Elitefts SPP: Cory Schlesinger Interview

Cory Schlesinger

Assistant Director of Sports Enhancement for men's basketball

University of Alabama-Birmingham

Topics Covered in this Podcast

1.  The Nautilus Checklist
2. A Strength Coach at age 19
3. Intern to Director
4. The advantage of being an assistant
5. General and Foundational Strength
6. Noon ball to a new job
7. The Coyote Kettlebell Club with Dan John
8. Primal Movements - Motor Skills
9. Movement for Body Awareness
10. Complexes for multiple modalities
11. Assessments for basketball players
12. Joint by Joint from the ground up
13. Don't need to be a genius to see dysfunction
14. Modifications by height
15. Olympic Lifting Variations for taller players
16. Multiple squat variations
17. the Wingspan Phenomena; Training Spiders
18. Off-Season = Should be most variation
19. Changes in the culture of Basketball
20. Physicality can dictate the way players play
21. The beauty of the younger sport coach
22. The Southern culture in basketball
23. Players are not education and it's not their fault
24. Technology in sports performance
25. Technology reinforces what you already know
26. How weight training can turn into regeneration
27. Experience beats technology
28. Perceived maxes based on velocity: Fast and Smooth
29. Programming  strength training in-season
30. Off-Season Training
31. Linear periodization using RPE
32. Olympic Complex
33. Conditioning throw extensive complexes and sled work
34. Key to communications need to be transparent
35. Find the universal language
36. Mentoring
37. Learning how to learn
38. Identify how others learn
39. Feel to replicate
40. Give credit where credit is due
41. How to reach Cory.

The Cory Schlesinger File

Cory Schlesinger is an Assistant Director of Sports Enhancement to work with the Blazers' men's basketball program along with the men's golf program.

"Coming to UAB is a dream job and it is a destination," Schlesinger said. "Mainly because I get to work specifically with Coach Jerod Haase. I believe in Coach Haase, and I believe that he will win and win at a high level."

Schlesinger served a pair of internships at the University of North Carolina, in 2008 and 2009, while Haase was an assistant coach on Roy Williams' staff with the Tar Heels.

“Cory’s knowledge for strength and conditioning is something that I love,” Haase said. “He is always trying to learn and grow as a coach, but what he brings with his knowledge is what already really sets him apart from others. He is young and energetic like the rest of our staff and will fit right in.  We have a chance to be really good in a lot of different ways and I think strength and conditioning is in good shape.”

Schlesinger plans to not only get the Blazers' men's basketball players in best possible shape for the upcoming 2013-14 campaign, but also have their bodies ready for the long, grueling season.

"One of my major goals is to impact the team in the offseason but also in season, when traveling with the team on the road," Schlesinger said. "Whether it be training, nutrition, supplementation or regeneration sessions, I want the guys recovered and ready for the next game."

Schlesinger, a native of Hillsville, Va., spent the last three years as Director of Strength and Conditioning at Santa Clara University, working with student-athletes on the men's and women's basketball teams.

Prior to joining the staff at Santa Clara, Schlesinger spent time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. In addition, he was a sports nutritionist for the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) along with being a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and also earned certification in United States Weightlifting.

Schlesinger earned his master's degree in education with a concentration in exercise science at Campbell University in 2011. During his time as a graduate assistant, he worked with the volleyball, men's soccer, swimming and diving, golf and tennis programs, while also assisting with football.

A former basketball player at Berea College in Berea, Ky., Schlesinger graduated with a bachelor of arts in physical education with a concentration in exercise science and sports medicine in 2009. During his time as an undergraduate, Schlesinger completed a pair of internships at Wake Forest in 2007 under strength coach Ethan Reeve and a pair of internships at North Carolina in 2008 and 2009.

At UNC he worked under strength coach Jonas Sahratian where he helped train the men's basketball team.

"None of my experiences and I would not be where I am at today without Coach Jonas Sahratian," Schlesinger said. "He's my mentor and biggest influence and I owe everything to him for helping and guiding me."

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