St. Laurence Hires First Director of Sports Performance

BURBANK, IL -- In a first of its kind program among area high schools, St. Laurence High School in Burbank has tapped Brad Leshinske the school’s first director of sports performance. Leshinske and his team will oversee strength and conditioning for all St. Laurence athletes. The team will provide individualized, sport-specific workout plans that improve strength, conditioning, speed and agility, all while promoting education and safety.

Plans will be based on personal fitness assessments, which will ensure student-athletes receive appropriate guidance while minimizing injury. Additionally, the team will utilize a mobile app to track each athlete’s personal growth. Finally, Leshinske will assist in St. Laurence’s support of multi-sport athletes, providing plans that will benefit student-athletes across different sports.

Leshinske thanked high school president Joe Martinez, athletic director Tim Chandlerand the coaches who he said welcomed him and his team with open arms.

"My coaching staff and I are honored to start this strength and conditioning program at St. Laurence High School,” Leshinske said in a news release. “I look forward to helping young men and women in not only their preparation for sport, but more importantly prepare them for leadership in their community. We come to St. Laurence to be a part of a family guided by tradition in both athletics and academics. We are one of the first programs like this in Illinois and we are looking forward to working with all Viking student-athletes.”

Currently finishing his Ph.D in human performance, Leshinske has over 14 years of strength and conditioning experience. He is an adjunct professor at Lewis University and has previously trained athletes at the professional, collegiate and high school levels. Leshinske also has personally trained seven IHSA Athletes of the Year and over 200 All-Conference athletes.

The hiring of Leshinske adds to a host of unique resources that St. Laurence students utilize. The school provides an on-site ACT prep course, dual credit opportunities and career explorer programs, all of which have provided students invaluable experiences that have better prepared them for college and the real world. On top of these resources, St. Laurence is the only STEM accredited high school in Illinois and has been voted “Best Private School” by readers of the Daily Southtown for three straight years.

Athletically, St. Laurence is coming off three consecutive seasons of winning the Chicago Catholic League and advancing to at least the IHSA State Quarterfinals in football. This past year, the school won regional championships in girls volleyball, boys soccer, girls basketball and boys basketball, sent two wrestlers downstate and currently fields the best boys track and field team among Catholic schools in the area. In 2017, the baseball team finished third overall in the state.

“We are thrilled to welcome Brad and his team to the St. Laurence family,” Martinez said. “This continues STL’s commitment to the transformation and growth of our students. Brad has a proven track record of bringing the best out of his student-athletes, both on and off the field, and we look forward to him helping Viking athletics reach the next level.”

Photo: Brad Leshinske | St. Laurence High School