Topic
Be An 11.
36 articles
The BFS Magazine archive holds 36 articles on Be An 11, published from 2015 to 2022 — coaching how-tos, athlete profiles, and program stories drawn from five decades of the magazine.
Recurring themes include weight room, training, total program, and certification. Coaches and writers featured here include Steve Kinslow, Amy Kaufusi, and Sara Rowbothaam. Every story is free — read it online or open the original magazine layout as a PDF.
Join BFS President and CEO John Rowbotham as he appears on the BCPS health & physical education podcast.
Justin O'Brien, BCPS Supervisor Physical Education, hosts this wide-ranging interview which covers many aspects of the BFS Total Program. From safety first and respect for budget constraints, to commitment to physical development as a lifelong tool and skill for all growing bodies and NOT just for athletes.
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Jersey Shore: From 0-10 to District Champions
Jersey Shore High is a Class AAA school in North Central Pennsylvania. In 2012 the team was 0-10, and the season could not have been considered a rebuilding year, as the Bulldogs had only won a total of five games in the past five years and had not won a district title since 1997. However, Gravish believed his team had a shot at the district title because his team had many athletes returning from the previous team, possessed a good worth ethic, and were motivated by the fact that no one. except for the Bulldog coaching staff. Coach Gravish, says that one aspect of the BFS program that he particularly likes is that it instills accountability among the players and helps them set performance goals every time they step foot in the weightroom. Jackson especially likes the BFS focus on striving to set personal records with every workout, as well as the fact that BFS is not a “football specific” workout but one that works for all types of athletes.
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CJ Cummings: Making America Strong Again!
The United States has not had an Olympic champion in men’s weightlifting since 1960, when Charles Vinci won gold in the 123-pound bodyweight class. In Toyoko, our medal drought may end when Clarence “CJ” Cummings steps on the platform. Going into the Olympics, CJ Cummings is currently ranked fifth in the world, only 8 pounds off of the #2 ranking. On July 29th, CJ will be showing America’s best at the Tokyo International Forum – be sure to tune in!
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From Ohio to Arizona: A BFS Success Story
As the Centennial Coyotes football team celebrated its 5th state championship in November 2015, many people could not remember a time that Centennial was not a football powerhouse. Centennial, led by Coach Richard Taylor, had just competed in its 8th state championship game since 2005. However, this run of success seemed like a dream in the early years of the program.
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It Takes a Team!
A BFS weight room installation at Mountain Ridge High School is an opportunity for the school to come together and get invested in their own success. With sports teams and PE classes assisting the BFS installation crew the whole process was a fun time and great for team building. BFS has the equipment and the consulting experience to do the same for your school. Let our 40 plus years of working closely with high schools assist you in developing your dream weight room and training facility. From concept to completion - design to execution - BFS has the answers. 1-800-628-9737
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A Common Thread in Wisconsin’s Middle Border Conference
Seven of the past eight years a Middle Border Conference School has played for the Division IV State Championship. Not a bad track record, but why are these schools so successful? One consideration is the style of offense. All of these offenses are run orientated with limited passing. The defenses are premised on stopping the run first and many athletes play both ways. With that said the other common denominator is, they all use is the Bigger Faster Stronger Total Program.
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Experience and Execution at Mountain Ridge High School
A BFS weight room installation at Mountain Ridge High School is an opportunity for the school to come together and get invested in their own success. With sports teams and PE classes assisting the BFS installation crew the whole process was a fun time and great for team building.
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Playing Up!
“We may not be able to pick the best athletes to come into our athletic program, but weight training is one of the things we have power over and we maximize that. We also come for the perspective that if you work hard you’re not only helping your team but helping your teammates. We want to give a positive experience and we want to produce quality members of society when they get out of Athens High School.”
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Board Spotlight: Anne Shadle Goes the Distance
It was while attending South Sioux City High School in South Sioux City, Nebraska, that Shadle learned about the BFS Total Program. “A BFS clinician came to our school, set up our weight room, and taught our coaching staff how to implement the program,” says Shadle. “I liked the BFS program and thought it helped me stay healthy and set up a strong structural foundation for my future athletic career. Distance runners often have reservations about lifting weights, but this wasn’t the case with Shadle’s high school coaches. “The message I got from my coaches was that performance is all about the strength-to-weight ratio. It was important to be structurally strong and fast.” She says that not only did the BFS program fulfill her goals of being a faster and stronger runner, but also helped keep her injury-free. “Strength training for a distance runner is much more than just strengthening bones,” says Shadle.
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Stay the Course with BFS
In college sometimes the stars align over a team of gifted athletes who demonstrate that “talent prevails”. At the high school level the playing field is more even, as schools are categorized according to the size of the student body. Another major difference is that most athletes at the high school level are multisport athletes – with the result that the strength and conditioning programs used at the college level (which are characterized by long off-seasons) are not practical in grades 9-12. Further, training methods that are appropriate at the high school level may not be appropriate at the middle school or even elementary school level. BFS understands these differences...
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BFS Impacts Generations at Southwest Middle School
Southwest Middle School in Searcy, Arkansas was named "Best of the Best" for 2018 by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and looks to raise their goals even higher in 2019. Principal Carrie Parsley has welcomed teachers and staff back to school with a message from BFS that inspires everyone, from students to educators, to be the best they can be!
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District Wide Commitment
In this video LT Erickson Ph.D., Twin Falls School District, Secondary Programs Director explains how incorporating the BFS Total Program and Weight Room Safety Certification give the students in his district the best opportunity to reach their full potential.
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Team Goals and the BFS Total Program
The BFS Total Program is a time tested program for schools and students of all ages. With this program, incremental gains are set out in a self-driven system of keeping and breaking records.
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Culture Shock!
When Coach Jessen at Piute High School was looking to change the culture of his school's athletics he did what many coaches and athletic directors do. He looked at upgrading his facility. But equipment is just a great FIRST step. Really changing the attitude of teams also takes a Total Program that gets all students and athletes involved and excited about physical development and physic
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WIN AS ONE! Newcomb High School Skyhawks
The Skyhawks are SoaringNewcomb High School in New Mexico is part of the Central Consolidated School district in the four corners region of New Mexico. Through the district’s commitment to improving facilities for students and athletes, all three high schools and three middle schools were introduced to the BFS Total Program and equipped with new, highly functional weight rooms. Newcomb High School is the smallest high school in the district but the Skyhawks are proving to have unrivaled heart and character.
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Steps to Success at Siloam Springs High
There are four assumptions you can make about athletes at Siloam Springs High School: 1) You are attending an outstanding academic institution, 2) Your coaches are dedicated to helping you fulfill your athletic potential, and 3) You are participating in a strength and conditioning program designed to work all aspects of athletic fitness, and 4) You are used to winning. Siloam Springs High School athletes fulfill the definition of student-athlete. They excel in sports and in the classroom, and their example makes us feel good about our future.
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How NFL High School Coach-of-the-Year Bruce Larson developed a winning tradition
I don’t believe that I’ll ever forget my first conversation with Somerset’s Head Football Coach Bruce Larson back in 2002. Coach Larson’s message to me was clear and precise; Somerset High School was mired in mediocrity. Despite his efforts to change things, the community was OK with the status quo and the school wasn’t willing to make a large investment in a radical change. Larson convinced me that the plan I laid out for his school would be followed and he was willing to put himself on the line to get it done. His sincerity and willingness to learn the BFS System convinced me to work out a spring clinic...
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Jim Brown - BFS Legend
Coach Jim Brown is a man on a mission. He is working tirelessly to help as many kids, students, and athletes as he can. His impact has stretched across 40 years. Since he first began implementing the BFS Total Program to his students in 1978 Coach Brown has recognized the value of a clear and consistent program that all students and athletes can run. Either for sports or physical education classes.
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Leadership and Life
At BFS we are committed to helping coaches reach their full potential. We are pleased to bring you this powerful multi-part interview with D1 head coach Brian Holman.
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The Winning Room
Bangor High School wanted to promote the idea that they were a total program, and for this reason, decided not to call their strength and conditioning facility a weight room, but a “Winning Room!” Mary Spade, assistant principal and athletic director at Bangor says, “We had had BFS at Bangor before I came here, but we kind of got away from it, so I decided to bring BFS back.” That decision started with a two-day WRSC Certification and Total Program clinic.
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20 Sports, 1 Team at Jeffersonville High
By Carlos Molina. Most people don’t associate weight training with swimming, but they share a connection. The JHS Swim Team supplements their swimming practices with pumping iron to increase speed, strength, power, and reduce the risk of injuries.
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BFS ROCKS SWEDEN
BFS is once again traveling to Sweden to work with their American Football program. BFS President John Rowbotham is excited to reconnect with his coaching colleagues in Europe and bring the BFS Total Program to a new generation of Swedish players. Catch up on previous international impacts from BFS with this 2012 Article from the BFS Archives!
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Family Man, Teacher, Coach, Friend: Remembering Rick Bojak
Since our early years, BFS magazine has featured many articles sharing the wisdom and accomplishments of BFS Clinician Rick Bojak. Bojak was a class act who inspired countless young men and women to succeed in not just sports, but academics. Rick passed away on Friday, May 12, 2017. To get an idea of the lives this amazing man has touched and changed for the better, consider these tributes:
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BFS Professional Development Can Make A Difference In Your Career, Your School, And Your District
Young bodies are growing and maturing and PE classes are where students can learn how much their bodies are capable of. In PE, and in school athletics, lessons in health and self-esteem are taught and BFS is a part of that. BFS is committed to strength, conditioning and agility training for your students. Bringing in a Professional Development Day can change the trajectory of many PE teachers relationship with the weight room.
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BFS Impacts Large and Small Districts Across the Country
BFS is a company founded and built by teachers and coaches, for teachers and coaches. The BFS Total Program is a training program that came into existence to solve the problem of unifying training for sports and physical education students. The original coaches of BFS were inspired by track and field athletes who used the weight room to run faster, throw further and leap higher - all skills that are essential to excelling in most other sports. So the Total Program was born to bring these development and training techniques to the entire student body.
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The Squat in 2017
Because the squat was such a controversial exercise at the time BFS opened its doors in 1976, almost every article that appeared in BFS magazine about the squat included a section about how it could help prevent injuries, not cause them, and improve athletic performance. The BFS founder and his team of clinicians also took our message on the road, each year giving hundreds of clinics at schools and athletic training facilities promoting the value of squats.
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Five Things You Probably Didn't Know About BFS!
With over 41 years in the business, BFS has established itself as the leader in athletic and physical fitness training. We've not only shared our message through our magazine, website, and social media outlets, but our clinicians have given nearly 20,000 hands-on total program clinics, coaching certifications, and character education seminars. Despite this exposure, there are a few unique aspects of BFS that many people may not know about. Here are five of them: Read more
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Spanning Generations with Sean Waxman
BFS had a great weekend at FitCon Utah's St George edition. At events like these we are often approached by people who come through the BFS program and have great stories to tell. (After 40 years of making an impact across the country there are a lot of stories tell!) This event was no exception.
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BFS on the Road - Professional Development in New York Public Schools!
Working with New York City Public Schools this month has been an awesome experience for BFS. Our all new Professional Development seminars have really been making an impact across the largest school district in the country. Many PE teachers and administrators have hailed the day as one of the most fruitful seminars they have ever attended.
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BFS on the Road in Aledo Texas!
BFS Clinician JIm Brown is on the road again. BFS Clinicians are privileged to travel around the country and help athletes students and coaches reach their full potential. On these journeys we get to meet with some of the brightest and best influencers in athletics.
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BFS Whats Happening
The BFS Total Program is a comprehensive system with one goal. To help young people be the best they can be in athletics, in academics, and in life. In this issue of BFS Magazine, we have assembled articles for the archives to help you get started!
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Bob Rowbotham’s Tradition of Excellence
40 Years Strong In 1979 Bob Rowbotham joined the Bigger Faster Stronger team as a clinician, and eventually took over the company as president and later CEO. Although there have been many advances in the fields of athletic and physical fitness since BFS headquarters opened its doors, the principles BFS was founded on have not changed. Coach Rowbotham has made certain of that.
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BFS Leadership Program Exposes Young Leaders to Top Coaches in Athletics and Sports Science
In the first week of November, BFS hosted our Leadership Program which exposes top students and athletes to real-world applications of leadership. Coach Kyle Fiat and Athletic Director Rich Reed from Dulaney High School in Maryland, accompanied four leaders from the Lion's Lacrosse program to Salt Lake City to learn from top coaches and researchers in the world athletics.
Read40 Years and Growing Stronger
There is no shortage of social media outlets that promise you the best athletic training system for young athletes. There are good programs, and there are some that are…well, not so good. What separates BFS from all of them is our 40-year history of success. That’s right – four decades!
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3 Minutes on why 45 Years of BFS Means Success For You!
Breakout! The Championship Camp begins with a "coaches only" breakout session to get the staff up to speed on how the Total Program provides results through record keeping and goal setting. Then the student-athletes get two days of coaching and education on correct lifting, speed, plyometrics, all the while breaking personal records every week!
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