Lindenwood Weightlifting Team Regroups After Tumultuous Few Months

is known for strongly supporting its Student Life sports, and Olympic weightlifting is no exception.

But the program, which began in 2009 and has already earned recognition and accolades on a national level, has undergone its share of drama in recent months.

As reported in a March article of the Riverfront Times, the program's founder and head coach, Derrick Johnson, was unceremoniously fired from his position on Feb. 7. He was informed of his dismissal one day after Nickelodeon was on campus filming Johnson and his two younger brothers for a television documentary.

By some, Johnson's firing was met with backlash and it sent a ripple effect through the program.

“When things were at their bleakest, people thought the program would discontinue,” said Sam Chatman, a Lindenwood graduate assistant who currently serves as the program's interim coach.

Several lifters quit the team, most notably Johnson's top recruit, Fernando Reis, a native Brazilian who moved back to his home country in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games in London.

“Of course there is going to be a bit of turmoil when you have someone abruptly released from any position, especially when (Johnson) created the program and was its first head coach,” Chatman said. “There's going to be a disconnect there.”

Chatman, a strength and conditioning coach by trade, admits to being relatively inexperienced at the sport of Olympic weightlifting. But he was given a responsibility to keep the program afloat, and he intends to see it through.

“Nothing about it (the aftermath of Johnson's firing) was fun,” Chatman said. “It was crazy of me to take the position given my experience, but I did it because I knew it was the right thing to do.

“I tried rallying the guys together despite losing some members. Personally, I think everyone's chipped in and we came closer as a family and as a team.”

Lindenwood sponsors both male and female lifters. And although the program's two female members quit following Johnson's departure, those who remain have maintained their involvement because of their love for the sport.

Kyle Dosterschill, a junior from Chillicothe, MO, was a Lindenwood football recruit before rededicating his athletic career to Olympic weightlifting. He, too, said that Johnson's firing shook the program to its core.

“I feel like it took a pretty big dip after Derrick left because he really had things going well,” Dosterschill said. “Internally, everyone on the team liked him, respected him and listened to him. When he left, everything was kind of chaotic.”

Dosterschill said he keeps in contact with Johnson and continues receiving advice from his former coach outside of the university setting.

Chatman said it's athletes like Dosterschill that will keep the program on the right path. Even Reis left the door open to returning to Lindenwood next semester.

Lindenwood officials declined to answer questions regarding Johnson's firing, citing policy against commenting on personnel matters. In the RFT article, Johnson said he was told by Lindenwood that “his recruiting efforts were lacking,” to which one program member shot back, “that's retarded.”

The university has since hired a new coach who will officialy begin his duties June 1. Jianping Ma, whose hiring was announced April 13, was a member of the Chinese National Team from 1978-88 and competed in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

One major draw for Ma was the potential to tap into Lindenwood's pipeline of international students.

“I'm very excited,” Ma said. “They already have a very good foundation there and strong background, not only domestic but (with) international students. Lindenwood has a lot of potential.”

The team recently finished second overall at the 2012 National University Championships in Shreveport, LA, with Laurent Goyette-Demers and Austin Rodriguez both taking first place individually in their respective weight classes.

Ma categorizes Olympic weightlifting as a “long-term sport,” and says his goals for the program are to place first at college nationals, place first in the national championships, and qualify for the Olympics.

“That is my duty,” Ma said. “I try to make Olympic dreams come true.”

Said Dosterschill: “That's our Super Bowl. It's why we do this.”