When Steve Lewis, head strength and conditioning coach, and Maddy Griess, associate strength and conditioning coach, took jobs at Grinnell College, they didn’t just come to coach, they came with a goal to bring structure to a strength and conditioning program that had been pushed aside for the past few years.
“Respectfully to all things that went on before we got here, there wasn’t really, I would say, a consistent or defined program over the past couple of years,” said Lewis. “So we’re going to bring everybody back in terms of standardization, and then we’re going to build from there.”
Both bring years of experience and a shared passion for helping athletes achieve their best, but their motivations for joining Grinnell are deeply rooted in their personal values and professional goals.
For Lewis, the decision to join Grinnell College was made by his desire for a new career challenge. Having previously coached at Central College, he was already familiar with Grinnell’s reputation and saw the opportunity to work within a community that he said radiates positivity and energy. “I knew immediately that Grinnell College was an incredible place,” he said. “It had a great community, and I’m lucky enough to be a part of it now.”
Griess, who’s from the Midwest, was drawn to Grinnell because of her professional aspirations and her desire to return closer to home. Her admiration for Holly Roepke, director of athletics and recreation, as well as her desire to take on a new challenge made Grinnell a natural fit.
“I’ve worked with Holly before and really respected her leadership and the support that she always showed for strength and conditioning,” Griess explained. “Just really excited about the possibilities and the potential that this place and this department has to build something really powerful from an athletic performance perspective.”
Both coaches quickly recognized that Grinnell’s academic and athletic environment aligned with their goals. Greiss and Lewis said that the pride and confidence athletes have in performing at a high level resonated with both of them.
“All the same things [Lewis] said about just wanting to always improve and always get better, and recognizing the room for that, while also taking pride in the work that has been done, is being done [at Grinnell],” said Griess.
Each coach’s approach to strength and conditioning is rooted in fostering strong relationships with athletes. They both recognize that for athletes to perform at their best, they must first believe in their potential.
“It’s going to be a lot of building relationships, and it’s going to be holding people to a high level of accountability and increasing expectations and educating people, [and] getting people to believe in their own capabilities,” said Lewis.
For Griess, this means meeting athletes where they are on their fitness journey. “We understand that some students may have experience in strength training, while others may be stepping into a weight room for the first time,” she explained. “It’s about finding where they’re at, understanding their needs and guiding them through the process at a comfortable pace.”
Griess said that to integrate strength and conditioning into Grinnell’s athletic culture, it involves building relationships and structure. “And then over time, raising that bar and those expectations to a place that you know are going to put Grinnell College athletics on the next level,” said Griess. “And it can’t just be hard and fast. We understand that it’s going to be a learning process on all ends.”
While maximizing performance is a key goal, Lewis and Griess are equally focused on creating a supportive environment for athletes. “This is our sanctuary,” said Lewis, referring to the weight room. “It’s a transformative place, it’s an empowering place. And so, our goal is to educate people and give them the skills they need to be safe and productive here.”
Both coaches explained that their priority isn’t focused on defeating the records on the Pioneer Power Record Board, but rather pushing athletes to be their best.
“I look at those and there’s a lot of really impressive performances there right now, but my overarching goal as a strength and conditioning coach is to one, prevent injuries, and two, maximize performance,” Lewis said.
“We want to make sure that we build the infrastructure of a program that’s going to go far beyond just strictly numbers,” added Griess. “Then eventually, hopefully, circle back and put some names up on that board.”
While both Lewis and Griess have their sights set on raising the bar, both regionally and nationally, they are also realistic, understanding that such success takes time.
“We’re just trying to kind of get our feet under us and make sure that we build some solid foundations of this strength and conditioning program,” said Griess.
Ultimately, their focus remains on the athletes. “That is my mission, that is my goal, my function, my purpose –– propel Grinnell College student-athletes forward,” Lewis said. “But there is life beyond college athletics, and we definitely see that too. And so, setting them up for that transition out of college athletics, or just to have a foundation of health and wellness too, are good goals to have.”
