PLU Kinesiology Student Gains D1 Coaching Experience at TCU

With a passion for athletic performance and a drive to learn from the best, former PLU Student-Athlete Anthony Adams ’25, used his time at PLU to combine academics with real-world experience. A Kinesiology graduate with a concentration in Exercise Science, Anthony immersed himself in training science both inside and outside the classroom. In the summer of 2024, he took his studies to the Division I level, interning with Texas Christian University (TCU) Athletics under renowned strength coach Zach Dechant. That internship led to a full-time job with TCU, as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. We caught up with Anthony just before he graduated to learn more about his journey from PLU to the top of collegiate sports.

What are you majoring in?
I am majoring in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science.

How did this internship come about?
I was first exposed to my boss, Zach Dechant, through social media, as he is one of the top human performance coaches for training rotational athletes. Interestingly, Coach Rice, the former strength and conditioning coach at PLU, had interned with Coach Dechant at the University of Washington. During my sophomore year of college, I wanted to enhance the quality of my own training, and I figured there was no better way to do that than by learning from the best. I purchased an online conference put together by Coach Dechant that featured coaches from Division 1 programs and Major League Baseball sharing their expertise.

I also bought Coach Dechant’s products, including his book Movement over Maxes and his speed development course. Whenever I had questions, I would message him, and he always took the time to thoughtfully respond. After reading and studying all of his available content, I realized how much other athletes at PLU, including our baseball team, could benefit from these principles — not just to maximize physical qualities but also to reduce the risk of injury.

This realization opened my eyes to the possibility of pursuing a career as a Strength and Conditioning Coach. Last winter, I saw a post about a Human Performance Internship at TCU. Although the summer application window had already closed, I decided to apply anyway. Fortunately, because of my experience and our previous connection, Coach Dechant opened a spot for me to intern over the summer.

What did you do for your internship?
During my internship, I assisted with Women’s Basketball and Volleyball, and I helped lead and assist with Baseball training. I also worked with high school and college athletes at Ideal Sports Performance, training players from sports like baseball, softball, soccer, and football.

It was an incredible experience working with different teams, as each team had a dedicated strength coach. This exposed me to various coaching styles, training philosophies, and team cultures, broadening my perspective and deepening my understanding of the profession.

How does the internship connect to your major and/or educational goals?
This internship directly connects to my major and educational goals. My coursework in exercise science provided the education, foundational principles, and theoretical knowledge, but this internship allowed me to apply what I learned in real-world situations.

As Dr. Hacker often says in our classes, “Would you trust a doctor who has performed 100 surgeries but hasn’t read all the books, or a doctor who has read 100 books but performed zero surgeries?” It’s one thing to know the information, but it’s an entirely different skill to be able to apply it successfully to human beings.

This internship also directly supports my future career goal of becoming a strength and conditioning coach.

What were the biggest things you learned during this internship?
The biggest thing I learned is that strength and conditioning isn’t just about developing the physical attributes of athletes — it’s about building relationships with people. Connecting with athletes on a personal level opens doors for better communication, trust, and overall development, both as athletes and as individuals.

I also learned that working across different environments, team cultures, age groups, and training ages challenged my communication skills. In strength and conditioning, we are ultimately trying to instill motor learning, and to do that, you must understand how to elicit behavior change. Learning how to teach people in variable ways is critical, especially in the chaotic and fast-paced world of team sports training.

What was the most meaningful part of your experience?
Some of my favorite memories came from spending time with the other interns — whether it was playing Spikeball, training together, or discussing training philosophies in the conference room.

All of my best memories revolve around learning new things and gaining knowledge, which speaks to why TCU was such a great fit for me. I had the opportunity to learn from people from all over the country, each with different sports backgrounds, experiences, and paths.

Why do you think interning is valuable?
Interning is valuable because it gives you real, hands-on experience. It also helps clarify whether the career you are pursuing truly fulfills you.

Specifically, in my internship — and in many others — the job goes beyond the job description. It forces you to adapt on the fly, step outside your comfort zone, and build new relationships and networks that you might not have had access to otherwise.

Interning also allows you to learn directly from professionals with years — or even decades — of experience. It gives you a chance to see where you currently stand and understand the barriers and steps necessary to achieve your future goals.

What do you love about PLU?
What I love about PLU is the strength of its professional network, especially within the kinesiology and strength and conditioning communities. I’ve had the chance to connect, talk with, and learn from PLU kinesiology alumni who are now professionals in the field.

I also appreciate that the Kinesiology Department holds its students to a high standard, preparing us for success in both graduate school and the workforce. PLU prepares students to understand research deeply — to read it, interpret it, and even design it — and supports us in pursuing national certifications and professional development.

The department also bridges the gap between academic knowledge and real-world experience by bringing in alumni and working professionals to speak with students about their careers. It shows that PLU cares about setting students up not just with a degree, but with the skills needed for lasting success.