A closer look at a Great Clinic and a High School with a purpose

Terri McMahan had had it with mediocrity in her sports program. As the athletic director for the Edmonds School District in Lynnwood, Washington, she was determined to take positive new steps to motivate her coaches and their athletes to achieve more. One of those steps was to have a BFS clinic at Lynnwood High. “I wanted to have a BFS clinic to improve the athletic program schoolwide,” says McMahan. The football program, in particular, had been struggling, going 0-20 for the past two seasons, due in part to having a high turnover of coaches, which affected the players’ off-season conditioning.

“I didn’t want to put up with another year in which a new coach had to come into a program with unmotivated kids who hadn’t had a solid strength and conditioning program in the off-season.” McMahan was familiar with BFS because it was used at nearby Ferndale High School in Ferndale, Washington, where McMahan had been hired in 1978, serving as both volleyball coach The athletes were broken up into smaller groups for more direct instruction.

Lynnwood High School Alderwood Middle School Football Forum Thursday, January 11, 2007 Lynnwood High School Commons 7:00 p.m. Interested parents/students from Lynnwood HS and Alderwood MS are invited to hear three successful high SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 11:30-4:30, LHS GYM FREE TO ALL LYNNWOOD STUDENTS GRADES 9-12 Current Athletic Participation Not Required STUDENTS, PLEASE ATTEND IF: - You currently play football school football coaches share stories of how they developed formerly unsuccessful programs into perennial contenders. The common denominator of these programs is a solid offsucceed with quality strength, conditioning, and performance training programs for almost three decades.

- You could play football - You have the ability to contribute season strength and conditioning program. Information on Join BFS Regional Director, Evan Ayres, and coaches from many of Lynnwood’s athletics programs for this fun and informative clinic.

- You want to be part of turning it around mented in late January at Lynnwood HS, for players in all sports programs, will also be presented.

Be part of this dedicated effort to make a school-wide difference for Lynnwood High School’s students and student-athletes.

LHS FOOTBALL: “BE PART OF IT”

Your involvement in this program will show your support and interest in building a foundation of pride, strength, and confidence for Lynnwood High School athletics; a united effort that can make a difference for many years to come.

Terri McMahan, Director of Athletics, Edmonds School District Panel Members John Gradwohl, Head Football Coach, Edmonds-Woodway High School Mark Stewart, Head Football Coach, Meadowdale High School Vic Randall, Athletic Director/Former Football Coach, Ferndale High School - BE PART OF SOMETHING BIG For Players and Coaches from all LHS Sports Programs 11:00 - 4:30 Lynnwood High School Gymnasium FOR YOU - YOUR SCHOOL - YOUR COMMUNITY SIGN UP TODAY with one of the following on-campus or winter sport individuals: Brett Warner, Jim McKinnon, After School Weight Room Program Begins - Time TBA Weight Room Coach: Dorian Manza Mike Fine, Landon Porter, Nate Cogdill, Jean Kellogg, Sharon Shaull, Steve Miranda, Jody Schauer.

This information has been sent to Lynnwood High School service area students in grades 7-11 and is not meant to discourage those currently involved in other fall sports from continuing with those sports. It is recognized that there are students who may be interested in football that are not currently taking part. These students are encouraged to attend the forum and consider taking part in offseason conditioning programs designed to improve strength and endurance. While the forum on January 11 is aimed at improving the football program, it is important to note that the BFS Clinic on January 27 is for coaches and players of all sports.

Coaches representing most sports at Lynnwood High School are training to become BFS certified coaches in a school-wide effort to improve all programs. Please join this effort by attending the football forum on January 11 and/or the BFS All-Programs Clinic on January 27.

Monday, January 29. Open 2:45 M-F with weight room See your school counselor to discuss taking BFS coach Dorian Manza; manzad@edmonds.wednet.edu programming through the PE Department this spring Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right. - Henry Ford LHS ATHLETICS: “BE PART OF IT”

District athletic director Terri McMahan promoted her “football forum” and BFS clinics with these professionally produced flyers.

Coach Ayres demonstrates the proper starting position for sprinter Cory Molina.

Soccer player Rosa Ascencio shows perfect form during the BFS hip flexor stretch.

Jerrica Kang and Abrianna Hill get ready to race during a sprinting drill.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION and athletic director. “The football program at Ferndale is a dominant program in our state, but it wasn’t always like that – not until our football coaches attended a BFS clinic in Salt Lake City. They came back excited about the experience and implemented the program with their athletes, so I was able to see firsthand how BFS can make poor programs better, and good programs great.” To champion the BFS cause for Lynnwood High School, McMahan put together a “football forum” for the school community with three top football coaches from her school district and BFS Clinician Evan Ayres. The coaches Get set, go! Kari Hella gets a fast start during this sprinting drill.

were John Gradwohl from EdmondsWoodway High School, Mark Stewart from Meadowdale High School, and Vic Randall, former head football coach at Ferndale. Each coach gave a 10-minute presentation about what it takes to have a successful athletic program. McMahan comments, “The point I was trying to make was that outstanding athletic programs didn’t start that way – that kids just don’t wake up one day and become great athletes in a successful program. It takes a solid foundation of hard work, especially with a sound off-season program in strength and agility training.”

After the forum, McMahan The BFS Experience The first day of the clinic, a Friday, was for the coaches, followed by a BFS clinic for the athletes on Saturday. “We had about 150 kids at the clinic, and the Monday immediately following the clinic I contracted Dorian Manza to be our BFS coach.” In addition, McMahan contracted to bring in Ayres once a Hold it! Coach Ayres times the BFS adductor stretch.

Over 150 athletes attended the clinic that Saturday. brought in Coach Ayres on January 27-28 for a two-day clinic. “I wanted to do something for our coaches and athletes that was very visual, but more importantly, I wanted to get the right type of strength and agility program for our athletes,” says McMahan.

Guest football and strength coach Ryan Sawyer tries the BFS calf stretch. week for the next two months to help with the program. “Evan is there to provide input by tweaking technique or teaching methodology. The kids really light up when Evan comes in – they really look forward to his visits.” The clinic was so successful that a few weeks later another school in McMahan’s district, EdmondsWoodway, held its own BFS clinic. “Now we have three schools in our district using the BFS program,” McMahan says, also pointing out that they are efficiently organized with the BFS “Beat the Computer” software.

As for what makes the BFS program work so effectively in her district, McMahan is clear: “The BFS program takes into consideration that our kids are multi-sport athletes and are in-season a good chunk of the time. I also like the way its workouts are organized and how they incorporate challenges, and I particularly appreciate the fact that the program is geared toward both male and female athletes.” And then there’s unification. “What you’ll see in many high schools is everybody is doing their own thing in terms of their conditioning programs,” says McMahan. “The problem is that very few coaches have an adequate background in strength and conditioning, and you end up with a ‘muddled’

approach to strength and conditioning. Over the last ten years we’ve seen a real mushrooming of schools hiring athletic trainers, and our school district was one of the frontrunners in this area. I’m looking forward to the time when funding can be found to have a fulltime certified strength and conditioning coordinator at every school.” The next step for McMahan is to hold a Be an 11 program in August. “We’re going to have the clinic for all the kids in our fall sports programs, and we are encouraging all the kids in the winter and spring sports to attend. It will be a very powerful way to kick off the school year!”

Basketball players Aaron Matzen and Spencer Hunsinger jumping high during this power clean drill.

The seminar lecture was reinforced by a powerful slide presentation.

Coach Nate Cogdill checks out Jared Bryant’s start position for the power clean.

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From BFS Magazine — May/June 2007. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).