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Current: NSCA's Coaching Podcast,...
NSCA's Coaching Podcast, Episode 91: Dr. Tim Suchomel
by Eric McMahon, MEd, CSCS, RSCC*D and Timothy Suchomel, PhD, CSCS,*D, RSCC
Coaching Podcast December 2020
by Eric McMahon and Dr. Tim Suchomel
Friday, Dec 04, 2020
Dr. Tim Suchomel, Assistant Professor at Carroll University and Wisconsin State Director for the NSCA, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Pr...
Dr. Tim Suchomel, Assistant Professor at Carroll University and Wisconsin State Director for the NSCA, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about the emerging role of sport science in strength and conditioning. Topics under discussion include Suchomel's growing involvement with the NSCA, as well as weightlifting derivatives and their benefits for more individualized performance adaptations. Find Dr. Suchomel on Twitter: @DrTSuchomel or Instagram: @drtsuchomel or NSCA Sport Science and Performance Technology Special Interest Group | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
Dr. Tim Suchomel, Assistant Professor at Carroll University and Wisconsin State Director for the NSCA, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about the emerging role of sport science in strength and conditioning. Topics under discussion include Suchomel's growing involvement with the NSCA, as well as weightlifting derivatives and their benefits for more individualized performance adaptations.
Find Dr. Suchomel on Twitter: @DrTSuchomel or Instagram: @drtsuchomel or NSCA Sport Science and Performance Technology Special Interest Group | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
"I think everyone's starting to realize how important it is to be well read within the literature, to be able to implement the strategies that you're researching at the same time." 8:55
"That's fine, but the fact of the matter is that we need to realize that strength and conditioning as a whole is grey. There's not one way to do things, and there's a time and a place, essentially, for everything." 19:47
"The hex bar jump squat's a great exercise, but I remember, it was at NSCA clinic. Someone asked me, have you compared that with jump shrug? We have now." 40:06
"…if you're really interested in someone's work, buy them a coffee. They'll sit down and talk to you for 20, 30 minutes. But it's making those connections, and then expanding on those connections." 51:27
"…you're going to learn a lot just having conversations with these individuals who are doing the research, who are coaching these athletes and have good ideas. Just don't turn down those opportunities." 55:04
[00:00:00.00] [MUSIC PLAYING]
[00:00:00.75] Welcome to the NSCA's Coaching Podcast episode 91.
[00:00:04.59] You're going to learn a lot just having conversations with these individuals who are doing their research, who are coaching these athletes, and have good ideas. You know, just don't turn down those opportunities.
[00:00:16.90] This is the NSCA's Coaching Podcast where we talk to strength and conditioning coaches about what you really need to know, but probably didn't learn in school. There's strength and conditioning, and then there's everything else.
[00:00:27.31] Welcome to the NSCA Coaching Podcast. I'm Eric McMahon. Today our guest is Dr. Tim Suchomel, Assistant Professor at Carroll University in Wisconsin. Tim is the Wisconsin State Director for the NSCA. He is also the chair of the NSCA Sports Science and Performance Technology Special Interest Group, so we have a lot of great things to talk about today. Tim, welcome.
[00:00:50.31] Thank you for having me.
[00:00:53.07] I'm really excited to have you on. First, really, and foremost, I want to thank you. You are one of the most loyal volunteers that we have within the NSCA community. You are involved, it seems to be, in everything. You recently spoke at our Advanced Periodization Virtual Clinic. You're speaking at the upcoming Coaches Conference, and you know, I really do want to thank you for your service and dedication to the NSCA. We truly value it, and thank you so much.
[00:01:26.96] Oh, I mean, I have to thank the NSCA as well for the opportunities, because the NSCA has kind of set me up throughout my career, in terms of my very first presentation was in 2010 at a state clinic, and the CSCS came right around that time, and everything, and that kind of laid the foundation of where I wanted to go. And the NSCA has provided a lot of opportunities to meet a lot of really interesting people that I still connect with. And I enjoy going to the conferences all the time, because you get to have those higher level conversations that you don't normally get to have every day, so I enjoy it. So thanks to the NSCA, honestly.
[00:02:13.34] Awesome. I look forward to diving into the sports science SIG and some of your research topics, but I wanted to get you started. Just open up, let us know what got you into this field, and just tell us about your path in the field of strength and conditioning.
[00:02:31.85] Well, like most, it all started with playing sports when I was a kid any time I could be outside, whether it was baseball street hockey. I have an older brother, so naturally, it was-- I'm a middle child, too, so it's coming out to be competitive all the time. I used to draw pictures of me beating my brother in certain sports. So the competitive nature was there, but I was never physically the size of the big athlete. I'm 5'6" and 1/2 and I weigh maybe 70 kilos, so I'm not going to turn any heads when I'm walking down the street.
[00:03:15.29] But at that point, I started to figure out that what I need to do to be competitive with other individuals who may be more physically or genetically gifted than I am. So what that led me to was playing several sports in high school, but also going on to college and pursuing a degree in kinesiology and strength and conditioning. And I really realized that I wanted to work with athletes. I wanted to work with healthy athletes, getting them stronger, getting them faster. But then that led me to another graduate internship with Bill Evan.
[00:03:53.78] Doing some research led me to pursue a master's degree at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and from there I realized that I really enjoyed the research part. But at the same time, I had the opportunity to kind of work as a GA in the weight room. So from there, I realized that I enjoyed doing both. I wanted to coach, but I also enjoyed the research. So I wanted to research what I wanted, and that led me to pursuing a doctoral, or a PhD, with Mike Stone at East Tennessee State. And thankfully there I also had the opportunity to do both, because within the curriculum, you are working as a full time strength coach sports scientist with a Division I team, but at the same time you're also completing research, whether it's with the monitoring data, or additional data that you would collect there as part of your doctoral work.
[00:04:48.26] So it was a very thorough experience for me, and three years flew by. I honestly wish I may have had one more there, but that led me to teaching, and I went one year at East Stroudsburg University, and then I was fortunate enough to move back to Carroll, which is about an hour away from my hometown. So it's nice to be back in Wisconsin minus the long, long winters that we have.
[00:05:15.49] Wow, that's awesome. You know, I want to ask you about academic programs in the strength and conditioning field. And a couple of notable programs that you've experienced, Wisconsin-La Crosse, ETSU, you're at Carroll. Speak to the value of academic preparation for coaches, and also the role that research plays in strengthening the profession.
[00:05:43.46] Yeah, so the academics, just purely from a program standpoint, it's really important for me, or I enjoyed it when I was going through my master's program is-- one of the first classes we took was kind of an exercise technique and coaching class. And really what that was is, OK, here's a power clean. How you're going to teach it, and part of the curriculum was, I'm going to give you a random exercise, and I want you to take me through how you're going to coach this exercise, and then we get feedback. So I thought that was incredibly valuable, and then we were able to do that on the floor with the athletes as part of our curriculum.
[00:06:24.29] At the same time, we were exposed to exercise testing and assessment. So we would test the teams periodically, whether it was a 30 yard sprint or anything like that. You know, we were doing timing gates, we would do body composition, we would do not as much-- not as much force plate stuff at the time, but we still were doing vertical jump testing whether it was on a jump mat, drop jump testing, that type of thing. So it was interesting to see kind of the performance side as well as the assessment side when it came to developing the athletes and kind of figuring out where they were. So clearly, from that standpoint, I thought the curriculum did a really good job.
[00:07:09.24] And then the opposite side-- or not the opposite side, but the coaching side of things, when you were able to be on the floor with the strength coach was there, you would kind of see how they would operate. So you're kind of forming your coaching philosophy on the fly with the stuff you're getting in the classroom, but also the experiences you had in the weight room.
[00:07:32.55] We had Dr. Paul Comfort on the podcast, and we also had Trent Lawton out of Rowing New Zealand, and I'm wondering, is there an emerging trend for dual coach researcher roles in the field? Is that something you have seen, or do you see this as kind of just a logical extension of the strength and conditioning curriculum, and quality coaches just pursuing that terminal degree?
[00:08:05.46] I mean, I can just say yes to everything, just because that's kind of the role that I have now, doing research and coaching at the same time. But the program that I came out of at East Tennessee State, as I mentioned, that is the curriculum, is you are working on your doctoral dissertation while serving as a full time strength and conditioning coach. So in that regard, you are expected to do both, and I know what Dr. Stone will say is that a good coach is a good sports scientist, and vise versa, assuming that you have the background that you need to have.
[00:08:45.03] At the same time, is there more people that are going that route? I think there are more people going that route, primarily because I think everyone's starting to realize how important it is to be well read within the literature, to be able to implement the strategies that you're researching at the same time. To use Paul or myself as an example, if we're doing any coaching, we're implementing weightlifting derivatives. And because we're doing that research where we know what we found, but now we're going to go implement it with our teams immediately, and in the role that I am as an educator, I can share that information with our graduate students as well. And they-- our graduate students here also serve in a role where they are working as coaches, but they're also getting exposed to the research side as well.
[00:09:41.93] So I personally think it's more beneficial to be in both fields, or at least be well read in the literature, versus just shunning one side or the other side, because personally I-- there's certainly people out there that they're really good coaches-- they may not be strong researchers. But on the opposite side, there's probably really good researchers who shouldn't be in the weight room at all.
[00:10:10.90] Yeah, absolutely I think about some of the advice that I hear in the field from coaches giving advice to young, aspiring coaches, and one of the themes across the board is, go get that master's degree. It's important to get that master's degree if you want to be a head strength and conditioning coach. And one of the-- you get that graduate-level education, probably the key takeaway is that you're exposed to more research methodology, statistics, little higher analytical outlook on the field. And then the other layer of that is that all coaches, if we go into the Essentials text that needs analysis, the testing and evaluation component is always there.
[00:10:58.73] So it's something that being connected with the research process, whether it be being that researcher yourself, or networking that out and connecting with researchers in the field, there's a huge value to that. Is that something that you have done in your time at ETSU, or at Carroll, worked with local programs, other coaches? And how do you see that as a need within the field?
[00:11:31.66] We've been reaching out. So we're in the process of forming a Performance Institute here at Carroll that will primarily service our athletes-- our athletes here at the University. However, as we continue to expand, part of our charge within the Institute is coach education. So that is setting up clinics with coaches. That is going out to the community coaches-- whether it's the area high schools, or even private institutes, or even fellow colleges-- and sharing the information that we have. Because we are doing the research with the athletes we're very hands on with them-- we're taking that white box approach so we can figure out what we put in, what we get out, but then what we-- the knowledge that we gain from that is what we're looking to share.
[00:12:22.33] And to be honest, as a researcher, I probably get more research ideas being in the weight room than I do just sitting in the lab. I think that's an important piece, is that you want to be able to answer the questions that, whether it's a strength and conditioning coach or sport code actually has, which is truly the quote-unquote sports science side rather than just the exercise science side. You want to understand what makes this athlete successful, how do I train this individual athlete who is incredibly elastic compared to the one that grinds through every single rep. So really, what it does is it allows us to take the evidence that we gain-- or sorry, the knowledge that we gain, so we can effectively design programs for every athlete that we come across.
[00:13:17.14] So you mentioned Dr. Stone, and you and Dr. Stone both spoke at the Advanced Periodization Virtual Clinic just this last week. We actually pre-recorded that event, and so while I was experiencing it live, you know, you did most of your work a while back now. But you spoke on eccentric training methods, and that's a topic that comes up pretty regularly, because it connects both to the performance enhancement side of things and also the injury prevention side of things in terms of the value of eccentric strength. Speak to your work with eccentric training, and why that is such an important topic within the field.
[00:14:07.12] Yeah, I think-- so our work with eccentric training, a lot of it up to this point has been preliminary. And I say preliminary because we're finishing up other projects right now, but my understanding of the eccentric literature is the fact that we know that these methods are beneficial, but there's more work that needs to be done. So if we're talking about something like AEL and weight releasers, if we have 80% on the bar and we're having-- you know, how much weight should fall off? Does that matter based on strength level? So there's a lot of questions that we don't currently have the answer to.
[00:14:49.56] The other thing that we have to think about is we can get eccentric benefits from a spectrum of different things-- whether we're doing tempo, weight releasers, whether we're doing weightlifting movements, whether we're just landing from different jumps-- there's a spectrum out there, and we need to come to the realization that the way we train eccentrically is going to be specific, not only to the phase of training, but probably the season of training, and the strength level of the individual as well. Another thing about eccentric training is the demand that you're placing on the athlete.
[00:15:29.34] If we're talking about something like tempo training, we know that it's going to increase time under tension. Time under tension can inevitably benefit things like work capacity. Well, there's a time and a place to develop work capacity. That means that we probably shouldn't be doing tempo training all the time. Novices may benefit more from tempo training, because the other thing that it does is it may benefit something like postural strength or positional strength as they're moving through the movement. We showed some force plate data that if you're actually talking about true force output, it's really not changing all that much as your descending, depending on the speed of the tempo.
[00:16:12.99] At the same time, you think about plyometrics. Plyometrics are a unique tool that every athlete can do, whether it's a novice athlete, an advanced athlete. Something as simple as a line hop does give you an eccentric stimulus. It's going to be low level versus something like a 24-inch drop jump. Completely different. So there's a spectrum that we should be incorporating. It's really just trying to answer the question of if and when with the athletes.
[00:16:46.40] So that was your topic at the Advanced Periodization Clinic, and that's what I really liked about the event, was that every topic got so specific into individual areas that really make up this more holistic view of periodization than maybe we have viewed it in the past. What were some of your takeaways from the event? I know you were really active on social media those days, tweeting out quotes from all the presenters. What did you think?
[00:17:18.99] I thought it was a good mix of different topics, as you mentioned. So you get the really strong foundational knowledge, and I thought that was day one in a nutshell, with-- you had what I like to call the Past President's Day. It was Doc Stone, you had Greg Haff, and you had Dr. Kraemer as well. So it was interesting the way that they approached periodization, just because it was all kind of unique.
[00:17:48.36] With Doc Stone, it was kind of interesting because some of it was review from what we covered as students in his classes, but they start to put out higher level ideas that not everyone usually thinks about. So a recent paper that I know Doc was on-- I can't remember who wrote it, but I think it was Kyle Travis-- was talking about task-specific hypertrophy. And to be honest, we haven't spent a lot of time talking about that. Sometimes when you hear hypertrophy as an undergraduate, you're like, OK, the muscle grows. Well, there's more to it than that.
[00:18:29.01] Is it sarcoplasmic? Is it the actual muscle fiber, or the myofibrillar hypertrophy? We know that there's a debate in terms of whether hypertrophy is going to relate to strength or not, and it really depends. I hate to use the science answer of "it depends," but depending on what we're talking about, it does. But then you had individuals like Cal Dietz.
[00:18:55.41] Cal Dietz is putting together some different ideas of how to train your athletes. I really enjoyed Matt Wenning's talk, as well. It's that it's just not things that you necessarily think about or encounter every day. Vernon Griffith, the way that he approaches things is always unique. I love following his stuff as well, just because he always has a unique take on it. And what I think everyone needs to realize, and what I think the conference did, was that it put into perspective that there's a big, big gray area when it comes to strength and conditioning.
[00:19:34.26] Now, prioritization, you could have that debate all day long. And like life now, it doesn't matter what you talk about. There's going to be people on both sides that are going to argue their viewpoint. That's fine, but the fact of the matter is that we need to realize that strength and conditioning as a whole is grey. There's not one way to do things, and there's a time and a place, essentially, for everything.
[00:19:59.12] And really, I can speak to this from my professional baseball background, is we have to be so grounded in be applied to make the program work. And one thing I really liked about the event is it really-- it went from that past President's Day, and got more and more applied, and broadened sort of the scope of what periodization has traditionally been viewed as. I'm thinking of the charts and graphs, and the linear models.
[00:20:31.79] And one thing Andrea Hudy said and it really, really hit me was, you know, is periodization dead? And I think she said it in the context of, we've now moved, you know, undulating, nonlinear, fluid periodization. We have to be flexible and make adjustments. How does that fit within an existing model?
[00:20:51.80] But I think that also speaks to the professionalism and the development of strength and conditioning professionals. That's something that we have all had to do, to continue to expand our mind, continue to expand our thought process. And so, yeah, I really enjoyed being part of that event. I know it was exciting for the NSCA to recreate an event that maybe a lot of people don't realize first happened back in 2007, connection through UConn. We had a few speakers-- Andrea Hudy, Greg Haff, and Bill Kraemer were all presenters at that first version.
[00:21:38.33] And so it's nice to see sort of the evolution of just the way we're looking at a topic like periodization, which, like you said, is so great. Tim, I'd like to ask you about some of your other work, and I know you're presenting on this topic at the upcoming Coaches Conference on weightlifting derivatives. This is something that, when I think of the Olympic lifting integration within strength and conditioning, I go back to college football and it wasn't the pressing snatch balance in the USAW language that we learned it by.
[00:22:21.46] We learned it through this more traditional college language language-- the power shrugs, in the high pulls, and the-- So when I read your research, It kind of brings me back to that collegiate model of Olympic lifting, in a way, that really came about just in the spirit of being more applied, and being sport-specific. Talk about your work with weightlifting derivatives, and just sort of how this body of work has progressed, and what you're going to talk about at coaches.
[00:23:00.96] The project that kind of started this for me was actually during my master's thesis at UW La Crosse, which was kind of interesting in the start of it, because that wasn't the original project that I was planning on doing. So the question really was, working with Dr. Glenn Wright was, if you remove the catch phase, does that make a difference when it comes to force, velocity, power output at the basic level? And so what we ended up looking at was the differences between a hang power clean a jump shrug, and a hang high pull.
[00:23:44.88] So every single movement was performed from the exact same position with the same type of countermovement. Starting at the power position, down to the knee countermovement, transition back, and then you're moving-- you're performing a second pull, but you're performing it slightly differently. With the jump shrug, we jumped as high as possible as the bar was coming back up. High pull, we elevated to chest height. And hang power clean we pulled it, dropped under of the bar, and caught it.
[00:24:10.53] And we did this across a spectrum of loads. It was 30%, 45%, 65%, and 80% of the hang power clean 1RM. So what we ended up finding with that was that the-- both of the pulling derivatives ended up putting out a greater amount of power output, a greater velocity-- and with the jump shrug, it ended up being a higher force output, as well. And this was unique across the loading spectrum, where the greatest differences were at the lightest loads.
[00:24:44.10] Now, when you're talking about doing a hang power clean at 30% and 45%, it's really difficult to get max effort out of an individual, because if they give max effort, you know, the bar is going to loop way above their head. It's going to come crashing down on them when they rack it. So what was interesting is that the differences actually got smaller as the load got heavier, meaning if you go look at the literature, you're going to find optimal power output with something like a hang power clean between 60% and 80%, depending on who you read.
[00:25:21.21] But what was really interesting is how high the power outputs were for individuals at really light loads for something like a jump shrug and a hang high pull. Jump shrug maximized power output at 30% of 1RM. The hang high pull max power output at 45% 1RM in this study , and this kind of led us to dig into this a little bit farther, is each exercise, individually, is going to be implemented a certain way. We view something like a jump shrug as more velocity-dominant exercise. So it's on one end of that force-velocity spectrum. You can still get really high power outputs if you do heavier loads, but your technique may start to fall off a little bit. Because you have that hip hinge movement, it's difficult to jump with heavier loads.
[00:26:15.80] Just look at something like a jump squat, or even a hex bar jump. Same thing with a high, pull is that we ended up finding that despite the high power outputs with light to moderate loads, it ended up being almost essentially the same when we got to about 80%, just because that's the point that the bar for something like a high pull is not going to go as high. It's going to go to that minimal height that you need to drop under the bar to catch it. So it's difficult to produce more power output that way. So we looked at this several different ways. We looked at it at an acute standpoint, where is just instantaneous variables, and then we ended up doing time normalized over the course of the entire movement.
[00:27:04.28] And what we ended up finding with that-- and that was work with Chris Sole was the movements are essentially the same through 80% to 85% of the movement, but the last 15% to 20% was that second pull. And because you're being fully ballistic with something like a jump shrug, that's going to maximize or really push that force output, and push that power output that much higher versus the other exercise. The high pull you, don't leave the ground, but you're maximizing that pull. The hang power clean, that you're not being ballistic. Instead of jumping off the ground up, you're moving your feet to the side. And so, I would-- it is ballistic, yes, because you kind of come off the ground, but it's almost semi-ballistic, ballistic because you're not maximizing effort to jump as high as possible.
[00:27:56.00] So this kind of coincided right around the same timeline as Paul Comfort was doing some of his work on the mid-thigh pull compared to a mid-thigh power clean hang power clean, and he was showing similar results when using a single load. So now working with Paul-- it was actually at an NSCA conference that I actually had one of my posters next to his student, John McMahon, and so we started talking. I saw Paul's name was on the poster, and then I got to meet Paul, and then from there it was let's collaborate. So through, thankfully again, an NSCA grant, we were able to-- we are able to do an international collaboration and actually do a training study to see, OK, we found these acute differences. Does it matter if you do these longitudinally?
[00:28:49.05] So the first study with the NSCA grant was an eight-week study in season with a variety of athletes over in the UK. And what we ended up finding, there's two groups. One group trained with catching variations, and the other group trained with pulling variations that were biomechanically similar. So if one group did a power clean from the floor, the other group did a pull from the floor, but they did it with the exact same loads. And what came out of that study is that regardless of the variable, whether it was 1RM power clean, whether it was isometric mid-thigh pull peak force or rapid force production, countermovement jump, squat jump. There was no difference between either group, and also no practical difference if you're talking about effect sizes.
[00:29:42.63] So that being said, the conclusion of that study was can train with either. It really doesn't matter which one you train with. So we took that a step farther with doing a 10-week training study here at Carroll, and we just finished that up within the last year. The thing took three years, but we got it done. So what we did is we did something similar to Paul, is we had a we had a catch group, we had a pull group that used the exact same loads, biomechanically similar movements. But what we also did is-- the unique thing about the pulls is that, because you're not catching it, you can use loads to over 100% of 1RM, and they are going to be less taxing because you're not catching it every single time in that rack position, having to lower it down and then do another repetition.
[00:30:38.52] So we were able to use a force overload during a strength endurance phase as well as a strength phase to really emphasize the force end of that force-velocity curve. We're using loads-- with some exercises, we use 135% of their power clean, 1RM, with a mid-thigh pull. But then when we transitioned into kind of our speed, strength phase here at the end, we started to shift to more velocity-dominant exercises with the jump shrug and a high pull. But at that point, we're using loads as low as 20% or 30% of 1RM to maximize that velocity piece.
[00:31:19.56] And what we ended up finding was across the board with a 1RM hang power clean, sprint speeds at 10, 20, and 30 meters, 505 change direction, isometric mid-thigh pull peak force-- every single variable we looked at favored this overload group that was loaded specific to each phase. So the take-home was if you're going to use pulling derivatives, load them specific to each phase. Now, this the group that kind of followed them was the pull group. With certain variables, they weren't different from the catch group, but they did also show better rapid force production compared to the catch group, and part of the reason why is, is that if you think about a pull-- like a mid-thigh pull-- you can use loads up to about 140% of 1RM. At least that's what's in the literature. You could probably go heavier than that.
[00:32:20.00] But you're using sub-maximum loads at that point, because your theoretical 1RM is much, much higher than what your power clean is. So you're really emphasizing velocity and rapid force production at that point. So altogether, where we are right now is we know pulls are beneficial. We have a general idea of kind of how we can implement them with the loads, but now the question is-- that we're trying to answer now, and this is an ongoing project-- is we know that you can implement catches or pulls. Just make sure that whatever stimulus you're giving the athlete is going to-- I should say catches, pulls, or a combination of both. It doesn't have to be one or the other, just to clarify.
[00:33:13.31] Whatever you're going to implement, we just need to make sure that we are providing the stimulus that is specific to each phase. What is going to maximize the benefit that we're trying to get? So you may maximize force output or strength with pulling derivatives, because you can use heavier loads. Maybe you want a moderate-loaded pull in there to maximize rate of force development. You can certainly do that, too. But where I was going with this is that if someone is going to implement pulling derivatives only, you can do that. The hard part, though, is that you-- all the research out there has been based on the percentage of 1RM of a catching derivative.
[00:33:56.63] So what we're trying to find is different ways to implement pulling derivatives without having to do a 1RM catch. So that's kind of our venture right now, and we have about seven or eight participants that have finished the study. So we're in the process of starting to analyze that, and just to foreshadow, we plan on presenting some of that at the National Clinic, hopefully, and as well as our State Clinic in April.
[00:34:24.57] I think that, as a field, we've gotten a lot better at specific applications of the force-velocity curve in your research along with a lot of other areas-- the velocity-based training and just the amount of force plate research that's coming out all really speaks to that. But one thing I think of is that not all body types do well with Olympic lifts. It's sometimes-- we don't talk about this a lot, but the technical load of learning a movement, and the strain that adds to a team program of, you know, is it an uphill battle to teach a movement that maybe isn't ideal for that athlete? And I think one of the real positives is that this gives us more options.
[00:35:18.19] The main takeaway that I would like coaches and other researchers to get from our work is we're not trying to take away lifts from anybody. We're not saying, oh, just because you can get better velocity better power output at this specific load. We're not saying don't ever do catching, and none of our research says don't ever catch. Not to self-promote, but I put together an article in the NSCA Coach called The Gray Area, referring to implementing weightlifting derivatives. And the idea here is that, depending on what we're trying to build at the time, you can use the catch, you can use to pull. It really doesn't matter.
[00:36:04.62] Based on Paul's work and our work, in terms of the training studies, using the same loads with derivatives, you can end up with the exact same stimulus. So we're not trying to create a this side versus the other side. We're fully-- we fully agree with the fact that you can implement both catching and pulling effectively as long as it's implemented specific to what you're trying to build at the time. So we're trying to expand the coaching toolbox by adding more options, as you mentioned, versus taking things away.
[00:36:38.14] Now I really like that, and like I mentioned, it is a re-emerging area of the field. And I wanted to give you a chance because you're dialed into both the practitioner side of things and the research side of things-- you know, what do you see coming in terms of emerging topics, or valuable topics that you see taking the field forward in the next few years?
[00:37:06.95] I know that we are talking about eccentric training earlier. I would like to think that we're going to get a better grasp on that than what we currently have. I think we-- like as we mentioned, we have a general idea of what works, we just need to do a better job of figuring out when and how to implement those types of methods. Because like anything in strength and conditioning, everything works until it doesn't. So it's really just finding, again, who can benefit from these, when can they benefit from them, is it necessary to implement them, how often should we be implementing them-- do certain strength levels dictate that we should be including more of these, less of these?
[00:37:53.51] I consider certain methods of eccentric training as kind of our advanced training methods, where you may be able to use them as kind of a novel training stimulus with individuals who have gotten, relatively speaking, stronger-- they've developed that strength reserve. So kind of a segue into another thing that I think is going to be continuing on and expanding more is individualized programming. Generally speaking, I like to think that we do a decent job at individualizing training. However, I think, especially with COVID now, we've kind of fallen back to this is what I want everyone and everybody to do to make sure we develop this baseline strength, et cetera.
[00:38:44.37] But some of the work that's been done on individual kind of force-velocity profiles, I think more of that's going to be developed, figuring out how different types of methods of training are going to shift that curve one side to the other. I think-- it's a very interesting topic. I think we're still scratching the surface of it. There's a lot more work to still be done on VBT, in my opinion. We're actually using velocity-based monitors doing the project that we are with weightlifting derivatives right now, and I think developing individual exercise velocity bands is going to be something that's going to be unique.
[00:39:33.29] Placing everything kind of on a spectrum is going to be something that's going to continue, and I think it's going to open up the eyes of coaches to this smattering of exercises that we have available to us. And again, it all comes down to the tools, equipment, and athletes that we have, because-- I can't say I've been in this debate, but people really like hex bar jump squats. That's great. The hex bar jump squat's a great exercise, but I remember, it was at NSCA clinic. Someone asked me, have you compared that with jump shrug? We have now.
[00:40:17.45] One exercise is going to be more of a strength, a force-dominant exercise versus a velocity-dominant. I think, hopefully, the goal of some of my research is to, again, provide coaches with more options, just so we don't get so stuck in our silos of, these are the exercises I have, this is what I'm always going to program, and no one's going to tell me otherwise. That's why, I think, the time that we stop learning is the time we stop growing as coaches. And again, I'm not calling anybody out at all, because we all kind of have our bread and butter exercises-- there's no doubt about that. But just knowing what else is out there is going to help us grow as professionals.
[00:41:04.19] That's a great segue to talk about the NSCA Sports Science and Performance Technology Special Interest Group. Tim, you're the Chair of that special interest group, and it is connected with the new certification program that's coming out by the NSCA in 2021. The Essentials of Sport Science Textbook will launch at the end of February 2021. So there's a lot of excitement building around that program, and this the special interest group has been a great way to communicate what's coming in terms of that program. Being the Chair of that program, talk about what's going on, some of the conversations, and just share that with our listeners so that they know where to go.
[00:42:00.25] Yeah, so the Facebook page that we have has been fairly active-- some times more than others, no doubt about that, because everyone's busy, whether it's our Zoom meetings, or Skype meetings, whatever. We always seem to be in front of a computer screen, but hop on the hop on the page. I think it's a unique place to share some information. So we've seen anything from sports science clinics, in terms of advertisements. We've seen-- you know, I occasionally will put in there a topic of conversation. You know, how are people dealing with COVID, what types of technologies do you find beneficial during these times when you don't get to be face-to-face with your athletes all the time--
[00:42:43.02] You know, are there different testing methods that you're going to be using with your athletes given our current restrictions? Even something as simple as, OK, hey, we heard about this new product. Has anyone else tried it? So I think, clearly from the technology side, there's a lot of conversation. At the same time, I think the conversation of really getting down to what is sports science, who functions as a sports scientist-- and I think part of our group is very unique, because we have people from a variety of backgrounds that can actually work in kind of a sports science role. And kind of as we talked about and with the virtual exhibition hall, as we kind of talked about, is someone like a strength and conditioning coach can certainly work as a sports scientist.
[00:43:36.71] You also have people who are engineers. You have people who are in data analytics. So a variety of people can function as sports scientists, and I think our SIG is going to continue to grow and be able to share more information about that.
[00:43:53.12] Yeah. One of the take-homes is that there are different types of sports scientists that exist. And that's the current professional landscape, and just being a broad focus group. We do have a broad audience represented within that group, but I will say that it truly is a place for-- if you're involved in the NSCA community, if you're a strength and conditioning coach, it's a great place to learn what's coming, in terms of what we've talked about-- the force-velocity curve, the technology, a lot of those tech driven topics. The research has been around on some of these topic areas for a number of years, but technology has really put some of these discussions back onto the forefront, because it's much more accessible to us.
[00:44:46.39] And that is one of the themes that I see in the conversation, and it's-- and I will just do a little plug for the special interest group program. This is an underutilized resource in the NSCA community that is incredibly valuable. It is-- other than going to a live event, which we haven't had a lot of this year, it is the best way to stay connected with other professionals in the field. It's just an active, ongoing conversation in a topic area that you're interested in, and we have over 20 special interest groups. We're adding them all the time.
[00:45:28.06] And there's a pathway-- if there's another topic that you would like to start a special interest group, that is something that is available to you as well. Tim, one thing I want to ask you, and you're such an active volunteer within the NSCA community-- the State Provincial Directors Program, the special interest groups-- speak to the value of being a volunteer with the NSCA, what that's done for you. And I know you touched on that a little bit, but talk a little bit about the pathway of just getting involved, because we do get a lot of questions of how do I-- who do I reach out to, or where do I find this information. Can you share that with us?
[00:46:14.53] Yeah. So the NSCA has been an invaluable resource for me just growing as a professional. I started off-- I didn't know much about the NSCA when I was in undergrad. I kind of knew what it was a little bit, but to be honest-- that was my first organization that I became a member of. Once we find out that we kind of have a passion for strength and conditioning, you get access to all their resources, whether it's the journals, whether it's the access to the clinic materials-- but it starts to open up other opportunities. But the main thing, for me, is the people, because I've been fortunate enough to meet so many people, whether it was just from a state clinic, where I wouldn't have met them previously.
[00:47:06.00] Had the experience when I was younger to-- in 2010, I was a senior in undergrad, and I was able to present at a Wisconsin state clinic-- very first presentation I ever did-- and what that kind of grew into was meeting people like Bill Kraemer. Bill Kraemer happened to be the keynote speaker at that clinic, but also meeting people locally like Brian Edlbeck Jason Roe, and both of those individuals served as state directors for our state clinics here in Wisconsin. And now being in that role currently is that you start to develop the relationships to figure out who can speak on this topic, who can I have this conversation with.
[00:47:56.70] But going to state clinics, regional clinics, national clinics-- the national clinic was the very first one I went. It was 2012 in Providence, and the unique thing about that to me was I had no idea what a national clinic was going to be like. I had a poster to present. I didn't know a lot of people. I knew my roommate at the time, who happened to be Jason Roe. I knew a couple of people that were going to be there, but beyond that, take all opportunities that are presented to you. And what I mean by that is you can't be afraid to go up and say hello to some of these-- who we consider as kind of the big wigs.
[00:48:41.96] I remember the very first time I met at NSCA in person Paul Comfort, Andy Fry, Sophia Nimphius talking with Dr. Stone and his wife Meg-- Greg Haff, Duncan French. I mean, all of these people were all people I had met for the very first time at MDA. And everyone knows who these people are. And the best part of all of that is they, the more you get to know them, they will take the opportunity to introduce you around, and you get to know other people. I found myself at a table having sushi-- didn't think it was going to happen-- Orlando, 2015, I think it was, sitting at a table with Mike Stone, Meg Stone, Jeff McBride, Travis Triplett, Greg Haff, Erin Haff.
[00:49:34.70] Sitting at a table with those people, you start to realize how connected that group is, and how many-- I think it was a while back when Greg Haff was President-- not a while back, but several years ago-- where he asked, how many of you were taught by Mike Stone? How many of you were taught by Bill Kraemer? And essentially the entire room was standing up. So getting to know these people and their networks, and getting involved in those networks, is such a rewarding experience, because once you know one person, you know another 20 people.
[00:50:10.31] And then the benefits of that is [AUDIO DROP] start to seek you out for-- whether it's speaking engagements, whether it is getting involved in this SIG. Eric, you went ahead and reached out to me to have kind of a conversation first about this SIG getting together, and kind of the sports science certification, and I'm incredibly thankful for [AUDIO DROP]. But my advice to people wanting to get involved with the NSCA is seize all opportunities, because there's plenty out there that are available. I tried to get on the research committee for four years, four or five years, and this was finally the year. So it's good to be able to serve in that capacity now, and what we all try to do is we try to pay it forward.
[00:51:01.50] Getting to know people like Jay Dawes and Nick Ratamess as well is-- all these people, they're all there to help you succeed. And no-one that I have met seems to be overly selfish. You know, we all have our things to do, so if someone is fully ingrained in their work on their computer, you don't have to go up and bug them. But maybe offer to buy-- if you're really interested in someone's work, buy them a coffee. They'll sit down and talk to you for 20, 30 minutes. But it's making those connections, and then expanding on those connections.
[00:51:38.88] I will say, just purely from the social media standpoint, I have met more people over Twitter and Instagram-- but then meeting them in person is just that much more rewarding. It's you have the conversation-- oh yeah, I'm going to be at this clinic. I'll catch up with you later. And that's kind of been how I got to know people like Rhodri Lloyd, and John McMahon. So I hate to name drop and everything, but this is my experience, and these are all people that I've been fortunate enough to get to know and continue to work with.
[00:52:15.60] Social media is definitely the new icebreaker, in a way, and one thing--
[00:52:22.59] Especially now.
[00:52:23.97] Yeah. Even just this podcast going virtual for the first time this year allowed us to have international guests that weren't at our live events. So yeah, I mean, it's kind of interesting when we talk about the performance technology within the special interest group. And you know, it all kind of comes back to communication tools, and that's truly what-- whether it's performance technology, or how we're connecting with our athletes verbally, sending them programs-- technology is largely based on the need for communication.
[00:53:06.60] And one thing that really comes to mind is, from my experience and what you just said is, NSCA events are largely about that connection element. And I think that is something that, in our conversations about future events, we all see the value of the research, and in the quality education content, and that's what we go there for. But when you get there, there's just there's such a large group of like-minded individuals that just have so many experiences to share.
[00:53:45.02] And so with that, I truly miss the live events, and I'm kind of digging myself into that rabbit hole a little bit of thinking, man, when are we going to get back to normal? But even if this time lasts for a while, I have really enjoyed just being able to connect virtually with people as well, and I think it challenges us to be a little bit more deliberate and tactful with the way we communicate. And getting face-to-face interaction, even if that is over a screen, and just how valuable that has been through 2020.
[00:54:25.69] I will tell people as well with national clinics, having been to a handful of them, the very first one I went to, my schedule was booked. 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10 AM-- I'm going to every single talk. But what you're going to find the more that you end up going to those is that you're going to go to the talks that you're really interested in. It's not to say that you don't have some interest in others, but take the time to make the connections outside of those talks, because that's what's going to be-- sometimes you end up learning more outside of the talks-- don't get me wrong. You learn a lot inside the talks, too, but you're going to learn a lot just having conversations with these individuals who are doing the research, who are coaching these athletes and have good ideas. Just don't turn down those opportunities.
[00:55:19.69] Well, and there's a lot of follow up, too, on those interactions, and that's one of the huge takeaways, is you're going to stay in touch with those coaches, researchers, individuals, and they're going to stay in touch with you. And it really just builds a stronger strength and conditioning community. So Tim, I really appreciate you being on the podcast today. Learned a lot about kind of your research focus and some of the upcoming talks you had. Really excited that you were a part of the Advanced Periodization Clinic we just had. Truly a huge success for the NSCA and everybody who attended.
[00:56:00.40] Almost 1,500 attendees at that event, which is just a huge accomplishment considering the NSCA had never really done a lot of virtual events before the last couple of years. So really, really exciting on our end, and I know the coaches that have shared with us their feedback, it's been very positive. So I'm excited that that's the direction we're headed with things. Very thankful for your contributions as a volunteer, as a member as a coach, as a researcher, and I-- just to give you the opportunity, how can our listeners get in contact with you?
[00:56:35.86] Yeah, social media, on Twitter probably more than anything. Twitter and Instagram handle is @DrTSuchomel, and then on my Twitter I also have a link to my ResearchGate page, and the ResearchGate has, generally speaking, full texts of all of our research that's out there. Again, if someone reaches out to me, I'd try and get back to you. And generally speaking, I get back to back to everybody. But, @DrTSuchomel for Twitter and Instagram generally.
[00:57:12.58] Dr. Tim Suchomel, Assistant Professor, Carroll University. He's the Wisconsin State Director for the NSCA and the chair of the NSCA Sports Science and Performance Technology Special Interest Group. Tim, thanks for being on, and we'd also like to thank Sorinex Exercise Equipment, our sponsor on this podcast.
[00:57:33.97] And if you're engaged on social media, a lot like me, you'll also need to check out NSCA's Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. And to all of you listening, we appreciate your support. Again, if you like the podcast, make sure you subscribe wherever you download your podcasts from, write us a review, and keep listening in. Thank you, and I look forward to talking with you all soon.
[00:57:51.74] This was the NSCA's Coaching Podcast. The National Strength and Conditioning Association was founded in 1978 by strength and conditioning coaches to share information, resources, and help advance the profession. Serving coaches for over 40 years, the NSCA is the trusted source for strength and conditioning professionals. Be sure to join us next time.
Reporting Errors: To report errors in a podcast episode requiring correction or clarification, email the editor at publications@nsca.com or write to NSCA, attn: Publications Dept., 1885 Bob Johnson Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80906. Your letter should be clearly marked as a letter of complaint. Please (a) identify in writing the precise factual errors in the published podcast episode (every false, factual assertion allegedly contained therein), (b) explain with specificity what the true facts are, and (c) include your full name and contact information.
Eric L. McMahon, MEd, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F, RSCC*D
Strength & Conditioning Coach, NSCA Headquarters, Colorado Springs, CO, United States
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> Thanks for the response Benjamin.
> cron job running at night, which is why I left it until this morning to ask.
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text:
Article - Renewable Energy
Auctions involving other EU states
© BMWi/Holger Vonderlind
The level of subsidies for electricity from renewable energy is to be determined in future via auctions rather than the current system of funding rates prescribed by law. This new approach is laid down in the Renewable Energy Sources Act (the 2014 RES Act and the 2017 RES Act). The aim is a market-based rate of support set by competition. Some of these auctions are also open to providers from other EU Member States. The intention is to anchor the energy transition on a cross-border basis and to gradually align the funding systems.
From 2017, 5% of new renewables capacity to be installed each year will be opened up to installations in other European Member States. To implement this, the Federal Cabinet adopted the Cross-Border Renewable Energy Ordinance (only in German) on 1 June 2016. The main points of the draft can be downloaded here (PDF: 2,1 MB).
Section 2 (6) of the 2014 RES and the corresponding authorisation to issue ordinances specified in section 88 (2-4) of the 2014 RES set out three conditions for funding renewable electricity from other countries:
Germany and its partner country must conclude an agreement under international law within the meaning of the cooperation mechanisms laid down in the Renewable Energy Directive.
The cooperation is based on the principle of reciprocity. This means that when Germany opens up its auctions to bidders who plan to build renewables installations abroad, the partner country will also open up its auctions to bidders who plan to build installations in Germany.
The electricity from installations that have been awarded funding must lead to a tangible impact on the German electricity market ('actual import' of electricity).
Pilot Cooperation with Denmark
On 12 October 2016 the Federal Network Agency launched the pilot cross-border auction for ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) installations with Denmark. PV installations located both in Germany and in Denmark may submit bids in the context of the first such cross-border auction in Europe. The auction covers a total of 50 megawatts (MW). All installations located in Germany or in Denmark may participate in the auction. Bids for this auction could be submitted to the Federal Network Agency until 23 November 2016.
On 11 November 2016, the Danish Energy Agency launched an opened pilot auction for PV installations. Installations located both in Denmark and in Germany may participate in this auction.
The auction covers a total of 20 MW. Installations located in Germany can be awarded funding for 2.4 MW. Bids for the Danish auction must be submitted by 8 December 2016.
Further information can be found at the websites of the Federal Network Agency and the Danish Energy Agency.
The auction is based on the Cross-border Renewable Energy Ordinance (PDF: 123 KB; only in German) and the cooperation agreement (PDF: 72 KB) on the mutual opening up of auctions for ground-mounted photovoltaic installations, which was signed in July 2016. This cooperation agreement is the first of its kind on the basis of the Cross-border Renewable Energy Ordinance.
The aim is to strengthen the regional energy cooperation between Germany and Denmark and establish a framework for the partial opening up of auctions in the field of electricity from renewable energy sources to bids from the partner country. It is important that the countries involved decide themselves on the volumes of capacity available for cross-border auctions for renewable energies. The partner countries must be able to independently control the benefits and the costs of the cooperation. In addition, the cooperation requires that the electricity be physically imported into the other country, and it must be based on the principle of reciprocity.
The auctions are based on the respective national auction designs. As regards site-specific conditions, the rules and conditions of the country where the installation is based will apply. This relates for instance to conditions on the eligible areas and sites and rules on construction and taxes.
Further cross-border auctions are planned for 2017. This is subject to the successful conclusion of the negotiations currently under way with the partner country.
Further information can be found at the BMWi's website on renewable energy: www.erneuerbare-energien.de.
04/04/2016 - PDF - Renewable Energy
Publication: Pilot Opening Auction For Ground-Mounted PV To Bidders From Other EU Member States
Concept-Note
Opens PDF "Pilot Opening Auction For Ground-Mounted PV To Bidders From Other EU Member States" in a new window.
Reform of the Renewable Energy Sources Act
Energy prices and transparency for consumers


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• Real estate investment companies can now issue real estate certificates as an extra means of finance instrument.
• Liabilities of the board of directors and CEOs have been re-regulated.


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Home > News > FEATURE: El Voto Latino
FEATURE: El Voto Latino
By Patrick Chadwick on July 12, 2016
Can Latinos grow their voice in a critical election year?
JACKSON HOLE, WY – In 2015, a community assessment survey from the Latino Resource Center found that the two most critical issues facing Teton County Latinos were first, "documentation and citizenship," and second, "housing." In 2016, those issues have vaulted to the forefront of national and local elections.
As if Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's xenophobic immigration proposals weren't concerning enough for Latino communities, the Supreme Court recently stalemated in a decision on President Barack Obama's 2014 executive order that would have made more than four million undocumented immigrants eligible for work permits while deferring action on their deportation.
The 4-4 tie in the SCOTUS was possible in part because Republican senators still refuse to vote on Obama's nominee to the federal bench, Merrick Garland. The deadlock upholds a decision from a lower appeals court that determined the president had likely gone beyond his executive authority.
Jorge Moreno, a 34-year-old Latino community leader and Mexican immigrant who first moved to Jackson Hole in 1996, offered a forward-looking view on a discouraging outcome.
"This decision from the Supreme Court is hurting everybody, but there is going to have to come a time when a solution is going to be made," Moreno said. "For how long are we going to have all these people who right now do not have the documentation to become legal? They're your housekeepers. They're your dishwashers. They're your lawnmowers. They're your neighbors."
Moreno became a case manager for the Latino Resource Center in 2013, and he is still involved with the organization after its recent merger with El Puente and the Community Resource Center into a single nonprofit, One22.
Last year Moreno was hit with a 20 percent rent increase (which he helped negotiate down from 40 percent for his apartment and many others) at Blair Place Apartments where he lives with his wife, two sons, and six-month-old daughter. Another 20 percent bump is coming next year. It could be the breaking point for Moreno and his family.
"I might not be here for long," Moreno said. "There's a lot of people that are not going to be here for long, and when that happens things are going to get tighter. Businesses are going to keep closing. It comes to a point where too much is too much, and either we do something or we don't."
Like many Latinos in Teton County, Moreno will not be eligible to vote in this year's elections despite his longtime community involvement. Though they have the highest stakes, it is unclear just how many voting-age Latinos will be able to cast their votes.
Anti-immigration extremism
At the national level, Trump has proposed the deportation of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. He has singled out Mexican immigrants as "rapists" and "killers" along the way.
Even when referring to Latinos who are naturalized or second-generation U.S. citizens, Trump has shown that his racism knows no borders. This spring he accused U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel of bias in a fraud lawsuit against Trump University. "He's a Mexican. We're building a wall between here and Mexico," Trump said of Curiel, who was born in the state of Indiana to naturalized Mexican immigrants.
Despite this ongoing vitriol from the presidential candidate, Moreno's concerns stem from his sense of patriotism and family rather than a fear of Trump actually following through on his threats.
"I'm not worried about what he's going to do to Latinos—whether he's going to kick us out or not," Moreno said. "I don't think he's going to be able to do that anyways. What I'm worried about is what he's going to do to this nation. My kids, they're U.S. citizens. I'm worried about their future."
Before she was forced out of Jackson Hole last year because of the housing crisis, Sonia Capece, the former executive director of the Latino Resource Center, estimated that undocumented immigrants make up more than 50 percent of the Latino population in Teton County.
U.S. Census data from 2014 shows that Latinos account for 15 percent of the overall population in Teton County, but those who work with the community estimate the figure to be more like 25 to 30 percent. Eighty-two percent of the county's Latino population is Mexican.
Trump has toned down his rhetoric on some days, but even a watered down version of his immigration plan would be harmful to the entire Jackson Hole community. It would separate more Latino families and place a profound strain on Teton County's existing worker shortage.
A reasonable representative from Wyoming?
Should the Cowboy State remain "red" in the presidential election, the vacant U.S. House of Representatives seat left by Republican Cynthia Lummis may be the best opportunity for Wyoming voters to send a more sensible voice on immigration to Washington, D.C.
"Immigration is a federal-level set of laws, so there is no state immigration law," said Rosie Read, an immigration lawyer in Jackson. "Those who we're electing to the federal government are going to be directly impacting what immigration policy looks like and what kind of changes we see exactly."
If the GOP continues its four-decade hold on Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat, the new representative will likely be more focused on enforcing existing immigration laws than changing them to provide a path to citizenship. According to a June 29 article from the Associated Press, all nine Wyoming Republican candidates running for Congress are currently supporting Trump's candidacy, even if a few appear more reluctant than others.
Liz Cheney, the most prominent candidate for Wyoming's U.S. House seat, explained her Trump support to the Associated Press. "We've got to unite behind Trump. No matter who our candidate is there will be disagreements on certain areas of policy. I don't agree with any Republican, probably, on everything," she said.
On her website, Cheney's position on immigration states: "Our national security requires that we secure our borders and end President Obama's policies granting amnesty to illegal immigrants."
Meanwhile, the campaign website of Teton County resident and current Wyoming State Senator Leland Christensen declares, "Illegal immigration is just that: illegal. It's a threat to our national security and economy."
"The typical Republican line is that everyone needs to get in line, but a line virtually does not exist for some people," countered Read. "The laws we have on the books are pretty draconian in terms of punishment for entering the United States illegally and remaining here for any period of time over six months without a visa."
While Christensen seems more hesitant to provide a full-throated endorsement of Trump, he explained to the Associated Press that he is hopeful for a transformation, noting that "Ronald Reagan was mocked as just an actor" early in his political career.
Unlike Trump, though, Reagan was not openly criticized within his own party for overtly racist comments and proposals. In fact, in a debate during his successful 1984 presidential campaign, Reagan professed, "I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and who have lived here, even though some time back they may have entered illegally."
It is a Democrat, not a Republican, who is striking a similar tone in Wyoming's U.S. House race.
"If you have lived and worked here, and contributed to American communities, you should do so as an American citizen," said 33-year-old Democratic candidate Ryan Greene, a first-time politician, and operations director at Greene's Energy Services in Rock Springs. "We need to establish a modern and practical path to citizenship."
In May, Greene received a sudden challenge in the Democratic primary from 77-year-old Charlie Hardy, a former Catholic priest and Spanish-speaking social activist out of Cheyenne who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for Wyoming Republican Mike Enzi's U.S. Senate seat in 2014.
"We're tearing families apart with our current immigration laws," argued Hardy. "It's not just an issue for politicians, it's an issue for every voter to become informed about."
While both Greene and Hardy appear more sympathetic to the plight of undocumented immigrants than their Republican counterparts, it is not yet clear what specific steps they might suggest to reform current federal immigration laws.
Whether Wyoming sends a Republican or Democrat to Congress, Moreno believes the path to citizenship starts with action from the new representative, even if it is a pace backward in a long journey forward.
"There's not going to be a huge solution where everybody is going to become citizens, but the reality is that we have to do something about it," argued Moreno. "We have to take the first step. Whoever is brave enough to do that is going to have a lot on their side."
A big vote for housing
On June 6, Moreno joined about 100 other community members in the Shelter JH housing march, an event he co-organized with One22 executive director Mary Erickson. With equal representation from local Latinos and whites, participants marched with signs from Jackson's town square to town hall, where they expressed their housing concerns during a town council meeting.
"It's pretty powerful when average citizens come before an elected official and speak from the heart," said town councilman Jim Stanford, who is running for re-election this November. "I think all of us have been moved by hearing these stories."
Looking to sustain momentum from the Shelter JH event, Moreno is working with One22 to create a network of Latino movers and shakers from various sections of Jackson Hole, whether it is in a certain neighborhood or a specific apartment complex.
Called "mobilizers," these leaders will be trained by One22 to go to Latino households and communicate the importance of attending meetings, providing feedback and, if possible, registering to vote on civic issues like affordable housing.
"We need representation," Moreno said. "We are 25 to 30 percent of the school district, but there's not a single Latino on the school board. We can do that. We can create this network and start encouraging people to participate and get more involved."
With the Nov. 8 elections for mayor, two county commissioners and two town council seats likely to focus on housing solutions, Moreno emphasized that even a small number of new Latino voters could have a big impact. He cited the 2014 election day victory of Jackson Mayor Sara Flitner by just 40 votes.
"If we can have 40 Latinos register and vote, we show that that makes a difference," Moreno said.
A ballot question introduced by the current town council and county commissioners could also drastically affect public funding for not only affordable housing, but also transportation for those who work in the county but have been priced out. If passed, the additional penny of general sales tax would—if town and county officials keep their word—provide a steady source of funding for housing and transportation.
"It's come down to a difference of approaches," noted Stanford. "We can't make significant progress without funding, and so the election coming up in November for the general penny of sales tax is crucial for anyone concerned about increasing our supply of affordable housing."
For the most part, the positions on the 6 percent sales tax have split along partisan lines, with more liberal officeholders supporting the general penny of sales tax, and those leaning conservative opposing it.
Judd Grossman, co-founder and former co-publisher of The Planet, jumped in the race for town council to oppose the general penny of sales tax and instead encourage incentives for the private sector to build housing.
"The town and county are selling us a bill of goods," Grossman stated in an online comment to a May 25 Planet article on the ballot question. "The general excise tax increase is a huge money grab for government to spend on whatever it wants. The hundreds of millions it will tax and spend will have a negligible effect on our housing and traffic problems."
On the other side of the divide, Luther Propst, chairman of the Teton County Democratic Party, quipped, "The [Republicans'] platform is that they support housing, but they support market-based solutions to the housing crisis. The market is comfortable with people commuting from Idaho Falls."
As the debate over the most effective housing proposals rages on, Moreno takes solace in the fact that officeholders and candidates are discussing solutions in the first place. "At least they are working on something and they are showing their interest," he said. "For some of us it's going to be too late, but at least it gives us something to look forward to."
A Latino wave at the ballot box?
With so much on the line with immigration at the national level and affordable housing, locally, the potential for Latino turnout in the 2016 Teton County general election is both a question of engagement and eligibility.
Trump's campaign of xenophobia is coinciding with a significant increase of eligible Latino voters across the country. According to the Pew Research Center, a record 27.3 million Latinos are expected to be eligible to vote in the 2016 election, comprising 11.3 percent of all eligible voters in the U.S. This growing Latino share of the electorate is being driven primarily by a wave of U.S.-born Latinos turning the voting age of 18.
Though data is lacking for Wyoming, states as disparate as California, Texas, and Georgia have all seen surges in Latino voter registration this election season. In the media, each increase has been anecdotally associated with Trump's rise, but the ultimate test will be whether Latinos actually vote in significantly higher numbers than in previous presidential elections.
U.S. Census data shows that only 48 percent of eligible Latinos cast a vote nationwide in 2012, compared to 64.1 percent of eligible white voters. In Wyoming, Latino turnout was even lower, with only 29.6 percent of eligible voters participating.
"It was a disappointing turnout for a community highly affected by worker's rights, safety issues and wage inequality," said Ana Cuprill, chairwoman of the Wyoming Democratic Party. "As [Wyoming] Democrats, with some of the issues we deal with, we're generally in the minority anyway and it's difficult being a minority amongst minorities."
Cuprill noted that her election in 2015 as the first Latina to head up a U.S. state's Democratic Party was a step in the right direction for changing that voter dynamic.
"Having a Latina be the face of the state party I think has really made a big difference in the way that people see the party, with more inclusion and opportunities for some of those [Latino] voices," she said
While Cuprill says the Wyoming Democratic Party has not yet developed voter registration efforts that specifically target Latinos, she emphasizes that the party is driving turnout by focusing on issues like healthcare and education, which affect minority communities more than others.
Locally, Bonnie Koeln has again volunteered for the Teton County Democrats to mail voter registration information to this year's graduates—including Latinos—of Jackson Hole High School.
Outside of those limited efforts, Moreno has taken voter registration into his own hands, personally guiding about six local Latinos through the process this year. Though he is unsure exactly how many second-generation Latinos will be eligible, Moreno thinks that this election is the first opportunity to register a significant number in Teton County.
"I believe that this first wave of new voters are going to make a difference," Moreno said. "They have grown in this community. They know the issues. They know the problems. They see the desperation of their parents, and their aunts, and their uncles."
The U.S. Census recorded 179 Latinos in Teton County who were 15 to 17 years old in 2014. That group has now either reached or is approaching voting age. The figure is nearly five times the amount of Teton County Latinos reported to be 18 to 19 years old in 2014, suggesting a potential swell in eligible voters, if not in this election, then in coming elections.
Through One22's mobilizer program, Moreno also wants to encourage Latinos who cannot vote to still share registration information with eligible voters in order to give their community a greater voice.
"The first generation, we don't feel like we really have that empowerment," explained Moreno. "Some people feel like it's not even worth talking about because we aren't eligible to vote, but it is. It is important because that way we leave something for our kids to look up to."
The Teton County Clerk's office does not record the race of voters, but even a modest registration bump could represent a big increase in Latino participation from past elections. Leading up to the 2014 general election, Capece told the Jackson Hole News&Guide that another local organization had counted only about 150 Latino-sounding names on the voter registration list.
Chief deputy clerk Melissa Shinkle has not yet seen a noticeable increase in Latino registrations for Teton County's local primary or general election, but she said that several Latinos registered in the lead-in to the Wyoming Democratic caucus on April 9. While she characterized the caucus turnout as "more than normal" for Latinos, Shinkle could not provide an exact number or a historical comparison.
A nonpartisan push for Latino voters
Regardless of race or political party, the voting share for those under 35 years old in Teton County has been about half that of the rest of Wyoming in the past three general elections. That low voting share was particularly pronounced in the 2014 elections, when those under 35 accounted for less than 4 percent of all votes in the county.
To address this disengagement among millennials, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance has launched a campaign to register 450 young voters and 50 Latino adults in Teton County this election year.
Maggie Shipley, the Alliance's voter engagement fellow, explained that the nonprofit has worked with Moreno and Latino Resource Center founder Carmina Oaks to set reasonable registration targets.
"We realize that not that many Latinos will be able to vote this year, but we know a lot of the 15- to 17-year-old range will be ready to vote by the next election, so we're trying to start the conversation now and build up for the next time," Shipley said.
While the Alliance's general youth outreach will focus on collecting commit-to-vote cards that will be used by the organization to mobilize turnout closer to the election, the Latino aspect of the campaign will revolve around the development of ambassadors within the Latino community.
Similar to One22's development of mobilizers, the Alliance's ambassadors will be trained on the voting process and civic issues, and will then discuss these subjects one-on-one with eligible Latinos. Each ambassador will help compile a list of eligible Latino voters in Teton County and work with a handful of people on the list.
"With young people, we knew we could have these big parties and have someone from TGR come talk and it would attract a big crowd. But with the Latino community, we thought that it needed to be a little more personal to convince them that their vote counted," explained Shipley.
An important role of each ambassador will be informing eligible Latinos that they can register and vote on the same day—either Nov. 8 for the general election, or throughout the absentee voting period from Sept. 23 to Nov. 7. The same goes for the local primary, with the absentee voting period running from July 1 to Aug. 15, and primary election day on Aug. 16.
Keeping in mind that most eligible voters are second-generation Latinos whose parents cannot vote, the Alliance came up with the slogan, "Yo voto por mi familia" ("I vote for my family"), which is printed on stickers given to Latinos who commit to registering and voting.
The Alliance's Latino ambassador program is still in its early stages, but it has already recruited 19-year-old Jackson Hole High School graduate Kely Mares as its first ambassador.
"I got involved in voting and registration because I would like for more Latinos to have a voice," Mares said. "I also don't want Donald Trump as a president. He is an ignorant person who clearly doesn't know anything about Mexicans."
The oldest of three siblings, Mares will be the first in her family to vote. Her parents have lived in Jackson Hole for 25 years but are not eligible to vote. After living in the same apartment for five years, the Mares family became another victim of the housing crisis last month.
"We got a notice on our door saying we had to be out in less than a month," Mares recounted. "I called the landlord to ask him if he could give us more time and his answer was, 'I am not going to stop my construction just because you guys can't find a place to live.'"
Though her family was able to find a home rental in Thayne, Mares now commutes an hour each way to work. She is hopeful that they will able to move back to Jackson soon. "Our life is in Jackson; we have jobs and family there," she said.
With Mares' generation coming of age at a crucial time for the local Latino community, this year could mark the first of its many gains at county polls. Meanwhile, Moreno hopes that he and his family will be around to witness the full potential of Latino voter participation, but his aim is largely selfless.
"I'm still going to try to do as much as I can on my side, even though I might not see the benefit of it," Moreno said. "At least we're working on something for the future of our community." PJH
community resource centerDonald TrumpJackson Hole Conservation Alliancelatino populationlatinospjhTeton County
About Patrick Chadwick


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Liverpool report: Reds at front of the queue to sign Bundesliga wonderkid
By Greg Lea
Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all keeping tabs on the Germany-based teen talent
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp applauds the fans after his side's 3-2 defeat at Arsenal. (Image credit: Getty Images)
Liverpool are leading the race to sign Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Youssoufa Moukoko, according to reports.
After a disappointing start to the season, the Reds look set to embark upon a squad rebuild over the next few transfer windows, with Jurgen Klopp's squad now one of the oldest in the Premier League.
Liverpool (opens in new tab) have missed Sadio Mane following his move to Bayern Munich (opens in new tab), while Darwin Nunez has had a mixed first few months at Anfield.
Liverpool are keeping close tabs on Borussia Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko (Image credit: Getty)
And with Roberto Firmino out of contract at the end of the campaign, it is no surprise that Liverpool have begun to look towards the next generation of attacking talents in Europe.
According to the Spanish publication Sport (opens in new tab), the Reds are currently leading the race to sign the highly-rated Moukoko, who made his Dortmund (opens in new tab) debut one day after turning 16.
The Cameroon-born Germany Under-21 international has scored four goals in 10 Bundesliga appearances for BVB so far this season.
Today's best deals on new Liverpool shirts
Liverpool are one of several major clubs keeping close tabs on the 17-year-old, who is also being watched by Real Madrid (opens in new tab), Barcelona (opens in new tab) and PSG (opens in new tab).
Moukoko is set to become a free agent next summer, and although Dortmund are hoping to tie him down to a new deal, the power lies in the hands of the teenager and his representatives.
The striker will be keeping his options open for now, but Liverpool appear to be in pole position to sign him as things stand.
Liverpool have had a tough start to the Premier League season (Image credit: Getty)
Klopp's side will book their place in the knockout stage of the Champions League (opens in new tab) if they avoid defeat by Ajax (opens in new tab) on Wednesday.
The Reds will then return to Premier League (opens in new tab) action on Saturday night, as they look to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest (opens in new tab) last time out.
Leeds (opens in new tab), whose manager Jesse Marsch is under increasing pressure after a poor run of results, will be the visitors to Anfield at the weekend.
More Liverpool stories
Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha (opens in new tab), who is out of contract at the end of the season.
It has been suggested that there might be a rift between Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool's club captain Jordan Henderson (opens in new tab), amid the club's difficult start to the campaign.
And Klopp is keen to bolster his midfield ranks in the next two transfer windows, with Benfica star Florentino Luis (opens in new tab) among the Reds' top targets.


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Previous / Thrilling finale of the 2014 Blancpain Sprint Series at the Baku World Challenge Next / The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in the race for five titles at Blancpain season's finale in Baku
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint / Baku World Challenge Preview
Thoughts on the title at the Baku World Challenge
At the Baku World Challenge the overall title in the 2014 Blancpain Sprint Series will be awarded, as well as the one in the Silver Cup.
We spoke to the title contenders before they left for the Azeri capital...
Maximilian Götz (#84 HTP Motorsport Mercedes): "I will handle the upcoming Baku weekend like any other race weekend. We will try to find a great set-up during the practice sessions, while getting familiar with the – at least for me – unknown track. During the race we might not risk 100 percent, but will certainly give 100 percent. Winning the title would be awesome. We certainly want to win the race to have a nice end of the season, especially since we still have the chance to become teams' champion and for Maxi Buhk to take the overall Blancpain GT Series title."
Jeroen Bleekemolen (#28 Grasser Racing Lamborghini): "We are not going to give up on the title, but if Maxi and HTP win it, they will deserve it. We made a couple of mistakes during the season, missed some points, and they were always there. In Baku we will try to win the race – there is a really nice cheque to pick up – and then see where the other guys are. But I am sure they will try and do the same."
Vincent Abril (#4 Belgian Audi Club WRT Audi): "We are almost there. We only need a couple of points to clinch the title, so if we can take those during the Qualifying Race, we can race freely and without any pressure in the Main Race on Sunday afternoon. I think we can win in Baku as well."
David Fumanelli (#34 ROAL Motorsport BMW): "I can't wait for the Baku Grand Finale, it's going to be a huge challenge for everyone and I'm really curious to discover the track. I've already raced in a street circuit in the past, with great results, so I hope we can have a good weekend and finish the season on a high. Unfortunately, the contact we had at the Main Race start in Zolder compromised a bit our Silver Cup title chances, but even if it's difficult, the fight is still open! We need a bit of luck, but we'll try harder than ever to be right there if something happens."
Some interesting facts on the Baku World Challenge entry list
• The average age of the 59 drivers is 27,9 years, which is even lower than the previous lowest average, noted at the Slovakia round of the 2014 Blancpain Sprint Series.
• 27 drivers are aged 25 or younger
• Kelvin van der Linde (#777 Prosperia Abt Racing Audi) will become the youngest driver ever in the Blancpain Sprint Series, at 18 years, 4 months and 12 days. Alessandro Latif, (#5 Phoenic Racing Audi) who secured the Pro-Am title in Zolder was the youngest until now.
• There are: 16 Platinum drivers, 17 Gold drivers, 24 Silver drivers, and 2 Bronze drivers.
Thrilling finale of the 2014 Blancpain Sprint Series at the Baku World Challenge
The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in the race for five titles at Blancpain season's finale in Baku
Jeroen Bleekemolen
"Heroic" Keating to thank for Project 1 Bahrain win
Keating, Bleekemolen, Fraga to form Project 1 WEC line-up
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
CTMP IMSA: Braun sets pace in opening practice
ROAL Motorsport
Coronel escapes 25G crash with fire van unscathed
Coronel to stick with ROAL and Chevrolet for 2017
2016 Blancpain GT Series reaches new heights
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
MotoGP legend Rossi joins WRT for 2022 GT World Challenge Europe
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint GT World Challenge Europe Sprint
Brands Hatch GTWCE: Vanthoor, Weerts retain Sprint title
Brands Hatch GTWCE: JOTA McLaren crashes over barriers in opener
GTWCE Sprint Cup event at Brands Hatch moved to August