Hudson is SHS's new strength coach

Sisters athletes have an opportunity to get a whole lot stronger - and to make themselves more injury-resistant - with help from an elite coach.

Ryan Hudson is a record-breaking weightlifter and the trainer and operator of Level 5 Fitness in Sisters. Starting in March, he will be the strength coach for the Sisters Outlaws.

And his coaching is available for all Outlaws, not just members of sports teams.

"Ryan will conduct five to six workouts a week at Sisters High School," said Sisters High School (SHS) Athletic Director Tim Roth. "These workouts are open to all interested parties at SHS. Workouts will occur before school and after school to ensure all interested students will have access to our programs."

Roth noted that the school district has specific outcomes in mind for their students:

• Promotion of all students becoming lifelong learners of health, wellness, and fitness.

• Strength and conditioning for all students, which will assist with injury prevention.

• The teaching of proper technique, flexibility, and drafting of workouts to benefit all students.

Hudson believes that building strength is critical to athletic performance.

"There's not a single sport where strength isn't the most important element involved," Hudson said. "The most common denominator for victory is strength - so strength is king."

That's true for obvious scenarios, like an offensive lineman trying to hold off the defensive rush in football, or a wrestler trying to overcome an opponent on the mat. But it's equally true for a skier using leg strength to pop around gates on a long, fatiguing slalom course, or a tennis player fighting it out in a tight final set. And strength matters to a youth who just wants to get out and hike the mountains of her home country.

Strength training also correlates directly to injury prevention. A strong athlete puts less strain on joints and ligaments.

Off-season strength training is critical, but requires a smart program and follow-through to be worthwhile.

"There has to be an active, present coach there on a daily basis," Hudson said.

The schools agreed, and raised funds to get the coaching slot out of the blocks.

"All parties involved understand the funding source and that all journeys begin with a single step," Roth told The Nugget. "We feel that this is a step that is worth taking. We will continue to fundraise and look for sustainable methods to fund this position."

While strength training has become more common, especially with the high-profile success of Crossfit-style training, many misconceptions persist, including the hoary myth that weight training for teens will stunt their growth. And some athletes and their parents worry that weight training might leave students sore and tired and actually interfere with their performance.

Hudson is uncompromising on that score. Making training in the skills of your sport your only training is not good - a recipe for subpar performance and injury.

"The culture, the mindset of Sisters and America in general has gone soft," he said. "The fact that the schools never even had a strength coach is kind of indicative of the direction of the program and the community in general to this point."

Hudson has a thriving private training practice, a young family, and an active career as a weightlifter, which puts his time at a premium. But he believes strongly in the value of strength training and he's willing to make it work.

"It's coming out of my downtime, so it's feasible," he said. "It's tight and it's a push. It seems like the need is great enough that it's worth it."

For more information on strength training programs for Sisters High School students, contact Tim Roth at 541-549-4045.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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