A big lift

October 11, 2000

Off-season workouts with trainer have helped Redhawks reach top form By Dan Wiederer STAFF WRITER caption:Linebacker Drew Kocsis, No. 46, has become a major force on Naperville Central's defense this season thanks in part to an off-season workout plan with trainer Corey Miceli. Kocsis had two sacks Friday against Glenbard North.caption:Naperville Central football players Bob Siciliano, front, and Kyle Griffith work with Corey Miceli, left, at his training facilities in Aurora. Siciliano and Griffith are two of several area players who have gone to Miceli for his off-season training plan. He's never caught a pass, never made a tackle, never even played a down. Yet Corey Miceli may be as big of a factor behind Naperville Central's budding football dynasty as any coach, role player or superstar that have the Redhawks' current winning streak at 21 games and counting. Miceli, the director and founder of Division One Pro Performance, has been a physical tutor to several Redhawks players over the past two years during the time when most championships are won — the off-season. Miceli, who operates out of Gold's Gym in Aurora, worked with Central running back Ryan Clifford during the off-season between Clifford's junior and senior seasons. With added strength and quickness, Clifford went from just another pony to a Kentucky Derby winner. With Miceli's help, he became the state's premier playmaker, accumulating 3,000 all-purpose yards and 51 touchdowns last season. Most people acknowledge Clifford's statistical success was partly attributable to Central's hulkish offensive line. Miceli had a hand in that, too. In training Redhawks top lineman Dave Hilderbrand, Miceli lent some extra help to an offensive front that was arguably as good as any that has lined up for an Illinois high school. But Miceli is quick to give credit where credit is due, saying it was the players' work ethics that made all the difference. He sensed something huge was about to happen even before Clifford and Hilderbrand got into double sessions. "I give the credit to those guys," Miceli said. "They came in here. They busted their butts consistently, and they had the right kind of attitude. They were tough on themselves to make sure they made progress every time they came in here." So what exactly is this program that Miceli implements? In simplest terms, it's a regimen that combines weightlifting with speed and agility drills to help athletes run faster, jump higher, have better balance and improve reaction time. And after the hard-copy results Hilderbrand and Clifford displayed during the Redhawks' 1999 state-title run, more than a dozen Redhawks players contacted Miceli to join his program. That list includes starting linebackers Ryan Amberson and Drew Kocsis, defensive backs Bob Siciliano and Brian Uhlir, receiver Tyke Spencer and running back Kyle Griffith. Miceli has also tutored Naperville North defensive back Mark Kieso. "When I worked out in the off-season, I'd lift and I'd run, and I thought I worked hard," Kocsis said. "It was not even close to what (Corey) did. He would get me out there lifting as hard as I can, doing agility drills, pushing me. When I thought it was time for me to stop, he'd push me to that next level." Miceli pushes players to get them started. But more often, he encourages them to push themselves. The will to win is nice, he said, but the will to prepare is vital. There's no quick way to describe the detailed ways in which Miceli gets athletes to be more explosive. But there are some simple secrets. First, Miceli encourages athletes to be conscious of their nutrition. He promotes a diet that combines a strong concentration of fruits and vegetables for vitality with high protein for increasing lean muscle mass. "What you're putting into your body directly affects your state of mind, your well-being, your ability to perform," he said. And while Miceli stresses proper technique and maximum intensity in every workout, his program isn't all that time consuming. Most athletes work out three or four times per week for less than two hours per session. It's the intensity during that time that makes all the difference. "You can't settle for anything less than your best all the time," he said. "That's a pretty commonplace theme. But it's something you actually have to put into effect. You need to see yourself making progress on a daily or weekly basis. If you can do that, if you can take these baby steps in progression, eventually you're going to be a far better athlete than you were." In a nutshell, it's a matter of learning the proper training mechanics and gaining an awareness of your body. The results will be far more noticeable, Miceli said, for the athlete that learns to perfect his form before he changes focus to repetition. Even in running, something kids learn to do at an early age, there are technical ways to make improvements. "Even the top-level sprinter has a breakdown somewhere in their form," Miceli said. "I do. You do. Everyone here is going to have some error they can correct just on technique." Kocsis, who has dropped .2 seconds off his 40-yard dash time since working with Miceli, corrected a handful of his flaws. "Last year, I thought I was running hard," he said. "And when I watch the film now, I almost cringe. I watch my technique while I'm running, and I just look slow. Now I'm flying around the football more, I'm more active, and I'm definitely a lot quicker." Kocsis, who also increased his bench press by more than 50 pounds and gained weight while losing body fat, said a major key for him was dedicating himself to every session. If there's one thing Miceli thrives on, it's the release of energy. "Even if its just a loud shout, you have to get used to producing a large amount of energy," he said. "We need the athlete to break out of their shell of control. You have to really tap into what your desire's about. If you can find the right type of desire and the right hunger, you'll start producing more energy." Miceli, who has also worked with state champion swimmers as well as soccer players, basketball players and track athletes, doesn't preach long-term success. It's not "Today we're going to make you a state champion." It's "Today we're going to make you better than you were yesterday." "We don't put a lot of emphasis on anything outside the moment," he said. "It's 'What can you do today?' You know what you've done in the past. Can you improve on that and move on to the next phase? Everyone has a different ultimate potential. But as long as you're reaching toward that potential, then you're doing an awesome job." So far this season, Naperville Central's football team has done an awesome job. At 7-0 heading into Friday's showdown with Naperville North, the Redhawks look ready to repeat as state champs. "I'm extremely proud of all those guys," Miceli said. "I'm proud of the commitment they showed, the way they worked, the way they showed up and the positive attitude they kept the whole time. That's something to be proud of. How their season turns out, that's something else. I'm just proud of the way they committed to this thing in the off-season." Kocsis is happy to have had the opportunity. He acknowledges Miceli's program as one of several factors that have the Redhawks looking unbeatable. "The kids that worked with Corey, you can see the difference," he said. "We're a little bit quicker. We're a little bit stronger. It's a lot of hard work. But it pays off." Contact Dan Wiederer at (630) 416-5287 or dan.wiederer@copleypress.com. 10/11/00