Richard C. Lansky, CSCS, ACSM HFI, USA Weightlifting U.S. Int'l Coach
Owner/President and Director of Athletic Performance

As President and Director of Optimum Performance Training, Inc. at the O.P.T.I. Sports & Fitness Clinic, Rich is the driving force behind the company and its success over the past two decades.

A Syracuse University graduate, he has worked in the sports performance and strength and conditioning fields for 20 years. He is an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist as well as an ACSM Certified Health/Fitness Instructor.

He is heavily involved in the Olympic Sport of Weightlifting, serving at both the state and national level. He holds the office of the President of the Florida Local Weightlifting Committee as well as serving on the Board of Directors for USA Weightlifting. Rich also serves as the Board Liason and Coordinator for the USA Weightlifting Coaching Committee. In addition, he coordinates and teaches the Club Coach, Sports Performance Coach and Senior Coach Educational Clinics throughout the Southeast USA.

Rich is certified as a U.S. International Coach by USA Weightlifting and has served as Assistant Coach for the Men's Jr. World Team in 2003 and 2004, and as Assistant Coach for the Women's Jr. World Team in 2004. He was the Assistant Coach for the 2002 Men's Team at the Pan American Championships in Venezuela. In 2004, he was the head coach for the National Squad that competed at the Mermet Cup (USA vs. Australia) in Melbourne, Australia. In 2007, he served as the head women's coach for Team USA at the World University Cup in Peru.

Rich also served as Team Leader for the Jr. Pan American and 16 and Under International Teams in Puerto Rico in 2003 and 2005. He is also a USAW National Referee.

As a personal coach, he directs the training of over 50 athletes on a daily basis, both at the OPTI Sports and Fitness Clinic and at the Team Florida Gulfcoast Weightlifting Training Hall. He has personally coached four national champions, four American Open Champions, two National Collegiate Champions, two National Schoolage Champions, three Junior Olympic Champions, and one Pan American Champion. One of his athletes has set multiple Jr. American Records and two more have established Collegiate American Records. Five of his athletes have earned spots on either the USOTC Resident Squad or USOETC resident squad.

Internationally, he has personally helped develop and coach his athletes as they represented the USA at the Junior Worlds, NACACI Championships, the Pan American Championships, the Jr. Pan American Championships, the School age Pan American Championships, the World University Games, the Mermet Cup, the Criollo Cup, the Mexican Olympic Festival, the Pan American Games, and the Senior Worlds. His coaching travels have taken him to Bulgaria, Belarus, Quatar, Peru, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, and Australia.

As the head coach and executive director of operations for the former national powerhouse club, Team Florida weightlifting, his squads have won team titles at the Nationals, the National Juniors, National 23 and Under Championships, National Schoolage Championships and the American Open.

He has recently re-organized and started the Team Florida Gulfcoast Weightlifting Club, a not for profit sports and lifestyle education club dedicated to using the drug-free Olympic sport of Weightlifting, as a vehicle to improve the physical, social and psychological well-being of Florida's Gulfcoast area youth and young adults.

In addition to coaching weightlifting, he has worked with hundreds of high school and collegiate athletes to become more explosive, stronger and faster for the sports of football, baseball, soccer, track and field, tennis, wrestling, volleyball, rowing/crew, sailing, and equestrian. He served as a strength and conditioning coach for Booker High School Football, Weightlifting and Wrestling in the early 90s, as a conditioning coach for Venice High School Wrestling in the mid 90s, and as a Speed Coach for Cardinal Mooney High School Soccer, Celsius Tennis Academy and Bradenton Christian Football during the past few years.

At the elite level, he works with professional football, baseball, tennis and soccer athletes during their off seasons.

His NFL Combine and Pro Day Preparation programs are considered to be state of the art in terms of enhancing participants' abilities to produce explosive force, power and speed while preparing them for the specific drills and tests that they will experience at their pro day, senior bowl, and combine. Over the past few years, his athletes have experienced average increases of 4-6" in the vertical jump, and 12" in the long jump; they have also dropped anywhere from 2/10 to 4/10 of a second off of the pro agility, three cone, and forty-yard sprint tests. (www.sportsperformance.com)

In addition to his hands-on work with athletes, Rich spends a great deal of time as an educator to those in the weightlifting, strength and conditioning and personal training fields. He has been called upon to present at the 1997, 1998 and 2000 NSCA National Conference. In addition he has lectured and taught at the NSCA State Clinic Level, the American Fitness Professionals Association, and the School Boards of various counties in the state of Florida. Rich has taught certification courses for Florida Special Olympics Powerlifting, the American College of Sports Medicine and USA Weightlifting.

He has been been published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning, Training and Conditioning, Purepower Magazine, USA Weightlifting, American Fitness Quarterly, City Tempo, and Medi-Scene. Together with Sharol Cripe, RD and D.R. McLaughlin, he authored the Fitness Expert Activity and Nutrition Guides. He has also hosted a "conditioning tip of the week" on local television and radio. In 1997, Rich was awarded Coach of the Year honors by both Sarasota County Special Olympics and Florida Special Olympics. In 1998, he was awarded the Good Heart award for community service in Sarasota, Florida.

Rich believes that a strong background of academic preparation and research and education are essential to the development of a quality coach. He also believes that a sports background can also be an invaluable aid when trying to related concepts and training theory to his athletes. As such, Rich is a firm believer that a coach should be able to demonstrate proper technique as a teaching aid when coaching.

A history of competitive activity, while not essential, can help to establish a "connection" to the athletes on a team or during one to one training. When an athlete understands that his or her coach has experienced similar levels of stress, anxiety, physical and mental fatigue as well as the "ups and downs" of competition that they themselves experience, it can create a very positive coaching and athlete relationship.

A former competitive strength athlete and lifter himself, Rich's accomplishments include a national championship in the middleweight class at the 1992 APA Nationals, best lifter honors at the 1993 APA Drug-Free Dead Lift Nationals, and the overall novice title in the 1989 Sunset Classic Bodybuilding Championships. From 1991-1993, he was ranked in the top 50 American Powerlifters in the Squat, and top 100 lifters in the Dead Lift and Total by both Powerlifting USA Magazine, APA and the ADFPA. His APA Drug –Tested Florida State Records in the Squat, Dead Lift and Total stood for over ten years after they were originally established.

For his fortieth birthday, Coach Lansky put on the singlet for the first time in 13 years and competed RAW (no gear, no belt, no wraps) at the 2006 Frank Kyosto Central Florida Powerlifting Championships, earning first place in the open 181 class. He has continued to compete in this fashion, working to bring his lifts back up to the level they were at prior to his retirement in 1993. In 2007, he earned a third place finish in the open division at the Tony Conyer's Push-Pull extravaganza. In 2008, he won his class and best lifter honors while setting open division class 1 records in the WABDL Florida State Championships.

On the academic side, Coach Lansky is currently working on a training and athletic development book geared especially for the developing youth athlete.

To contact Coach Rich Lansky, click here.

Maureen M. Corristan, ATC/L, CSCS, PES
ATHLETIC TRAINER
Performance Enhancement Specialist

Maureen joined the professional staff at Optimum Performance Training, Inc. in October of 2005. Maureen earned her degree at Central Michigan University. She is licensed and/or certified by NATA, NCSA, and the NASM.

She has served as an athletic trainer and strength and conditioning specialist at IMG Academies and Vista Physical Therapy facilities. At the International Performance Institute, she was responsible for the screening, evaluation and treatment of the basketball athletes as they prepared for the NBA draft and testing protocols.

In addition, Maureen has had extensive experience with the evaluation of and prescription of corrective exercise programs for athletes of a variety of sport and fitness backgrounds.

At OPTI, Maureen is responsible for the evaluation, screening, corrective exercise prescription, athletic training services and rehabilitation/regeneration services for OPTI's athletic populations.

In addition, she works closely with Coach Lansky with his Football Combine Preparation Training Program each year as they help aspiring athletes to effectively and safely perform their best at the NFL Combine and various NFL Pro Days.

Regina Ely, RD, LDN
Registered Dietitian

Regina is a Registered Dietitian with a degree in Dietetics from University of Florida. She recently returned to a consulting position with OPTI Sports and Fitness following her work in the Northeast.

Regina was part of OPTI's original clinical staff from the early 90's. She specializes in the nutritional counseling and intervention of both athletes and general population, including weight loss, body composition alterations and lifestyle change.

Nicole Burda, CSCS, USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach
Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Nicole Burda recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse in 2007 with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sport Science - Fitness, a concentration in Strength and Conditioning, and a minor in Psychology. She competed for UWL's Gymnastics Team for three seasons, during which they won three consecutive national titles. Nicole was the head Women's Gymnastics Strength Coach. She then worked as an intern Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of South Florida. She currently participates in Olympic Weightlifting competitions. She holds certification through the NSCA and USA Weightlifting.

Matthew Oberly
Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Matthew Oberly, a native of Sarasota, graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology in May 2007. There he interned with the Strength and Conditioning department during the 2007 spring semester. During the internship, he worked with football, volleyball, baseball, softball, track & field, swimming & diving, and soccer. After graduation he moved back to Sarasota and interned at O.P.T.I. during the summer of 2007. Matt is a certified Sports Performance Coach through USAW and is also CPR/First Aid certified through the American Red Cross. In his free time, Matt plays competitive beach volleyball and competes in tournaments throughout the summertime.

Kevin Caldabaugh
MS, CSCS, USA Weightlifting Certified Senior Coach,
Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Kevin Caldabaugh, a Florida native, received his M.S. in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, with an emphasis in Human Performance May of 2008 from the University of Florida. While earning his Master's degree, Kevin taught undergraduate level weight training and conditioning classes for one year. At the university, Kevin also had the good fortune of being mentored by Assistant Strength Coach, Matt DeLancey. Kevin worked as Matt DeLancey's assistant for a year and a half working with the sports of volleyball, men and women's swimming and diving, and men and women's field events. During his time under Matt's guidance, Kevin had the blessing of being able to work with SEC Champions, National Champions, Olympic Team Members, and Olympic Medalists.

Prior to pursuing his Master's at the University of Florida, Kevin received his BBA in Economics from the University of North Florida and coached both baseball and weightlifting. He has served as an Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach under Kevin Maris of Oak Hall School in Gainesville, FL and as an Assistant Varsity Weightlifting Coach under Jesse Reynolds of Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, FL. Kevin got started in coaching while competing in the sport of weightlifting under Joe Hanson at the Athlete Development Center in Jacksonville, FL, where he began teaching the Olympic lifts to young children. Kevin has also competed in baseball, basketball, cul-de-sac street hockey games, and back-yard strong man competitions.

Kevin is also very interested in nutrition and how nutrition affects performance and health. Recently, he has become an Advisor for Advocare and helps individuals design nutritional packages for athletic performance, weight loss, and wellness using these fine products along with solid nutritional science and information. He plans to work closely with OPTI's dietitan, Regina Ely, RD, LDN to help provide the very best nutritional performance advice for our athletes.

ASSOCIATES

Vern Gambetta, MA
Vern is a world-renowned expert in the fields of athletic performance enhancement as well as training theory and application. He has extensive experience in the fields of speed development, plyometrics and recovery/regeneration. He has worked with professional and Olympic level athletes on a regular basis. He was the former Conditioning Coordinator for the Chicago White Sox and The Tampa Bay Mutiny professional sports organizations.

Vern has been a valuable resource and mentor to not only Rich Lansky, but many of the staff members at OPTI Sports & Fitness Clinic. His thoughts and ideas have prodded us to take a second look at our approach over the years when it comes to the science and art of coaching.

Dr. John A. Prokopiak, BS, DC, ART
PROHealth Chiropractic
Dr. "John Pro" treats soft tissue, spinal, extremity, occupational and sports injuries using chiropractic neurology methods, physical therapy modalities and Active Release Techniques (ART) to help individuals achieve their performance goals.

Active Release Techniques (ART) is a protocol specific technique for the correction of muscle and nerve myofascial adhesions. They are non-surgical, non-invasive tactile dependent soft tissue treatments of low visit frequency. ART was developed by Dr. Mike Leahy, DC, CCCP, of Colorado Springs, CO.

John graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD with a B.S. in Management in 1984. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic and B.S. in Anatomy from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, TX.

Dr. "John Pro" is an avid golfer and sponsor of the Southwest Chapter-North Florida Section Professional Golfers' Association. He works closely with area PGA Teaching Professionals to evaluate, treat and rehab golfers.

ADJUNCT FACILITY

CHARLES M. BONASERA, LCSW
Consultant, Author and Motivational Speaker
Charles M. Bonasera received his professional degree from the University of Buffalo. He was a practicing psychotherapist from 1962 to 2003 in the Buffalo, NY area and presently serves as a Consultant, Author, Workshop Presenter and Motivational Speaker.

An important role he plays is that of working with athletes in competitive sports teaching them optimal ways of using their minds to develop and maintain focus and stay in their zone.

Based on years of extensive research and treatment of stress-related problems, he founded the Stress Management Center as well as the Sports Stress Clinic to evaluate and treat stress-related problems.

As President of Personal Identity Controls, he developed and produced a number of interactive audio materials under the general title of WIN-WIN SECRETS dealing with many topics enabling people to take greater control their lives.

He scripted and wrote a CD/workbook combination entitled "Guide to a Life Management Process" aimed at helping people recognize and manage stress more effectively.

His Workshops and consultations with sports training facilities, businesses, corporations and schools all stress the importance of the effective use of the mind to achieve success.

He took a leadership role in several professional organizations including his appointment to the New York State Board of Regents in 1979 where he chaired his professional board and remained as a consultant from 1989 to 2003.

He wrote the book "The Mental Side of Golf" as well as scripting CDs containing training exercises and plans to have a follow-up to that work dealing with all competitive sports.

Charles began working with OPTI's NFL Combine and Professional Prep Groups this past year with amazing results.

---

Back to O.P.T.I. Home Page