Strength & Conditioning | Human Performance Lab | Staff Directory

The vision of the Sports Medicine Division is to be one of the top Sports Medicine Programs in the country. The primary mission of the division is to provide the safest and most effective and efficient sports medicine services possible to the cadet population involved in intercollegiate, intramural, physical education and fitness training and testing activities through the achievement of four basic goals:

1. Provide and supervise the highest quality strength and conditioning programs for all cadets involved in intercollegiate athletics while directly supporting physical education, and fitness training and testing activities.

2. Select, procure, inspect, maintain and distribute the safest and highest quality equipment and supplies needed by all cadets involved in intercollegiate athletics.

3. Evaluate, educate and train intercollegiate athletes, cadets and coaches with the most effective techniques to improve athletic performance through the use of current exercise physiology, biomechanics and sport vision enhancement principles.

4. Prevent, evaluate, treat, and rehabilitate injuries incurred by cadets while participating in physical education classes, intramurals, fitness testing activities and intercollegiate sports conducted by the Department of Athletics through the use of state-of-the-art athletic training procedures and modalities.

BRANCHES: The Sports Medicine Division is composed of four main branches: Athletic Training; Strength and Conditioning; Human Performance; and Athletic Equipment.

1. Athletic Training Branch: Mr. Larry Willock is the Chief of the Athletic Training Branch and Head Athletic Trainer. Mr. Willock holds an M.S. degree and was the Head Trainer at the University of New Mexico for 7 years before coming to the Academy. He was inducted into both the Rocky Mountain and New Mexico Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 1999. The athletic training staff includes 11 certified athletic trainers, 1 physical therapist, 2 physical therapy technicians, and 10 post-graduate degrees among it's 13 staff members. The staff provides athletic training services to all 4000 cadets at the Academy involved in intramurals, physical education, fitness testing and 27 intercollegiate sports. The Athletic Training Branch facilities include two state-of-the-art training rooms (located in the Cadet Field House and the Cadet Gymnasium) with the latest in equipment and supplies.

2. Strength and Conditioning Branch: Mr. Buck Blackwood is the Chief of the Strength and Conditioning Branch and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. Coach Blackwood is assisted by Jeff Kipp, Drew Bodette, Kim Pinske, Julie Rubino and Coach Jack Braley. The staff develops training programs for athletes designed to maximally improve athletic performance. Each sport at the Academy has it's own lifting program designed specifically for that sport. The strength and conditioning facilities are some of the finest in the nation. The Falcon Athlete Center weight room is 23,000 square feet and includes 48 multi-station platforms, 48 dumbbell platforms, a full line of dumbbells from 5 to 170 lbs, and a 4-lane 60 yard track. The varsity weight room is located in the Cadet Gymnasium and has 12,600 square feet of open lifting area. Included in the facility are 84 individual lifting stations, 40 Olympic bars and 72 pairs of dumbbells. Free weights make up 27,922 pounds (almost 14 tons) of lifting challenge for our cadets. The center of the room is designed for plyometrics and speed training and has a four-lane 40-yard track area for sprints.

3. Human Performance Branch: Lt Col Michael Zupan is the Chief of the Human Performance Branch. Lt Col Zupan has a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and has been the director of the Human Performance Branch since 1998. He is assisted by Coach Al Wile and Coach Jeanine Geurin. The primary goal of the branch is to help USAFA teams win through improved athletic performance. This is done by providing the coach and athlete with valuable information through testing and education. The present capabilities include assessments in the areas of anaerobic power, maximal oxygen consumption, sports vision, body composition, biomechanical assessment, flexibility, and dietary analysis. The sports vision testing and training program is the best in the United States. The branch utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and training programs designed specifically to meet the needs of each team. Use the following link to read more about the Human Performance Branch. (link to lab page here)

4. Athletic Equipment Branch: Mr. Dan Siermine is the Chief of the Athletic Equipment Branch. He has 13 years experience in the field and was the head equipment manager at the University of Connecticut before coming to the USAF Academy in 1998. Mr. Siermine is assisted by Mr. Robert Rush, Mr. Ryan Grooms, and Mr. Rob Malone. The Athletic Equipment Branch is the newest branch to be included in the Sports Medicine Division. The Athletic Equipment Branch evaluates, procures, maintains, and distributes equipment and supplies that are critical to both the protection of the athletes and their optimum performance. The branch provides services to all intercollegiate sports at the USAF Academy including over 600 athletes and is responsible for an annual budget of over three quarters of a million dollars.

10th MEDICAL GROUP SUPPORT:

The professionals in the Sports Medicine Division provide the day-to-day sports medicine services required by our cadet athletes, but they receive outstanding support and assistance from the medical professionals assigned to the 10th Medical Group. Departments of the 10th Medical Group that provide this assistance on a regular basis over and above their normal duty requirements and frequently during their off duty time include orthopedics, radiology, emergency medicine, physical therapy, dentistry and the cadet clinic. Many other medical professionals from other specialties such as neurology and dermatology (among others) provide assistance and consultation as well. A number of physicians volunteer to be "Team Docs" under the direction of the Head Team Physician, Dr. (Maj) John Tokish (orthopedic surgeon). This responsibility requires extensive time and effort on their part. The teamwork between the Sports Medicine Division and the 10th Medical Group is a key ingredient in the extremely high level of sports medicine services available to Academy cadets and athletes. This teamwork and the highly professional staff in both the Sports Medicine Division and the 10th Medical Group makes the Sports Medicine Program at the USAF Academy one of the best in the nation.