Look The Part, Play The Part: Evolution of a HS Strength Coach

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”6337″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]At over 6 feet tall with a muscular build, one glance at Malach Radigan and it would be safe to assume he knew his way around a football field and weight room.  After finishing an impressive collegiate career as a defensive tackle, Malach wanted to continue with his love for football. Malach, a Missouri native, jumped into a local high school to start his coaching career.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

“The Head Football Coach at the time took one look at me and said ‘You work out, you should run the weight room for the team as well’…so I did. ”

Young and energetic, Malach, decided to give it his best shot. While he may have lacked any formal strength and conditioning certifications, he was more than willing to learn from others.  Malach looked to mentors, watched ‘how-to videos’ and found some suggested weight and rep schemes for core lifts.  Now “Coach Radigan” fell in love with his new job and realized that the weight room was an opportunity to impact all athletes at a school, not just the football players. 

“In High School, I was heading down the same path as my two older brothers, and their life choices got them in prison….My sophomore year, I had built a relationship with a teacher in the weight room and ultimately that saved my life. So now, I teach and coach to impact lives.”

The Radigan Factor: 

A few years later, and now at Francis Howell Central High School, Coach Radigan continued his journey as a high school coach. Sport Coaches at the school were impressed with the new strength coach and what he was doing with FHC’s students and athletes. One coach went so far as to call it the “Radigan Factor”.  Behind the scenes, the “Radigan Factor” was hours of preparation and work. It was a dedicated coach spending entire weekends putting together training plans and workout packets. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”4/6″][vc_column_text]In the weight room, that special “Factor”  was Coach Radigan’s extreme attention to detail, hands-on coaching, and infectious energy. The school was buzzing as their strength coach brought an attitude that built trust with students and confidence with Sports Coaches.  Sports Coaches believed so much in the new weight room culture, they would do anything to get their athletes in the weight room.

“Football season comes around and I have to make it to practices after school. Girls Basketball, for example, scheduled 6 AM Sessions so that they can still train. For them, it is not a question about if they will lift with me, but when.”

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At Capacity: 

As the strength program grew, Francis Howell Central’s Athletic Director noticed that his strength coach was at capacity. With over 300 athletes spanning across sports teams and weight training classes, Coach Radigan needed some form of support. With the blessing of his AD, Coach Radigan sought out help in an online tool. He knew he needed something that could help with programming and tracking, but not break the bank.  At first, he looked at timing systems that were used at other local schools but felt that this only gave him a partial fix to manage class time. He managed classes with the “Radigan Factor,” not a fancy timing system up on the wall.  Malach knew what he really needed was something that would help alleviate the amount of time he spent outside of the weight room writing workouts and entering weights into a spreadsheet. 

Certified Programs, Certified Passion 

After some searching, Coach Radigan found a programming tool in PLT4M that would help complement what he was already doing in the weight room. With PLT4M, he was freed up from the burdens of programming workouts and weekends filled with hours of data entry.  Now, Coach Radigan has the best of both worlds. He can assign PLT4M’s programs that are chock-full of planned progressions and scientifically-backed percentages. And in turn, Coach Radigan is free to give more one-on-one coaching and individualized feedback to his students and athletes.  Each athlete now has personalized workouts, visual insights to their progress, and of course the continued support of their passionate strength coach.  While Coach Radigan entrusts the PLT4M programs for the detail they have, he also likes making the occasional tweaks so he can have his own special touch. This lets him insert that special “Radigan Factor” when he wants, while not having to reinvent the wheel when it comes to programming. 

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Check out how you can maximize your time as a coach by using PLT4M like Coach Radigan!

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Lessons Learned From A Coaches Journey

From looking the part to now embracing it as a full-time passion, this coach’s journey has just begun.  Coach Radigan shows the world of high school strength and conditioning that a lack of certifications or credentials does not have to stop someone from making a big impact in the weight room.  A good coach can become a great strength coach with a healthy blend of passion, resources, and a willingness to learn from others. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_section][/vc_section]