This website began in 2001 while Jeff Roudebush, Coach Rody, was doing his best to enlighten a quick-lifting football coach, myself, on safer methods of strength training. "How absurd," I thought, "to train football players, or any athlete for that matter, without the use of quick lifts."
Jeff would not give up. He spoke about issues of safety, productivity, efficiency, the principle of specificity, and muscle fiber recruitment.
However, his safety arguments were the most compelling. I found myself being more and more open to hearing other points. I became embarrassed at the literature and answers I was receiving from other strength coaches who felt the way I did. Nobody could satisfy the concerns Jeff, or the articles he was presenting me with, were making.
In the Winter of 2001, out of a need to get Jeff's energies spent in another direction than on me I encouraged him to start a website, promote these ideas that he was so passionate about. Jeff was excited but did not know where to begin so I helped him set up his domain name and web site. Before I knew it I was elbow deep in StrongerAthletes.com.
I looked at what I was doing as a favor to Jeff, I was learning a lot, but I was still very skeptical. Then we went to Blaine, Minnesota for the 2002 Strength & Science Seminar. I heard Matt Brzycki, John Thomas and others speak and demonstrate the principles of safe and productive training. I returned home and began to read, read and read. I was convinced that Jeff and other strength coaches like him were on the right track in terms of working with athletes.
Coaches, consider the whole athlete. Are you taking steps to ensure his safety or do you consider injury just a part of the process? Do you put unrealistic demands on athletes or should they all be in your 1000 lb club?
While we are currently bringing to a halt regular StrongerAthletes.com updates we will add some articles at times. It has been a fun ride and we are actively pursuing other projects such as contributing authors to other publications and coaching clinics. We are by no means out of the game.
Coaches, we want you to pursue your own answers to questions rather than have you use training methods that are in vogue or considered nessessary for "explosive" athletes. Our articles, as well as others who we refer to often, provide a perspective you may never have considered before. Read the literature, and make up your own mind.
We will occasionally update our articles list and will keep our teams page as accurate as possible. We encourage you to continue to e-mail us your comments and questions. Thank you to all of you we have met along the way. You have been a source of encouragement and strength for us. Coach 'em up!
Sam Knopik
Head
Football Coach
Pembroke Hill School
Jeff
Roudebush
Head Track & Field Coach
Pembroke Hill School
UPDATE
After an extended hiatus, StrongerAthletes.com is back. Coach Rody and Sam started something that grew rapidly into a valuable resource. It got a lot of coaches thinking about what they were doing and if there was maybe a better more efficient way to do it.
As a result of the efforts of Coach Rody, Sam, and others that shared their vision, two National Strength and Science Seminars were held. The mission of the seminar was "To Educate Coaches and Exercise Science/Sport Medicine Professionals Concerning a Practical/Scientific Approach to Strength Training and Fitness."
Coach Rody and Sam created a large body of work that is invaluable to coaches and others training athletes. They overachieved and built something that became too much to update at the pace they had started given schedules workloads etc. They we're blogging before blogging became popular or known about by the masses.
The site lay dormant for a number of years and I happened by. There was simply too much good stuff here to let it die. I contacted Coach Rody and Sam and was given permission to carry on with the site. Coach Rody and Sam, may contribute from time to time with an article or answer the occasional email, but I'll be doing all the site maintenance as well as posting new articles from time to time.
R.L. Ware
If you have questions or comments about this web site or strength development or training please write strongerathletes