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In this episode, Steven Thompson sits down with Dr. Ivey, the Senior Athletic Director for Health and Performance at the University of Louisville, to explore what it truly takes to build a championship-level athletic program.

Dr. Ivey brings decades of experience in sports psychology, strength and conditioning, and mental performance coaching, sharing powerful insights from his time at the University of Missouri, the NFL, and now at Louisville.

The conversation dives deep into:
💪 Strength & Conditioning Coaching Philosophy – Going beyond traditional weight training to create complete, resilient athletes.
🧠 Mental Performance & Athlete Mindset – How goal setting, resilience training, and self-awareness shape elite performers.
🤝 Authentic Coaching Relationships – Why vulnerability and connection matter more than ever in athlete development.
🎯 Program Design & Progression Systems – Level-based training methods that prevent plateaus and optimize performance.
👥 Leadership & Staff Development – Building strong, aligned coaching teams through collaboration and trust.
🌱 Coach Growth & Self-Development – How continuous learning, communication, and reflection lead to long-term success.

Dr. Ivey also discusses his core leadership values—Care, Communicate, and Collaborate, offering practical lessons for coaches, athletes, and performance professionals striving for excellence.

🎧 Tune in for an hour of real conversation on coaching culture, athlete development, and high-performance leadership—from one of the most respected minds in collegiate sports.

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In this episode, Steven Thompson sits down with Clay Bewley, Speed, Strength, and Conditioning Coach at Willow Canyon High School in Surprise, Arizona, and former coach at Estrella Foothills High School. With over two decades of experience coaching at the high school and collegiate levels — including Northern Arizona, Jacksonville University, Angelo State, UNLV, and Faith Lutheran — Coach Bewley shares powerful insights on athlete development, recruiting, and the evolving landscape of modern athletics.

💪 Topics Covered:
 • Building high-performing strength programs across 22 school-sponsored sports
 • Implementing the conjugate system and tracking athlete performance
 • Managing recruiting, NIL changes, and program integrity in college sports
 • Maintaining motivation, preventing burnout, and engaging reluctant athletes
 • Balancing athletic development with academic and behavioral standards
 • Funding and organizing high school training programs effectively

Coach Bewley also opens up about his journey from small-town roots to leading a premier Arizona athletic program — emphasizing connection, accountability, and long-term athlete growth.

📈 Whether you’re a strength coach, athletic director, or sport science enthusiast, this episode delivers real-world coaching wisdom and leadership lessons from one of the most respected high school coaches in the country.

⸻

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🎧 Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

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In this episode, we sit down with David Abernethy, high-profile strength coach, athlete, and co-founder of Tsunami Barbell. With nearly 25 years of experience as a college athlete and coach at schools like Methodist, Western Carolina, Clemson, Ole Miss, Western Kentucky, and Furman, David has shaped the performance of countless athletes — from Eli Manning to future pros across multiple sports.

We dive into:
 • The coaching journey from college sidelines to building Tsunami Barbell
 • Working with legends, including the Harbaugh family and Louie Simmons’ influence
 • The Speed Force Max Training System and Iron Disciples nonprofit
 • How fascia training, AR, and oscillation improve performance
 • Conjugate principles in the weight room and training that actually carries over to sport
 • Building accountable athletes, longevity in coaching, and the art of finding an edge

David shares wisdom on maximizing athletic potential, balancing innovation with fundamentals, and what it takes to stay passionate across decades in coaching.

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders in strength, performance, and athlete development.

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In this episode, we sit down with Keith Caton, Head Strength Coach at Manvel High School, whose career spans 11 stops across collegiate and high school athletics, including powerhouse programs like Baylor, Auburn, Syracuse, Missouri, and Indiana.

Coach Caton shares insights on:

• The transition from college to high school coaching and preparing athletes for the next level
• Progressions, regressions, and protocols that build long-term athletic success
• The role of technology, heart rate monitoring, and peripheral vision training in modern performance
• Balancing speed, strength, recovery, and energy systems for both multi-sport and single-sport athletes
• His experience with tempering, mobility work, and recovery modalities
• Lessons from working with elite athletes in 15 bowl games and multiple championships
• The ups and downs of chasing big logos, losing jobs, and maturing through 20+ years in the field

Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or parent, this conversation gives a raw look into what it takes to keep athletes fast, resilient, and prepared for the next step in their journey.

👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders in strength and conditioning!

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What does it take to set a world bench press record at 62? 💪 Legendary coach Bill Gillespie shares his journey from the NFL to Westside Barbell, and the discipline, faith, and training principles that shaped his success.

In this episode, Steven sits down with Bill Gillespie—legendary strength coach, world-record bench presser, and longtime mentor in both athletics and life. Bill shares stories from his decades of coaching at Liberty University, his time in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, and his journey to setting a world bench press record at age 62.

The conversation dives deep into:
💪 Bill’s training philosophy and lessons from Westside Barbell
🏈 What separates NFL athletes from college players
⚖️ Finding balance, avoiding burnout, and staying passionate
🙏 How discipline, preparation, and faith shape performance and life
🔥 Practical takeaways for strength coaches and athletes, from improving bench press mechanics to building competitive drive

Bill also reflects on his weight loss journey, the role of hope and perseverance, and the importance of being a husband, father, and grandfather above all else.

If you’re a coach, athlete, or simply someone chasing excellence, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

#StrengthTraining #Coaching #BenchPress #AthleteDevelopment #BillGillespie

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In this episode, we sit down with Brad Jenisch of Prospect High School (Illinois) to talk about what happens when a coach sees a need and decides to build something from the ground up.

We cover:

• How to solve the problem right in front of you
• Overcoming stigma and outside perceptions
• Betting on yourself and identifying gaps in athlete development
• Why certain training doesn’t always carry over to sport
• Applying Vermeil’s Athletic Development Pyramid and Bondarchuk’s principles in a high school setting
• Recycling proven methods that work: conjugate training, max effort, dynamic effort, and repetition effort

Brad shares a refreshing perspective on coaching, showing how building culture, addressing real needs, and adapting timeless methods can transform a high school strength program.

If you’re interested in high school performance, coaching philosophy, or practical ways to bridge the gap between the weight room and the playing field, this conversation is for you.

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In this episode, Rodney Pierce and Landon Robinson of Ligo Sports  explore how AI is reshaping the recruiting landscape. Instead of giving quick answers, they dive into big ideas—tracking stats, creating “power numbers” to rank athletes, improving equity in recruiting, building detailed athlete profiles, and sparking early communication between athletes and coaches. This conversation pulls back the curtain on where recruiting might be headed and how technology could change the game for the next generation of athletes.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Bill Miller, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), baseball performance coach, and author of Swing Fast, Throw Fast, and Testing is Training. Bill has worked with athletes from Little League through the professional ranks, helping them unlock explosive power, higher velocity, and long-term durability.

A former four-year starter at Trinity Christian College, Bill has built his career around applying cutting-edge methods of strength training and performance measurement to baseball players of all levels.

We dive deep into eccentric strength, its role in injury prevention and deceleration, and how athletes can transfer training into on-field velocity gains.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why eccentric strength > concentric strength in building speed and resilience
• Using eccentric tempos to target force production and injury prevention
• Building quality mass that carries over to throwing velocity
• KPI tracking: RSI, jumps, bar speeds, grip strength, and med ball throws
• Developing rotational power, hip extension speed, and block-leg strength
• Connecting strength work to velocity in pitchers, outfielders, and quarterbacks
• Isometrics, max effort, and dynamic effort training for throwing velocity
• Writing and sharing ideas: from training notes to published books
• How to adjust programs without overhauling everything each cycle

Bill also explains how to create a competitive training environment where athletes track progress, chase improvement, and reinforce intent in every rep.

Whether you’re a baseball coach, pitcher, or strength professional, this conversation is loaded with insights you can apply immediately to improve velocity, durability, and athletic performance.

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Former University of Oregon head wrestling coach Chuck Kearney shares his journey from the heartbreak of a cut program to building a player-led, athlete-owned wrestling culture at St. Mary’s University in Leavenworth, Kansas.

In this episode, Coach Kearney dives into:
 • How losing Oregon wrestling reshaped his coaching philosophy
 • Lessons from his own wrestling days at Oklahoma State
 • Shifting from a win-based, transactional program to an athlete-centered, transformational experience
 • Why accountability, ownership, and leadership drive long-term athlete success

If you’re a coach, athlete, or parent looking to understand how wrestling—and sports in general—can transform young athletes into leaders, this is a must-listen.

Coach Kearney is starting his 7th year as the Head Wrestling Coach for St. Mary’s University in Leavenworth Kansas. Prior to that Coach Kearney was the Head Wrestling Coach for the University of Oregon from 1998-2008 along with being the Director of Athletic Alumni Development. Kearney has A
Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Oregon in
Recreation Administration and Management. Kearney also attended Oklahoma State University where he competed with some of the greatest athletes in the wrestling world and was an All-American for the Cowboys. In 2020 Kearney was named the KCAC Conference Coach of the Year leading St. Mary’s to a Conference Championship. In 2024 Coach
Kearney repeated the honor of being selected KCAC Coach of the Year and the Spires were the 2025 Conference Champions. In his tenure with St. Mary’s Kearney has had 3 Wrestlers of the Year with the last 2 in a row. They have also produced 36 NWCA Academic All-Americans, 8 NAIA All-Americans, 2 NAIA Finalists and, 1 NAIA National Champion.
Coach Kearney currently ranks 4th in dual meet victories amongst active NAIA Coaches.



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In this episode, we sit down with Zack Fleming, the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Dobyns‑Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tennessee. With program leadership since 2015 and recognition as the 2022 Tennessee HS Strength Coach of the Year ℹ️ , Zack brings transformative insight into building an impactful program at the high school level  

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

• From Transactional to Transformational Coaching: Shifting mindset to elevate athlete experience
• Learning to Get Out of Our Own Way: Removing self-limiting barriers for both coach and athlete
• Program Development via Exposure: Including younger athlete classes to build long-term depth
• Bench Press Training Concepts: Technique, progression, and coaching cues
• RSI Improvements & Deficit Trap Bar Work: Explosive strength and jumping enhancements
• Tracking Exposures: Weight‑room attendance metrics tied to measurable performance gains

Whether you’re a coach looking to transform your program, an athlete striving for progress, or simply passionate about high school strength development, this conversation with Zack is loaded with practical ideas you can implement immediately.

👍 If this episode resonates with you:

• Please like, leave a comment, and subscribe
• Share the episode with your coaching colleagues or athletes
• Tag us in social media if you put any ideas into action—let’s grow together!

#ZackFleming #DobynsBennettStrength #TransformationalCoaching #HighSchoolStrength #ProgramDevelopment #AthletePerformance #BenchPressTraining #RSIImprovements #TrapBarTraining #CoachPodcast

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