Stenobird

Episode

Stick to Your Guns: How Ash Samaniego Won a National Title Without Changing Who He Was

Podcast
Cheeky Mid Weeky
Published
Apr 29, 2026
Duration seconds
3592
Processing state
processed
Canonical source
https://rss.com/podcasts/cmw/2776142
Audio
https://content.rss.com/episodes/210220/2776142/cmw/2026_04_28_21_07_10_7226f2d7-a279-4e6e-b1c0-5c4472592ae5.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/cheeky-mid-weeky-6384778/episodes/stick-to-your-guns-how-ash-samaniego-won-a-national-title-without-changing-who-he-was
Markdown
/podcast/cheeky-mid-weeky-6384778/stick-to-your-guns-how-ash-samaniego-won-a-national-title-without-changing-who-he-was.md

Actions

  • POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/cheeky-mid-weeky-6384778/episodes/stick-to-your-guns-how-ash-samaniego-won-a-national-title-without-changing-who-he-was/transcription-requests
    Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
  • GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/cheeky-mid-weeky-6384778/stick-to-your-guns-how-ash-samaniego-won-a-national-title-without-changing-who-he-was.md
    Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

Summary

UCLA strength coach Ash Samaniego shares how he maintained his authentic coaching identity while leading a national championship-winning program. He details the transition from pure performance training to a resilience-focused model centered on injury prevention and stakeholder collaboration.

Topics

  • Strength and Conditioning
  • Athletic Performance
  • Injury Prevention
  • UCLA Athletics
  • WNBA Training
  • Sports Science
  • Force Plate Data
  • Athlete Resilience

Highlights

  • Main idea: Success comes from staying true to your foundational coaching principles rather than chasing trends
  • Practical takeaway: Use force plate data and symmetry tracking to implement micro-dosed interventions for tendon health
  • Failure mode: Avoiding collaboration with sports medicine staff can lead to missed opportunities for injury mitigation
  • Main idea: Shift the training focus from maximizing raw power to maximizing athlete availability and longevity
  • Practical takeaway: Build trust with athletes by being present and accessible during daily routines, not just during training sessions

Chapters

  1. 1:00 Professional Development: A discussion on maintaining NSCA and CSCCA certifications through continuous education.
  2. 5:00 Personal Journey: Ash reflects on his upbringing in the Philippines and Guam and his move to Los Angeles.
  3. 10:00 The UCLA Interview Process: Navigating the rigorous multi-stage interview process for a high-profile collegiate position.
  4. 14:00 Maintaining Coaching Identity: How to implement effective team-building without losing your professional edge or authenticity.
  5. 19:00 Integrating Military Discipline: Leveraging Marine Corps principles to foster toughness and presence within a sports program.
  6. 23:00 Building Mental Toughness: The philosophy of incremental physical and mental challenges to expand athlete capacity.
  7. 28:00 Managing High-Stakes Pressure: Focusing on daily routines and operational excellence to mitigate the stress of elite competition.
  8. 32:00 The Power of Presence: Adopting a mindset of being present in every moment to build long-term confidence.