Micah Kurtz - Strength Conditioning as a Success Tool
VertiMax Vive
English - February 12, 2019 06:30 - 1 hour - 56.1 MB - ★★★★★ - 19 ratingsSports Health & Fitness Fitness Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Micah Kurtz is the Director of Sports Performance and Assistant Athletic Director at Windermere Prep School in Orlando, Florida. He was named NSCA National Strength Coach of the Year in 2016 and one of the Top 40 under 40 Sports Professionals in the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. He started the Strength and Conditioning Program at AC Flora High School in Columbia, South Carolina, and in just the last 5 years, AC Flora has won 12 state championships. It was also named the #1 athletic program in both 2014 and 2015.
On this episode hosted by Ned Arick, Micah sheds light on strength and conditioning and its benefits, how he got into the industry and why he enjoys working in the high school environment. He also shares more about how he cultivates a positive atmosphere in his weight room, and why athletes, parents, school administrators and the larger community are all so enthusiastic about his strength conditioning program. Micah has some great insights for coaches on how to get started on this path, and some practical tips on what it takes to be successful in the industry, so be sure to tune in.
Key Takeaways:
[:37] Ned introduces his guest for this episode - Micah Kurtz.
[3:48] Micah gave a talk at the VertiMax Summit that made a serious impact, and changed some people's mindsets.
[6:39] What is the three-fold impact that Micah has on athletes in the high school setting?
[13:51] Micah and Ned discuss the benefits of strength training that extend outside the weight room.
[16:02] What is the secret to Micah getting a great atmosphere going with the kids he trains?
[20:05] How is Micah getting the buy-in from sport coaches who don't usually put much stock in strength and conditioning coaches?
[24:12] What is "Lift Like a Laker" and how is Micah using that to get buy-ins from the community as well?
[28:52] This podcast is being sponsored by VertiMax.
[29:43] Micah shares more about his experiences at AC Flora and how he cultivated positive relationships with the parents of the athletes he was training.
[32:23] What is Micah's response to coaches who think that they can't implement what Micah is doing?
[36:27] Ned and Micah discuss the benefits of these types of programs, not just for the coaches themselves but for the schools and the communities as a whole as well.
[37:56] What is Step 1 for a coach to get started with a program like this?
[39:47] What are some issues that Micah has run into in starting this program?
[42:47] What are the first steps when a coach is starting a strength conditioning program?
[46:53] A good program really comes down to atmosphere. There needs to be a great, differentiated training program, but also a human touch.
[50:52] Ned and Micah discuss the importance of graduates from exercise science majors having that coaching experience.
[52:37] What is Micah not good at?
[57:48] What is one thing that Micah is most excited about in the next six months?
[59:20] Find out more about Micah and get in touch with him on Instagram, Twitter, via email or through his website.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Train with the Best Podcast Episode 73 - Micah Kurtz