Here's How D1 Hardin Valley's Cory Windle Helps Young Athletes Reach The Next Level | D1 Daily

Whether it's a Tennessee soccer player, a rugby player at Kentucky or a Cincinnati volleyball player, D1 Hardin Valley head coach Cory Windle has trained numerous Division I talent, helping them build muscle and increase their speed.

But at the beginning of his athletic career, Windle admitted he wasn't a fan of weights.

"I could go run routes or shoot hoops all day, any day," Windle said. "The weight room wasn't somewhere I wanted to be."

Then in college as a wide receiver at NAIA Trinity International University, everything changed for him.

"I really started to enjoy weight training my sophomore year of college," he said. "I started getting excited to train."

These positive experiences in the weightroom led to Windle changing his career path. 

"I originally wanted to become a physical therapist. But when I saw what good strength and performance training looked like, I decided I wanted to become a coach," he said. 

"I learned how important the development of speed and strength was, which made me want to provide that for younger athletes trying to earn a scholarship or make it to the next level."

Windle discovered D1 Training in college and found out about D1 Hardin Valley when he and his wife Julia were looking to move to Tennessee. Less than a year later, Windle was named the head strength coach.

And through his work, Windle has helped numerous athletes reach those goals, including:

• Rice basketball player Presley Patterson

• Tennessee Tech soccer player Halle Bibee

• USF volleyball player Bellamy Parker

But regardless of the athlete, Windle said he focuses on what will take them to the next level.

"I don't want to take away what they're good at but might spend a little more time on what they aren't as long as it's beneficial to their sport," he said. "I'll also try to help with them with mindset and habits such as being consistent, improving sleep and eating, and prioritize what's going to help them reach their goals."

With this approach, Windle said he hopes he can accomplish his goals for D1 Hardin Valley and other D1 locations.

"I want to grow in many different ways. I want our coaches to grow more educationally and tactically to help serve our athletes and members the best we can," he said. "We've also got different facilities opening around us, and I want to help lead them to be as great facilities like ours."

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