There was a time when we were the new kid on the block. That time has passed and we have moved in to the driver’s seat for sports performance training centers in all of NC. This summer has been great for Athletic Lab and in this mini-series, we want to highlight what we’re doing and what’s new at Athletic Lab so those who aren’t part of our Athletic Lab family can see what they’re missing out on. We’ll kick things off by taking a look at our coaches. In the past couple months, the best staff in town got even better. Not only did we double the size of our coaching staff in the last 5 months but our already qualified staff became even more so. Staff members Chris Hoina, Stephanie Shaw and Drake Webster, and intern Adam Whitehead, all earned their CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) from the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association). The CSCS is widely regarded as the gold-standard of the fitness, sport performance and strength and conditioning industries. With 6 staff holding this certification, Athletic Lab boasts more CSCS on staff than any competitor in NC. And since we’re not one to rest on our laurels, all coaches at Athletic Lab regularly participate in continuing education through writing, presenting, in-house seminars, and attending coaching clinics. Our competitors claim to have the most qualified staff but you can do the comparisons for yourself. By any metric (education, certification, athletes coached, etc) Athletic Lab wins by a mile:

  • 2 of our staff have post-graduate degrees in sport science with two more currently working on one.
  • All 10 of our coaches are certified by USA Weightlifting to teach the Olympic lifts.
  • Five of our coaches are certified as Track & Field Technical Coaches by USTFCCCA
  • Five of our coaches have their Level 1 certificate from USATF (2 have Level 2 and 1 has Level 3)
  • We coach coaches! Dr. Mike Young is one of the most sought-after coach educators in the country and Chris Garrett is a lead instructor at the National Personal Trainer Institute.
  • Athletic Lab staff has been sought out by the the Cary Police Department, Chinese Olympic Committee, USA Speed Skating, USA Track & Field, CASL, Cary Invasion, Carolina Railhawks, Vancouver Whitecaps, and the NC Justice Academy among others for our services.
  • Athletic Lab coached athletes have qualified and competed in every USA Track & Field Indoor and Outdoor National Championship since 2008 (including 2 Olympic trials).
  • Professional athletes and / or teams from soccer, baseball, basketball and football have all been trained by Athletic Lab.

We encourage you to do the comparison with our ‘competition’…you’ll quickly find that we don’t have any.