The PBSCCS Podcast

Ryan Harrel just completed his 3rd Year as a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ryan grew up in Cashion, Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Kinesiology. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, he spent time as an intern at Edge Sports Performance in Edmond, Oklahoma & Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Garden, Florida.Topics covered in this episode:-His journey and family ties in professional baseball-His best professional baseball stories-Microdosing within a daily training regimentQuotes:-"This is what I want to do. I love baseball. I love the gym. And then on top of it, it's so cool to get to help people accomplish what they want to accomplish" (3:20)-"It's probably one of my favorite things about baseball: the stories and the laughing and the joking" (8:08)-"Movement is medicine, and I think that that is critically important in sustaining long-term health and success" (16:06)If you'd like to learn more from Ryan, you can find him on social media:Instagram:@rjharrel10

Joe Leo just completed his 2nd Year as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, Joe has stops at Lift Chicago, Cressey Sports Performance, and The Ohio State University. Joe is a proud Buckeye and Chicagoan.Topics covered in this episode:-Working the Arizona Complex League-Relationship building and creating buy-in-Continuing education resourcesQuotes:-"I think getting them into a solid routine that they do every day is probably our primary objective" (4:57)-"Team is so important" (12:27)-"Building a relationship isn't just one day" (20:10)If you'd like to learn more from Joe, you can find him on social media:Instagram:@joeyl2

Joe Leo just completed his 2nd Year as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, Joe has stops at Lift Chicago, Cressey Sports Performance, and The Ohio State University. Joe is a proud Buckeye and Chicagoan.Topics covered in this episode:-His journey to professional baseball-The value of an internship (especially in professional baseball)-Programming for and working with in-season athletesQuotes:-"It was kind of a good last internship for me because you get out of it what you put into it" (7:47)-"That's the easiest way to grow I think; just try not to make the same mistake twice" (14:12)-"I think one of the most valuable things we can do as strength coaches is help pain a more well-rounded picture of the athlete" (23:56)If you'd like to learn more from Joe, you can find him on social media:Instagram:@joeyl2

Adam Decker is currently serving in his third season as the Director of Sports Medicine & Performance for the Houston Astros. Originally from Canada, Adam started his career with Sport Canada where he worked for 8 years in Strength & Conditioning, Performance Science, Talent Identification, and Athlete Development with Provincial and National/Olympic level athletes. Adam then moved to the world-renowned performing arts company, Cirque du Soleil, and later to the National Hockey League’s New Jersey Devils. Adam holds degrees in Exercise Science, Education, a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, and a PhD in Medical Rehabilitation.Topics covered in this episode:-Discussion on being Houston's Director of Sports Medicine and Performance-Finding success and advice for others-Continuing Education ResourcesQuotes:-"I get to work with a very diverse group of people, multiple disciplines, and I love it" (1:50)-"You'd be amazed at how generous people are. I've had so many people who have helped me along the way" (13:30)-"Probably more than any other industry, sport is about people and relationships" (14:20)If you'd like to learn more from Adam, you can reach out to him on LinkedIn!

Adam Decker is currently serving in his third season as the Director of Sports Medicine & Performance for the Houston Astros. Originally from Canada, Adam started his career with Sport Canada where he worked for 8 years in Strength & Conditioning, Performance Science, Talent Identification, and Athlete Development with Provincial and National/Olympic level athletes. Adam then moved to the world-renowned performing arts company, Cirque du Soleil, and later to the National Hockey League’s New Jersey Devils. Adam holds degrees in Exercise Science, Education, a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, and a PhD in Medical Rehabilitation.Topics covered in this episode:-His journey into professional baseball-Working with Sport Canada, Cirque du Soleil, and the New Jersey Devils-Movement Creativity and Physical LiteracyQuotes:-"I mean I've worked with so many different people and cultures and just in different environments" (10:19)-"I think that's probably the best thing about my career is that I've had those different experiences. Because I think, without a doubt, it's made me a much better practitioner" (11:32)-"Those kinda personal stories are the ones that I think stick with me more than anything else" (20:44)If you'd like to learn more from Adam, you can reach out to him on LinkedIn!

Max Miller is the Complex Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Seattle Mariners. He is from Parkersburg, WV and graduated with a B.S. in Exercise Science from Cedarville University in 2021. Max is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.Topics covered in this episode:-Finding success at work and at home-Advice for others on how to win relationships-Continuing education resourcesQuotes:-"This is a relationship business. And that goes well beyond just baseball. Strength and conditioning in general, it's a relationship business" (5:53)-"I think to succeed in this industry, relationships are of critical importance" (7:34)-"Always close the loop" (13:28)If you'd like to learn more from Max, you can follow him on social media:Instagram:@maxmiller_6

Max Miller is the Complex Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Seattle Mariners. He is from Parkersburg, WV and graduated with a B.S. in Exercise Science from Cedarville University in 2021. Max is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.Topics covered in this episode:-His journey and best professional baseball story-Programs and athlete buy-in-Working the Arizona Complex League and the newer Bridge LeagueQuotes:-"Whatever it is I just wanted to be in baseball" (3:27)-"The things that bring the program to life, I think, are probably more important than the X's and O's of the specific program" (7:07)-"The goal is by the time they move up to the next level, they are familiar and proficient with our big rock movements" (18:16)If you'd like to learn more from Max, you can follow him on social media:Instagram:@maxmiller_6

This episode marks the Seven Year Anniversary of The PBSCCS Podcast. It is a "Year in Review" episode, discussing the 11 individual interviews and 2 group interviews published throughout the year.

Yannick Plante is entering his sixth season within the Kansas City Royals organization. He is working the 2024 season as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Surprise Royals after working three seasons in the same role with Triple-A Omaha. He is also serving as a Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach. In the fall of 2019, Yannick was a staff member of the Surprise Saguaros during the Arizona Fall League. Plante has a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Calgary and a bachelor’s degree in human kinetics with specialization in biophysics from the University of Ottawa. He is from Ottawa, Ontario and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.Topics covered in this episode:-Advice for others-Finding success at different locations-Continuing education resourcesQuotes:-"We have an unbelievable privilege of working with athletes that come from all over the world" (1:45)-"I think in due time everyone can find a place in a different setting" (9:48)-"You've gotta be able to immerse yourself in a setting where other people are already comfortable in" (15:07)If you'd like to learn more from Yannick, you can follow him on social media:Twitter:@YannPlantzInstagram:@yannplantz

Yannick Plante is entering his sixth season within the Kansas City Royals organization. He is working the 2024 season as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Surprise Royals after working three seasons in the same role with Triple-A Omaha. He is also serving as a Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach. In the fall of 2019, Yannick was a staff member of the Surprise Saguaros during the Arizona Fall League. Plante has a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Calgary and a bachelor’s degree in human kinetics with specialization in biophysics from the University of Ottawa. He is from Ottawa, Ontario and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.Topics covered in this episode:-His journey throughout the Minor League system-The benefits of working in Rookie Ball-The balance between technology and the human element of coachingQuotes:-"In Arizona, with the younger group, we're working on building solid routines, having consistency in their training, understanding exercises and why they have to do them" (8:32)-"I think as we go forward the Arizona Complex is gonna have a lot of people looking for those positions if they can't move up or for whatever reason" (12:08)-"If you can just take a moment and just appreciate what's in front of you and the person, and enjoy the session with them and coach them through it, over the course of the long-run you're gonna get buy-in from that athlete, and you're gonna be able to measure the things that are deemed important" (23:56)If you'd like to learn more from Yannick, you can follow him on social media:Twitter:@YannPlantzInstagram:@yannplantz

Mark Weisman is currently working in the Chicago Cubs organization as the Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Mark has been part of the organization since 2022. Prior to the Cubs, he worked at the University of Iowa as both an intern and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with football (2016-2020), was the Director of Sports Performance at Southeast Missouri (2020-2021), and was a Performance Coach at SPEAR Training in Chicagoland (2021-2022).Mark completed his undergraduate work at the University of Iowa (BA Health and Human Physiology) and his graduate work at Cal U in PA (MS Performance Enhancement & Injury Prevention). Mark was born and raised in Buffalo Grove, IL.Topics covered in this episode:-Being Minor League Coordinator and developing a culture-Advice for others and finding success-Continuing education resourcesQuotes:-"As coaches we're holding you accountable, but as players, you also need to take accountability for what you're going to do" (2:15)-"We have the backing of the whole organization right now, which is huge" (15:53)-"It's crazy because a lot of the stuff that people think is new and sexy was old Russian training" (21:47)If you'd like to learn more from Mark, you can follow him on social media:Twitter:@CoachWeismanInstagram:@mweisman45

Mark Weisman is currently working in the Chicago Cubs organization as the Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Mark has been part of the organization since 2022. Prior to the Cubs, he worked at the University of Iowa as both an intern and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with football (2016-2020), was the Director of Sports Performance at Southeast Missouri (2020-2021), and was a Performance Coach at SPEAR Training in Chicagoland (2021-2022).Mark completed his undergraduate work at the University of Iowa (BA Health and Human Physiology) and his graduate work at Cal U in PA (MS Performance Enhancement & Injury Prevention). Mark was born and raised in Buffalo Grove, IL.Topics covered in this episode:-His time spent working with football and his journey into baseball-His introduction to Minor League baseball-"Traditional" strength trainingQuotes:-"Just having that consistency. Being able to do well with the highs and be able to overcome those lows. I think that's what a lot of baseball players aren't missing, but need to learn, especially these young guys" (5:40)-"I think we've gotten away from training. The basics. The foundations" (17:01)-"It should never be we're the 'old school' guys, we're the 'new school' guys. It's we're the guys that want to get these guys to be the best baseball players, in this case, that they possibly can be, and what we need to do to get them there thinking long-term" (21:44)If you'd like to learn more from Mark, you can follow him on social media:Twitter:@CoachWeismanInstagram:@mweisman45

Andy King is in his 11th year with the Giants and his fourth as Coordinator, Minor League Strength & Conditioning. Prior to this role, he spent the previous three years with Triple-A Sacramento. He also had stops with Richmond, San Jose and with short-season Salem-Keizer. He previously spent a year and a half as the Athletic Performance Graduate Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he worked with all 19 NCAA teams. King has his B.A. in Exercise & Sports Science with a concentration in Physical Therapy from Hamline University and a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Central Missouri. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach with Distinction (RSCC*D) through the NSCA. He currently resides in Phoenix with his wife, Daniella, and their twins, son Morgan and daughter Raegan.Topics covered in this episode:-Being a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator-Finding quality new hires-Continuing education resourcesQuotes:-"I think adversity is beautiful" (1:27)-"We want you to get your hands-on coaching experience because that's the best way to learn" (3:13)-"This is an area we're passionate about because staff development is player development. If our staff are continuing to get better then ultimately our players are gonna get better, too" (16:40)If you'd like to learn more from Andy, you can follow him on social media:Twitter:@CoachAK15Instagram:@CoachAK15If you'd like to learn more about the camp discussed in the previous episode, you can follow the link below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m1qxXoPfUA

Andy King is in his 11th year with the Giants and his fourth as Coordinator, Minor League Strength & Conditioning. Prior to this role, he spent the previous three years with Triple-A Sacramento. He also had stops with Richmond, San Jose and with short-season Salem-Keizer. He previously spent a year and a half as the Athletic Performance Graduate Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he worked with all 19 NCAA teams. King has his B.A. in Exercise & Sports Science with a concentration in Physical Therapy from Hamline University and a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Central Missouri. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach with Distinction (RSCC*D) through the NSCA. He currently resides in Phoenix with his wife, Daniella, and their twins, son Morgan and daughter Raegan.Topics covered in this episode:-Spending over a decade with the San Francisco Giants organization-His best professional baseball moments-San Francisco Giants Minor League Strength and Conditioning Camp in San FranciscoQuotes:-"When the players have success, we all have success" (12:14)-"But what I've always appreciated is the process of getting better, whatever better means for that individual. It's not always cute, but consistency is key" (13:41)-"We've gone throughout the city to give them an experience of being in the city of San Francisco. But also they play catch, take ground balls, hit BP on the field because it's a Major League stadium, and no matter how many times you're there, it's one of the coolest things you're ever gonna do" (26:36)If you'd like to learn more from Andy, you can follow him on social media:Twitter:@CoachAK15Instagram:@CoachAK15If you'd like to learn more about the camp discussed in the episode, you can follow the link below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m1qxXoPfUA

Connor Rooney is starting his 3rd season in professional baseball. Prior to working in Professional Baseball, Connor was a High Performance Trainer at Driveline Baseball from 2019-2022, and a Graduate Assistant Strength & Pitching Coach Connor Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science & Psychology from Keiser University in 2019. While playing at Keiser, Connor was the assistant pitching coach for his JV team, and interned with the Football team. Pro Ball Resume: January 2022 - June 2022: Rehab Hitting & Assistant Pitching Coach June 2022 - February 2023: Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach February 2023 - September 2023: AA Strength & Conditioning Coach September 2023 - Present: Rehab Strength & Conditioning CoachTopics covered in this episode:-Learning through your own training-Return to Peak Performance and what that entails-Advice for others and continuing education resourcesQuotes:-"I just love the learning experience that I'm getting from actually going out and doing it myself" (4:23)-"We tell the guys all the time the training should be fun" (21:29)-"We don't just want to return them to performance; we want them to return to the best they've ever been, if not better" (23:17)If you'd like to learn more from Connor, you can follow him on social media:Instagram:@rooneyperformanceTwitter:@ConnorRooney23

Connor Rooney is starting his 3rd season in professional baseball. Prior to working in Professional Baseball, Connor was a High Performance Trainer at Driveline Baseball from 2019-2022, and a Graduate Assistant Strength & Pitching Coach Connor Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science & Psychology from Keiser University in 2019. While playing at Keiser, Connor was the assistant pitching coach for his JV team, and interned with the Football team. Pro Ball Resume: January 2022 - June 2022: Rehab Hitting & Assistant Pitching Coach June 2022 - February 2023: Rehab Strength & Conditioning Coach February 2023 - September 2023: AA Strength & Conditioning Coach September 2023 - Present: Rehab Strength & Conditioning CoachTopics covered in this episode:-Superstition vs. Preparation-Movement Screens-Working in a rehab settingQuotes:-"I'm honestly open to anything. I just love helping guys perform well on the field" (5:45)-"Some guys don't have it on the table, but they do it on the mound. And then some guys are the opposite, they have it on the table, they don't have it on the mound" (17:27)-"Like I said, it can be very monotonous at times, but it's a very different experience than you'd have going to an affiliate" (35:13)If you'd like to learn more from Connor, you can follow him on social media:Instagram:@rooneyperformanceTwitter:@ConnorRooney23

BJ Foley is entering his second season as the Rehab Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Red Sox organization. Prior to joining the Red Sox he worked as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Kansas State University directly overseeing the Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Golf programs. Other stops include Graduate Assistant at the University of West Florida, 108 Performance and Cressey Sports Performance.Education and Certificates:University of West Florida: Master of Science, Human Performance and Physical EducationUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell: Bachelor of Science, Exercise PhysiologyNational Strength & Conditioning Association: Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)National Strength & Conditioning Association: Registered Strength & Conditioning Specialist (RSCC)Topics covered in this episode:-Working in a collaborative environment-Finding success as a strength and conditioning coach-Advice for others and continuing education resourcesQuotes:-"It's been awesome, but it is certainly challenging at times. But, you know, when you get it right it's rewarding" (10:01)-"There's no magic exercises. There's no magic schemes. There's no magic periodization plan. The magic is knowing what gets each guy going" (15:34)-"It just makes you realize if you have one thing that you're passionate about go learn that" (32:20)

BJ Foley is currently the Rehab Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Red Sox organization. He has had previous stops at Kansas State, West Florida, and Cressey Sports Performance.Topics covered in this episode:-Life at the Complex-Slow cooking the training process-Being a rehab strength and conditioning coachQuotes:-"I think general training gets pushed to the wayside a lot sooner than most people want to give it credit for" (13:38)-"And that's where it's like that slow progression builds the foundation that you stand on" (19:47)-"They're all athletes. They all want to compete, so that part's huge" (36:28)

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on blending the weightroom and on-field skill development. This is Part Three of the interview.Speakers:-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)-Nate Friedman (Arizona Diamondbacks)Questions/topics covered in this episode:-Player-led cultures-Training under fatigue-Health vs. Performance-Closing remarksQuotes:-"One of my favorite pieces is that I think the best cultures in sports are player-led cultures" - Nate Friedman (2:46)-"And if we're just being honest we work in a very gray environment that's such a technical, highly-skilled endeavor" - Logan Jones (6:35)-"But it always comes back to the willingness to put yourself out there, the willingness to be vulnerable, the willingness to check your ego, the willingness to be okay with failure and learn from it, and the willingness to know that even in a results-based world, you need to be okay with falling in love with the process and learning the methods to then get those results" - Nate Friedman (28:02)-"We're here to help guide, educate, and mold these people's lives" - Logan Jones (31:46)If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:Instagram:@logan_jones95 - Logan JonesTwitter:@Logan_Jones95 - Logan Jones

This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on blending the weightroom and on-field skill development. This is Part Two of the interview.Speakers:-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)-Nate Friedman (Arizona Diamondbacks)Questions/topics covered in this episode:-Assessments and training qualities-Representative training and transfer of skill development-Training under fatigueQuotes:-"To me, you're looking for outliers. You're looking for things that stand out on a normative scale" - Nate Friedman (6:29)-"My first thought is I would be very skeptical of anyone that communicates in absolutes" - Logan Jones (16:31)-"The best programs I've ever written were basically written by the player themselves through conversations" - Logan Jones (19:19)-"I think there's ways we can come up with better drills and better, more representative practice design to help mimic what the situations are going to be like in-game" - Nate Friedman (20:31)If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:Instagram:@logan_jones95 - Logan JonesTwitter:@Logan_Jones95 - Logan Jones