From raising two little boys to coaching countless teens in the high school weight room, strength and conditioning coach Jesse Padgett does it all.
Padgett has been the high school’s strength and conditioning coach for almost five years now.
He grew up in Bellaire, Ohio, working at his local pizzeria while also juggling the challenge of being a dual sport student-athlete throughout high school, he explained.
Padgett said he discovered his passion for sports at a young age when he found lifting to be a major stress reliever.
“Through sports in high school we had a lifting class, and it really connected with me,” he said. “The most impactful coach that I had was the person who ran our strength program.”
Padgett attended Ohio University to further his passion to become an athletic trainer or physical therapist in the athletic industry.
He first learned about the career of strength and conditioning in college, he said.
Padgett said after earning his master’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from California University of Pennsylvania. He took the next steps to realizing his dream as he moved to Columbus.
After a year of interning at The Ohio State University, Padgett explained he took a job as the strength and conditioning coordinator at Olentangy Liberty High School for about five months. That summer, a full-time job opened up at OSU, where he remained for six years as a strength and conditioning coach.
After his sixth year, he saw an opportunity to coach at Bexley and decided to go for it, Padgett explained.
“From a professional standpoint, I felt that I exhausted everything I could out of that opportunity,” Padgett said. “I was looking to be in charge of my own program, run things and really build something from the ground up. I saw a lot of potential to come here and really make an impact. For me, it was a no-brainer.”
Padgett said he continues to build and progress the program daily from running lead on its staff development at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Performance to creating training programs for students.
He explained he goes through a meticulous process to ensure his training programs develop athletes to their full potential. The process ranges from analyzing the biomechanical requirements of the body to learning about the common injuries associated with each sport, he said.
“The goal is to improve sports performance and reduce injuries,” Padgett said.
Sophomore Lolan Reiss explained that Padgett has had such a positive influence on his fitness and athleticism.
“Padgett helps me become more athletic, faster and stronger when I lift with his coaching,” he said.
Although the job description only focuses on strength, Padgett said he takes it one step further to create a welcoming environment for all athletes.
“There are no two athletes alike,” he said. “I want everybody who walks through the door to feel welcomed.”
Junior Wren Ruckel explained that the atmosphere of the weight room has created an easy space to lift and improve her fitness.
“The environment is very supportive in the weight room,” Ruckel said. “Everyone is polite about sharing equipment and giving others their space when lifting.”
Padgett added he has taught his students to apply the lessons they learned in the weight room to their everyday lives.
“I want them to feel as though, when they graduate here, they learned something about themselves,” Padgett said. “They learned how to accomplish something they didn’t believe they could because of someone else believing in them.”
