The Strength Game

Ryan Metzger is the Assistant Director of Olympic Sports Performance at the University of Tennessee where she is directly responsible for the strength and conditioning efforts for women’s soccer and women’s tennis as well as having direct oversight of all volunteer interns. Metzger arrived at Tennessee in 2022 after spending the previous three seasons at Clemson University as their senior assistant strength and conditioning coach where she was in charge of softball, women’s soccer and the volunteer interns. From 2015-2019 she served as an assistant sports performance coach at Virginia Commonwealth University. Metzger’s first role was as an intern coach at her alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2011. She then went on to the University of Kentucky as a volunteer the following season working with their Olympic staff prior to being promoted to graduate assistant from 2012-2014. She also spent time as an intern strength coach working with the Kentucky football team in 2015.Metzger has been featured on many other sports performance and coaching podcast, has written articles for SimpliFaster and TeamBuildr, as well as being awarded the 2022 NSCA Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.A former gymnast at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Metzger continued to stay competitive in athletics following her collegiate career competing in Olympic Weightlifting. She has been competing on the national stage since 2012 and has earned a handful of National medals, with her best competition finish at the 2018 American Open Finals earning 2nd in the snatch and 3rd in total as well as most recently taking bronze in the 49kg class at the 2023 Senior National Championships. She has competed as a 53kg, 55kg and now in the 49kg class she frequently ranks among the top 5 in the nation for her respective weight class. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Chris Slater is a teacher at Baldwin County board of education in Alabama as well as wrestling coach. He has been teaching and coaching for over 13 years. Slater took a break for teaching in the high school setting to be a gym owner, personal trainer and strength coach at Alabama Strength before returning to high school coaching and teaching. He has also been an independent professional trainer at Results Gym in Gulf Shores, AL and at Fairhope Fitness in Fairhope, AL. In addition to his dual roles coaching and teaching, Slater is the Alabama State Chair for Strongman Corporation and current NSCA Strongman Special Interest Group Chair.Slater is a former collegiate wrestler competing for four seasons at Eastern Michigan University. Since his time competing on the mat, he has been heavily involved in strength training and is both a National level MW strongman competitor with Strongman Corporation and powerlifter in the USAPL. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Bobby O’Mullan is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Rollins College as well as Performance Specialist at Spectrum Performance in Orlando, FL. Starting at Rollins in 2021, O’Mullan arrived from nearby UCF where he served as an adjunct instructor in the kinesiology department from 2017-2021 teaching courses in exercise science and strength and conditioning. In 2019 he served as a football sports performance intern at UCF before being elevated to assistant sports performance coach leading the cheer and men’s soccer programs for the 2020-2021 season, in addition to his teaching responsibilities. O’Mullan has held multiple other positions outside of the collegiate coaching realm, including being a strength and conditioning coach at Optimal Performance Training Center in Orlando, FL for one year, serving in a variety of roles at Spectrum Performance and Physical Therapy since 2016, coach at Alpha Knights CrossFit from 2016-2017 and both weight room supervisor and group exercise instructor at his alma mater, Loyola University Chicago. He got his start in the coaching world first interning at Loyola University Chicago in 2013 and has also interned with VCU Athletics in 2017. He was a graduate assistant with the UCF’s Recreation and Wellness Center from 2015-2017 while pursuing his master’s degree. The club football Founder & President at Loyola University Chicago he played 4 years on the team as well as a season of semiprofessional football with the Leyden Lions. Since then he is still heavily involved in lifting and training. A true hybrid athlete, O’Mullan has competed in powerlifting, CrossFit, triathlons, flag football tournaments and recently a relay half ironman. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Jon Heck is a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Houston Texans. First arriving with the Texans in 2023, he spent the previous 5 years at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, as an assistant football strength and conditioning coach. Concurrent to his work on the Tar Heel’s strength staff, he served as a strength and conditioning coach and nutritionist at D1 Sports Training in Raleigh, NC since 2018. Heck got his start in the coaching profession interning under Joe Kenn and his staff at the Carolina Panthers for the off-season and 2017 football season. Heck is a former four-year starter and 2x All-ACC selection at right tackle for the University of North Carolina football team. Following his collegiate career, he shifted his training to the platform and has been competing competitively at both strongman and powerlifting. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Grant Broggi is a Marine Officer, owner of The Strength Co., Starting Strength Coach and a member of the Starting Strength Seminar staff. Working in multiple other industries initially, Broggi joined the Marine Corps in 2012 and commissioned as an Artillery Officer the following year. Over the course of his nearly twelve year career in the service, he has moved up the ranks and has held many different roles. While at The Citadel and early into his military career, he learned the benefits and importance of strength training. Grant took his own experience and principles from Starting Strength, to first implement them as a young Lieutenant with his platoon. Seeing the impact it made on his Marines, this eventually led him to training civilians in his home garage gym before officially opening the doors to The Strength Co. in 2017, which now has two locations in Southern California. Broggi found a need for equipment for his gyms. He sought out to bring back quality manufacturing of Olympic weight plates to America and in 2020, he did did just that, producing their first line of high quality, American Made iron plates under The Strength Co. brand. Today, the company has expanded to offer a range of training products including plates, barbells, weight trees, collars, mats and more. All of which are Made in the USA.Alongside coaching in-person at the gyms two locations, Grant provides live online coaching as a Starting Strength Coach. He has competed in powerlifting and is still an avid lifter and strength athlete. He boasts personal best lifts of 500lb squat, 265lb press, 360lb bench press, and a 560lb deadlift. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Will Ratelle is an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at the University of North Dakota working with the volleyball and softball programs along with assisting the football team. Ratelle returned to his alma mater, UND, as a full-time coach in 2018 after previously serving as an intern in the department from 2015-2017. In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Ratelle is the owner of W2 Performance. W2 Performance is an online training program that provides athletes a service to aid in them taking their sports performance to a higher level as well as provides consulting for sports teams and individuals. He has written multiple articles for SimpiFaster and has been featured on many other coaching and performance-based podcasts.Prior to working in the performance field, he spent time as a professional football player with the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs and Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL). Ratelle was a four year linebacker on the University of North Dakota football team, picking up multiple accolades during his career including holding the UND single season record for tackles. Following his football career, Ratelle remains a highly dedicated strength and power athlete. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Bryan Woolson is the Regional Director of the MedStar Health Sports Performance program in Forest Hill, MD where he oversees the day-to-day operations of the Harford County facility. In addition, Woolson is the head strength & conditioning coach for the John’s Hopkins Women’s Lacrosse team. Woolson has been working with the JHU lacrosse program for over 10 years now, first starting with the women’s team in 2013. In his time at Hopkins, he has also spent time working with the field hockey, men’s soccer, and women’s basketball programs. From 2011-2015 he served as the strength and conditioning coach for the Boys’ Latin School of Maryland’s lacrosse team and has been a performance coach for the NEMS Lacrosse Club since 2013. Woolson is the owner of M.O.A.B. Performance, an online program that provides training and nutrition advice to help clients and athletes alike achieve their goals through a life of pain-free performance. Woolson is a former college football running back at Salisbury University. A 3-year starter and team captain in his senior season, he still holds multiple lifting records for his position. After a brief stint competing in powerlifting, he still continues to strength train and is also an avid golfer.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Matt Hickmann is the Head Strength Coach for Football at Middle Tennessee State University. Hickmann arrived at MTSU in 2018 after spending two years as an Assistant Coach at NC State. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Cumberland University as an intern coach and soon after a similar position at Vanderbilt University working with the Commodore football and baseball programs. In 2010, Hickmann was named the director of strength and conditioning at Cumberland University working with all varsity sports. He then spent one year at Furman University as an assistant coach before working with the Georgia Tech football program from 2012-2014. Hickmann spent one year as the director of performance at PLAE where he directed and organized a training facility working with general population and training youth sports teams, in addition to working with professional testing labs responsible for testing the floor products the company produced. Hickmann earned all-conference honors at Cumberland University where he played defensive back for three seasons. He has also trained heavily in mixed martial arts and has competed at the amateur level earning a 3-0 record. Hickmann himself walks the walk, and continues to train heavily during his downtime setting the example for his student-athletes in the weight room and on the field.  Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Bryce Taylor is an Instructor of Physical Education and Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at the United States Air Force Academy. There he leads training for the women’s soccer, wrestling, and men’s and women’s gymnastics teams in addition to being a course director for PE Advanced Physical Development courses for Air Force cadets. Prior to arriving at the Air Force Academy in 2018, Taylor served as an assistant strength coach at Alabama State University for two years. He got his start in the coaching profession as an intern coach at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and has been a personal trainer at multiple facilities including Sterling’s Team Speed, Metro Fitness and Abercrombie. A former college football cornerback, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Taylor embraced the weight room leading the team in multiple performance testing categories. Following his playing career he still takes that love he developed for the weight room and continues to train regularly. Nowadays he still trains like an athlete, often running his teams’ program ahead of time as well as incorporating a lot of calisthenics and gymnastics type work into his own training. Additionally, he has previously competed in ultra-marathons and still enjoys trail running. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Kendrick Pratt is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Jackson State University working with their men’s and women’s basketball programs. Prior to arriving at Jackson State, he was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the United States Military Academy West Point for the 2022-2023 season coming from serving as a paid intern at TCU. Kendrick began his coaching career working in the private sector at Impact Performance in Columbus, GA before taking on collegiate internship roles at the University of Louisville and Elon University in 2021, followed by a full-time position at the University of Illinois Springfield as an assistant sports performance coach. He has also spent time as a defensive coordinator for the North Bank Bulls semi-professional football team from 2014-2016.Joining the Army in 2012 and earning his Commission in 2016, Kendrick currently serves as a Commander & Logistical Maneuver Officer in the United States Army at the rank of Captain. Additionally, he is also the Host of “The Coaches Table” podcast. A former collegiate football player at Minnesota State University, Kendrick is still an avid lifter and snowboarder who is ever refining his craft to better impact the coaches and athletes he works with daily. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show