Athletes at AGSP get to work with the area's best sports performance coaches during their training sessions. Recently I did a Q&A with Coach Anthony Colarusso, check it out and get to know your coaches better!
Our athletes know you as Coach Anthony Colarusso. What does Coach Anthony like to do outside of making athletes better?
I am a pretty big proponent of practicing what I preach. I love Olympic Weightlifting and anticipate competing in several meets around Ohio in the upcoming months. I’m also a pretty big advocate of CrossFit training when properly implemented. I enjoy going outdoors when I can, especially if it involves going down to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and sprinting up big hills. When I’m not doing something that requires physical exertion, I enjoy relaxing at home, eating lots of good food, reading, and hanging out with friends.
How did you get started working with athletes?
I've been an athlete in some way, shape, or form for most of my life. Growing up in Northeast Ohio, I dabbled in all kinds of sports. Basketball was my first love, but I also played baseball and soccer as a kid. I ran cross country and track in junior high and played football in high school for Stow-Munroe Falls. In high school, I was a self-proclaimed gym rat. I never was the biggest, fastest, or strongest athlete, so I spent a lot of my time training in the weight room. It was there that I realized I wanted to be able to train athletes for a living. My first experience working with athletes came when I was a student at Baldwin-Wallace College. I spent a summer interning at Akron General Sports Performance with Coach Amanda and knew from the onset of the internship that this was the job for me. Fast-forward about two years and here I am now.
Based on your experience, what is the one, biggest physical skill that today's athlete lacks?
This varies from athlete to athlete, but I feel the biggest skill we try to teach as strength and conditioning coaches is kinesthetic awareness – knowing where your body is in space and how to control it. It amazes me how many great athletes out there cannot perform a proper bodyweight squat without rounding their back, riding up onto their toes, or claiming that they just cannot go any lower. This isn’t to say that athletes need to be able to squat to do well in their sport, but it certainly doesn’t hurt!
What do you like most about working with athletes?
The ability to make an impact and change a life is truly priceless. Coaches have the opportunity to do this every day. I live by the motto that a good coach will make you a better athlete, while a great coach will make you a better person. Obviously, I aspire to be a great coach, and I look forward to getting to know all the athletes who train at Akron General Sports Performance.
What advice would you give today's athlete?
Keep working hard, both in your sport and outside of athletics. Train smart, stay disciplined, and be patient. All good things come in time. Learn to transfer the work ethic you put into your sport to other areas of your life and success will follow.
Thanks Coach Anthony for your great energy and great coaching!
Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart and Akron General Sports Performance
