Book Private Strength-and-speed Lessons with Coach Maia

I was born in the Philippines, where the values of resilience, respect, and hard work were woven into everyday life. Growing up with limited resources taught me creativity, adaptability, and perseverance, qualities that shaped not only who I am, but how I coach. Those early experiences inspired the foundation of my philosophy and ultimately the creation of Tibay Sport Performance — “Tibay” meaning strength, toughness, and inner resilience in Filipino.

I earned my Master’s degree in Exercise Science and have dedicated my career to helping athletes become stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally. My coaching journey began in a private training facility, where I worked with baseball and softball athletes from middle school through college, witnessing firsthand how the right environment, belief, and structure could transform confidence and performance. Many of the athletes I worked with went on to earn opportunities to compete at higher levels, which solidified my passion for long-term athletic development.

From there, I served as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Buena Park High School, leading performance training for 19 athletic teams and helping shift the culture toward discipline, accountability, and belief in personal growth. I currently serve as an Assistant Sport Performance Coach at Orange Lutheran High School, and I have also contributed to the nationally ranked St. John Bosco football program, gaining valuable experience in high-performance environments.

I am an active member of the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA), where I support professional education, mentorship pathways, and nationwide coaching initiatives. My mission extends beyond training. I aim to build leaders, instill confidence, and prepare athletes for success in sport and in life.

I created Tibay Sport Performance to provide athletes, particularly those in baseball and softball, with a place where they feel valued, challenged, and supported. Tibay represents more than training; it’s about mindset, identity, and character. It’s about helping athletes discover their inner strength, trust their journey, and develop the discipline and resilience needed to thrive on and off the field.

My purpose as a coach is simple:

To help athletes unlock who they are capable of becoming not just as competitors, but as people.

At the core of her coaching philosophy is a simple but powerful mission:

To develop confident, resilient athletes who lead with integrity, on and off the field.

She believes in a holistic and intentional approach that combines performance training with leadership development, mental resilience, and individualized care. Whether she’s training youth athletes, returning players from injury, or preparing them for college athletics, Coach Maia’s commitment is unwavering:

To build athletes who don’t just play the game, they elevate it.

My training sessions are part of a periodized program built for long-term athletic development from one to four years based on your sport or position. Each session includes movement prep, strength and power work, and dedicated speed training. I focus on technique, effort, mindset, and consistency so athletes build confidence, discipline, and performance across every phase of their program.

One of the best coaches I’ve ever had was Coach Kristina Klaus. She dedicated her time to me when I first migrated from the Philippines and knew I had no prior basketball experience. Even so, she understood what I needed and what our team needed in order for me to truly belong. She emphasized fundamentals and made them simple in a way no other coach had. She taught me what it meant to be a student-athlete and the level of discipline required to earn my place on the team.

From her, I learned to never be late, to bring people together even when we weren’t always on the same page, and to value honesty and transparency. To this day, I still carry those lessons from the court into my career and daily life.

Another great coach I’ve had is Coach Nyck Romero, who showed me how strong I could truly be. Under his guidance, I transitioned through bodybuilding, CrossFit, Olympic lifting, and eventually Strongman. I’ve deadlifted a car, lifted 205-pound stones, completed heavy overhead presses for time, and carried extremely heavy weights. His coaching helped me build mental toughness, train safely, and avoid major injuries.

Strongman became the chapter where I discovered who I really am a strong, capable female athlete, standing 4'11", proving to myself that resilience and belief matter more than size.

Athletes and parents should know that my coaching philosophy is built on long-term development, trust, and belief in the athlete as a whole person not just a performer. My goal is to help athletes grow physically, mentally, and emotionally through structured, periodized training that builds confidence, discipline, and resilience over time.

I understand that every athlete learns differently, especially younger athletes who may be new to strength training. I take the time to communicate in a way they understand, breaking movements down step-by-step, keeping instruction clear and simple, and creating an environment where questions are encouraged. I focus on teaching proper technique first so athletes feel safe, capable, and confident before progressing to heavier or more complex lifts.

Parents can expect that I:

Prioritize athlete safety, movement quality, and progression

Emphasize mindset, accountability, and character alongside performance

Teach athletes why we train, not just what we do

Build relationships through respect, encouragement, and consistency

My mission is to help athletes believe in themselves, trust their development process, and carry the lessons they learn in training into school, sports, and life beyond athletics.