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Students learn leadership through strength and conditioning program

By Richard Macris

On October 22, 2009

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The strength and conditioning program started with students interested in physical education, according to Jeff Kruger, head strength and conditioning coach at Norwich University.

Students spend from six to 12 hours a week at the fitness center and save Kruger about two hours of work by having students do 35 to 45 minutes of preparation. This program helps student athletes with coaching and leadership.

"It gives kids a good chance to use their leadership skills to showcase and teach kids a proper work-out routine," said Kruger.

Student athletes are a big part of this program and their past experience helps them with the strength and conditioning program.

About 55 to 70 percent of students are student athletes and former student athletes, according Kruger.

This program provides good leadership training for students.

"Coach Kruger has me leading the teams through programs he put together," said John King, a 21-year-old junior business management major from Plymouth, N.H. "Today the women's hockey team and the men's basketball team and the men's baseball team came through and I coached them and showed them and supervised them to make sure they don't get hurt."

The strength and conditioning program offers students a good opportunity to work with large groups, which further test their leadership training.

"You have to speak out loud in front of people and you have to show and instruct your peers what to do and it helps with your leadership," said Tony Giannone, a 20-year-old criminal justice major from Columbiana, Ohio. "Coach Kruger breaks it down to small groups, 12 to 15 tops"

It puts less stress on Kruger's job if he has students assisting him with the various sports teams.

"All of the students here are a great help and it helps students out with a lift and I get one-on-one attention working with them," said Kruger. "It's a great help and there is no way I could do it otherwise."