Strength and conditioning coach Teddy Anderson is helping to keep Mission Bay High athletes in the game
Before students returned to Mission Bay High on Aug. 22 for the first day of classes, they had already returned to their various sports fields and courts to prepare for their new competitive athletic seasons.
Helping to keep them in tip-top shape, avoid injuries and, if they occur, recover faster are staff members like Teddy Anderson, a strength and conditioning coach for Mission Bay High School. He joined the staff in summer 2021 after coaching at Mt. Carmel High School in the Poway Unified School District.
Anderson works with several Mission Bay High athletic teams, including girls volleyball, football, baseball, track and cross country. During the fall term his focus is football and girl’s volleyball.
“One of my most important responsibilities is to explain to our student athletes the ‘why’ behind a lot of my stuff,” Anderson said. “So ‘why’ are we going to workout if you’re not eating properly?
“What I see hurting student athletes the most is improper fueling or under-eating,” he said. “I give a basic nutritional rundown at the beginning of each semester because I don’t remember nutrition being covered enough in the classes I was in. I always keep the weight room stocked with protein bars and shakes.”
Raised in Poway, Anderson is a graduate of Sacramento State University with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, with a focus on exercise science and clinical rehabilitation. He also earned a master’s degree in kinesiology — sports performance from Point Loma Nazarene University.
Anderson said a generous grant last year from Friends of Pacific Beach Secondary Schools to the football/strength and conditioning program has been very beneficial.
“This grant has allowed us to hold more students safely at one time as well as be better equipped for students with not as much knowledge about strength and conditioning,” he said.
Mission Bay’s student-athletes and coaches said they have noticed a difference after working with Anderson.
“I have only worked with Coach Anderson a little over a month and I can already see improvement in my strength, speed and my vertical jump,” said junior Andres Alvarez, who plays football, runs track and cross country.
“I have noticed a pronounced improvement in my strength since I started this program,” said junior Sophie Piquillod, a varsity volleyball player. “It has helped me increase my vertical, hit harder, sprint faster and avoid injury. I have noticed a significant decrease in injuries when I work out.”
She added, “Strength and conditioning training has made me more conscious of my eating habits and made me want to eat healthier. Coach Anderson is really great about reminding us to eat healthy and treat our bodies right.”
Senior Justyne Higman, another varsity volleyball player, credits Anderson with her personal improvement and major improvements with the team.
“I have experienced increased strength through this type of training,” Higman said. “I also have improved stamina. Training with Coach Anderson has really helped our team become more fully rounded athletes rather than just volleyball players.
“We are jumping higher, hitting harder, having less injuries and lasting through long rallies while still being able to move to the next point,” Higman said.
Danny Perez, who coaches Mission Bay’s football and track and field teams, credits Anderson’s strength and conditioning program for major improvements in Mission Bay’s football program.
“Honestly I feel as if we have a college-level to professional-level weight, strength and conditioning program,” Perez said. “Teddy knows what he is doing when it comes to building athletes from the elite level to beginners. Teddy has mastered it by not only incorporating lifting but also speed and conditioning as well. Having a (strength and conditioning) coach helps grow the program as a whole.”
Fun facts about Teddy Anderson
• He is a 2012 graduate of Poway High School.
• He has a sports performance business with college-level and professional-level athletes as clients.
• In his off time he enjoys surfing, snowboarding and hanging with friends.