A look at the BFS Clinicians who are showing Coaches and Athletes how to train smart

When Dr. Greg Shepard founded BFS in 1976, being the only employee he was obviously the only clinician. But that situation changed quickly. In 1983 the company incorporated, and by then the number of clinicians had increased to a dozen. Now, with BFS presenting more than 400 seminars a year, BFS has 30 active clinicians, with another dozen in training. With few exceptions, such as teachers who have recently retired, BFS clinicians are high school coaches, many with master’s degrees, and certified teachers.

Becoming a BFS clinician is not an easy task; it requires not just extensive academic and coaching experience but also up to a two-year mentoring program. Few coaching seminar programs demand so much from their representatives, but the result is that we have assembled a group of clinicians who are second to none. Because most of our clinicians are active coaches, we often carry articles about their success in BFS magazine. This issue, for example, we are running a feature on Jeff Scurran, who took over a struggling football program at Santa Rita High School and won three playoff games. And next issue we’ll carry an article about Ray Cosenza’s success in the playoffs.

At BFS, we believe all our clinicians are special, so we are devoting the next few pages to introduce you to our current clinician staff. Hopefully, you will soon be able to see one of them in action at your school. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 ALABAMA Lance Neven, Southeast Director Montgomery, AL When he was 22 years old, Coach Neven was the youngest high school head coach in Alabama. He was on the Auburn High School strength and conditioning staff for 1988-89, and the following year he was a strength coach at UMS-Wright. He has been coaching the BFS program since 1986. “Our motto in the Southeast is ‘Leave it ALL on the field,’” says Neven.

“And at BFS we are going to give it everything we’ve got, each and every day, to help communities, schools, coaches and especially the athletes to win.”

ARIZONA Jeff Scurran, Clinician/Sales Rep Tucson, AZ Coach Scurran has turned around six losing programs and put them into playoffs within his second year. He coached Tucson’s Sabino High School, in Tucson, Arizona, to the 1990, 1992 and 1998 Arizona State Championship; all three teams were nationally ranked. He also coached Pima College to a #5 national ranking and a major bowl upset win. In 2007 he took over a 0-10 Santa Rita High School and went 11-2 and a trip to the state semi-finals.

ARKANSAS P.J. Brown, Clinician/Sales Rep Bentonville, AR Coach Brown teaches health and coaches track and cross-country at Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas. He has a master’s degree in teaching and is five-time, All SEC Track and Field at University of Arkansas. BFS is a family tradition with the Browns, and P.J. began demonstrating advanced drills when he was in fourth grade to show athletes that it can be done. His formula for success? “You should always set your goals high and demand perfection.”

Randy Walker, Clinician/Sales Rep Benton, AR Coach Walker played college baseball and has a degree in communication arts. He has spoken to over 300,000 students and business leaders and learned about BFS after meeting P.J. Brown. Asked why he is so enthusiastic about doing BFS clinics, Walker replied, “BFS has a great commitment to doing what is right, promoting the team concept and helping athletes positively.”

COLORADO Bob Bozied, Clinician/Sales Rep Westminster, CO Coach Bozied is currently the head football coach at W.C. Hinkley High School in Colorado. He has coached football in five states and has been using the BFS program for the last 13 years. He was named Coach of the Year in Colorado at Adams City High School and at Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota. At the college level, Bozied was an assistant coach at Augustana College for seven years, a team that earned two Division II playoff appearances. Patti Hagemeyer, Clinician/Sales Rep Arvada, CO Coach Hagemeyer is the assistant principal and former head volleyball coach at Arvada High School in Arvada, Colorado.

Her team was district champions in 1997 and league champions in 1996, 1998 and 2001, years that she also won the Coach of the Year award. At the college level, Hagemeyer was the head volleyball coach at Southern Illinois University and Kansas State University and was an assistant volleyball coach at Washington State University, Florida State University and the University of Notre Dame.

FLORIDA Len Walencikowski, Clinician/Sales Rep, Miami, FL Coach Walencikowski is one of BFS’s most prolific clinicians, having given more than 150 clinics. He has a master’s degree in physical education and is a coach at Miami South Ridge High School in Miami, Florida. In 2004 he was awarded the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society’s High School Strength Coach of the Year. Eighteen of his athletes went on to play in the NFL. Says Walencikowski about his work with BFS, “The rush you get after doing a clinic is the same rush you get on game day as a player or a coach.”

GEORGIA Steve Price, Clinician/Sales Rep Dublin, GA Coach Price is a teacher and coach at Trinity Christian School in Dublin, Georgia. He has a master’s degree in kinesiology and health science. He started using BFS in 1995, and in 2004 and 2006 was the GISA Georgia State Football Coach of the Year. Price says he is enthusiastic about BFS clinics because “it is a life-changing experience for the participants.” Rick Tomberlin, Clinician/Sales Rep Sandersville, GA Coach Tomberlin is the 14th head football coach at Valdosta High School in Valdosta, Georgia, one of the most successful football programs in the country.

Tomberlin was the head coach at Washington County High School in Washington County, Georgia, where he had more than 200 career wins and three state championships. Several of his athletes, including Takeo Spikes, went on to play in the NFL; and more than 30 of them earned college scholarships.

Jeff Sellers, Midwest Director, Director of BFS Nutrition, Fort Branch, IN Coach Sellers is currently the director of BFS Midwest Office and the BFS Nutritional Team. He was the strength and conditioning coach at the University of Evansville from 1990 to 2000 and has trained more than 3,000 athletes, male and female, in 15 different sports. Sellers also coached the University of Evansville powerlifting team to back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995. As an athlete, Sellers won the 1987 IPF Powerlifting World Championship and was a world record holder in the squat.

Mike Glennie, Clinician/Sales Rep Saline, MI Coach Glennie is the head football coach at Saline High School in Saline, Michigan. He took a program that was 0-45 in five years to 26 consecutive wins and three region final appearances. He has master’s degrees in physical education and athletic administration from Central Michigan University. Says Glennie, “Young athletes are very impressionable, and BFS is an amazing outreach program for young athletes.”

Mandy Eddy, Clinician/Sales Rep Poplar Bluff, MO Coach Eddy has been doing the BFS program for 18 years and is featured in the BFS Total Program for Women. She has a BS in health management and is a certified athletic trainer. Eddy has given BFS clinics for 14 years and has been a strength coach for Three Rivers Community College. She is currently working at Ozark Physical Therapy in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Tom Wilson, Clinician/Sales Rep West Des Moines, IA Coach Wilson was named Athlete of the Year in high school and went on to earn a master’s degree in physical education and athletics. He is the head football coach and weight training coordinator at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. He started using BFS with his athletes in 1990.

Doug Ekmark, Clinician/Sales Rep Cottage Grove, MN Coach Ekmark has a history of turning programs around and developing winning traditions – fast. He averaged eight wins a year at Park High School in Park City, Minnesota, as their head football coach. He was a head football coach at Northern State University in South Dakota and head football coach at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. Ekmark has a master’s degree and has been doing BFS for 30 years.

Bobby Poss, Clinician/Sales Rep Asheville, NC Coach Poss has been a head football coach for 30 years. He led three different 4A high schools to state titles, won 12 conference championships and was in the playoffs 16 times. He was the South Region Coach of the Year in 2000 and the North Carolina Coach of the Year in 1989, 1991, 1999 and 2001. Poss was the Shrine Bowl head coach in 1998. He has a master’s degree from Indiana State University.

KENTUCKY Tom Sullivan, Clinician/Sales Rep, Lebanon, KY Coach Sullivan is a PE teacher at Marion County High School in Lebanon, Kentucky. He was the former head football coach at Anderson County High School in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. He has given 20 BFS clinics.

MASSACHUSETTS Ray Cosenza, Clinician/Sales Rep, Fitchburg, MA Coach Cosenza is the athletic director and head football coach at Fitchburg High School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. His record at Fitchburg High includes nine Super Bowl appearances, six league championships, and three state Division 1 Super Bowl championships. He has master’s degrees in counseling and psychology. He played professional baseball for four years and coached varsity baseball for 15 years. He has been using the BSF program since 1991.

MISSOURI Jim Brown, Clinician/National Sales Rep Poplar Bluff, MO Coach Brown has been using BFS since 1981 and started doing clinics in 1987, and has given more than 600 of them. He continues to feel enthusiastic about doing BFS clinics because they still work and athletes still need help. He has been a teacher and strength coach at Poplar Bluff High School in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, for 19 years. His most notable athletic achievement was training Missouri’s Football and Basketball Gatorade Athlete of the Year for 2000, 2005 and 2006. The advice Brown would give to other coaches about working with young athletes is to never waiver from the Six Absolutes.

OHIO Bob Doyle, Clinician/Sales Rep Chardon, OH Coach Doyle was a coach at Hiram College for seven years and has been a coach at Chardon High School for 22 years. He has a master’s degree in sport psychology and has given more than 100 BFS clinics. His son, Bobby, currently plays football for the Naval Academy. Doyle believes that what sets the BFS program apart is the set-rep system because “BFS gets athletes hooked on breaking records.” JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 OREGON Roger Freeborn, BFS Maxcast Network Director Estacada, OR Coach Freeborn is a BFS veteran with more than 30 years of service.

He has coached football conference championship teams in six states and has more than 30 years of coaching experience. His seven-year record in Oregon was 63-11, with six conference championships, six playoff appearances and one state championship. Roger’s skills turned a 9-20 team into 23-5, two-time conference champions. Freeborn has a master’s degree in leadership and is an expert in motivational psychology. He has coached boys and girls track and basketball, boys baseball, softball and wrestling; he was also the strength coach for track national champion Christy Ward.

UTAH Rick Bojak, Clinician/Convention Manager West Jordan, UT Coach Bojak has coached at Weber State University for a year, the University of Utah for two years, Southern Utah University for three years, Brighton High School for ten years, Jordan High School for 10 years, and Riverton High School for five years. Coach Bojak has an MS degree in physical education and psychology and was an All-American in college. Bojak has given more than 150 BFS clinics. He coached in three football state championship games, won a state title in tennis as a coach, and was Utah Teacher of the Year in 1995.

Doug Kaufusi, Clinician/Sales Rep Holladay, Utah Coach Kaufusi graduated with a BS degree in sociology from the University of Utah, where he played football. He has coached at Olympus High School in Salt Lake City and has given more than a dozen BFS clinics. Kaufusi says he enjoys giving clinics because he likes working with young athletes and “because the BFS program is simple and it works.” Kaufusi is married to BFS president Bob Rowbotham’s daughter, Amy, and they have one child.

Bob Rowbotham, BFS President Coach Bob Rowbotham has been with BFS since 1979. He was a highly successful high school wrestling and football coach in Minnesota, and he was a strength and conditioning consultant for the Utah Jazz from 1983 to 1997. Rowbotham has given clinics in all 50 states and has a master’s degree in education. John Rowbotham, BFS Vice President and Sales Manager, Certification and Clinic Coordinator Holladay, UT Coach John Rowbotham is a former assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Utah, working primarily with football and baseball.

He played safety for the University of Utah in 2000, being named Special Teams Most Inspirational Player, then transferred to Pacific Lutheran University, where he played for two years and again received the award for Team Most Inspirational Player. Rowbotham also worked as a head strength coach at two high schools. Dr. Greg Shepard, CEO/Founder BFS Salt Lake City, UT The developer of the BFS Total Program, Coach Shepard has given more than 500 BFS clinics in 50 states. He was the strength coach of the Utah Jazz from 1981 to 1997. He was a strength coach at Oregon State, the University of Oregon and Brigham Young.

As a high school football coach, he turned around two high schools with previous winless records into instant champions. Shepard has a doctorate in exercise physiology from BYU.

VIRGINIA Eric Gobble, Clinician/Sales Rep Richmond, VA Coach Gobble made the transition from law (he has a Jurist Doctor degree from Temple University) to coach. He played football at William and Mary. Gobble first learned about BFS from his brother-in-law, who was a high school coach in Florida. His brother helped convinced him to change careers: “He gave me the BFS Total Program book and told me it was a necessity.” He is now the head football coach at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia.

WASHINGTON Evan Ayres, West Coast Director Lynden, WA Coach Ayres’ most notable athletic achievements are in football and track at Central Washington University, where he became a national champion and honorable mention All-American in football. Ayres was the assistant strength coach at the University of Arizona from 1999 to 2000, and he was the offensive and defensive line coach for Shorecrest High School in Shoreline, Washington, from 2002 to 2003. Ayres has given more than 100 clinics, and he started training on the BFS program himself when he was in eighth grade.

Some goals Ayres has set for himself are to provide the most enjoyable life possible for his family and to do a BFS clinic in all 50 states.

WISCONSIN Erich Mach, Clinician/Sales Rep Necedah, WI Coach Mach has a BS in education and has been using BFS since 1996. He is a teacher and the head football coach at Necedah High School in Necedah, Wisconsin. Mach has coached four consecutive WHSPA powerlifting championships. He has been using BFS since 1996 and was enthusiastic about passing all the stringent qualifications to be a clinician. “It’s a way to pass forward the knowledge that was passed to me over the years.”

TOTAL PROGRAM CLINIC The complete BFS experience: All athletes and coaches receive hands-on training, and the inspirational Be An 11 Seminar.

Achieve your goals!

Make Bigger & Faster gains!

2 Day Clinic & Be an 11 Seminar FEES: 2 Day Clinic $1950 (up to 50 athletes). Additional athletes only $25 each. Be an 11 Seminar: $15 per athlete “The new BFS Total Program Clinic is a life-changing experience!”

• The complete BFS program • Taught by some of the most successful coaches in America • Hands-on training in Strength and Conditioning w/ 1-Day 1 Day Clinic 2 Day Clinic $Be an 11 + $15/student 1600 $1950 $1600 No minimum number of students. Up to 50 athletes. Addl athletes add $25 each Any number of athletes may attend Certification Clinic Regional Certification Course, 1 Day, Hands on Practicum and Written Exam & Theory Course, 1 Day, Hands on Practicum and Written Exam Be an 11 Seminar $1400 Up to 50 athletes.

Add’l athletes add $15 each DEDICATED TO HELPING ATHLETES SUCCEED SINCE 1976 .UDQ,HKKHNM2NKC ear y 1 s t tion s c a L u r t • s n I d an e u q i n , h s c e e m i t •T , s p , re s t e s d r o c e r o m • Re & s d cor e r n e k o r b ogbooks L m o t s u C • inimum) m 0 0 1 ( ch $5.50 ea 1:$4.00 • 2-9:$3.00 ea • 10-25:$2.50 ea KE D Pr od uc ts. ar e TR AD EM AR rti al fo rm .

s an d vi de os pa ok in bo or s, ll rd fu ca es e ite m s in BF S se t re p re pr od uc e th It is ill eg al to 1D@CHMDRR 2DSR1DOR 1DBNQC"@QCR !NNJ"@QCR ¢ 5'2NQ#5# Min 50 • 100 pack $79 / 50 pack $39.50 • Keeps 16 weeks of records • Black, Blue, Green or Red • Other colors available for only $1.00 each (100 min.) • Printed on sturdy card stock The BFS Readiness Program was designed by BFS for junior high school athletes. The emphasis is on the technique of each lift. When athletes achieve the graduation standards, they are ready to move on to the BFS Set-Rep Program.

• See how to record lifts correctly and track progress • Watch how to break 8 or more records every week! • 63 minutes of instruction on sets & reps BFS Sets & Reps DVD #322039 or VHS #322139 BFS set rep cards, books and videos are TRADEMARKED Products. It is illegal to reproduce these items in full or in partial form.

From BFS Magazine — January/February 2008. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).