Ep 118: Mike Hill on his journey from Fort Dodger to D1 Strength & Conditioning Coach
He has achieved 100% of his success by doing things the right way.
There have been a few times that the Moonlight Graham Show has gone off of the court, turf or diamond to share stories about the impact of sports, teammates, coaches, and just great stories. This week is unique even compared to some of the amazing stories we have shared for over 100 episodes. Mike Hill grew up thinking about a career in the NBA before he realized that though he was pretty good at everything, he wasn’t great at anything. Now, Mike Hill is one of the greats in his field of sports performance and serves as the Associate Athletics Director of Sports Performance and Strength and Conditioning coach for the men’s basketball team at Georgetown University.
Growing up, I wasn’t good at sports, so I was always training
Sports were like a playground where Mike could spend his days shooting hoops, running, lifting weights, or whatever else he could get his hands into. Mike grew up running around Fort Dodge, IA playing every sport or spending countless hours at the YMCA. He got an interest in weightlifting in middle school and with an added spark from movies like Rocky IV or Bloodsport, it became a passion. Mike’s drive to train and improve was coupled with a curiosity that drove him to read training books and try to improve himself through any opportunity that was presented.
I did it by the old method; observe, learn, adapt
The drive to compete didn’t diminish when Mike graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High and went to UNI. The path to walking on to the basketball team included serving as a manager. And though he didn’t end on the team, serving as a manager for the UNI basketball team opened doors for him as a coach and working with athletes. After living and working in Cedar Falls, Mike got an opportunity working with the Oakland Raiders. That experience was followed by a move to Washington, D.C. and joining the two-person strength and conditioning department at Georgetown.
I probably shouldn’t sit down, I probably shouldn’t take my phone out
Mike Hill has been with Georgetown University since 2004. Tim, Tom, and Mike go in-depth into his approach to coaching and constantly learning. As a strength coach, Mike takes advantage of every minute he has with his athletes. He shares how he has developed an approach that starts with how the athletes walk through the door. Coach Hill talks about the motivation and mental part of the way he trains top-tier Division I athletes. In addition to his own physical training, Mike is a voracious reader and you can check out his reading list with #HillsBookClub and following him on Instagram (@license_2_hill).