The following quotes come from the MTI Podcast interview with Coach Schofield. Click HERE to listen to the podcast.
Breaking Into Strength and Conditioning
“I wasn’t an elite athlete, but I loved training and I loved sports. That led me to strength and conditioning.”
“I went to Colorado State for exercise science, but I didn’t get any real coaching experience there. My break came with an internship at Athletes’ Performance (now EXOS), where I worked with NFL Combine guys before shifting to baseball. That’s when I realized baseball was where I wanted to be.”
“Athletes’ Performance was great because they had a system in place. I was a young coach with zero practical experience, so it gave me a foundation to build on. But I wasn’t behind the curtain when it came to programming. It was a structured model, and I learned a lot, but I had no idea how they actually built their programs.”
The Reality of Minor League Strength Coaching
“My first full-time role paid $8,000 a year. No benefits. Just grinding, traveling with the team, making do in tiny weight rooms. You learn to be resourceful.”
“We traveled everywhere by bus, sometimes 14-hour overnight trips. As coaches, we got two seats, so we could actually lie down. The players had it worse—half of them would be sprawled out on the floor. You’d wake up in the middle of the night and have to step over sleeping guys just to get to the bathroom.”
“There were no weight rooms on the road. We had a travel trunk with bands, kettlebells, and med balls. We’d take the guys to a local gym—usually a Planet Fitness or something—and try to run a session. It wasn’t ideal, but you make it work.”
Working in the Major Leagues
“At the major league level, it’s all about maintenance. You’re not developing guys as much as you’re keeping them on the field.”
“Some guys are incredibly invested in their training, others couldn’t care less. Some have their own strength coaches and performance staff outside the organization. You have to navigate that and make sure they’re still doing what the team needs.”
“Hamstring pulls were the nightmare scenario. I saw an MLB strength coach get fired because of multiple hamstring injuries in one season. Sometimes it’s not the strength coach’s fault, but you have to own everything you can control.”
“At the minor league level, you’re developing athletes. At the major league level, you’re maintaining them. It’s a completely different mindset.”
Fitness Testing for First Responders
“We use a modified Army Combat Fitness Test model: trap bar deadlift, pull-ups, push-ups, vertical jump, and the beep test.”
“The best predictor of injury isn’t movement screens—it’s general fitness. The fitter they are, the fewer injuries they have.”
“The minimum standard for the trap bar deadlift is 225 lbs. Male or female, doesn’t matter. You have to be able to pick up at least that much. If you can’t, you’re not physically prepared for the demands of the job.”
“Pull-up minimum is six. Push-ups are tested with a metronome at 80 BPM. They have to keep pace or they’re done. It’s a trunk stability test as much as it is a pressing test.”
“We test vertical jump because total-body power is critical. The minimum is 15 inches for men, 13 for women.”
Strength Progression for Fire Recruits
“We use a Wendler-style 5/3/1 progression for the trap bar deadlift.”
– Week 1: 65%, 75%, 85% x 5 reps
– Week 2: 70%, 80%, 90% x 3 reps
– Week 3: 75%, 85%, 95% x 1+ reps
– Week 4: Deload
“I structure training based on group needs. If a class struggles on the beep test, we emphasize conditioning. If they’re weak on pull-ups, we focus more on upper body pulling.”
“For police academies, I see them three times a week, so I have to make every session count. For fire academies, I get them four times a week, which allows for a more structured strength progression.”
Programming Misates
“Early in my career, I programmed too much volume. Over time, I learned to simplify.”
“Some coaches get too cute. Fundamentals win every time. Get strong. Move well. Be durable.”
“In tactical populations, you’re not training specialists—you’re training generalists. They need to be strong, fast, and durable. You can’t afford to focus too much on one area.”
Lightning Round
– Best Total Body Lift? “Trap Bar Deadlift.”
– Best Lower Body Press? “Bulgarian Split Squat.”
– Best Lower Body Pull? “Romanian Deadlift.”
– Best Upper Body Press? “Dumbbell Bench Press.”
– Best Upper Body Pull? “Single-Arm Dumbbell Row.”
– Most Overrated Exercise? “Mini-band Glute Bridges.”
– Most Underrated Exercise? “Cable Core Rotations.”
– Most Overhyped Equipment? “Glute-Ham Developer (GHD).”
– Best Work Capacity Event? “Short-Distance Sprint Intervals with Active Recovery.”