In this episode, we cover…
(0:00): Maggie introduces her background growing up in Michigan playing soccer, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and several other sports.
(1:00): She explains how soccer became her main focus while playing for the Michigan Hawks and competing in ECNL showcases.
(2:00): Maggie discusses the recruiting process, choosing Ohio State, and the advice her mother gave her about picking a school.
(3:30): She shares how tearing her ACL in high school and again in college eventually pushed her toward strength and conditioning.
(5:30): Maggie explains how graduate school and an internship at Ohio State helped launch her coaching and sports performance career.
(8:00): The conversation shifts to networking, reaching out to gyms, and how connections helped her find coaching opportunities.
(10:30): Maggie discusses why young athletes should begin strength training earlier and why coordination, balance, and movement quality matter so much.
(14:00): She explains how in-season lifting works for athletes and why strength training should stay consistent year-round.
(19:00): Maggie walks through what a typical youth training session looks like, including sprint work, plyometrics, mobility, and strength exercises.
(25:00): She closes by encouraging younger athletes to enjoy the process, stay positive through adversity, and trust that everything will eventually work out.
Maggie Andreis on Strength and Speed Coaching
For Maggie Andreis, sports have always been about hard work, competition, and growth.
From playing nearly every sport growing up in Michigan to competing as a Division I soccer player at Ohio State, Maggie’s athletic journey eventually led her into the world of strength and conditioning, sports performance, and athlete development. Today, she works with athletes in Kansas City helping soccer players become stronger, faster, and more resilient both physically and mentally.
Currently working in private sports performance while also helping with the women’s soccer team at UMKC, Maggie combines her experiences as both an athlete and coach to mentor younger players navigating injuries, recruiting, college athletics, and strength training.
Growing Up Playing Every Sport
Before soccer became her primary focus, Maggie played almost every sport possible growing up, including hockey, basketball, volleyball, and soccer.
She eventually joined the Michigan Hawks, one of the top soccer clubs in Michigan, where she competed in ECNL showcases and began getting recruited by college programs. Through those experiences, Maggie realized college soccer could become a real opportunity.
Although recruiting happened early, Maggie explained that Ohio State immediately felt like home during the process.
One piece of advice from her mother especially stood out:
If soccer disappeared tomorrow, would you still want to attend that school as a student?
That perspective ultimately helped Maggie choose Ohio State.
Overcoming Two ACL Tears
Maggie’s college journey was not easy.
During high school, after already committing to Ohio State, she tore her ACL for the first time. Thankfully, the injury did not affect her scholarship or recruiting process, and she successfully rehabbed before arriving on campus.
Later, during her senior year at Ohio State, Maggie tore her other ACL.
While devastating at the time, the injury completely changed the direction of her career.
After spending months in rehab, training rooms, and strength programs, Maggie became fascinated with sports performance and strength training. She realized how important proper training, recovery, and injury prevention truly are — especially for female athletes.
That experience eventually led her into graduate school for kinesiology and a strength and conditioning internship at Ohio State shortly after finishing her playing career.
Why Strength Training Matters for Young Athletes
One of the biggest themes throughout Maggie’s conversation was the importance of introducing athletes to strength training earlier.
According to Maggie, many parents still believe strength training can negatively affect growth or harm younger athletes.
She explained that modern sports science shows the opposite when athletes train properly under qualified coaches.
For younger athletes, Maggie focuses heavily on:
- Coordination
- Balance
- Movement quality
- Isometric exercises
- Body control
- Proper mechanics
She emphasized that strength training for younger athletes is not about turning middle schoolers into bodybuilders.
Instead, the goal is building movement patterns, athletic foundations, and injury resilience over time.
Why Female Athletes Need More Strength Training
Maggie also discussed how female athletes historically have not been introduced to strength training early enough.
According to Maggie, many women’s sports programs previously focused more on conditioning or bodyweight circuits instead of actual progressive strength development.
She strongly believes female athletes need to:
- Lift consistently
- Train year-round
- Learn proper mechanics
- Build strength gradually
- Continue lifting during season
Maggie explained that consistent strength work helps athletes better handle long seasons, repetitive stress, and high physical workloads — especially in sports like soccer where athletes cover massive distances during games.
She also emphasized that strength training can significantly reduce injury risk and improve long-term athletic performance.
What Training Looks Like for Younger Athletes
For parents nervous about introducing younger athletes to the gym, Maggie explained what a typical training session actually looks like.
Sessions usually begin with:
- Dynamic warmups
- Mobility work
- Sprint mechanics
- Acceleration drills
- Change-of-direction work
From there, athletes move into:
- Plyometrics
- Broad jumps
- Isometric holds
- Goblet squats
- Basic strength exercises
- Coordination drills
Maggie focuses heavily on teaching proper movement patterns before introducing heavier loading.
She also uses timing systems and sprint testing to help athletes stay engaged and competitive during sessions.
According to Maggie, most athletes can begin structured performance training around ages 8 to 10 depending on maturity and attention span.
Building Careers in Sports After Playing
Another important part of Maggie’s story is how she transitioned from athlete to coach.
After finishing soccer, Maggie immediately entered the strength and conditioning world through internships, networking, and relationship-building.
She explained that many opportunities came through:
- Former coaches
- Athletic departments
- Direct outreach
- Cold emails
- Instagram networking
- Personal connections
Maggie encouraged athletes interested in staying in sports after college to not be afraid of reaching out directly to gyms, coaches, and organizations.
Her biggest advice:
Connections matter, but effort and persistence matter too.
Staying Positive Through College Athletics
Throughout the conversation, Maggie repeatedly discussed the importance of mindset during college athletics.
Between injuries, pressure, and adversity, she believes positivity and consistency helped her succeed at Ohio State.
Even during difficult moments, Maggie tried reminding herself:
“I’m playing Division I soccer at Ohio State. This is still an amazing opportunity.”
That perspective helped her continue showing up and giving full effort every day.
She also fell in love with the weight room environment during college because of the energy, competition, and work ethic it created among teammates.
Advice to Younger Athletes
At the end of the conversation, Maggie shared the advice she would give to her younger self:
Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.
She explained that sports careers are rarely linear and that athletes often place too much pressure on themselves during recruiting and competition.
Instead, Maggie encourages younger athletes to:
- Stay authentic
- Have fun
- Trust the process
- Be patient
- Focus on growth
- Understand everything eventually works out
Her message was simple:
Athletes should not lose themselves trying to chase the next level.
Sports are supposed to be fun too.
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