The College of Wooster's athletics department is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Navratil as strength and conditioning and fitness center coordinator. This newly-created role is part of the department's ongoing efforts to better serve the department, student-athletes, and the College. In this role, Navratil will work to build a successful strength and conditioning program for the College's 23 varsity programs and take a hands-on approach to the overall health and safety of the larger campus community. He will oversee the College's two weight room facilities – Williams Fitness Center and Swigart Strength Center – coordinate and conduct conditioning programs for Wooster's varsity teams, and play an important role as a member of the facility and event operations team, where he'll assist with event management throughout the year.
"This hire represents a significant and positive shift for Wooster's department of athletics and physical education," said Amy Heasley Williams, the College's director of athletics and physical education. "Mike's position was created through a restructure in the athletics department to address the specific needs in student-athlete welfare and development while also providing general education services to the campus population who use our fitness centers throughout the year. We are very excited to be growing in this way."
"Throughout the interview process, Mike emphasized the importance of education and adaptability," continued Williams. "Coaches and student-athletes were impressed with his program structure and his teaching mechanics, which focused on instruction, observation, and meaningful feedback. His coaching philosophy is based on establishing common goals, while his broad base of knowledge will influence numerous aspects of performance, fitness, and overall personal development. I am confident that Mike's energy and positive attitude will make an immediate impact in our department with the College community as a whole."
"I am more than excited to become a part of the Wooster family," said Navratil. "It's great to see a quality institution like Wooster make an investment like this in their students, student-athletes, and coaches. I'm so happy to be back in Ohio doing what I love alongside like-minded individuals. Throughout the process, I felt like Wooster was such a great next step for my career, and where I feel I can educate and impact those I work with and alongside."
Navratil arrives in Wooster following a year stint at Future, a client-based interactive virtual fitness and conditioning company. There, he worked as a private strength and conditioning coach with individuals and teams in Texas and Virginia. Prior to that, Navratil was a strength and conditioning graduate assistant at the University of Akron, working closely with the department's successful men's basketball program, in addition to leading strength and conditioning programs for baseball and women's tennis. Navratil gained further experience as a strength and conditioning coach at Robert Morris University, working with football, women's basketball, men's golf, and lacrosse. He also spent time as an intern with the football program at the University of Wyoming.
The former collegiate star got his start in the industry as a student worker-turned-intern at Youngstown State University, where he was part of six Horizon League championship teams and earned nine all-conference laurels as a member of the cross country and track and field teams.
Navratil earned a bachelor's in exercise science from Youngstown State in 2017 and a master's in sport science from Akron in 2020. He's a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, is a USA Weightlifting Level 1 performance coach, and is certified in sport nutrition, reflexive performance reset, and speed and agility.
He will be assisted by Aeon Blake, who will take on an expanded role as assistant strength and conditioning and fitness center coordinator, in addition to his role as an assistant football coach. Blake's in year three with the Scots, where he oversees the defensive line. Blake pursued a bachelor's in exercise science at Chowan University and master's at Heidelberg University.
"I am thrilled that we are able to match interests and talents of our current staff to further strengthen our department programming and support our student-athlete experiences," shared Williams. "I am also eager to see Aeon's personal and professional development under Mike's leadership."