Topic: News: Dr. Kyle Pierce, Gold Nugget of Weightlifting

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Local Coach, Dr. Kyle Pierce, Key to Future of U.S. Olympic Weightlifting,
'Driving Force' Behind Training Facility
By Brian McCallum

Kendrick Farris says Puerto Rico, for a while, was his favorite new destination as a result of his participation in USA Weightlifting.

Just about three weeks after returning from China, that's his new favorite. Farris, who is from the Stoner Hill area of Shreveport, says nobody from his neighborhood dreams of seeing China, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Canada or Belarus -- all places he's seen -- so when he sees his old friends, he gets quizzed on where his travels have taken him.

They've taken him around the world because of the USA Weightlifting Development Center at LSUS. While the public may be aware of regular events bringing athletes from around the nation and the world to Shreveport, the original goal was to develop the future stars for American international competitions.

Just shy of a decade since it opened, director Kyle Pierce believes the goal is being achieved.

Since opening in 1997, Pierce says the center has hosted at least 12 national and three international events, but the goal of producing Olympic competitors is only now seen on the horizon.

Both Pierce and Dennis Snethen, the president of the board of directors of USA Weightlifting, believe there are two young men now under Pierce's tutelage who have a chance of participating in the Olympic Games in China in 2008.

One is Cody Gibbs, who has been on three Junior World teams but is currently recovering from a hand injury he suffered outside of weightlifting. The other is Farris, a 19-year-old who is the only junior competitor ranked among the top males in the country. He is currently fifth.

"That guy's going to make it," Snethen says. "I'm totally convinced he's going to be on that team in 2008. That program is so good. That's a gold nugget for USA Weightlifting. Shreveport is our home base for national and international meets."

The man who came to run the center when it was awarded to Shreveport is Pierce, and he was recognized for his work there and his research, winning the United States Olympic Committee's 'Doc' Counsilman Science in Coaching Award at the Night of Champions Reception in La Jolla, Calif., on Friday, the opening of the U.S. Olympic Assembly.

Pierce doesn't spend all his time with chalk on his hands. He is also an associate professor of kinesiology and health science at LSUS and has done enough research to fill pages and pages of his resume.

"That's one of the reasons the university is so supportive," Pierce says. "We publish quite a bit from here, and we try to take a scientific approach. I'm not getting my ideas from reading Muscle and Fitness; what we do is based on scientific research."

LSUS chancellor Vincent Marsala says that is recognized throughout the university community, and the connection to the world through weightlifting is enhancing its image.

"It's becoming a magnet to bring all kinds of folks out there," Marsala says. "We have students transferring here just to work out with Kyle. He's nationally and internationally known in his field."

Regardless of how long Pierce continues to run the facility, both he and Marsala want to see it remain at LSUS. So does Snethen, and he gives both Pierce and the school credit for making it what it is today.

"Kyle is the driving force behind that place," Snethen says. "He reaches in his pockets deep for those kids. It's a great setup with the university."

LSUS recognizes the contribution of Pierce and the center to the educational atmosphere. One such result of research changed the whole purpose and methodology of the center. When it originated, the term "Bulgaria on the Bayou" was used to reference the intention to use Eastern European methods of identifying the best young athletes for weightlifting and introducing them to the sport.

"I had everyone doing talent evaluation," Pierce says. "That doesn't seem to work in the United States."

What he discovered is what every middle school football coach already knew: the best athletes are out playing football and other sports.

As a result, the center began making young athletes and others aware of its existence and leaving participation up to individual interests.

Pierce believes the age of 11 is the idea starting point for boys, 10 for girls. He says parents have plenty of questions, the danger of stunted growth and whether there is enough supervision among them. But there is another consistent surprise.

"People can't believe there's a free program in town," Pierce says.

Yes, free. The only money to come out of an athlete's pocket is the $20 USA Weightlifting fee if, at some point, a student wants to compete. Other than that, athletes of all shapes, sizes, genders and origins interact at the center. On a typical afternoon, there could be Parkway football players next to Byrd baseball players, LSUS soccer players and even a Shreveport ShockHers member.

In Farris' case, he had an uncle read about the center and eventually went himself. After his freshman year at Byrd, he began to devote himself to weightlifting, still not believing Pierce's sales pitch of experiences including international travel.

"How am I supposed to believe that?" he says. "I'm from Stoner Heights. I used to get pumped up just to go to Texas with my family."

Now he has that new favorite destination of China, hoping his next trip there is in 2008.

Pierce believes in starting young
Kyle Pierce, the director of the USA Weightlifting Development Center at LSUS, says age 11 is the ideal starting point for young boys interested in his sport.

For girls, it's 10, and Pierce doesn't believe concerns such as stunted growth should worry parents when it comes to Olympic-style training.

"We're not loading them up with weight," Pierce says. Not too much, too soon. You have to have some patience with kids, don't try to make them overnight successes."

In fact, when Pierce travels the world giving seminars, he takes a powerpoint presentation with patience as its theme.

"We actually have kids start with broomsticks, just to learn technique and to learn it correctly," he says.

In his own research, Pierce refers to a position paper of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1983 opposed to children getting involved in activities such as weightlifting or bodybuilding. He argues that in a one-year training study with children from age 7 to 16, there was no lost time from injuries, with proper supervision the key.

Get involved
WHAT: USA Weightlifting Development Center

WHERE: LSUS

CONTACT: (318) 795-4241 or www.lsus.edu/weightlifting