By now, you are probably familiar with Donald Day. He has consistently written for elitefts.com for over a year and in November was introduced as the newest elitefts columnist. What you might not know is what led Don to this point in his career. In this video, Don walks through his career and explains how he has progressed to his current position as Assistant Strength Coach at Western Kentucky University.
Originally from Akron, Ohio, Don started lifting in middle school as an athlete, participating in both football and track and field. Strength came naturally to him as an athlete and through the coaching staff at his high school, he was introduced to many styles of training, powerlifting and strongman among them. Once he got to college at The University of Findlay, Don quickly bonded with his strength and conditioning coach, Chad Wagner, who became a father figure to him. Coach Wagner's guidance had a profound impact on Don and led him toward a career in strength and conditioning.
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After playing football at The University of Findlay, Don received a strength internship at Bowling Green State University. He then worked with The University of Akron through many positions, worked with Coach Todd Hamer at Robert Morris University, spent some time at American University in Washington DC, and finally moved into his current position working with football at Western Kentucky University.
In this video, Don walks through his growth as a strength and conditioning coach. He discusses lessons from each of the positions he has held and shares the names of several of the most influential people that have helped him in his career. He explains what he values most in a strength and conditioning program, and what expectations he puts on his athletes in the weight room. He then goes into detail about explosiveness and the influence that strength has on athletic performance.
Don also names the biggest mistakes that college strength coaches make, pointing out that many coaches try to have the athlete do too much too fast. Improving your athletes isn't about using all of the tools available — it's about using only the tools you need to get better. Don't be too cute. Stay simple. Stay basic. Know what you're training and why.
Good to hear of your success!
The Jones Family
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