May 2, 2017Hitting the Big Leagues
It’s not every day a high school athletic trainer gets to design a strength and conditioning program for a Major League Baseball player — let alone one of the best in the game. But it’s a part-time gig for Dan Richter, ATC, CES, PES, Athletic Trainer at Millville (N.J.) Senior High School, who’s spent the past seven offseasons training Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder and two-time American League MVP Mike Trout.
Their partnership began in 2010, after Trout’s second season in the minor leagues. His coaches told him to build strength in the offseason to make the next step to the majors. That’s when the Millville grad turned to Richter, his high school athletic trainer, for help.
In addition to his role at Millville, Richter runs a performance training business and has known Trout for years. “Mike has always been a supreme athlete, so he never really had to be in the weightroom before he got to the MLB,” Richter says. “When he started working with me, it took a while to figure out how his body adapted to different exercises. The first season was a learning process for both of us, but then we built a great rapport.”
I plan the workouts based on Mike’s needs from week to week