One. Two. Three. Q! Every session starts and ends with it. It has been ingrained into the culture of the Quinnipiac University’s athletics along with a demand for perfection, accountability, and the establishment of swagger. Teammates and coaches, alike, gather at the beginning and conclusion of each training session with one goal in mind: to get better. The team huddle serves not only as direction for that day’s training session, but also allows for the tone and environment to be set. With hands held high, the team breaks with the same intensity as in team competitions and with the same pride as wearing the Bobcat uniform. Beyond all the sets and reps, this is the one moment in the athlete’s strength and conditioning program that best exemplifies my internship experience with Brijesh Patel, the head strength and conditioning coach at Quinnipiac University.
The huddle signifies the atmosphere B has created in his short time at Quinnipiac University. It portrays the true meaning of team. The tight circle shows the necessary camaraderie and their dependence on one another to be successful. It mirrors the constant encouragement from B and teammates towards one another in every workout. Each training session is approached with a sense of urgency and constant communication among teammates. It can best be described as organized chaos. While B constructs the workouts, it is up to the athletes to create and control their own environments. It is their world. When on the court, ice, track or field, the athletes only have each other to rely upon. Their reliance and trust in one another begins here.
A championship mentality is established from the moment of your arrival. Everything is done with a purpose. It is always stressed to not just go through the motions and movements. The small details are emphasized and expected, but in the grand scheme of all that goes on at QU, the big picture is never lost. Sure, injury reduction and performance enhancement are the goals of any successful strength and conditioning program, but what separates the program B has implemented is its aspirations to make better individuals. When the athletes leave upon their graduation, success depends more on the growth of their character and approach towards life, not on their maxes in the bench press or their body fat percentage.
B truly leads by example from pushing himself out of his comfort zone in his own workouts to holding himself to exceptionally high standards. He sweats just as hard, if not harder than his athletes. B practices what he preaches from accountability to approaching all situations with the four “E’s” (excitement, enthusiasm, energy, and effort). He is always trying to better himself, whether physically or mentally. Therefore, he demands the same from every individual that surrounds him, from his athletes to assistant strength and conditioning coach to his interns.
After the huddle breaks, each player leaves the weight room knowing they’ve improved. They recognize this feeling of accomplishment by touching a sign that says “I got better today”. In this experience, I have grown not only as a strength and conditioning coach, but also as a person. Each day, I try to get better just like the athletes. Through drive, determination, and desire, I am building my confidence in order to establish my own swagger. The Quinnipiac culture is becoming ingrained within me. One. Two. Three. Hard Work!
“Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.”
Vince Lombardi
Two up and coming strength and conditioning coaches, and brothers, Eric and Ryan Johnson, are in the process of completing their undergraduate degrees in Exercise Science at Sacred Heart University. With experience playing and coaching football, the two brothers felt it was necessary to stay close to the sport through what they loved most; the grind of training. Matching a growing amount of knowledge with backgrounds in rehabilitation, injury prevention, nutrition, speed, agility, and strength training, Eric and Ryan Johnson created a way for players all of levels to become elite athletes. Contact us at info@sonsofstrength.com.
