My Journey: The Making of a Coach

During college at UW-Eau Claire from 1992-1996, I was always intrigued by anatomy and how the body moved. My goal was to improve motion during athletic performance.  At the time, there were few career paths involving exercise aside from becoming a physical education teacher. So, I decided to get a degree in Biology and Coaching. I figured I could learn about the body and then maybe coach basketball (which was my youth and college sport) and see where it took me. 

One Saturday night during my second year of college I was at a party. As I was sipping a $3 cup of beer, another student told me about a new degree program that was being offered: a major in Kinesiology, defined as the study of human movement.  In that moment, my entire approach to athletics was confirmed. I was sold. That Monday I went to the new program head and transferred into the program.  I finished with a BS in Kinesiology and Human Performance.  

But now what?

With the degree and field so new, there still weren’t many job opportunities. I wanted more experience in the science end of sports, and few places were hiring.  Nearly all required Master’s degrees.  I was young and wasn’t tied down, so I decided to jump into graduate school.  I became head of the Human Performance Lab and earned my Master of Arts degree in Human Performance, Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics. 

One particular day during those two years in Mankato sparked the endurance athlete in me.  A graduate assistant and friend organized a triathlon on campus as a department project.  To boost participant numbers, she begged a few of us to do it.  Of course, I’d be up for the challenge!  So, I trained with my friend Jill (who had been a distance runner in college). We swam in the campus pool, barely making the length of the pool at times.  I pedaled the streets of Mankato on my 30-pound mountain bike. And then ran (or walked) to make sure I could do the 5k run. 

I finished my first triathlon that one day – a very fine day indeed.  Swam 400 m in a pool.  Biked 15 miles on a massive, dirty mountain bike with cages on the pedals.  Ran, jogged, walked or otherwise kept moving for 3 miles.  I strolled myself in all battered up -  in last place.  This veteran basketball player had become an endurance athlete. 

 I was 6 months from graduation and the job market was very male-dominant.  I applied for many jobs but was unable to nail one down.  In one interview, I was told to apply to an all-girls college.  Even so, I thought experience as a trainer and coach during 5 of my 6 years in college along with a strong Exercise Physiology degree would eventually lead to work.  I was employed at a chiropractic clinic and knew I could stay there as long as I needed, but I also wanted to move and spread my wings.  Phone book in hand, I started applying for jobs in Wisconsin by cold-calling facilities and sending out resumes.  After a month, I got a call back from a facility in Green Bay. 

They had only been in operation for nine months when I joined the team.  New. Growing. And the work I did there set the foundation for my work today.

My mentor in Green Bay was very passionate about biomechanics and how the human body moves.  Teaching how to move in space properly and activate the correct muscles allowed my clients to remain injury-free, increase athletic performance, and live a more functional life. Day after day, I would observe my clients’ motions to analyze they way they moved and why certain patterns were occurring.  Then, I would explain what was happening and how to solve or improve the issue at hand. 

I enjoyed two things from that process in particular: 1.  Teaching about how the body moves, and 2.  Seeing the amazement on clients’ faces. Often, no one had ever spent the time with them to work specifically on their kinesthetic needs.

Endurance sports were on the rise during this time. The first Green Bay Marathon and Half -Marathon occurred while I was in practice there. This brought more athletes my way to work on injury prevention, strength and endurance.  Soon, I got talked into my first half-marathon.  My first graduate school triathlon aside, a background in basketball meant that longer endurance sports were still a bit challenging - which I loved!  I then started spending a lot of time creating endurance training plans for a variety of sports, including cycling, mountain biking, running, and swimming.    

Once again, I became the Head of Athletic Performance. I worked with amateur to pro athletes, from collegiate swimmers to high school tennis basketball players to professional football players. I witnessed my athletes improve performance while becoming and/or staying injury-free. I got excited when my athletes would have a new performance record, or come into the studio with a beaming smile, or were able to play a basketball game without pain.  Deep down, I knew it was because I was able to help them understand their body and help prepare for the demands of their sports, coincided with well-planned training.   In the process, we established phenomenal relationships that would last forever. 

As years progressed, I returned to Madison – a homecoming, since I was born and raised in Cross Plains. I dabbled in two separate business start-ups and ultimately landed with my own coaching and training facility in Verona, Wisconsin.  During the years leading up to opening SBR Coaching, many colleagues and athletes urged me to focus my efforts in the multisport area.  It was untouched territory by Exercise Physiologists and Biomechanic Specialists. While triathlon has been around for over 20 years, it wasn’t recognized as a mainstream sport until recently.   When Ironman Wisconsin made its debut, triathlon grew like wildfire in the Madison area.  A sport for every age and background, it knows no boundaries.  As the sport has grown, so has the need for specialized training programs combined with education on correct human movement for swimming, biking and running.  As with other sports, there is always a need for coaching to help athletes do their best. 

I had already been racing for a few years. I fell in love with the sport and what it gave back to me. I had gone through some tough times a few years previously that were out of my control.  During that time I was training for my first Ironman.  With the all the lows that persisted, I had to somehow mentally keep myself moving.  This resulted in difficult weeks leading up to the race, as well as a very tough race day.  During that Ironman I was able to let go of a lot of demons and create a new inner strength. 

From that finish line forward, triathlon has given me more then it knows.  It gives me stamina. It is something I can control physically and mentally.  It’s partly why I am dedicated to helping each athlete find their individual strengths, and to encourage their ability to accept the gift that triathlon will give to them.     

During the past four years, I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with dynamic and intriguing athletes. Every person has a story. Every person has a different history. Each athlete is unique. This fits my mission perfectly.  I love working with each client and developing ways to eliminate injuries, improve performance, teach, educate, and enhance life experiences through sport.

Instead of worrying about numbers, places, and competition, I focus my athletes on doing their best and enjoying the process.  Over the years, I have found that success naturally follows. 

SBR Coaching’s mission is to provide pathways for your journey, for developing training relationships built on trust, and for fulfilling dreams. Use this blog as a resource.  I have written these articles out of a desire to serve as a teacher of my craft, and to give deeper understanding to the many training approaches prevalent today. 

Enjoy the journey, and move with confidence.