How UC San Diego Turns Technology into Athlete Growth and Leadership

At UC San Diego, the strength and conditioning team is redefining what it means to develop athletes beyond the weight room. Through a combination of collaboration, mentorship, and innovative technology like TeamBuildr, the Tritons are not only enhancing physical performance but also cultivating leadership, independence, and long-term athletic growth.

A Holistic Approach to Performance

John Gregory, Associate Athletic Director of Performance and Sport Science, brings a unique perspective to UC San Diego athletics. “One of the first things that I experienced was the jump from D2 to D1. And one of my mentors, Matt Kritz…started to kind of mold this high-performance approach for what we were doing here—a very holistic view of performance rather than just what I saw before within strength and conditioning,” he explains.

Gregory emphasizes that the program is not just about lifting heavier weights. “Our philosophy is very much centered around making sure we’re developing our athletes in a way that’s aligned with what our sport coaches need them to be able to do,” he says. “Collaboration is key. It’s not just focused on lifting more weight—it’s about player availability, athlete development, and engaging all stakeholders, including the sport coach and the scholar-athlete themselves.”

The Role of Technology in Collaboration

With multiple sports, schedules, and individualized programs, UC San Diego needed a centralized system to coordinate training. That’s where TeamBuildr came in. Gregory recalls, “Having something like TeamBuildr to put all the information in one place means everybody understands what’s happening with the athletes. After partnering with various technologies and figuring out our approach, TeamBuildr allowed us to disseminate workouts in an organized fashion and track progress over time.”

Performance coaches like Angelo Villano appreciate the shift from manual tracking to digital programming. “Before TeamBuildr, it was Excel, PDFs, or a whiteboard,” Villano says. “Now, it’s nice to have everything organized in one place. It allows us to program for athletes remotely, which is huge during breaks or summer months.” He adds, “Programming in there is just fun to me. It’s satisfying to see progress and know you’re making an impact.”

Individualized Mentorship Through Technology

For Evie Cooley, Athletic Performance Coach, TeamBuildr has been a game-changer in delivering personalized programming. “You can only individualize so much on a whiteboard,” Cooley notes. “With TeamBuildr, the tweaks I need to make for specific athletes are so much easier. I don’t have to hand out sticky notes or Excel packets—everything is streamlined.”

Cooley also highlights the tool’s impact on mentorship and athlete growth: “I want to coach myself out of a job. Athletes should know how to take care of themselves, and then teach the new athletes. It’s so rewarding to see them mature, step into leadership roles, and take responsibility for their development.”

Innovation Meets Learning

TeamBuildr doesn’t just benefit athletes—it also helps coaches grow as practitioners. Villano explains, “Even with VBT [velocity-based training], having a visualization and dashboard helps me better understand what I’m programming and track effectiveness. It’s forcing me to learn something new, to check if it’s working, and that’s how we all improve.”

Similarly, Cooley emphasizes the importance of teaching athletes to use the tools effectively. “They have so much going on with school, social life, and being away from home for the first time. I want to give them the information so they don’t have to figure it all out themselves. Technology lets us provide that support efficiently.”

Results Beyond the Weight Room

At UC San Diego, the integration of TeamBuildr has helped the coaching staff focus not just on strength gains but on holistic athlete development. “It’s not about me. I give them the workouts, but they have to do it. I could give the greatest program in the world, but if they don’t buy in, nothing happens,” Cooley says. “That’s why technology matters—it allows athletes to see their hard work, track progress, and take ownership.”

Through collaboration, mentorship, and innovative technology, UC San Diego is preparing athletes for more than just competition. They are developing leaders who can take responsibility for their growth—both on and off the field.