Kmac: A Friar Tower Of Strength
Dec 30, 2017 19:32:50 GMT -5
friar82, TheInfoMan, and 3 more like this
Post by dex on Dec 30, 2017 19:32:50 GMT -5
www.providencejournal.com/sports/20171230/one-of-pcs-strengths-conditioning-coach-ken-white?rssfeed=true
By Kevin McNamara
Journal Sports Writer
There may be better ways to spend a Christmas Eve, but when duty calls, Ken White is usually there for athletes at Providence College.
White is in his 16th season as the strength and conditioning coach at PC. Together with head trainer John Rock, White’s job is not only about producing bigger and stronger athletes but also preventing and rehabbing injuries.
When his teammates scattered for a quick, three-day Christmas break, Californian Kyron Cartwright stayed behind. His parents, Jenise and Anthony, had spent the previous week in Rhode Island with their son, so shuttling home to Los Angeles made little sense.
Stuck on campus by himself with a sore ankle and the start of Big East play on the horizon, Cartwright kept working. So he called White.
“Christmas Eve, he was in here lifting, doing some core exercises and some weighted-ball drills,” White said. “The kid is in the dorms, no one is around, so we always want to be available. Like our athletic director Bob Driscoll says, ‘Every day is game day.’ ”
After the workout, Cartwright drove to Portsmouth so he could get some shots up and enjoy a bit of holiday cheer at the home of teammate Andrew Fonts. White had a day off on Christmas Day, but not without a standing offer for assistance.
“On Christmas Day, he offered to come in and rebound for me because I was the only one around,” Cartwright said. “That just shows how close we are as a group.”
The extra holiday work certainly seemed to pay off. After sitting out PC’s win over Sacred Heart on Dec. 22, the senior showed the rest of the Big East that he’s ready to roll now that conference play has arrived. Cartwright exploded for 21 points, 15 assists and four steals to lead the Friars to a convincing 94-72 win Dec. 28 at St. John’s.
In the postgame press conference, Cartwright made sure to credit both White and Rock for their attention in getting him back up to full speed. The 5-11 senior first rolled his ankle against Boston College back on Nov. 25. He then struggled through subpar performances during which the Friars barely beat Rider and Brown and lost to Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
He still clearly wasn’t himself after exam break and rolled his ankle yet again on Dec. 17 against Stony Brook. He played just six minutes in a loss to Houston but thanks to constant rehab and enough rest, he’s now closer to 100 percent as the Friars head to No. 25 Creighton on Sunday.
“John Rock did a lot of work with Kyron and Alpha [Diallo] on their ankles with resistance work in the pool,” White said. “Ankles are tricky; sometimes it’s just rest and gaining confidence.”
White owns firsthand knowledge that athletes appreciate. While most strength coaches are the stereotypical former football linemen, White was a star point guard in New York City’s Catholic League and at Vermont in the early 1990s. He’s now in the Catamount Hall of Fame and always willing to offer a few hoop pointers.
“Coach White is a great basketball mind. He has so much knowledge,” Cartwright said. “He sees so much sitting on the bench. He always makes jokes about us when we do something wrong, but at the same time, he’s always coaching us up and helping us see what we did wrong and learn from it.”
PC coach Ed Cooley says he’s turned the strength program over to White and is pleased with the results. “The bodies look good and the players love going to see him,” Cooley said. “He’s a big, big asset to our program.”
By Kevin McNamara
Journal Sports Writer
There may be better ways to spend a Christmas Eve, but when duty calls, Ken White is usually there for athletes at Providence College.
White is in his 16th season as the strength and conditioning coach at PC. Together with head trainer John Rock, White’s job is not only about producing bigger and stronger athletes but also preventing and rehabbing injuries.
When his teammates scattered for a quick, three-day Christmas break, Californian Kyron Cartwright stayed behind. His parents, Jenise and Anthony, had spent the previous week in Rhode Island with their son, so shuttling home to Los Angeles made little sense.
Stuck on campus by himself with a sore ankle and the start of Big East play on the horizon, Cartwright kept working. So he called White.
“Christmas Eve, he was in here lifting, doing some core exercises and some weighted-ball drills,” White said. “The kid is in the dorms, no one is around, so we always want to be available. Like our athletic director Bob Driscoll says, ‘Every day is game day.’ ”
After the workout, Cartwright drove to Portsmouth so he could get some shots up and enjoy a bit of holiday cheer at the home of teammate Andrew Fonts. White had a day off on Christmas Day, but not without a standing offer for assistance.
“On Christmas Day, he offered to come in and rebound for me because I was the only one around,” Cartwright said. “That just shows how close we are as a group.”
The extra holiday work certainly seemed to pay off. After sitting out PC’s win over Sacred Heart on Dec. 22, the senior showed the rest of the Big East that he’s ready to roll now that conference play has arrived. Cartwright exploded for 21 points, 15 assists and four steals to lead the Friars to a convincing 94-72 win Dec. 28 at St. John’s.
In the postgame press conference, Cartwright made sure to credit both White and Rock for their attention in getting him back up to full speed. The 5-11 senior first rolled his ankle against Boston College back on Nov. 25. He then struggled through subpar performances during which the Friars barely beat Rider and Brown and lost to Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
He still clearly wasn’t himself after exam break and rolled his ankle yet again on Dec. 17 against Stony Brook. He played just six minutes in a loss to Houston but thanks to constant rehab and enough rest, he’s now closer to 100 percent as the Friars head to No. 25 Creighton on Sunday.
“John Rock did a lot of work with Kyron and Alpha [Diallo] on their ankles with resistance work in the pool,” White said. “Ankles are tricky; sometimes it’s just rest and gaining confidence.”
White owns firsthand knowledge that athletes appreciate. While most strength coaches are the stereotypical former football linemen, White was a star point guard in New York City’s Catholic League and at Vermont in the early 1990s. He’s now in the Catamount Hall of Fame and always willing to offer a few hoop pointers.
“Coach White is a great basketball mind. He has so much knowledge,” Cartwright said. “He sees so much sitting on the bench. He always makes jokes about us when we do something wrong, but at the same time, he’s always coaching us up and helping us see what we did wrong and learn from it.”
PC coach Ed Cooley says he’s turned the strength program over to White and is pleased with the results. “The bodies look good and the players love going to see him,” Cooley said. “He’s a big, big asset to our program.”
