Talkin' Pitt # 55 Building Elite Softball Athletes with Josh Madole "Culture, Conditioning, and Commitment"
Description
Join us for an insightful conversation with Josh Madole, Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of South Carolina, as he shares his journey from playing college baseball to leading strength programs for elite softball and golf athletes.
In this episode, Josh opens up about:
- His path from UNC Greensboro to UNC Charlotte and ultimately to South Carolina, including how working his tail off as a GA led to his current position
- The unique challenges of transitioning a coaching staff and team culture from one program to another
- Why primer lifts and optional recovery sessions are game-changers for softball performance
- The critical importance of watching practice and understanding sport-specific movement patterns
- His programming philosophy: "How you do anything is how you do everything," from heavy squats to dumbbell rotations
- Energy system development for softball athletes, especially the often-overlooked aerobic needs of pitchers
- The evolving landscape of NIL money in college athletics and what it means for team culture
- Why movement quality should never be sacrificed for the weight on the bar
Josh also shares his approach to building athlete buy-in, the value of being "savagely good at the basics," and why the most rewarding part of this career is the lasting impact you can have on an athlete's journey.
Whether you're a strength coach, athlete, or just passionate about performance training, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and real-world insights from the trenches of collegiate strength and conditioning.
Teambuildr Trial Code
Use code PITT at checkout.
Pitt Sports Performance Instagram
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Pitt Sports Performance Twitter
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Josh Madole Contact
Email: JMADOLE@mailbox.sc.edu
Instagram @madole_performance
Music Credit
Music Unlimited, “The Podcast Intro.”



