[2016 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN’S TEAM CHAMPIONS


GOLD FOR EAST COAST GOLD


By Anna Resman


Even with only seven lifters, East Coast Gym captured the men’s team title at the 2016 USA Weightlifting National Championships. The team was comprised of Darren Barnes (56kg – St. Louis, Mo.), Dillon Yi (56kg – Atlanta, Ga.), Aaron Addison (62kg – Miami, Fla.), Uli Manzanilla (69kg – Monticello, Minn.), Adam Beytin (77kg – Reisterstown, Md.), Leo Hernandez (77kg – Mi- ami Gardens, Fla.), Charles McDonald (85kg – Tchula, Miss.), and Phil Sabatini (94kg – Oakmont, Pa.). Hernandez lifted in the Olympic Trials and placed sec-


ond overall in the 77kg weight class. Beytin also compet- ed at 77kg in the National Championships and finished eighth. Barnes was the National Champion at 58kg, scor- ing 25 kilos above second place. Yi placed sixth overall for 56kg, Manzanilla was seventh for 69kg, and McDonald finished sixth for 85kg. Sabatini had a very strong perfor- mance in the 94kg division to edge out another competi- tor by one point for fourth place. The first three places went to Olympic Trials participants. Founder and head coach, Leo Totten, spoke with


USA Weightlifting and reflected on East Coast Gold and his 50+ years of involvement in the sport.


How did you initially get involved in weightlifting? I bought my first set of weights when I was 12 at York Barbell. In the ‘60s, York Barbell was the hub of weight- lifting and where I saw what weightlifting was all about. I started lifting in middle school to get bigger and stron- ger. I competed from 1967 to 1984 – my last meet was the 1984 Olympic Trials. Since 1984, my focus has been on coaching. As a


physical education teacher, coaching was in my blood, and I coached a wide variety of sports throughout the years. For weightlifting, it was a natural progression to move into coaching.


What motivated you to create East Coast Gold? I had been working with several athletes that had quali- fied for Nationals but could not afford to make it there. That led me to found East Coast Gold in 1992 and create a 501(c) organization so that I could fundraise and provide athletes with the resources they needed to compete at the national level. That has been our mission since the be- ginning – to equip individual lifters with the resources they need so that they can focus on training and competing. We have about a dozen active satellite centers and


at least 350 athletes. Each center has their own identity, but we all operate on the same wavelength. The centers


are a feeder system into our national team. The top ath- letes and coaches become East Coast Gold and join to- gether for the national-level competitions. Our primary focus is on


the individual. If the individ- ual does well, then the team does well.


What were your thoughts going into this year’s National Championships? It all comes down to making lifts. If you make lifts, you win. I always stress this to my athletes, and we aim to have 66% good lifts (4 of 6). While we had one lifter who did not make weight, the other seven lifters all totaled. There is a lot of strategy involved in competitions.


We have a lot of different coaches for our lifters, so it is important that we remain on the same wavelength and follow the same principles. To do this, I ensure that all of us coaches stay in constant communication throughout the competition.


Do you tailor your workouts to male versus female lifters? I don’t treat male and female lifters any differently, but I do treat each individual differently. The stereotypes around female lifters are simply not true. There are men who are very emotional, and females who need to be kicked in the butt. Each individual is different, and I tai- lor my coaching strategy for each.


What is your memorable coaching moment? There are so many; it is impossible to pick just one. How- ever, the most recent one that comes to mind is from this year’s Nationals. Phil Sabatini did not snatch well. Usu- ally if a lifter doesn’t snatch well, the clean and jerk also doesn’t go so well. There was another guy [Robert Black- well] that Phil was battling for first in the 94kg division. He snatched 157kg, versus Phil’s 145kg, so Phil needed to beat him by 13kg in the snatch. He opened with a suc- cessful 180kg lift, and then made 185kg but got two red lights. He came back to nail 190kg on his final attempt and finish a kilogram above the other guy. I was so proud of Phil and his mental strength. This just one example of what lifters can do under pressure if they remain focused.


What are your key pieces of advice for amateur lifters who are just getting started in the sport? •


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TEAM EAST COST GOLD- MEN’S TEAM CHAMPION


It’s a process. You need to work on the process and enjoy the process. I am a firm believer of the 10,000 hour rule. To become an elite athlete, you need to dedicate at least 10,000 hours to the sport. If you have only been training for six months, you are no- where near that threshold.


• Be willing to work on your weak areas. The three key components of weightlifting are technique, strength, and flexibility. Understand your weakest link and spend time improving it.


• Be patient and coachable. There is no immediate gratification in weightlifting. There is a rich Penn- sylvania Dutch history in my area, and I frequently quote one of their sayings – “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” It all takes time.


What are your key pieces of advice for fellow coaches? •


Stick to the basics. Just because something new comes down the line does not necessarily mean it is right. Some people have said that I am “old school,” but I like to think of it as “right school.”


• Emphasize the importance of drug-free. • Treat your athletes with trust and integrity. •


Stress the importance of recovery. Your athletes are on the platform for a few hours a day – what they do in the remaining 20 to 22 hours is just as critical.


Anything else that you would like to share? The final recommendation I would like to leave with both athletes and coaches is to never stop learning. The more you know, the more you know you don’t know. I have accumulated a lot of experience and knowledge throughout the past 50 years, and there is still so much more for me to learn.


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