Without a strength and conditioning program, HSU athletics would be a doormat among Division II athletics and more than 1,000 people would be lost in a weight room and not have anyone to monitor their fitness routines.
HSU was blessed with one of the nations finest strength and conditioning coaches, Andrew “Drew“ Peterson.
Peterson is most known in the weight room for his ultra shiny and smooth, “Bic-ed” bald head, which came about nearly 10 years ago. He is seen most commonly dressed in all black attire, which covers his enormous chest and biceps.
However, Peterson is most recognized in the weight room and among athletes for his ability to get the most from the athletes through encouragement, said Mark White, junior point guard on the men’s basketball team.
“You want to work hard for Drew,” said White. “He makes you want to improve.”
Peterson has been the strength and conditioning coach/instructor at HSU for the last 13 years.
In 1990, Peterson founded the strength and conditioning program at HSU.
“I like to think of our facility as a learning laboratory where many people can come to learn the metabolic and the physiologicaldemands of their bodies,” said Peterson.
Though Peterson is responsible for creating and implementing the weight-training and conditioning programs for more than 300 HSU student athletes, his daily duties go far beyond working with only athletes.
Last year alone, more than 2,000 people — consisting of HSU students, faculty, athletes, community members and high school students — used the weight room as a place for fitness.
Peterson is responsible for teaching classes, running clinics and designing workout regimens for members of the university and the community as a whole.
The student athletes’ strength and conditioning programs are designed in preparation for the athletes’ season, so that they are as strong, as fast and as agile as possible, said Peterson.
As much as Peterson enjoys the mechanical aspect of weight lifting, he also enjoys the actual lifting of weights and getting as strong as one possibly can.
During the past decade, 25 of Peterson’s student- athletes have been named to the All-American Strength and Conditioning team.
Four ’Jacks were named to the Strength and Conditioning team this season, football senior defensive tackle, Adam Angeli, football senior offensive lineman John Stokes, volleyball senior setter Keri Eichenberger and soccer junior forward Jenna Hunter.
“It is so rewarding to help these kids get stronger,” said Peterson. “Strength is the base of everything (the athletes) do.
With strength comes confidence, and in addition to confidence, they are jumping higher, moving quicker and it is a real joy to see them apply it on the court or the field.”
In Peterson’s own right, much of his player’s view him as a reward too, said Corey Thedford, senior offensive lineman for HSU football. “Drew is the best part of the Humboldt State Athletic Experience, he’s always there and he always has time for you.”
This article originaly appeared on the Merge Media Website and is reprinted here for reference.