The School Buzz: D-20 coach named best in the country
Sam Melendrez is the full-time strength and conditioning coach at Discovery Canyon Campus High School. This summer he was named the High School Strength And Conditioning Coach Of The Year by the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association).
Melendrez has been the full-time strength and conditioning coach at DCC, covering all sports, for 13 years. He doesn't even know how he was nominated for the honor but is thrilled with the recognition.
"It’s an honor, especially coming from an organization such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association who’s been the gold standard of professional organizations in the fitness and athletic performance industry for as long as they have," said Melendrez.
The veteran coach says what he loves most about his job is that he gets to teach student-athletes not only how to become great athletes but also great humans.
"Honestly, there’s not too much I don’t love about the actual coaching and interactions I get to have with our athletes, especially when we get to be in person under normal circumstances! But if I had to choose-- it’s the expressions of gratitude from former students for helping them develop a passion for lifelong healthy behaviors such as strength training, and the lessons they’ve taken into other areas of life taught in our program," said Melendrez.
Melendrez did internships at the Olympic Training Centers in Colorado Springs and Lake Placid, was an assistant at the United States Air Force Academy, and a graduate assistant at the University of New Mexico.
