Logan Neff is in his first year as the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Indian Hill High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Before joining Indian Hill this past summer, Coach Neff was at Beechwood High School, enjoying multiple state titles across several sports. His experience in the performance world began at the University of Cincinnati, where he was on staff under Luke Fickell and Brady Collins, assisting with the football performance program.
Freelap USA: Having been at the University of Cincinnati and Beechwood, both highly successful programs, what are some of the fingerprints present in successful athletic programs?
Logan Neff: The most critical aspect of what we do as strength coaches is bring an energy the athletes want to be a part of. We are responsible for setting the tone of the entire athletic program. This doesn’t mean some cheesy, fake energy where all we do is yell, but an authentic excitement for our athletes where we share in celebrating their successes—and not just the PRs that come in the weight room. When that happens, and kids begin to get excited to come to the weight room, the relationship between coach and athlete begins to flourish.
The most critical aspect of what we do as strength coaches is bring an energy the athletes want to be a part of. We’re responsible for setting the tone of the entire athletic program, says @CoachNeff_. Share on XOnce that relationship is established and kids believe you will do anything to help them reach their goals, they will run through a wall for you! When that happens, the cultural tone of the program begins to change, and extraordinary things start to develop. Bringing that energy every day, making sessions fun, and celebrating each other’s wins begins to build a collective edge that translates to competition that can’t be matched.
Outside of the relationships built with athletes, if coaches aren’t aligned from top to bottom, it doesn’t matter who is in place; success will be hard to come by. There has been a sense of collective unity in each place I’ve been. Even the coaches who had aspirations of being a head coach and running their own program understood that the most crucial role they could play is one that echoes the head coach’s vision and builds a spirit of unity. Finally, this plays off coach alignment, but being able to communicate impacts how players and coaches hear everything, from expectations, vision, and instructions to play calling and responsibilities. Clear communication is the bedrock of a unified team.
Freelap USA: S&C trends are often just recycled concepts rebranded with a modern touch. How do you continue to grow professionally while understanding the history of S&C?
Logan Neff: Performance coaches often have large egos when, in reality, they haven’t contributed new material or a game-changing innovation to programming. I think we have to realize that we aren’t creating new systems or concepts. Technology and the implementation of GPS, VBT, force plates, and such are ways for us to quantify what we already know, and they allow us to make the performance preparation process more optimal. Still, it isn’t revolutionizing what we do but allowing us to tweak our practice.
I love the history of strength and conditioning. The “old school” Soviet methods, the Westside methods, the Bulgarian methods, and the principles behind each. When you look back at each of these methods in light of today’s common knowledge, the pioneers of those programs were true innovators and implemented methods that still hold true today, and I love that.
As coaches, we often forget that the kids we have right now may not have the same needs as those we will see in five years, says @CoachNeff_. Share on XAs for how I continue to grow my practice, I love talking to coaches, especially those outside my “normal” way of thinking. As coaches, we tend to follow a pattern of how we do things based on the configuration of our room, our programs, our kids, our time constraints, and the needs that sport coaches express from their current athletes. We forget that the kids we have right now may not have the same needs as those we will see in five years.
We must have a diverse knowledge base to meet the needs of any kid who walks through our door. If I can diversify my knowledge base to adapt to what the needs will be in the future, I can ensure that I am prepared to give my athletes what they need regardless of what the sports coach will ask of them.
Freelap USA: When establishing a performance culture at a new school, how do you establish your values?
Logan Neff: As a professional entering a new program, I must step back and evaluate the current culture. What culture is being communicated to the players by the head coach, administration, and leadership? Does it match the needs communicated by the coaches? Do changes actually need to be made?
Many of the “cultural pillars” that a program implements are very similar to each other and likely don’t need to change to be effective. If I can come in and communicate support for the already-established culture, it further adds credibility to the sports coaches and increases buy-in for them.
Next, I try to build relationships with as many people as possible. In the high school setting, you inevitably are asked to do much more beyond the weight room. I make it a point to know the custodians, the receptionists, the keeper of the toner cartridges, and anyone else I can because there will be times I will be asked to cover classes when teachers are out or have lunch duty, work the gate for a basketball game, whatever it is. The more support I show for other programs, and I can be seen supporting the student-athletes who come through our weight room, the more I believe the culture of our school and community will be tied to our performance program.
One thing that I work to evaluate is how the facilities are cared for. What changes need to be made to improve how we care for our equipment and facility? The better we care for our facility, the lower the upkeep cost of the room. When conversations are had for resources in our program, I now have a tangible means of showing how we are taking care of what we have already been given, which improves the likelihood that I can show the need for the equipment I am asking for.
This step also speaks volumes about the kids and coaches in the program when the administration and the community see our facility. Responsibly using the resources we are given shows how much we care about our program. A culture of love for the program and the community begins with caring well for the facilities and resources of that program.
Freelap USA: In the high school setting, why is it essential for the strength coach to be the most consistent person in the building?
Logan Neff: In most high school settings, the strength coach welcomes more students through their classroom than anyone else. Think of your average math or science class. The student-to-teacher ratio is rarely over 20:1 or 25:1. In the weight room, we are consistently at 30, 35, or even upward of 40:1. Multiply that over the day, and the weight room has 200, 300, and in some cases, 400+ throughout the school day. Now, add on any before-school or after-school sessions we run, the middle school programs, and the summer sessions, and no other employee instructs more students than the strength coach.
At any point in time, our administration, our superintendent, any parent, college coaches, head sports coaches, and, obviously, our students come through our room. We have to provide a professional, consistent product because every individual who comes through our room has circumstances in their lives that they bring through the door with them. The 14- to 18-year-olds coming through our program must be given a consistent structure and expectations they can trust will be delivered.
Giving energy to the hallways between classes or at events can further the relationships with our community and simultaneously build value in the admin’s eyes, says @CoachNeff_. Share on XWe have to be able to be the Swiss Army Knife that can fill gaps when needed. The phrase “that’s not in my job description” cannot be in our vocabulary. We have to be able to provide value to the administration by giving them one individual who is able and willing to do a multitude of jobs and do them with pride. Giving energy to the hallways between classes or at events can further the relationships with our community and simultaneously build value in the admin’s eyes.
Freelap USA: What is one thing you wish you could tell your 22-year-old self?
Logan Neff: I would tell myself to seek patience. When I was at Cincinnati, there was an edge to our training, an energy that was palpable every day; in my opinion, this directly contributed to the program that Coach Fickell built with the Bearcats. I saw tangible means of growth and development very quickly in our athletes. When I transitioned to the high school setting, I struggled with the intensity and the commitment to what we do from the sports coaches. I struggled to grasp the concept that, typically, no one else in our building cares about what we do as much as we do.
I want success for our kids right now. I want our athletes to reach every goal they set for themselves right now, and I know how crucial the weight room is to their physical and emotional development. Sometimes, I struggle to understand how others don’t love the weight room like I do. Once I learned to be consistent in my expectations and the energy I provided to our programs, the more fun the environment became and the faster they embraced what we did.
Also, I would add that while intensity or energy can be important for building a positive environment, the most important variable for the high school athlete is consistency. Work to create a program that invites athletes in and rewards them for attendance and effort.
Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF
