Take note of this: You won’t get hired as a Graduate Assistant unless your work proves
you are ready for the opportunity. After my internships with RYPT, Temple Olympic Sports and
Temple Football, I needed at least one more experience to prepare me well to land a Graduate
Assistant position. Erica Recanzone at the time recommended interning at MSU Denver where
Isaiah Castilleja and Jordan Ulrich ran the Strength and Conditioning program. Still to this day,
the interview process with both Isaiah and Jordan was the most challenging interview I’ve faced.
They immediately put me under pressure to complete prompts such as complete a 3-day-a-week
12-week plan for a Baseball program in 5 minutes and define the term Progressive Overload to a
3-year-old. Did I do well with this interview? Yes, because I got the position; no, because I was
shaky in some of my answers since I was still relatively inexperienced.
However, this interview experience and the amount of pressure I felt in the moment was exactly
what I was looking for. I knew that they were going to put me under pressure, guide me through
an extensive internship curriculum, and they had numerous coaches who went on to coach at
high-level programs. Once they sent me the offer letter, I accepted and faced the new reality of
driving across the country to reach my goals of becoming a strength and conditioning coach and
helping me land a Graduate Assistant position.
Sacrifice and Priorities
The textbook definition of sacrifice is “the act of giving up something valuable to you to help
someone else.” In this industry, the two most valuable things you can offer are your money and
more importantly, your time. One of the most impactful lessons I ever learned came from Adam
Feit, who is regarded as one of the most accomplished coaches in the field. He perfectly captured
the reality of professional growth when he said:
“If you say no to something, you say yes to something else."
Early in my career, I realized that saying no to the typical college experience of going to parties,
drinking and going out on the weekends was a resounding yes to my future. Instead, I was saying
yes to spending my time making extra money, refining my craft and networking with coaches.
This was the catalyst for me to drive across the country and take on the challenges of helping
MSU Denver’s Performance staff through Covid-19.
Get your priorities straight and learn what is truly important to you. Every hour you spend on a
no is an hour stolen from the yes that could land you your GA role. Choose wisely.
Maximize your time as a Coach, Student, and Professional
Once I arrived in Denver, CO, in January 2021, I successfully passed my CSCS and started off on the right foot with getting closer to my goal of becoming a Graduate Assistant. This would not have happened if I hadn’t used Google Calendar as a valuable resource to visually block out my time and see where I needed to make time to study for the exam.
**SCN Pro tip: If you’re preparing for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam, remember: the credential opens doors, but how you prepare determines the outcome. We recommend Achievable’s CSCS exam prep.
It includes a full online textbook, review questions, and practice exams, all accessible on any device. Its memory science–based approach helps you retain information efficiently — which is crucial when balancing internships, work, and classes.
No resource replaces discipline, but the right structure makes passing on your first attempt far more realistic.**
Remembering what has always worked well for me, I knew that creating an experience
by continuing to do my education, internship, and work part-time was the way for me to succeed.
So how was I going to manage all the hours being spent working and doing these daily tasks?
1. 15 hours per week as a Personal Trainer at Anytime Fitness
2. Intern 40-50 hours per week at MSU Denver
3. Complete my full-time load of 13 credit hours in my final semester at Temple
The principle of blocking out time slots and finding areas where it can all add up was my simple
yet effective strategy. If I had to attend a class, I communicated with Isaiah and Jordan that I
needed to attend the classes, and I did so.
What Makes a GA Applicant Stand Out
The final lesson I will provide for you all is that whether you like it or not, this is true: every day
is an interview. Every day is a new opportunity to reinvent yourself. If you had a bad day in the
office or at your internship site, fail by moving forward, learn from your mistake and use the next
day to reinvent yourself. This mindset will prove to be powerful once you embrace it. There were
many moments in my experiences at MSU Denver where I went through growing pains with
finding my coaching voice or missed the mark on assignments we had to complete. If you find
mentors that are honest, patient, and have the compassion to guide you to the right place, then
take advantage of that opportunity and reinvent yourself.
Isaiah and Jordan were pivotal in my next step in my career. Towards the end of the internship
experience, they had an assignment for us to reapply for the internship experience. We were told
to buy a suit, reconstruct our resumes, and make a portfolio showcasing our previous work. This
experience alone gave me lots of good feedback on how I could best present myself. As a great
GA applicant, you must do the little things right. After this assignment, I received 3 Graduate
Assistant position offers. In the end, they helped me secure the Graduate Assistant position at
Temple University with their Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning staff.
Putting it all Together
As you start your journey, I would recommend doing internships in various places, such as the
college, the private sector or a professional setting. Just remember these key principles.
📍You want to make sure that you are selective with the sites you apply
⏱️ Make sure that they will spend the necessary time to help you reach your goals
❌ Avoid chasing the big-time logo and the internship sites that make it clear that you
will set up/break down sessions.
✅ Always choose the coaches who will mentor you, have a credible track record of
helping other coaches, and who will challenge you
If you need help preparing for an internship or a GA interview, reach out to me through my email
at mike@coachmbbrown.com or my Instagram @coachmbbrown. Thanks for reading, everyone!
