Athlete buy-in is not created by a training program alone. It is earned through trust, consistent communication, and a genuine investment in each athlete.
In this episode of the Samson Strength Coach Collective, Isaiah Myers shares his journey from collegiate wrestler to strength and conditioning coach. He reflects on his experiences at West Liberty, Mississippi State, Cincinnati, and Glenville State, along with the challenges of completing demanding internships and moving across multiple states.
Isaiah explains how uncomfortable situations helped him develop perseverance and adaptability throughout his career. He also discusses how coaches can earn athlete trust by building meaningful relationships, following up consistently, and using performance data to connect an athlete’s effort with measurable progress.
Key Takeaways
- Athlete buy-in begins with genuine relationships and trust.
- Coaches must consistently demonstrate that they care about their athletes.
- Following up with athletes can strengthen communication and accountability.
- Performance data can help athletes recognize the results of their effort.
- Coaches should explain why progress is happening, not simply present the numbers.
- Challenging internships can develop perseverance and adaptability.
- Uncomfortable career experiences often create valuable opportunities for growth.
- Coaches must continue learning and adjusting throughout their careers.
Quote
“This is happening because you put the work in.” — Isaiah Myers
Isaiah Myers:
was training on my own volleyball, soccer. Like it was like first day, like boom, go. Like there was no there was no waiting, there was no planning. there’s nothing. It was just go. So it was right off the rip, and that’s how I kind of learned really early on.
what to fix because of the mistakes I had. And I think that what helped me all to this point here. just the all the mistakes you made and learning how to correct them.
Connor:
What’s going on, Samson, Strength Coach, Collective Listeners? On today’s episode, we have Isaiah Myers, Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Performance at Glenville State. Isaiah, thank you so much for coming on the show.
Isaiah Myers:
Thank you so much. I I greatly appreciate it. this is definitely my first time, but I’m very excited.
Connor:
Well, good. We were just talking about this pre show a little bit. I really try to make it as easy as possible. If it’s your first time coming on the podcast, I try to you know, we don’t throw softball questions around here ’cause we wanna have good topics, but I definitely try to make sure that you feel comfortable.
Isaiah Myers:
Okay. Great.
Connor:
Yes. So okay, can we just start it off? Can you give me a background of your career and experiences in strength and conditioning and then what’s led you to Glenville State?
Isaiah Myers:
so
I I went to college at West Liberty University, in a division two school actually in this conference. so it was kinda funny coming back. but I was I wrestled there. so I was a collegiate wrestler there and and then during my career I was kinda unsure. I was undecided in my major and I was like
I don’t know which route to go. I was kind of thinking nursing at first. And then I was like, pre-occupational therapy. I knew I just wanted to help people. So that was kind of my overarching kind of idea of what I wanted to do in this life. but when I found out, because I always loved training, I had a great high school strength coach, and he helped me out a lot. and that was kind of
kind of molded me and and the weight room aspect of things. I I just love training. when I found out that strength and conditioning was kind of an option, I could do that, I started kind of going down that rabbit hole of wow, I can actually make this a career. so I kinda decided that at junior year early on. and from there I had to really double up kind of my classwork, stuff like that, just to
get caught up. but I ended up doing an internship with our strength and conditioning coordinator there at West Liberty University, Daniel Hopkins. and he taught me a lot just in one semester. So a spring semester I helped out pretty much with every sport I could and really
He gave me a lot of guidance during that semester. And so when we had kind of evaluation at the end of the semester, he I was he was like, what do you want to kind of do with this? it what kinda interests you in like next steps and I was like, I’m all for it, like I don’t do anything during the summer, so is if there’s anything I can do. and he told me I could reach out to a few of his contacts,
in trying to gain an internship over the summer. So knowing before this, I’ve really never traveled away from home. West Liberty was about forty minutes from my house. So I wasn’t I wasn’t far from home at all. so I’ve never left home. and when he told me that, I was like, Well, I’m guess I’m gonna be traveling somewhere over the summer. It was I was
kinda I was hesitant about it at first, but I knew I kinda had to overcome that obstacle if I wanted to grow and in this field. So the that summer, I I reached out to early on a actually alumni from West Lib, Daevon Gordon. he kinda got me tied in with Mississippi university. So I helped out and interned there
that entire summer. it was a very great experience. and I learned a lot under him, Parker Showers, and it was just that that whole crew was phenomenal. and that kind of molded me into what I am today. Like I know what hard work is because of that internship. Like it was just it was very, very
It was a different lifestyle down there. it was very hot and and I’ve never been to Mississippi and that was the first time ever. So if you’ve never been there before and you’re just from the north, it’s it’s a complete change. So that’s that’s one big thing and I had to overcome a kind of different obstacle while I was there. and that was I can kinda explain that.
a little bit later on. but it kind of it put me in an uncomfortable situation that it made me I was never comfortable at all during the entire internship. So I learned how to be comforta uncomfortable and mold into the coach I am today and just just learning across the way. it it was amazing down there, but it it was only because I had the great
mentors
for me in there and they told they taught me a lot. But then after that I went back, finished my senior year at West Liberty, and then I kinda I still interned the entire year and just helped out our strength and conditioning coordinator and from there I reached out to a few contacts that I gained from Mississippi State and they
that kinda led me to the University of Cincinnati. and with reaching out to Jeremiah Ortiz, who is at Wisconsin now. he was very great role role model for me. he actually graduated from West Liberty as well. So it was we we actually it was crazy. We actually played Airmar football against each other. He was a senior, I was a sophomore.
So little
Connor:
That’s awesome.
Isaiah Myers:
did I know, yeah, little did I know that l down the road I’m reaching out to him for basically and trying to get an internship at Cincinnati. And it was just I never thought I’d be doing that. And but I’m glad I did that because that entire staff under Brady Collins, Daniel Fellino.
Zach Higgins, that whole crew, Dustin Tripp, I mean that just that whole crew was amazing. The entire eight months I was there, I started kinda in June or late June. because that’s when COVID was going on. so it was we I was supposed to start in June and didn’t end up starting until kind of early July. so it was
But I was there eight months and I loved every single bit of it. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I thought Mississippi State was hard. Cincinnati was a whole nother level. so it was just it was very, very hard, but I’m glad it was hard because now I’m thankful for everything they put me through and all the experience that they let me they let me coach. it wasn’t a general
just kind of internship where you’re kind of you’re there setting up weights and things like that. Like obviously we did that, but they let us interns coach and that was the biggest thing. and they gave us feedback and I think that’s the reason why the all the hard stuff we did plus the experience like that that really set me up in my career. So I thank all those guys for that. and
the that led me to my next stop being at McNeese State University. so I went so I went from Mississippi State to back up north to Cincinnati. Then I’m going back down south to the deep south to Lake Charles, Louisiana. So I drove down. I applied for that job, interviewed for it, and that was successful. and I drove 17 hours by myself.
and I got there and about two hours into the job like just meeting everybody, the head guy there and he sits down with me and the assistant and he lets us know that he is actually leaving and taking another job. So it was it was just crazy, crazy turnover. I just drove 17 hours, I just met the guy.
and I thought I was gonna be a graduate assistant under him. And it was just all right, see you later. so me and so he was the assistant was the interim. and I was graduate assistant. So it was just me and him, man in the entire athletic department there at McNeese. so it was in the knowing before this, I’ve only
Besides West Liberty, my only experience was only working with football. So I it was like first day on the job. I was training on my own volleyball, soccer. Like it was like first day, like boom, go. Like there was no there was no waiting, there was no planning. there’s nothing. It was just go. So it was right off the rip, and that’s how I kind of learned really early on.
what to fix because of the mistakes I had. And I think that what helped me all to this point here. just the all the mistakes you made and learning how to correct them. That was the just the biggest takeaway I got I got from that. And I I had a phenomenal experience at McNeese. And then I actually left there and went to UNC Pembroke.
school in North Carolina, Division II school. well at the time their football team only was in this conference, the Mountain East, that we are in, at Glenville State. So I’m there in I arrive in August and we play we’re playing Glenville State at home that September and I see
one of the football coaches that he was the defensive line coach at West Liberty University. he was there when I was there. and I had a great connection with him. I mean phenomenal connection I helped out football a lot, even though I was a wrestler, like I love football. So I was just I was helping them out a lot. And he we had a pretty good connection. his office was right by the wrestling locker room. so I saw him
And I was like, Coach Hill, like what what do you do? I didn’t even know you were at Glenville. And and I didn’t really I didn’t know anything about Glenville. so I just knew they were from West Virginia. I j I never knew where Glenville was when we were playing them. But needless to say, that just that little conversation we had on the sideline before the game, that got me this job. So
we get through that season and I’m running all pretty much every sport at UNC Pembroke. and I was a assistant there, just a part-time assistant. And I get a call from Coach Hill in February and I’m just sitting on my bed. It’s like eight o’clock at night. I’m about to go to bed. And I pick up the phone, I’m like, hey, how’s it going? Like
haven’t heard from in a while. and he’s like, just gonna be straightforward with you. We do not have a head strength and conditioning coordinator here right now. and you’re the first guy that comes to mind. what do you want or are you interested in the position? And I was like, Yeah I’m interested in the position. I mean it’s it’s a first it’s a head job. Or first it’s a full time job. Second
It’s a head job. and and just knowing the all the experience that I’m I’m gonna gain through this was a a big factor in knowing the change I could make at Glenville. so the I just when I was interviewing, I saw the resources that they had. They were very, very great. we have great resources resources here. and I knew I could make a very big impact.
because they had not had a strength coach for since before COVID. So it had been like three years, or two or three years since they had one. and it was so that was a big factor and knowing how much of a change I could make. but yeah, that’s that leads me the entire path back to here. And now I’ve been here at Glenville State four year or over four years. I’m going on year five now. So
Connor:
Man, what an awesome story. It’s just, you know, every strength coach has similar stories, right? You know, they’re similar threads and different things. Like you and I have a lot of parallels or stories that are similar. One small conversation leads to a job down the line, right? Like all these different things just ultimately can be similar, but it’s so unique too to hear about what the exact pathway was for each strength coach. So I always love hearing about coaches’ stories. I love hearing about how they got to where they are, what were the things that helped shape them, what were the things that helped that helped develop them.
You know, if you’re okay with it, I I would like to go back to your internship at Mississippi State. You said ultimately that you know, it was a time that was one of the toughest things that you had to go through from an internship standpoint. It was where you learned that things were hard, right? and how to handle hard things. But then you also mentioned an uncomfortability piece. Can you go a little bit further into detail on those?
Isaiah Myers:
Yeah, so I kinda so I I subleased, I didn’t know anything about subleasing up until then. So I I subleased an apartment just for the summer and ’cause it was just a summer internship. Well I didn’t ne I I saw pictures of the place and it looked great. but I didn’t know the guy. I showed up and the place was it was kind of a wreck and
But it was my room was clean, where I was just subleasing the room, but the other individuals were not as clean to say. and long story short, about a week in I ended up with bed bugs and it was an entire situation that I couldn’t I tried to overc get an exterminator, things like that. and this was on top of just
pretty much learning about like how to operate in a division one SEC facility, what to do, what not to do, and how they want us to operate as interns. So I I’m doing that. I’m I’m not getting much sleep at all. so I’m I’m running basically on like three hours of sleep each night because they couldn’t figure out how to get rid of them.
And I wasn’t, obviously I I couldn’t I wasn’t gonna I could have slept in my car, but I chose not to. I just I was like, screw it. I’m just gonna stay in the room, I’m gonna deal with it. it got kind of the the issue got resolved a little bit, not fully, but it was still a situation where I was getting probably like I would say three hours of sleep, and I just kind of operated.
at a high level I had to operate at a high level to with that staff. If I wanted a great reference and I wanted to learn as much as I could, I I had to be at the high I had to operate at the highest level I could. So I just figured it out. it was a very tough situation and obviously I never dealt with anything like that before. but it was just
we would I would like get three hours of sleep and it’d be like a Friday. We’d be getting in about four thirty. They’d be like, all right, go set up s prowlers on the field, hurdles, and then so now I got like three hours of sleep doing that. And if anyone knows how heavy prowlers are and trying to move them, I mean, from
Point A to point B, which was about 200 yards. and we couldn’t fit all of on a gator. so we were care we were pushing carrying whatever it may be. so they were in plus the weights on so it was just we had to get all that set up with the hurdles and and I remember specifically setting that up that one morning. Lightning hits right before like ten.
Ten minutes before we’re about to start. head man Corey Beshey, it he’s like, All right, we’re going in the indoor interns, get all the stuff, take it in the take it up to the indoor now. And so I’m we’re I just I look and I’m like, whoa, all right, well, here we go. And so the I we’re gra grabbing everything as fast as we can. I mean, we we had to just sprint basically with those prowlers and everything.
all the equipment up to the indoor. and the it was not a it’s not a just stroll right over. I mean we had to go up a little hill. It was just I mean it was it was pretty far. and I would say it’s probably about it’s probably about I’d say 50 yards away. and that’s just it was on a road
and everything and you just had to get there. But it was just that was one of the situations where barely got any sleep. I was very tired, but I had to still operate at a high level to get everything set up as fast as I could. I had no time to be like, I’m tired. No, it doesn’t doesn’t matter. We gotta have this set up. So and so the guys, the the football guys, they that group that is at 6 a.m we’re
We gotta go right then and there. We don’t have time to waste. So that was just I learned things like that and just kinda pushing through and and understanding that hey, I’ll get sleep eventually. It’ll happen, but right now I’m learning as much as I can and enjoying it as much as I can and just choking it all in.
and just gaining all the experience from it. So yeah, it was a tough summer, but it definitely I’ll never forget it, that’s for sure.
Connor:
Yeah, I can I mean I could definitely identify with that. Cause I remember you know, my own experience going working at Tennessee, an intern with Tennessee football at the time. You know, I remember I was with the Jets the summer before, and then I just found out I was going down to Tennessee. I got on a Zoom call with the landlord. He showed me around the place. I didn’t really get a good look at it. He’s like, We’re gonna keep renovating it, keep fixing a couple of things up. I show up there.
There’s holes in the floorboards, cockroaches everywhere, and it was like
Isaiah Myers:
Mm.
Connor:
six hundred bucks a month and I couldn’t afford anything else. And I was like, All right, dude, I’m doing it. Like you just gotta
Isaiah Myers:
Yep. Yep.
Connor:
like you said, you just gotta go for those things sometimes. And then what you said with the prowlers, I remember that exact same situation happened to me as well, too. And it’s f something that’s funny to look back on now, but at the moment you’re like, my god. Like like you said,
Isaiah Myers:
Yeah.
Connor:
you just kinda gotta go like the
Navy SEAL mentality almost of just like, I gotta get to the next day. I gotta get to the next minute, you know, like just to make it. And then, you know, at the end of this, at some point I’ll be able to sleep. At some point I’ll be able to move out of this place. But it’s just brutal for the time being. So major props to you for making it through.
Isaiah Myers:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you.
Connor:
Yeah. Well, you know, another piece of this too with strain and conditioning is you know, ultimately, like you said, you grew up in one area, you never really left the area, and then all of a sudden you’re moving to Mississippi. And then you’re moving across the country again and again and again. You know, ultimately what was that experience like? Like kind of growing up in a place, never really traveling outside of it, and then you know, moving to what I would imagine is like four or five different states within I mean, it sounds like it was a pretty quick timeline. So within four or five
Six years.
Isaiah Myers:
Yeah, that’s what I I I tell people all the time around here, especially the recruits that come through. I’m like, I have been here going on year five, but don’t let that I’ve been around the block basically. It’s it’s very, very short time. and w just from West Liberty to Glenville, that was
that was d the entire span of that, that was from two thousand nineteen to twenty twenty two. I mean it was just all that from Cincinnati to McNeese, and to Pembroke, it was just now to Glenville, it was just it was a whole kind of whirlwind. and I was just picking up, moving. And it was just like I wasn’t moving a lot. I was just moving a car. So like just putting stuff in a car, clothing, everything. It was just so I wasn’t
Knowing me before I decided into this strength and conditioning route, I would have never imagined that I’d be almost basically just moving state to state out of my car. and but I loved that I went and did that and all those experiences because they helped me so far early on. it just
Some people might not have they don’t have the same experience I did early on. And maybe some people might have more, but I loved that it was just one got one thing right to the next, right to the next, because I learned so much in a short time period, which kind of developed me here. so it was just and now being at one stop for so long, I took all
the mistakes I made and and all the successes I had at those little stops. and and then that prepared me to be here and do a successful job here. So it was just I was I’m very, very thankful that I did that. but again it was just it was tough. Like I I went around and the kind of population where I’m from isn’t as big as
Starkville, so it was it was a lot different. and and seeing a lot more people and especially now, knowing the the very Glenville’s a very small town. So it’s it it was just knowing I’ve been to these bigger cities, lived there, and done all these things, but it just it gave me so much experience along the way, that I’m very thankful for.
Connor:
Yeah, you know, I always say that the best learning best way to learn ultimately is by going to a bunch of different places, right? And learning as much as you can and then moving on, right? You know, because ultimately it’s hard to move on from one place to another, but that’s just the best way is learn from a different staff, learn from a different system. So I really again I respect your ability to do that. You know, one of the things we always kind of talk pre-show with the guests, and and I’m curious like to see, you know, you talk a lot about
working when you’re uncomfortable or finding ways to persevere, finding ways to push through. And I think this, you know, really kind of ties into athlete buy-in and and one of the things that you said that you’re pretty passionate about is developing athlete buy-in and getting athletes to get bought into your system and and basically what you’re trying to sell. You know, what are your steps to athlete buy-in? How do you develop that process? How do you really get them bought in?
Isaiah Myers:
well here early on it was it was just me. so just me, one man staff, all for all sixteen sports. So it was just I had to learn everyone’s name, and operate with everyone. and so creating that buy-in I had to I had to know I had to create a relationship with all those athletes, with not just one team. But some some guys they only have
one team or two or three teams. I had all sixteen. so it was just trying to create a relationship with every single person, trying to make an impact. and that was it was a big kinda it was hard my first spring semester, but the fall is when I could really start to really develop the athletes and
And that was that was very big and they gave me a G A, which also helped along the lines. they said I could I could kinda, hey, go make could you go make a rack chart for me so I can show these athletes that were putting the time in to making sure that they’re hitting certain percentages each set. Like I’m gonna tell them, hey, we take the time to do this because we care and we wanna see your development.
so if you could please the do whatever you can, all right, to hit that set, all right. You don’t need to thank me. It’s my job. I I wanna I wanna help you. that’s the that’s the big thing, is knowing that you’re trying to help and knowing that you care. So just and then just creating those little kind of relationships with everyone and
Not just, hey, like how you doing, how was your day? like I wanna know a little bit about kinda hey, where you from, what’s kinda your background in in training, like have you had none? or have you had a lot? or have you had some. So it just I ask those little questions because I have a multitude of athletes here that some have never touched the weight room ever, and you could tell it right on the first day. And
And so I know this in the back of my mind, but I ask it anyway because I wanna I want them to know that I care and I’m s I’m still gonna ask them, hey, have you ever trained before? what kind of training have you done? and things like that, and just knowing that, hey, you I’m gonna help you through this process. You’re going to develop if you just trust me. Okay. This that that we I got this job for a reason.
because of the experience I’ve had, and and the knowledge that I’ve had, just trust in knowing that this is in your best interest. in just knowing that I’m not just coming in here and putting up a workout. It’s I I take time, I tell all the athletes, every every single time, like it it takes me a lot of time to program because I put a lot of thought into it. I don’t just throw up a
program and and just and copy it year to year. I just I I look at kind of how the team did over the last year. Maybe they had different range of injuries and and maybe they had a lot and so I’m gonna compare that and and see where were our weak points at during the year and and basically try to improve that over the next year. so that’s just
And then I tell them like the you’re not gonna see the same thing year to year. You’re gonna see a different, it’s gonna be a different style of training every year. Something new is gonna be thrown at you. and that’s only because I tell them I care. Like I wanna, I wanna make you, I wanna develop you, and I wanna see you succeed at your sport and and not only at the sport, but as an individual. And then I want you to be able to, hey, if I’m move on from Glenville and
and graduate and I’m on my own, I want you to know how to train on your own. I don’t want you to have to go to chat GBT and look up a workout and just things like that. Like I want them to understand all the training behind what kind of when I put it up there and and knowing what to do and how to do it. it’s just the the big things just knowing how
how you care, how how much you care for and that’s just that’s the what they wanna hear. They don’t wanna see so sometimes the guys they they they love it when I’m very energetic. and then sometimes I’m not as energetic. and I’m and I’m really mad and at them, but I’m telling them I’m really mad because they’re not doing something right and they’re g they’re hurting their development. So
I tell them I’m not I’m not I’m just I’m very mad that you’re you’re hurting your development by doing what you’re doing. So if you could just trust that to fix this, it’s going to help you in the long term. and so that’s just and and I’ve gotten great buy-in and then showing just giving feedback or results, results, results. I I I do kind of
just an example with football, I general before and after pictures and we have we’re blessed with a bod pod here so I just that’s one of the things like I learned in my past from doing in my experience that hey we I’m gonna I take before and after pictures of our programs before they start and and after and as well as their body fat percentage and and I’m gonna show them the results because I want them
To understand that the program works and and show them when the program does when they don’t buy in, what that looks like. Because I’ve had both spectrums of guys not buying in fully and guys buying in all the way. And in the body, it it does it shows. It it shows and you can’t lie. it just and and as well as the data. You it can’t lie about that. when if you’re
The same body weight, your training max hasn’t changed and over an eight-week period. It’s yeah, well, you obviously aren’t doing the right things that I tell you to do outside of here, and you’re not buying into the training. because you got got individual over here that is increasing his training max 50 plus 100 plus pounds and dropping his body fat percentage.
And gain lean muscle mass, it just y you have it. And then when you show that and show that feedback, I kinda that’s where I’ve learned to kind of create that buy in as as a sense and and it’s just learning how the body operates and and kind of what helps it the most. I think that’s what what’s helped me because I’ve had the same I’ve sometim I’ve had the same football guys for
four straight years now. So I just finished with a entire four year football player and well I’m just saying football for example, but I saw their development from year one to year four. and it was dramatic. And I brought those changes, all right, and I I set it for our new football coach and and I showed him and I said, show this to your recruits
or I just asked them to do that because it’s phenomenal for recruits to see that what happens over four years if you buy in to the program. So that was just football for example, but I’ve had it with multiple sports like like softball and it’s just you can see not only their body changing, their training max are changing, but
their performance on the field is changing. So that’s the big thing is they’re they’re winning games, but they look really good doing it. So the softball team, for example, they they were they were not very good the first year. I was here. and now this past year they went to the World Series. It was over the four like there was there was only
four seniors that I had over the four years. and but the entire team, other than that, I’ve now ten ten seniors on the team. but they so they just know how to operate at a high level and how that aids their athletic performance. because they went all every year it’s been they’ve increased their amount of wins.
And they’ve not only increased the money wins but championships. They’ve won championship in the conference, regional and went to the World Series. It’s i every year they’ve went up and up and up. So that’s just they’re not just not just football but softball and every other sport here has increased year after year after year. So bragging a lot about Glenville, but it’s been every year since I’ve been here.
every sport has done better. It’s just the athl if they buy into the strength and conditioning and not just them but the coaches. They’re if they’re buying into what I’m saying and letting me do everything I need to do to prepare them to do better on the playing surface, then that’s where you’re gonna see most of the change year to year in the amount of wins, the amount of losses. So that’s just
I I like seeing the the results not only in the weight room but on the on the plane surface and and I just bring that up to everybody. Like this this is happening for I told the softball girls last year when they were on their run. This is happening for a reason. This isn’t a coincidence. This this is happens because you put the work in six AM last year and October fifteenth. I mean it just coming up with a date. Like it just
there’s a reason why you do certain things so it can get you to the highest level. So
Connor:
No, I I I love your process, right? To get people to buy in because it’s care. They need to know that you care about them and then it’s results because at the end of the day, you can care a lot about people, but they also want to see that okay, hey, if I work with Isaiah, I need to get better. And obviously you’re able to provide both. you know, in the instance you kind of mentioned somebody who is not buying in. You know, how do you approach those situations? How do you handle people who might not be buying in? And, you know, does it ever really kind of reach a point for you?
Where it’s almost like I kinda have to cut the limb to save the body, you know, if I can give a dramatic metaphor.
Isaiah Myers:
Yeah, so we had we had a football player, for I keep bringing up football, but we had a football player, for example, my second year, he was a freshman, that just wasn’t he wasn’t doing the right things outside must be and and he was missing practice and then he would he would also miss lift. and I gave I gave the guys they
I did a punishment of basically all right, the first time that you miss, you do the punishment. The second time you miss, your entire position group does the punishment. The third time you miss, the entire entire defense or offense, whatever you’re on, does the punishment. The fourth time, we’re gonna go to the head coach. So needless to say, it got to the head coach. and he
was no longer a part of the team. but when guys other guys on the team are seeing him do what he’s doing, miss and lift, things like that, that affects a team and knowing that he’s still on a team at the time, that just it it affects them and and Haller Forum ’cause hey, I’m wow that guy’s not not buying into to what he’s saying and and not doing all the right things.
not showing up the workouts. It just well maybe I maybe I can feel tired and miss a lift or do whatever. And so that’s just we had to cut that out immediately because we knew like it was starting to affect the entire team. and so that was just example that and and that was not even that was here.
at Glenville I had another example that I was at Pembroke and there was another football player I had. he was just kinda being a class clown in a in a sense and just kinda joking around dancing and during our warm up and stuff and I I paused the music. I said I called him out and I said, Everyone else is locked in for this workout. Why are you not? I just d
And everyone’s looking at him and and he and he had nothing to say. And so when you when you call them out and and it’s not so cool anymore, everyone’s looking at me. I got all eyes on me. So it just those little examples I I I had of guys just they weren’t fully bought into me or they wouldn’t be doing that. so sometimes I I just
I pulled guys to the side. I’ve I’ve pulled guys out of the weight room, I’ve kicked them out. and then I’ve went to speak to them later on in the day and asked them why they were doing what they were doing that led them to be kicked out. and how do we fix that moving forward? so just having a a really kind of deep conversation with that athlete of
What’s going on? Why are you why are you not doing what you’re supposed to do? which in turn comes back to I’m doing this because I care. And so that’s just if I didn’t care, I’d just go on with my day, kick him out, and just say whatever, I’ll see you the next day. But no, I went and just gotta figure out what’s r what’s going on. Like why aren’t you doing
the things like what there has to be something going on. and just tell them like, hey, I care and I want to see you succeed. is just the big thing and and knowing that you’re here to help them. and I’m just serving a purpose here and and I’m trying to make an impact in their life. So that I think that was just the big thing. If I don’t if a guy isn’t doing the right or a female isn’t doing the right thing
I mean, ’cause I’ve had it both ways. So just kinda pulling them out to the side and and obviously discipline when need to. and then obviously if it doesn’t change then something has to happen. but first initially just kinda creating that initial kind of reflection of what’s going on and having a conversation with them.
Connor:
Yeah, I really like your process with that, right? Cause ultimately I I I I mean, you say, you know, you you care that you have the conversation. I think if you don’t care about the athletes, you’re not even going to call them out in the first place, right? And not correct that behavior. so it’s that initial call out that I think is really important. And then on top of that, the biggest piece of that obviously is what you’re saying is a follow up with the conversation after that, right? Cause anybody can be, you know, excuse my language, an asshole, right? But it takes somebody to have the courage to call somebody out.
understand and have a conversation with and help that person understand why you got called out later and have it come from a standpoint of, hey, I care about you. I want to see you be successful. And I really want to make sure that we can both succeed in this relationship.
Isaiah Myers:
Yes, yeah. I I mean that’s I’m great that it’s great that we’re on the same page with that. it just that’s kinda how I learned to do it through my experience. and in how I basically now operate it myself. and then I I have my assistants and GAs and they’re they’re the same way. they operate the
The same way. So it’s just but knowing again that you care. that’s just the biggest thing overall and if they still don’t care then obviously something will be done about it. and it is what it is at the end of the day. So
Connor:
Yeah. You know, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, right? And so I always believe in that saying, you know, I
Isaiah Myers:
Yep, I I tell I I tell them I tell that a lot.
I tell that a lot. Yes.
Connor:
So, you know, I sometimes it’s just not gonna work out and and it is what it is. But that’s a part of the deal, and all you gotta do is show people that you care, like you said. You know, Isaiah, I’ve really appreciated getting to know you and getting to understand your philosophy better. I always kind of like to end on a a fun question. You mentioned possibly nursing, when you were looking at your first career. What kind of nurse would you be if you ever went into nursing?
Isaiah Myers:
man, I was actually looking at being a nurses a nestist. So it was just kinda it was one of those ones where I knew I would obviously I’d have to go to school a long time. but I was okay with that and I knew I could obviously they’re in great demand always. So and I knew it would be a challenge, but I like challenges. So that’s the big thing about me. I just
I love challenging myself. I love I kinda I challenge my assistants all the time. and as well as I obviously I challenge the athletes. So it just from the top down I like a challenge. and that was the the biggest thing I knew would be very, very hard. but I like the challenge and but I was glad that I did not go that route, because it just I wouldn’t be where I am today. And ’cause I love doing what I’m doing.
I’m helping people get better. I’m I’m helping teams win. and and then I’m helping coaches succeed in life. my staff is just that’s the biggest thing is I’ll I wanted to leave this place better than I found it. and I’ve done that here. and I’ve not only done that but I’ve helped
my GAs and helped my assistant and gaining certifications, just things like so I’m just I’m always looking to help not only athletes but my staff and just giving them a better experience so that after this they can be better than they were when they were here. so that just and I know I’m not gonna be at Glenville forever. I know that. but
I’m gonna be where my feet are, and always just kinda making that impact. always.
Connor:
Yeah, you know, my golden rule is a little bit different from everybody else’s, but it’s exactly what you just said, which is make an impact, leave a place better than you found it. So yeah, I mean, it’s always very nice to hear from somebody who knows the impact that they made and and can celebrate themselves in that area because it’s a really difficult thing to do. And so understanding that you made an impact is always the kind of the best part of this career. And so I I love it. And as I I can’t thank you enough for coming on the show and
giving us all this info. It’s always, you know, obviously we’ve known each other a little bit in passing. So it’s always exciting for me to get to know somebody a little bit more and and develop a relationship with them. If anybody wants to reach out to you or follow you on Instagram, what would be the best way to do that?
Isaiah Myers:
it is Isaiah Myers underscore. that’s kind of my at name for my Instagram. and then my Twitter believe it is Isaiah underscore Myers with an extra S on the end. so it was I couldn’t find when I created my Twitter X, whatever maybe the they did not
I someone already had had that, so I had to come up and I just add an extra S. I was just like, whatever. People figure it out. Or they won’t. And it is what it is at the end of the day. And if they want to follow me, they’ll follow me and find me. If they don’t, they won’t. So but I’m not gonna lose sleep over someone not following me. Just gonna keep doing what my job.
Connor:
That’s awesome. That’s a great philosophy to live life by. It is what it is. You know, if they want to follow me, they’ll follow me. So I love it.
Isaiah Myers:
Yeah, they
I I mean I I don’t ha I I post I’m trying to post more content of kinda what I’m doing here at Glenville. ’cause I haven’t done that in the past. so that’s what I’m I’m trying to do here this year is just kinda highlight now kinda the training that I do ’cause I see a lot of teams they they’re starting to post more and more that kind of what they do and I think we do
a really great job here, but I just don’t I don’t post anything ever ’cause I I don’t have the time to. so it just I’m I’m trying to find that that little bit of time to and maybe take a a couple of videos here and there of kind of what we do because I I think we do things at a very high level and and do it a great way but obviously it just doesn’t get shown.
Connor:
Well, I love it. We’re gonna keep our eyes open for the Glenville state content. And I certainly appreciate you for everything, man. Thank you so much for coming on.
Isaiah Myers:
No, thank you so much. I I greatly appreciate you for asking me to do this. and it was actually a great time. I th I didn’t think I would do very good, but I I I loved it. I loved every second of it.
Connor:
Yeah, good. You crushed it, I promise you that for sure. And I I know our listeners will agree.
Isaiah Myers:
Thank you so much.
