ADRIAN, Mich. —
Adrian College is offering a new major that students won't find anywhere else in the region.
The Tactical Strength and Conditioning major will focus on the strongest of athletes: tactical personnel.
"Many of our students come here and they think 'oh, strength and conditioning and performance enhancement. That's going to be football and basketball and lacrosse and rugby.' But there are many other athletes out there called tactical athletes," said Tina Claiborne, professor and director of Graduate Athletic Training Education at Adrian College.
Tactical athletes include military, police and fire personnel. The new major will prepare students to train and help those professionals in the field.
"We have our first class called the Tactical Athlete. We have a strength and condition program design and a strength and condition foundations course which really set students up to take the National Foundation exams," Claiborne said.
Through the major, students will learn what it takes to be part of an active-duty team. They'll experience how physically demanding the training is on the body and then use that knowledge to better train military and first responders and help them recover.
The education stretches beyond the campus, too.
"The latest and greatest research to help people recover and thrive is what we're looking for," said Chris Anderson, director of Human Performance at the Basic School for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Anderson worked with Claiborne to develop the program and will be one of many professors with hands-on experience in the field. He'll virtually teach from Quantico, the Marine Corps base in Virginia.
"What you're going to learn in this tactical environment is how the body reacts to stress under load," Anderson said. "Running with a pack, body armor and learning how to shoot. So how do you manipulate your job with a pack off? And how do you stay alive and how do you treat others?"
He says the program shows the importance of giving back and serving those who serve the country.
"The ability to give back to your country is actually a selling point for a lot of people," Anderson said. "Instead of joining the force yourself, help those that are in the force, stay healthy, stay in the fight, recover."
As part of the program, Anderson says students will also learn "military speak," including the code they use to communicate and how to properly address and talk with officers and senior enlists.
Tactical Strength and Conditioning can also be added to a student's college career as a minor. Prior experience in tactical fields is not necessary to pursue the program.