At Quincy University, the majority of the student body is athletes so the strength coaches at QU see a lot of the students on campus and work with them everyday. They have to work with coaches schedules as well and of course the athletes schedules are so busy it means sometimes the can’t come to team lift. Strength coaches have to attend their own classes and do school work while making athletes workout.

Caden Opfer and Jared Fournier are strength coaches at QU and work at the Hawks Hangout Weight Room for 30 hours a week. They love their daily lives at the weight room and working with athletes all day in addition to having class and homework, practice, and sometimes another job.

“I usually stick to a normal schedule. I try to have hours scheduled for the week at the beginning of the week. I also try to piece stuff around lacrosse practice so when I am at practice I only focus on lacrosse. My programming I do on a Thursday or Friday so I don’t have to focus on it on the weekend. My Saturdays and Sundays are usually consist of not doing much on Saturday and giving myself a break then Sunday doing about 4-5 hours of homework. I also enjoy being apart of athletes success on campus by helping them get stringer in the weight room,” Fournier said.

“I try to get my work done pretty early in the week and get my homework done on the day it is due. Work at Dominoes is pretty easy I only work there about 10 hours a week on top of my 30 hours at the weight room. I try to usually get my programming done every two weeks. I really enjoy seeing athletes everyday and they really brighten my day. I also like to see athletes of all different walks of life,” Opfer said.

Some athletes really enjoy working with the strength coaches and have a great time with them in the weight room. Athletes say working out is very tiring and leads to exhaustion and sometimes they find it hard to find motivation. Being able to have a good strength coach who pushes their athletes really shows them that they can push themselves as well and get stronger mentally and physically for their sport.

Allyson Maynard is a softball player at Quincy University really likes working with her strength coach, Caden Opfer. She enjoys that he works hard with the athletes and pushes them and really motivates them throughout their lift.

“He is very determined and is always willing to give a helping hand in any way. He pushes me to take an extra step even though mentally and physically I don’t feel like it. His motivational words help me, like one time he told me ‘You are underestimating your strength,’ and the next lift I went above and beyond more than what I thought I could do. With his weight lifting progressions I have been becoming stronger and have been hitting many PR’s (personal records), ” Maynard said.

Strength coaches play a critical role in improving athletes’ health and performance on campus. Even with their hectic schedules, these coaches are committed to helping players by offering them insightful mentoring and specialized training plans. Their dedication highlights the significance of their job in collegiate athletic programs, as they encourage and inspire players in addition to helping them attain their physical potential, and by influencing the team’s overall success. Strength coaches contribute significantly to the development of an excellence and accomplishment culture at Quincy University.