Which didn't make sense even to her, but it was that kind of a day.

A violent act of sabotage leaves the Hellburner crew scattered and separated on a damaged station.

"Why?" Meg all but wailed at his back. "I don't trust us with a baby!"

Beast From The East(bourne): An interview with Let’s Talk Daggers ahead of the release of their debut album ‘A Beautiful Life’

Let’s Talk Daggers: “Like Paramore, but with the ‘back beat’ of A Day To Remember.” Eastbourne trio Let’s Talk Daggers first came to my attention following the release of ‘I Love You Dad, But I’m Mental’ – A breath of fresh air and a kick in the jaffa’s all at once. The accompanying video was baffling; the oddball workings of a horrible nightmare or some choice Acid. It’s great. The three friends…

Bunch of photos taken on 35mm from various nights hanging out, putting on Hindsights & going to Ferguson protests and sacrificing seeing The National to show solidarity. 

1. What is your background?

From the period of time between when I first learned to walk and high school graduation, my mother fostered and encouraged me to compete in a variety of sports year-round.  “Sport”, having always been something I greatly enjoyed, also lead to discovering other passions.  I studied journalism and exercise physiology as an undergraduate student, and went on to complete a post-graduate degree in exercise physiology afterwards.

  2. Why did you go into Strength & Conditioning?

Developing relationships with people, and supporting them in any positive way I can, combined with athletic competitions or training, excites me. 

  3. What are some challenges coaching today's players?

Popular culture—be it music, movies, television, and the internet (and the daunting number of “social networking” sites included)—is a constant distraction from within.  Most of our student-athletes can barely hold any form of conversation because they have become disconnected from one another as a result of their 24/7 consumption of “popular culture”.  This poses a unique challenge to my working with and coaching them through the intricacies of training. 

  4. What philosophy(-ies) do you subscribe to?

The body is a dynamic thing, and a marvel at that—I hope my philosophy reveals that observation.  I believe in taking a holistic approach to training (i.e. the inclusion of nutrition, soft-tissue treatment, and recovery as fundamental components of programming) student-athletes that draws inspiration from the theories behind block periodization.

  5. How do you feel about Georgia State's S&C program?

Being an urban campus, and also being an athletics department that is transitioning into Division 1 competition, poses unique challenges to us as a staff.  Ben Pollard, our head strength coach, is an incredible leader, mentor, and friend.  Under Coach Pollard our program continues to grow and allow us better opportunity to train our student-athletes.

6. What advice would you give to those aspiring for a career in S&C?

I will sum my answer in several key points:

Prepare yourself to spend many hours working “for free” before ever being offered a paid position

Prepare yourself for very early mornings and long afternoons

Never stop seeking knowledge and information concerning this profession, both empirical, anecdotal, and experiential

Strive to build the most meaningful relations you can with those around you, and entrusted to your supervision

1. What is your background?

I played football at Georgia Tech from 2004-2007 and graduated in 2008. I worked as a Information Technology Specialist and Business System Analyst before being brought on as a GA at Georgia State August of 2011.

  2. Why did you go into Strength & Conditioning?

After I was finished playing football I took some time off any physical activity hoping my aches, pains and injuries would resolve... for reasons that I better understand now, they obviously did not. I started getting interested in finding ways to improve the way I felt given the injuries I incurred and this lead me down the path to Strength & Conditioning. From here, I have honestly not looked back. 

  3. What are some challenges coaching today's players?

With the teams I am responsible for, Men's Tennis & Men's Golf, the mindset and approach to lifting weights is much different coming from a football background. With these sports, I feel that there is more hesitation and resistance to putting weight on the bar. A major challenge for me has been developing a different way of communicating to them in order to explain the value of what we are doing and how that will benefit them in their respective sports. 

  4. What philosophy(-ies) do you subscribe to?

I don't know if there is a specific or single philosophy I subscribe to. Whether it is The Tier System, Westside, 100% Olympic lifting, Block Periodization, or a Conjugated approach, proper execution and coaching is key. Any of these plans held to the highest quality standard will produce positive results. Having said that, I take pieces of each as needed to meet the needs of the teams and individual athletes. But no matter the team, I always emphasize proper movement & tissue quality before watching the PRs rain down.

  5. How do you feel about Georgia State's S&C program?

I feel that we have come a long way in the 2+ years that I have been here, but there is still much to be done. Working under Coach Pollard and the staff here has been critical to my growth, I owe much to the open and collaborative environment that has been created here.

6. What advice would you give to those aspiring for a career in S&C?

Experiment with yourself, and be a result of your own training practices. Don't make athletes do something that you have not tried, it keeps you more honest and realistic as to what can be accomplished... but don't be afraid to get uncomfortable.