RC: Bri, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

BM: I am 22 years old from Ohio. I started playing hockey when I was 4 or 5 years old. I grew up playing boys hockey until I was 16 when I switched over to the women’s program with the Ohio Flames. I went on to play for the Robert Morris Colonials for college hockey. I am going into my final year as a nursing major after taking the year off to compete in the Olympics.

RC: Who has influenced and motivated you through your career?

BM: I have had many influential coaches and trainers throughout my life who have believed in me and urged me to compete at the next level. When I had the opportunity to try out with the national team, my teammates were also very supportive and spent hours on the ice with me making sure I was ready for try-outs. My older brother Michael was the one who got me into hockey when I was younger and was always my biggest critic besides myself. He would shoot me straight and let me know exactly what I needed to work on. Even to this day he has been extremely supportive and proud of what I’ve accomplished. As well as my brother, both of my parents have supported me in my dreams and sacrificed more than I know to get me to ALL of my practices, games, and events. They always tried their best to keep me focused on the right track to achieve my goals. I wouldn’t be where I am now without all the support and encouragement of everyone in my life and especially my family.

RC: Being a part of the Olympic Experience must have been great, tell us a little about that?

The use of Olympic weightlifting in the training of athletes is a common method utilized in the strength and conditioning field. From high school to professional athletes, Olympic lifts are popularly used to increase hip explosion. There are various strength programs that emphasize the clean and its derivatives (clean or snatch from floor, hang, mid-thigh, etc.) as a staple tool in the process of preparing an athlete for their maximum physical potential. Other programs may focus their methodology more toward power lifting, strongman, etc. While the clean & jerk and snatch are the central focus in the training of Olympic weightlifters, the Olympic lift variations may be better suited for an athlete’s physiological preparation. 
 
 Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that I’m not saying that Olympic weightlifting is the “answer” to your programs. All I’m trying to convey is that when used correctly, Olympic lifts may serve to be very beneficial to your younger inexperienced athletes. While these lifts can serve be very technically demanding, it may be initially frustrating to begin adding them into your training routine if you do not have any prior experience with them. The purpose of this article is to introduce you to basic Olympic variations to be employed in the weight room, in order to assist in increasing your athlete’s explosive strength.