INTRODUCING 2017 PRESENTER, EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY’S ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH, DR. BRAD DEWEESE

Today I am elated to introduce our fourth presenter for The 2017 Seminar, East Tennessee State University's Assistant Professor and High Performance Coach, Dr. Brad DeWeese.  Dr. DeWeese has contributed to a vast array of athlete's success that have concluded with 20 different Olympic Medals and 7 World Championships.  His desire to share information and collaborate with coaches to find better ways to assist in his athlete's development, along with the advancing the profession is only trumped by his open and honest personality.  Him being one of the best guys in the profession may mask all the accolades and success he's had, but don't be fooled, he is one of the best minds in the world in developing high performance athletes.  I could not be more excited to have Dr. DeWeese on this summer docket.    

JD: If you could, please give our readers a little background information about you, what your niche in the world of athletics is, accomplishments, how you got there, education, any products you have available and/or notable publications.

BD: I am currently entering my 20^th year in the profession while I serve as the High Performance Coach at the ETSU Olympic Training Site, leading the training of athletes competing for Team USA in bobsled, skeleton, canoe/kayak, luge, and track & field. Prior to this position, I served as the Head of Sport Physiology for the USOC’s Winter Division based out of the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center. This supervisory position came on the heels of working as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the USA Canoe/ Kayak National Slalom Team.

JD: Discuss with us the mistakes you see made by strength and conditioning coaches in the United States and around the world, and what you feel should be done differently/how to correct these issues.

BW: While it would be easy to elaborate on the many programming nuances that are often over-looked or over-studied, my current thought is that coaches in general need to better at practicing patience. Often times we want to change our own training modules or adopt the “next big thing” without truly understanding the long-term lag of training effect that will result from that sudden modification. In a world of instant-gratification, we as coaches need to heed our own advice that training is an investment, not a purchase.

JD: What advice would you give a coach to improve knowledge in the lines of continuing education, meaning could you point our readers in a direction to find the scientific and practical information to improve the methods they use to improve performance?

BW: Coaching, by definition, is an extension of teaching. As teachers our role is founded on education. Therefore, we must practice what we preach. While full-time coaching leaves little time for formal study, the information-age has given rise to many outlets that support self-directed learning.

Self-directed learning describes the study of career-relevant information during personal time, and can easily begin with the consumption of free content that comes from the many podcasts and online resources that support our growing profession.   From here, it seems only natural that a deeper understanding of that material is necessary. Because a majority of coaches lack access to scholarly databases (PubMed, Google Scholar), I refer fellow practitioners to (a) follow established researchers on “Research Gate” (where articles are uploaded for the taking), and/or (b) contact the authors directly to request full manuscripts of their work. Not only does this allow for further understanding on how scientific discovery shapes the training process, more importantly, it builds a rapport and line of communication between professions.

JD: If you could give a brief description of what our attendees can expect from you at The Seminar?

BD: Based on conversations with Jay, I will be leading two talks at the 2017 Seminar. The first will emphasize Seamless Sequential Integration, a training model that has been used with success over the past 3 quadrennials. This discussion will have a great deal of monitoring/ competitive data to highlight how decisions were made during the planning process.

The second talk will also describe the coaching tactics I have used throughout my career, but will be on a much more personal level.   The focus of this presentation will be on building a team culture that supports athlete success.

JD: Any closing thoughts Dr. DeWeese?

BD: I am very humbled to be a part of the 2017 CVASP Seminar. Coach DeMayo continues to do an outstanding job of building a platform that promotes knowledge sharing within our profession and this on-site event looks to continue on previous years’ success. Coaching is about relationships and I personally look forward to having an opportunity to fellowship with Jay and attendees as we all continue to look for the best practices in both sport and human development.

Who is Brad DeWeese?

Dr. Brad H. DeWeese is recognized as one of the most decorated coaches in the United States and within international elite sport. Coach DeWeese has directed athletes to 7 World Championship titles in 3 different sports, while also collecting a combined 20 Olympic and World Championship medals, alongside 93 medals resulting from World Cup and Pan-American competitions.

Brad is one of the few coach-scientists in any sport to produce both medals and objective data/ scientific findings of the training process. As such, he has authored several articles and chapters on speed development, periodization, and optimal training methods leading to elite performance.

Dr. DeWeese obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Western Carolina University, and his doctorate from North Carolina State University. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with Distinction through the NSCA, certified USATF Level 2 coach in sprints, hurdles, & relays; USATF Certified Instructor; USAW Sport Performance coach; and an ISAK Level 1 Anthropometrist.

Learn More Here: INTRODUCING 2017 PRESENTER, EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY’S ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH, DR. BRAD DEWEESE