The Strength & Conditioning division of New Trier’s athletic department is home to many different coaches. One in particular, Jim Davis, has more than just a sports-related side to him.
While Davis is only in his late 20s, he’s been coaching at New Trier for three years now, starting just a few years after he got out of college. “The timing was perfect,” says Davis.
“I used to coach football and I substitute taught until about February of each year, and then I went to play indoor football for two seasons,” he said.
“I also played in Europe for three seasons. About the time I was starting to wrap up my career, Randy Oberembt, the athletic director at New Trier, saw a void in the KW department, and specifically Strength & Conditioning. I was ready to settle down into a full-time position anyway, so it timed out great.”
Not only was the timing a factor, but Davis developed a strong interest for Strength & Conditioning throughout the 18 years he played football. In addition to his own interest, he also recognizes the importance of Strength & Conditioning for young athletes.
“It improves athletic performance, prevents injuries, and it helps with character development,” said Davis.
“It’s one of the most rewarding things in my life to see kids come full circle through this program.”
While Strength & Conditioning is important for all athletes, Davis says that contact sports require it more than any other.
“There’s an added injury component to that already, so it’s extremely important for things like football and wrestling.” Jake Leonard, a junior wrestler, said that “It’s really important for us because you have to be strong to take down your opponent and come out on top, and without Strength & Conditioning, it would be much harder to get the proper training in.”
Aside from being an avid sportsman, Davis has a strong artistic side as well. He left college with a degree in studio art, and was about to enter a masters program in creative writing (which he also pursues on his poetry website, jimdavispoetry.com).
“My interests are so varied that if all I did here was lift weights, I’m not sure that it could sustain me.” Participating in non-sports related activities is what keeps Davis so interested in working with students, because all of them have varied interests as well.
“None of the guys I work with are one-dimensional either. There’s so many components to everyone.”
When Davis isn’t working on music or writing, he’s keeping up on what he calls “independent study” about brain functions related to exercise. Most notably, he’s digging deep into the Double-Slit Experiment, which he describes as “groundbreaking, which is not a term I throw around loosely.”
It’s an experiment that is detailed in the book “Spark” by John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman, a book that has a whole club dedicated to it, one that Davis sponsors.
Davis is truly an anomaly inside the KW department. Coach Pete Drevline says he admires Davis because “his passion for Strength & Conditioning is unparalleled to anyone we have here. It’s like he eats, sleeps, and dreams about it. He’s always talking about new ideas and finding new ways to enhance the Strength & Conditioning program for the young athletes.”