Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Slocum.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chris. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I first became interested in strength and conditioning when I was in college. I was one of only two people who wanted to become a strength and conditioning coach in my college exercise science class. I had a great professor, Dr. Mendel, who pushed me to pursue my passion along with another great friend of mine, Matt Gildersleeve. These two individuals had a big influence on my journey as a strength coach and I owe a lot to them for helping push me to be the best I could be. After I graduated college in 2012, I had my first opportunity to move to Houston to work at the University of Houston as a strength coach with their football program. After my time at UofH I knew that this is the career path I wanted to take, and I pursued that dream with a fire in my heart.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many different strength coaches and programs from The Ohio State University, Houston Baptist University, Louisiana State University, and other private training facilities around the country. I had the ability to work under and alongside some great strength coaches who kept that fire going. My last experience as a college S&C coach was at The Ohio State University where I worked under coach Anthony Glass who helped prepare me to not only be a better strength and conditioning coach, but also a better leader and man.
After my time at The Ohio State I had an amazing opportunity to come back to Houston to work with Athlete Training + Health. I have now been with the company for over four years and have had many different roles and experiences that have continued to advance my career. Collegiate strength and conditioning are usually the end all be all for S&C coaches and what they strive for, but I believe this opportunity at Athlete Training + Health has made me a much better strength coach.
I was also very excited to work at ATH because of its partnership with the Memorial Hermann health care system. My passion for training athletes has always been centered around working with injured athletes to help them get back to what they love doing. ATH first gave me that opportunity through the Director of Strength and Conditioning position which oversaw the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute. ATH places coaches in IRONMAN clinics throughout Houston to provide Return to Play (post-rehab) services, and to work directly with sport medicine doctors, physical therapists, and surgeons. I was given the chance to work and develop my skills in those clinics through working with injured athletes. I also learned from, collaborated with, and created amazing relationships with the doctors and physical therapists. After almost three years of working in the clinic, ATH presented me with another great opportunity to become the Athletic Performance Director at the newly developed Katy facility located on the Memorial Hermann Hospital campus where I continue to work alongside other ATH performance coaches and Memorial Hermann professionals. I can truly say that I am living a dream!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The best thing about my whole life is that it has never been easy. When you are starting out in this field, there are long hours and very little pay, which causes you to doubt your chosen career path. In addition, this is a very nomadic profession, meaning you have to be willing to take opportunities as they arise, even if that means a sudden move or transition. I am very lucky to have a great support system in my amazing family, friends, and coaches who have helped me continue to focus on my journey.
One of the hardest times in my career was when I was first getting started off in the college sector of strength and conditioning. Very long hours and low pay for the time and effort you spent learning and growing as a strength and conditioning coach. Those were tough times; however, I am so thankful and appreciative of that experience because it taught me to keep a standard for myself and others, accountability, work ethic, and perspective. All these traits helped prepare me for my opportunity to work with Athlete Training + Health.
Athlete Training + Health – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Athlete Training + Health’s mission is to use best practices of health and performance to provide a world-class training environment for active adults and athletes of all ages and abilities. Our multi-field, state-of-the-art facilities are equipped with advanced pro-style weight rooms and dedicated areas for adult and youth athletes. Our highly-skilled coaches deploy training strategies that elevate – regardless of age or ability – athletes’ performance to the highest level through consistent evaluation and education. A key component of ATH is our forward-thinking approach to collaboration with hospital systems, professional sports teams, universities and independent school districts to raise the bar for health and performance training.
ATH is an incredible company and one of the first of its kind in Houston. ATH possesses a truly holistic approach that deals with athletic performance, adult health and wellness, rehabilitation, and education for the whole community. At ATH I am the Athletic Performance Director where I primarily deal with Combine/pro athlete training. I also work closely with the Memorial Hermann post-rehab patients (athletes and active adults) who are returning from some type of injury. Most importantly, as a leader and mentor, I help develop a team of coaches and member services staff with the hopes of providing them with experiences to develop their strengths.
I truly love my job and building relationships with everyone that I have the opportunity to meet. My favorite part of the job is working with Rebuild ATHletes. Being able to interact with surgeons and physical therapists to help someone recover from an injury all while building meaningful relationships with the people involved, has been the most rewarding part of my job. Watching an athlete go through an injury, working with them at their lowest point, and then training them back to their full potential is an emotional journey, but seeing the impact we can make on these athlete’s lives makes it all worth it.
If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?
I wouldn’t change anything. I have poured my heart and soul into this profession and have had the chance to meet some amazing people along the way!
Contact Info:
- Address: Athlete Training + Health – Katy
Located inside the Memorial Hermann Sports Park
23910 Katy Freeway
Katy, Texas 77494 - Website: https://athletetrainingandhealth.com/
- Phone: 713.568.8986
- Email: katy@athleteth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athletetrainingandhealth/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AthleteTH
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Athlete_TH
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/athlete-training-health-katy-katy
- Other: https://g.page/athlete-training-and-health-katy?gm
Image Credit:
Kirkpatrick Digital Cinema
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