Paul Kolody is in his 14th year as the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in New Jersey. He has developed a thriving program at the school, instilling his three guiding principles of athlete development:
- Commitment to the program;
- Consistency in how you go about your business at school and in the community; and
- Discipline to hold yourself and your teammates accountable for their behaviors.
Coach Kolody’s career in working with athletes began in 1998 when—while serving as the Manager of Sports Performance & Rehabilitation Manager of Somerset Medical Center in New Jersey (one of the first private sports performance centers in the state)—he was approached by the local hospital to be the healthcare provider for the Somerset Patriots minor league baseball club. Kolody started as their head athletic trainer in May. That summer, Paul was fortunate to spend a day at the facility of well-known strength coach Mike Boyle, learning more about his system for training athletes. “From that moment on, I knew this was the path I wanted to be on,” said Kolody.
Paul started implementing functional training into the baseball players’ daily routines, and for the next 11 years the team had significantly fewer injuries and won five championships. During his 11 years at the hospital, Coach Kolody worked with hundreds of professional baseball players, and for one year worked as the certified athletic trainer and strength coach for Sky Blue FC in the Women’s Professional Soccer League.
Kolody’s career in high school athletics began at Metuchen High School in 1995 when he was named the school’s certified athletic trainer. This is where his love for high school coaching started. And in 2011, he started at Hunterdon Central as their strength and conditioning coach.
In addition to his position at Hunterdon, Coach Kolody also owns and operates Advantage Performance Training. Their services include speed and agility training, stability, mobility and flexibility training, and injury prevention. Kolody earned his bachelor’s degree in sports medicine from Pfeiffer College, and his master’s degree in exercise science from Bridgewater State College.
“Whether it’s leadership, nutrition, recovery, building athleticism, strength, power, or resilience, my path stays consistent, making sure our Red Devils become the next best version of themselves. Being recognized by my sisters and brothers in high school strength and conditioning for doing just that means the world to me.”
– PAUL KOLODY
“Coach Kolody has a unique training philosophy. He doesn’t care how much weight is on the bar, he focused more of our time on running, jumping, balancing, and different movements than the basic bench press, squat, and deadlift. Coaches are so used to seeing kids bench press and squat, not really be able to run as fast or move like a great athlete, which Coach Kolody’s program emphasized a ton.”
– FORMER HUNTERDON FOOTBALL PLAYER OWEN BILL, CURRENTLY PLAYING AT MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY
“Over my past three years, Coach Kolody has pushed me to develop more than just physical strength. He taught me the value of showing up, putting in the work, and trusting the process. His training goes beyond lifting weights, it builds mental toughness, accountability, and resilience. He believes in his athletes even when we doubt ourselves, creates an environment where we push past our limits and grow every day, not just in the weight room, but in life.”
– HUNTERDON GIRLS’ SOCCER PLAYER LAUREN FACINELLI