For the past 6 years all of my efforts had been focused on being the Director of Coaching Education for USA Weightlifting.
I’m eternally indebted to USA Weightlifting for giving me the opportunity to have this position as it was always my dream job. I truly enjoyed it and believe that we had an unprecedented success that continues today.
As great as it was it truly was a 24/7/365 experience and when my tenure ended, January 1st 2018, I took some substantial time off to reflect and consider my future. My club, Idaho Weightlifting, was for all intentions, dormant as only a few athletes could weather the storm of my constant and prolonged absences caused by my Director duties.
It was during this hiatus that USA Weightlifting contacted me and asked if I could make myself available to assist with their Summer Training Camps, Two at the Rogue Facility in Columbus Ohio and another two at the USOTC in Colorado Springs. It was during these camps that I realized that I am at my very best when I am actively working with athletes and coaches.
I decided that I needed to apply for a USA Weightlifting Community Development Site. This idea made perfect sense, at least to me. The experience I had garnered in over my tenure with USAW would be of little value if I just went back to my club. However if I could continue to represent and promote USA Weightlifting the outreach would, potentially, have a greater impact within our LWC and the surrounding area.
I approached Crown Barbell for a number of reasons. They were a new, up and coming club that had established a collaboration with 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Pole Vaulter Stacy Dragila and her, two time Olympian Discus Thrower, husband, Ian Walsh and their Vault Company. The facility was ideal for meeting the Community Development Site Requirements. After a serious conversation with Kevin Burke and Kris Foster that resulted with the 3 of us being of the Athletes First Cadre I was convinced that this was the very best way for me to return to ‘day to day’ coaching. Finally I found Kindred Spirts in the coaching approach used by Stacy and Ian, and that closed the circle of the Weightlifting/Sports Performance/Functional Fitness trifecta.
In October we were one of 76 applicants, nationwide and very fortunate to be among the 24 locations selected for 2019. The process included strict adherence to a series of requirements that needed to be completed by December 15th as well as an interview and a final review by a committee at the national office.
If you have read this far then you can just go to our Mission Statement on the Main Page and get the gist of how we plan to operate.
I say this with absolute sincerity. The USA Weightlifting Community Development Site is here to assist everyone in achieving their goals for 2019 and beyond.
Conroy