Travis Lombardozzi (Strength Coach) and Jim Kovi (Athletic Director) from Brunswick High School in Northern Ohio gave a standout presentation at the January 2025 NHSSCA Ohio Conference at Upper Arlington HS. They’ve generously allowed us to share their insights in article form to help other schools build Strength & Conditioning programs that are fully integrated with their district and athletic department.

Summary of Brunswick Program

A large suburban school district serving 3,200 students in grades 6-12, with a thriving athletic program of 1,500 student-athletes across 27 varsity sports. The school's 4,000 sq. ft. training facility sees 250-600 athletes daily, supporting both in-season and off-season development. Strength training is integrated into the curriculum with six weightlifting classes scheduled throughout the school day, ensuring consistent training opportunities for student-athletes of all levels.

Physical Education Classes, PE 9 and PE 10 Credit. 

Before and After School Team Focused Training

Individual Team Training Focus

Majority of the athletes use the weight room after school. This will change in 2027.

The Middle School Program offers youth camps for 6th-8th graders, providing a structured introduction to strength and athletic development. These camps serve as a crucial on-ramp into the high school training system, ensuring a smooth transition into integrated team training. By building foundational movement skills, strength, and confidence early, young athletes are better prepared to excel in high school sports and long-term athletic development.

Athletic Director Jim Kovi's perspective as a heath and physical education teacher, person trainer and athletic director.

Buy-in is everything. There’s a direct correlation between the growth of your program and the commitment of all coaches to Strength & Conditioning. A shared vision—built through collaboration and input from each coach—creates alignment across all teams. To drive buy-in, consistently demonstrate the benefits of S&C, showing how it impacts performance, durability, and team success. Regular End-of-Season (EOS) meetings provide an opportunity to review progress, gather feedback, and refine training strategies to ensure continued growth.

The Strength & Conditioning Coach holds the most unique and impactful role within the athletic department, carrying the Head Coach title while serving as the most valuable assistant coach for 27 different programs. The most effective approach? "I’m your most valuable assistant coach." By supporting every sport with a unified training philosophy, S&C enhances performance, durability, and team culture, making a direct impact on the success of every program.

Starting From Scratch

Show them that you are qualified.

• Ask to run groups/volunteer

• Collect Data

• Get Certifications-HSSCC- CSCS- USAW

Keep an open door policy

Build Relationships with:

• Sport Coaches and AD

• Teacher Union

• Superintendent/Principals

• Curriculum Director

• Business Manager

Have Solutions and Answers For Admin

• How will you manage large groups?

• How will you assess?

• What does differentiation look like in this setting? 

• How will this benefit the school district? 

• What are the mental health benefits?

How it Grew

Made and impact and coaches vouched for me> took responsibility off coaches and class opens more time for practice> weight room becomes a non-negotiable for athletic department> students advocate and enrollment increases (female)> Align the weight room with districts "portrait of a graduate"> Weight class approved for PE credit. Enrollment skyrockets> New school with new weight room opens in 2027.

Teambuilder Questionnaire

Utilizing Teambuilder Questionnaire to collect Data, change the thought process on what this data can do for us. 

Questions

• How many hours did you sleep last night?

• How sore are you?
  What is your motivation level?

• What is your stress level? 

• How Fatigued Are you?

• How is your mood today?

• I feel that exercises has positively impacted my mental health

• I feel that exercises has a positive impact on my academics

Utilizing TeamBuildr Questionnaire to Collect Data

1. Movement Performance Describe at least three strategic and/or tactical requirements for successful performance in the exercise.

2.  Progression Explain how at least two exercises in the movement progression chart are similar, transfer to another activity, or accomplish a similar outcome.

3. Critical Features Provide a description of the critical features of the exercise and the biomechanical principles that impact performance (e.g., force, stability, angles, rotation).

4.   Evaluation (GOATA) Conduct a pre/post combine analysis detailing the strengths and weaknesses of personal performance.

5. Tactics Apply biomechanical principles, knowledge of critical features, coaching cues, progression, and regressions to describe how to improve movement performance or quality

Athlete & Coaches Buy-in

 CAN’T FORCE BUY-IN

• Comes from the leadership

•  Reassurance to all coaches

• Finger on the pulse of program cohesion Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT)

•  Representation from all sports district-wide

Leadership Council

• Representation from grades 9-12

•  Planning, meetings, activities

Ironman Club Accountability System

• API - Athletic Performance Index Attendance

• Multi-sport participation

One sport coach must be in the weight room

• Helps with instruction

• What's important to the coach becomes important to the players

Where does the money come from? 

Short and long terms needs inventory

1. Athletic budget vs Education, weight room is a "classroom". Benefits all sports and students alike. Equipment for the Athletic Training Staff is important.

2. Fundraisers and Team Contributions

3. Attend Booster Meetings and Talk about the program

Where money comes from

• Federal Grants-Ipad and Teambuildr

• Classroom/Instructions Funds

• Fundraising/Spirit Wear/Lift-A-Thon

• BSN Refund Money

• The Brunswick Athletic Foundation BAF Boosters

Leading by example is crucial. Athletes are more likely to buy in when they see that you can perform the movements you're coaching. A proper demonstration not only accelerates their learning curve but also builds trust in your expertise. However, it's important to differentiate between demonstrating and participating. Your role is to observe, evaluate, and provide feedback—not to lift alongside your athletes. Limit your lifting to structured demonstrations when all eyes are on you, ensuring athletes focus on learning rather than keeping up with their coach.

Create relationships with key stakeholders

• AD, Principal, Business Manager, Superintendent, Booster Club President, Board Members

• Show your work. • Let data advocate for you. • Get yourself in the room & learn the lingo

•   Demonstrate the correlation to the academic success. • To the decision makers outside of athletics.

•  Cater to sport coaches until we have full buy-in.

• Vertical Alignment with District & Building goals

• Join the NHSSCA!

Key Takeaways

• Create relationships with stakeholders, AD, Principal, Business Manager, Superintendent, Booster Club President, Board Members

• Show your work, let data advocate for you

• Demonstrate the correlation to the academic success, to the decision makers outside of athletics

• Cater to sport coaches unit we have full buy in

• Vertical alignment with district and building goals