I recently finished the level 1 coaching course for USA Olympic Weightlifting with Gary Valentine. I wanted to contact you directly with some feedback about the course.
Firstly, I would like to give you a little background about myself. For the past decade I have played in the National Football League. I have played in three AFC Championship games ( two with The New York Jets and one with The New England Patriots). I have a total of nine credited seasons as a Tight End in the National Football League . In nine seasons I have played for ten different organizations within the National Football League.
I say all of that not to talk about myself (necessarily) but for you to understand that I have been around a lot of the top strength coaches in the world. This is all pertinent because I would now put Gary Valentine into that same category.
Secondly, throughout the entire course Gary was informative, knowledgable, and intelligible. Gary took the time to not only enlighten our class on the specifics of olympic weightlifting, but he also fostered an environment where we all felt comfortable to share our own experiences. Needless to say, whether one is a novice or a professional athlete Gary is able to effectively cultivate an athlete’s ability to learn.
Lastly, I came to the class with one intention — to receive an introductory level coaching certification. I had no expectations of learning anything new per se. One of my favorite things to do in life is to crush weights. I spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to push my body to new levels in strength and conditioning. With that being said, there were things I learned from Gary that I never gave consideration to before. Undoubtably what I have learned will make me a better athlete.
In conclusion, I hope USA Weightlifting understands what a gem they have in Gary Valentine.
Sincerely,
Matthew Mulligan