of the most influential strength and conditioning coaches in the entire Sports/Health and Wellness Industry. After spending a little over a year in Alabama, Johnny was offered a full-time assistant strength and conditioning coach position with the St. Louis Cardinals where he worked with Major League Baseball Players during spring training and served as the Advanced A Ball Strength Coach at their Spring Training Home in Jupiter, Florida. Upon completion of the season, Manhattan College brought him in to serve as the first full time strength and conditioning coach in their school’s athletic department where he coached all 19 teams, built a weight room, developed the fiscal year budget and brought in assistant coaches and interns. Most recently, before coming to Soho Strength Lab in New York City, Johnny served as the strength and conditioning coordinator for Olympic Sports at Florida Atlantic University where he worked primarily with their Nationally Recognized Baseball program, as well as Volleyball, Softball, Women’s Soccer and Track and Field. Johnny is currently finishing his Master’s Degree in Sports Sciences from Hofstra University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in both Political Science and Exercise Physiology. He is CSCS Certified through the NSCA and also possesses the USAW Level 1 Sports Performance Certification. He is a native of the Bronx, New York.

If you would like to learn more from Johnny, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:

@johnny_larson89

Twitter:

@JPLarson89

Chris is currently in his third season as the strength and conditioning coach of the Boston Red Sox AA affiliate Portland Sea Dogs. Prior to joining the Red Sox organization, he spent one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization with their Appalachian League affiliate in Bristol, Virginia. Chris completed his undergraduate work at SUNY Fredonia and his graduate work at Salisbury University. His previous experiences include interning at Texas Christian University (Summer, 2014) and working the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros (Fall, 2016).

If you would like to learn more from Chris, you can follow him on social media:

Twitter:

@cmess_43

Instagram:

@chrismess_43

A native of Chicago, IL, Mike Lidge joined the Philadelphia Phillies organization in November of 2016 after four years as a member of the San Francisco Giants player development staff. While with San Francisco, Lidge worked as a strength coach in Richmond (AA), San Jose (High A), and Scottsdale (Rookie AZL). Prior to working in pro ball, Lidge spent one year (2010) as assistant varsity baseball coach at Barrington High School in Barrington, IL where he oversaw strength and conditioning for the baseball program. In the summer of 2011, Lidge completed an internship with Athlete’s Performance (now EXOS) in Phoenix, AZ. Lidge earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his Master’s Degree in Exercise Science from Northeastern Illinois University.

If you would like to learn more from Mike, you can read his article from the PBSCCS website:

http://baseballstrength.org/getting-the-most-out-of-sleep/

or by following him on social media:

Instagram:

@m_lidge89