Plisk replaces Rice as strength and conditioning coach

As students descend on New Haven for the fall, Yale Athletics welcomes several additions to the coaching staff. Two notable arrivals are Jack Siedlecki, making his debut as head of Eli football, and Christine Wilson, ES '83, returning to Yale women's crew in her new position.

The new head coach of strength and conditioning, Steve Plisk, assisted by veteran strength coach Russ DeRosa, will provide further support to varsity coaches in training their athletes. Plisk replaces former head strength coach Todd Rice, who left the department this summer.

The selection committee that chose Plisk included athletic administrators, training staff, and various coaches, among them Siedlecki himself. Siedlecki praised Plisk's extensive knowledge and presentation of conditioning concepts and routines.

"He gives you a reason for everything he wants you to do," Siedlecki said. In designing his training program, Plisk has taken care to consider the learning style of the athletes. He notes that he has taken a "training-smart approach. At Yale, kids are smart and learn to do things right."

Plisk came to New Haven in mid-July after a two-year stint at the University of Memphis. Before his work at Memphis, Plisk interned at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Plisk's two years with the Dartmouth athletics department gave him experience with Ivy League athletics. After the ice and isolation of New Hampshire, however, Plisk sought milder weather at James Madison University in Virginia. "I'm your typical coaching nomad," he said. Plisk chose to come to Yale because he felt that taking the position gave him "a chance to get back to the best conference in the country."

He believes that Ivy League athletes sustain an outstanding degree of commitment, since they all choose to compete at the varsity level despite the lack of athletic scholarships. This dedication presents coaches with "a better kind of person to work with," he said.

Although Plisk serves as the strength and conditioning coach for all varsity sports, co-workers call Plisk a real football-oriented man, and he works closely with Siedlecki. Currently, the football players are following a lifting regimen with Plisk and DeRosa for one hour several times a week in preparation for the season opener, and will continue to weight-train throughout the season.

Siedlecki's goal for his initial class of freshmen is to increase their strength during the off-season. "With the older guys, I'm really putting a big emphasis on maintaining strength throughout the season. Looking at the statistics, strength goes down. In football, this is a very hard thing to address," the coach said. The attrition is partly due to "the wear and tear of football," coupled with "academic pressures, missing a couple meals here and there."

He added that the strain from these factors contributes to injury risks. In addition to injury prevention, the coaches feel that strength training is imperative "in order to compete with the rest of the league...Ivy League football is a lot more competitive than lots of people think. With no post-season, every game means so much more. Plus, physical strength is a big part of the game. It would do some good to increase the size and strength of the guys and obtain better agility pound for pound, gain a little lean mass."

Along with working with the new football staff, Plisk has designed a new varsity weight room that will be built from scratch during renovations this year. The new facility will be twice the size of the existing one, combining fitness areas and the varsity strength training complex on the fourth floor of the gym. Plisk has already selected equipment for the new room and expects it to be "a more functional and versatile room," which will be better equipped to handle the "hordes of athletes" that use the facility.

In addition to Coach Siedlecki, many other Yale varsity coaches have planned extensive regimens with Plisk.

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