Strength and Conditioning

The Strength and Conditioning program at Acadia University is designed to utilize and evolve with the most current training techniques available to improve student-athletes' size, strength, quickness, and speed. An equally important emphasis is placed on injury prevention where these same methods and philosophies will work to maintain a structural balance of an athlete in order to reduce the chance of injury.

The Acadia High-Performance Centre features Olympic Lifting Stations, Power Racks, and an array of Dumbbells, weights, bands, medicine balls to allow a training program focused on movement-based exercises.

The foundation of Acadia University’s athletic success is year-round preparation. The strength and conditioning staff prepare team-based programs designed to improve movement, core stability, speed, strength, balance, and flexibility. Within the program, each athlete is given specific regressions and progressions in order to individualize programs to their specific abilities.

The strength and conditioning staff work with the student-athletes to instill discipline, teamwork, confidence, and a strong work ethic that will facilitate a strong culture and commitment to a higher level of achievement.

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Strength and Conditioning Staff at Acadia to continually commit to a higher level of athletic achievement. We incorporate a variety of techniques to motivate, educate, guide, and challenge the student-athlete to achieve their full athletic potential while developing team pride and unity. Ultimately we will aim to provide the What’s, When’s, How’s, Why’s and Where’s of training and allow the work ethic of each athlete to determine their results.

Staff

Manager of Performance
Shawn Preston

Preston has a long resume that includes recent time as the head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Manitoba along working with the National women's senior rugby seven's team and the Chinese National rowing and sailing team.

A certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and Athletic Trainer/Therapist in 2005, Preston spent four years with Peak Power Sport Development as an S&C Coach from 2009 to 2013 providing Rugby Canada athletes prepare for the 2011 World Cup along with other work with Rugby Alberta, Alberta Alpine, Snowboard Canada, and SAIT athletes.

From 2013 to 2014, Preston joined the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary where he worked with Rugby Canada and Hockey Canada providing contracted services for their athletes.

In April 2013 to August 2013, and from August 2014 to February 2015, Preston consulted with the Chinese National and Provincial sport organizations for combat sports and managed/implemented high-performance training strategies and rehabilitations with profiled National team athletes throughout China.

In February of 2015, Preston became the head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg where he managed the Sports Performance program for 12 varsity teams until July of 2018.

Preston returned to international athletics, heading the strength and conditioning programs of the Chinese rowing and sailing teams at the Hong Kong Sports Institute in 2018.

In January of 2021, Preston became the Strength and Conditioning Coach and Sport Scientist with the Canadian National senior women's seven's team located in Langley, B.C. He was the Athletic Performance Lead, managing staff that included the integration of planning for speed, strength, on-field conditioning, nutrition, player wellness, and recovery sciences in preparation for this summer's 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coaches

In 2013/2014 begans a partnership with the Kinesiology department that will provide an opportunity for senior students to apply their theoretical knowledge in an applied setting. They will work with Shawn Preston to develop the skills necessary to further the progress of Acadia athletes while acquiring knowledge to excel in this or related fields.

Aaron Day	Aubrey Landry	Brad Anglin	Cameron MacDonald	Campbell Strachan	Cherell Lee
Colin Marshall	Courtney Crouse	Dawson Munro	Elisabeth Morrison	Ethan Mathieu	Kareem Robins
Maddie Armstrong	Madison Steele	Matthew Holmes	Matt Seftel	Mitchell Hayden	Nick King
Nick Pilichos	Obe Otoikhine	Olivia Moller	Olivia Stevenson	Ray Cote	Zach Robillard