College coaching: Strong presence at UCI

Steve Virgen

To say Eric Burkhardt was meant to be a strength and conditioning

coach would be an understatement. Burkhardt, who holds that position at

UC Irvine, came back from a back injury when he attended El Camino

College 21 years ago and, ever since, he’s instilled that courage into

Anteater athletics.

Burkhardt is among six nominees for the National College Strength and

Conditioning Professional of the Year. The nominees are selected by a

committee of their National Strength and Conditioning Association peers,

who will honor the winner Friday in an awards presentation at the group’s

25th annual national conference in Las Vegas.

Burkhardt, who will enter his ninth year at Irvine in the fall, said

the award has more to do with involvement in the NSCA. However, he has

done plenty for the Anteaters, thriving on his experience in weight

lifting.

“The (UCI) basketball program has been successful,” Burkhardt said. “I

would like to think that has to do with the strength and conditioning.”

Burkhardt, 40, the man behind the scenes who started lifting weights

when he was 17, injured his back after an incorrect squat as a

powerlifter. He was undecided on a major at El Camino and the injury

setback left Burkhardt depressed. But it also left him with the

realization that he had a passion for lifting weights and staying active.

“I was mostly scared I wouldn’t get back to lifting,” Burkhardt said

of the back injury. “I went through off-and-on pain for almost two years.

I just wanted to be active again.”

Burkhardt built mental strength after the ordeal and eventually

overcame the injury with disciplined back exercises. He also became

interested in strength and conditioning and physical education. He

transferred to Long Beach State, where he majored in physical education.

Then, after being denied acceptance into a San Diego State graduate

program, Burkhardt made the most of the situation and earned his master’s

degree at Long Beach State, learning under professor John Garhammer, who

is now Burkhardt’s friend.

“I’m so glad that I didn’t get into San Diego State,” Burkhardt said.

“At first, I was depressed. But, it turned out to be a blessing in

disguise. He’s an expert in human power output and the sport of

weightlifting. He’s still a professor there. We go surfing, sometimes.

He’s had such an impact on me.”

Burkhardt worked for Long Beach State but soon learned salary was

hardly rewarding for strength and conditioning coaches. And, with budget

cuts looming, Burkhardt made a break for the Bay Area and entered into

the professional field rather than working for an academic institution.

He soon longed for the opportunity to work with college athletes and

pounced on the opening at UCI, 8 1/2 years ago. He made just $300 a month

and worked as a personal trainer on the side to make ends meet.

During that time, he also built more strength while training at

Newport Harbor High.

“I heard Newport Harbor had a nice (strength and conditioning)

program,” Burkhardt said. “I introduced myself to Tony Ciarelli, and he

said, ‘We would be glad to have you.’ I’m really thankful for the time he

let me train. I would train with Gina and Cara Heads (former Harbor

athletes who competed internationally in weightlifting). They were really

fun to train with.”

Over the years, Burkhardt brought success to the UCI strength and

conditioning program. He also started youth camps, which he still

conducts, mostly int he summer.

Recently, he told the Sage Hill High football team to join because he

saw some limits to its weight training.

Burkhardt has been able to expand his teaching because of his new

assistant, Jason Phillips. Before Phillips came, Burkhardt neglected

conditioning exercises.

The climax of Burkhardt’s life came four years ago, when he married

Rheena, a physical therapist. They live in Irvine.