EP 64: Chico Morales | Building a One-Stop Shop for Athletes

EP 64: Chico Morales | Building a One-Stop Shop for Athletes

Chico Morales, VP of Operations and Director of Performance at Built 4 It, joins the show to share how he rose from PT tech to running two multidisciplinary facilities in the DFW area. Built 4 It brings performance training and medical services under one roof, and Chico has been there since he was the company's first employee in 2020. We dive into how Built 4 It's medical and performance sides work together so athletes never have to leave the building for treatment, how Chico structures training across youth, high school, adult, and pro populations, and the deceleration and single-leg work he prioritizes to fill the gaps within the private sector.  We also talk about how Chico quickly rose from assistant trainer to Director of Performance and VP of Operations, how he approaches staff development, and how Built 4 It has intentionally grown their culture and community across two facilities.  🔗Check out more from Chico 👇 Instagram: @chico_performance12 @built4it_official  This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. 👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. [https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Numbers-Insight-Long-Term-Coaching/dp/B0DPNCVG4H] Chapters 03:02 Building Built For It: Growth and facilities 04:22 Holistic model: Medical and performance integration 05:50 Transition from PT to coaching 09:47 Rapid growth and leadership at Built For It 12:26 Staff development and intern training 14:47 Self-development and industry evolution 17:58 Youth training programs and age brackets 20:25 Filling gaps in high school athlete development 23:02 Technical vs. drill-based training 24:46 8-week training programs and measurable results 25:33 Group programming and scheduling 27:24 Roles beyond coaching: Operations and management 30:19 Managing multiple facilities and travel 32:12 In-house medical and performance collaboration 34:00 Building long-term athlete relationships 36:28 Community and culture at Built For It 39:20 Expanding to new markets and international opportunities 50:29 Influences from athletic coaching and leadership 54:01 Common mistakes in athlete development 57:26 Advice for young trainers and industry newcomers 01:00:41 Balancing faith, family, and career

EP 63: Why I Changed My Programming System Twice in 4 Months

In this episode, I pull back the curtain on my own programming and why I’ve completely overhauled my system twice in the last four months. I break down what I started with, what I changed it to, and then how I changed it again four weeks ago. This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. 👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. [https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Numbers-Insight-Long-Term-Coaching/dp/B0DPNCVG4H]

EP 62: Chase Sanders | The Highest Human Act Is To Inspire

Chase Sanders, owner of Chasing Strength and the strength coach for football and baseball at Damien High School, joins the show to share lessons from coaching across the high school, collegiate, and private sector settings. After spending six years as Director of Strength and Conditioning at Cal Poly Pomona and learning under an elite staff at Utah State, Chase brings a unique perspective on athlete development and coaching. We dive into his approach to training youth athletes, why he believes coaches should chase adaptation rather than novelty, and the experiences that shaped his coaching philosophy. Chase also shares how he built Chasing Strength from his garage and the deeper purpose that continues to drive and inspire him. 🔗Check out more from Chase 👇 Instagram: @chasing_strength7 This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. 👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. [https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Numbers-Insight-Long-Term-Coaching/dp/B0DPNCVG4H] Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Chase's Path to Sports Performance Coaching 07:00 Building a Sports Performance Program from Scratch 10:02 Establishing a Training Culture and Coaching Development 17:56 Lessons from Elite Coaches and the Importance of Standards 19:54 Comparing College, Private Sector, and High School Coaching 25:23 Transitioning to Private Coaching 30:26 Building Relationships in Coaching 35:34 Navigating Business Logistics 42:44 Vision for the Future 48:18 Balancing Business and Coaching 51:21 The Importance of Consistency in Training 54:55 Educating Parents and Athletes 01:00:41 Inspiration and Personal Growth 01:06:47 Work-Life Balance and Prioritizing Family

EP 61: Will Graham | Programming, Performance, and Career Growth

Will Graham, Director of Performance for Men's Basketball at Stony Brook University, joins the show to discuss his transition into a new role after spending the past seven years at Liberty University and four years in the private sector at APEC. We dive into what attracted Will to Stony Brook, the first steps he's taking to build relationships and establish his program, and the lessons he's carrying with him from both the private and collegiate sectors. We also discuss his weekly programming structure, the skills that translated most from the private sector to college athletics, and his perspective on efficient versus effective movement. 🔗Check out more from Will 👇 Instagram: @coachgraham_ @train_pursuit  This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. 👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. [https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Numbers-Insight-Long-Term-Coaching/dp/B0DPNCVG4H] Chapters 00:57 Journey into Coaching and Sports 05:07 Transitioning from Private to College Coaching 10:01 Skills Developed in the Private Sector 16:06 Building Relationships and Team Dynamics 19:08 The Decision to Move to Stony Brook 23:05 Preparing for a New Role at Stony Brook 26:58 Program Structure and Training Philosophy 28:29 Training Methodology and Positioning in Basketball 31:11 Adapting Training for Individual Needs 33:19 Integrating Holistic Approaches in Coaching 37:20 Proactive Problem Solving in Coaching 39:40 Understanding Second and Third Order Consequences 45:16 Balancing Efficiency and Effectiveness in Movement 49:51 Reflections on Coaching Journey and Development

EP 60: Justin Ochoa | Connecting the Weight Room to the Court

Justin Ochoa, Owner and Director of Performance at Gem Sessions Training, joins the show to break down his approach to basketball development and the integration of both skill and performance training. We dive deep into Justin's athlete profiling system, how he manages leading both skill and performance development, and the value that comes from owning both areas. Justin also explains how he's adapted Tony Villani's Game Speed System to his basketball setting and the impact it’s made.  Justin breaks down his 3-2-1 system for looking at force plate metrics, the insights he's gained when comparing force plate asymmetries to 5-0-5 change of direction asymmetries, and the athlete archetypes he uses to guide programming and development decisions. 🔗Check out more from Justin 👇 Instagram: @justinochoa317 Justin Ochoa — Bio Sites [https://bio.site/justinochoa317?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnk61FTKmVMRN3VcLT16_tJ01kmS2snU6xA1ULzfJkfWL1fBw8xkGvr6vS844_aem_2HK68SD-kVrCrmVrN3efCA]  This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. 👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. [https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Numbers-Insight-Long-Term-Coaching/dp/B0DPNCVG4H] Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:31 Force Plate  3-2-1 System 10:10 Force Plate and 5-0-5 Asymmetries 18:35 Individualized Approaches to Athlete Training 22:05 Creating Athlete Archetypes 26:24 Integrating Skill and Physical Profiling 30:38 Adapting Game Speed Systems for Basketball 35:34 Blending Basketball Skills with Movement Control 39:15 Integrating Sprinting and Change of Direction Training 52:30 Monitoring Performance and Adjusting Training 58:23 Balancing Skill and Strength Training 01:06:37 Building and Filtering Career Opportunities