Dear Catholic Central Parents,

I’m excited to begin working with our Catholic Central student-athletes as we start our off-season strength and conditioning program for winter and spring sports.

Our off-season training begins this week and will take place Monday–Thursday at 4:00 PM in the CAT weight room.

This is an exciting opportunity for our athletes to continue developing outside of their competitive season. Our goal is to create an environment where athletes can get stronger, move better, become more explosive, build confidence, and develop the habits that will help them succeed in both sports and life.

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A Few Important Things to Know

Consistency is key. Athletes are encouraged to make off-season training a priority and attend as consistently as possible. The more consistently they train, the more opportunity they have to develop.

We understand that our student-athletes have busy schedules. School responsibilities, family commitments, illness, and other legitimate conflicts will happen. If an athlete needs to miss a session, we simply ask that they communicate that in advance whenever possible.

Our expectation is that athletes attend their scheduled sessions whenever they are able.

A few additional reminders:

• Athletes should arrive 5–10 minutes before the 4:00 PM start time and be ready to train.
• Athletes should wear appropriate training shoes. No slides or Crocs during training.
• Athletes will be coached through a structured program rather than simply being given time to work out on their own.
• Workouts will be delivered and tracked through our training platform.
• Athletes will be expected to bring a positive attitude, give great effort, and be open to coaching.
• There may be times when an in-season team is also using the weight room. We will work together to make the space productive for everyone.

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More Than Strength Training

One of the things I’m most excited about is the opportunity to use training as a vehicle for developing the whole student-athlete.

We will work on strength, speed, power, movement, mobility, and physical preparation—but we will also work on the qualities that help athletes become great teammates and leaders.

Empower. Process. Leadership.

Those three words will be at the heart of what we do.

I want our athletes to understand that meaningful development doesn't happen overnight. It comes from showing up, embracing the process, learning from coaching, overcoming challenges, and consistently getting a little better.

Thank you for trusting me with your athletes and for supporting them as they continue to grow and develop. I’m looking forward to getting to know them, coaching them, and helping them become the best versions of themselves.

If you have any questions about the program or your athlete’s training, please feel free to reach out to me by email or phone at (616) 633-1883.

I’m excited for what we’re building together at Catholic Central!

Thank you,

Daimond Dixon
Strength, Conditioning & Performance Coach
Grand Rapids Catholic Central