Esma Orgeron
July 2, 2007
NSU business college dean elected to state CPA board
July 4, 2007
At only 5-foot-6 and 175 pounds, Craig Cheek is a relatively small man.
Nonetheless, he has a large responsibility.
As Nicholls State University’s head strength and conditioning coach, the 31-year-old Ohio native assumes the onerous task of making Colonels athletes bigger, stronger and faster.
The Sports Net recently met with Cheeks to discuss life in the weight room – his second home.
Sports Net: How did you ever get into the strength and conditioning biz? Was it a calling you always had?
Craig Cheek: I was a collegiate athlete myself and wanted to stay involved in sports. When I was in grad school, I started volunteering in athletic weight room.
Since I eventually wanted to make it a career, I finished my degree in exercise physiology.
I worked as an assistant strength coach at the University of Minnesota in Deluth before coming here.
This is my third year at Nicholls.
SN: What sports did you play in college?
CC: I played football (running back) and ran track at Bluffton University in Ohio.
SN: You’re not very big for the college gridiron.
CC: I was known for my ability to make good decisions on the field. When you’re not big, you have to have your head on straight. You never saw me screw up a play.
SN: How busy has your summer been and what teams are you working with the most?
CC: Right now, I’m working mostly with the football team, but I have a good number of softball players in the weight room as well. It’s pretty busy.
I run three different training groups throughout the day.
SN: So on any given week, how many hours do you spend in a weight room?
CC: In a typical week, about 60 to 65 hours. I’m here a good nine to 10 hours a day. Some days are better than others.
It gets better during the Christmas break, because the men’s and women’s basketball teams usually play on the road.
SN: I bet you’ll at least plan on taking off July 4. Are you going to watch the hot dog-eating contest on Coney Island?
CC: No. I heard that guy (Takeru) Kobayashi, is hurt.
SN: He has arthritis of the jaw. Guess that will keep you from watching then, since he is the six-time reigning champion.
CC: I don’t really watch that kind of stuff. I don’t watch a lot of TV in general. When I’m at home, I usually eat or go to bed.
SN: The fall sports season isn’t that far away – think the majority of NSU athletes will be in top shape for the season?
CC: With the kids that have been here over the summer, there’s no doubt in my mind they’ll be ready to go. You have to put a lot of faith in the kids to stick with their training in summer, because it’s easy to get distracted and go to the beach or sit around pool.
But when the kids are here, we can monitor progress. It (weight training and conditioning) is not mandatory, but it’s strongly recommended
SN: So what are some of the details of your job?
CC: We always do a ‘need’s analysis’ – that’s a big thing. Each sport has different strength and power demands, but they also share similar demands. We try to match the philosophies of the coach of each sport.
With football team, the philosophy is a run offense and we play a physical style. So we throw some activities at them that challenge that physicality.
We also try to educate kids on nutrition, flexibility and good exercise techniques. It’s a never ending job. There is always something you have to coach in the weight room.
SN: Do anything to supplement the weight training?
CC: Last week we had football and softball players throw around empty beer kegs.
We also have athletes pull weighted sleds, pull ropes and participate in “farmer’s walks,” (where athletes walk a certain distance with heavy dumbbells in each hand). We do a lot for things to add variety.
SN: Why do you think your job is particularly important?
CC: A coach’s job depends on performance of their team. My job is important because we’re the first line of defense in keeping these kids healthy so they can withstand rigors the of going through a competitive season.
Secondly, we want kids to be as strong and fast as possible on field, so my sole responsibility is to develop and enhance that athleticism.
We want kids to be able to compete for starting jobs this fall.
Photo by DOUG KEESE
- NSU Craig Cheeks (center) leads Nicholls football players in pre-game stretches before taking the field against Nebraska last year. As head strength and conditioning coach, he spends the majority of his waking hours in the weight room.
