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AJ Short '09 Hired as Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach

By Joe Ginley '12 , 12/06/19, 10:00AM EST

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Short was a three-sport athlete at Saint Ignatius.

"This is home."

AJ Short '09 has always loved Saint Ignatius. So when a full-time position opened up in the Athletic Department, his next career move was a no-brainer. 

And from the standpoint of Athletic Director Rory Fitzpatrick '88, hiring Short was a similarly easy decision. Short is a perfect match for the newly created full-time Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach position. 

Since hiring Anthony Rubino, the strength & conditioning program has grown by leaps and bounds. With the beautiful new weight room, the program blossomed into one of the best in Northeast Ohio. Every sport began more intensive training regimens to become bigger, stronger, and faster. 

The influx of student-athletes to the weight room led to the need for a second full-time employee to aid the over 1,000 Saint Ignatius student-athletes, especially taking into account the individualized workout and nutrition plans built for athletes. 

"When you look at athletics and the number of students involved, to safely manage that number, we had been trying to hire part-time or interns. But it's not a one-man job," Fitzpatrick said. "We realized that, and we tried to do it in other ways, but to do it the right way, you need to commit to having two people. When we have students and there's a demand, we need to take care of them."

Short is just the person to fill the need. 

A 2009 Saint Ignatius graduate, Short played three sports at Saint Ignatius – football, wrestling, and rugby. He excelled in all three and left an impact upon everyone he met. 

From there, he went to John Carroll University. Short played football from 2009-12, starting in 2012 after battling injuries and the depth chart in his first four seasons. In the summer of 2013, Short interned at the University of Louisiana Monroe and discovered a love for athletic training and strength and conditioning.

When he returned to JCU in the fall, then-head coach Tom Arth '99 convinced him to play again. Short did so and enjoyed the best year of his career. Short started every game for the Blue Streaks, earning 2nd team All-OAC honors. 

After serving as an athletic trainer aide and earning his diploma, Short headed to Columbus. The South Euclid native became a Buckeye at Ohio State. In the meantime, he worked as an intern at Westside Barbell, looking to get two different experiences.

Then, opportunity came knocking. It would change his life. 

A tiny school in Babson Park, Florida – Webber International University – came calling. Short didn't turn down the chance, heading to Florida. He worked with multiple teams, developing his coaching style. And as fate would have it, while working with the Webber Warriors, Short met his wife. 

His next stop was in California, working at Cal Berkeley. With the Golden Bears, Short trained the football, softball, rugby, and baseball teams. He calls it an amazing experience, another formative one for him. 

But then an opportunity popped up closer to home, so Short returned to Northeast Ohio. The University of Akron brought him aboard to work with the football team. In the meantime, Short acquired his master's degree. 

His first full-time job thankfully came even closer to home. Solon High School hired him to build up their strength & conditioning program. At the start, Short just worked with football, basketball, and the swimming teams. But it didn't take Short long to expand the program, extending his work to 16 sports (boys & girls). 

Then, his Alma Mater came calling. 

As Fitzpatrick looked for a full-timer, Short stood head and shoulders above the rest. 

"AJ is a true professional in strength and conditioning. He works at his craft, just like Anthony," Fitzpatrick said. "AJ cares a great deal about kids. He was managing a very large program at Solon and doing a great job at it. He has such a great appreciation and affinity for Saint Ignatius. He was really excited about the opportunity and the impact he could make. He talked a lot about how people impacted him at Saint Ignatius, and he feels that this is his opportunity to impact young men.

"His technical proficiency is great. He works hard at being better every day in strength and conditioning. When you combine that with his understanding of Saint Ignatius and his really strong desire to be back here, there was nobody better for this job."

Yes, Short gets the mission of the school.

Short was impacted profoundly by the Jesuits, and wants to give back to student-athletes and have an impact on their lives. 

"It's pretty amazing. It's a little surreal, but I'm happy to be here," Short said. "I left the college world to come into high school to affect people at an earlier age. This place meant a lot to me when I was here and helped develop me as a person. To be back and help give back to other Wildcats is great.

"I'm happy to be back at a place that's meant so much to me. Hopefully, I can help change and inspire these young men like this place did for me," Short continued. "It's so much more than sets and reps – the things we do in the weight room are all about building a connection and bonds with people. I look forward to building those strong relationships with the athletes, coaches, faculty, and staff. I'm here for you, and I'm happy to be here. I can't wait to have an impact on the community."

Short will start working immediately, setting about expanding the program with Rubino.

Rubino has done an excellent job since coming aboard in 2015. But having some help will allow him to grow things and implement different ideas. 

"Anthony has been doing an unbelievable job managing 1,000 athletes who come through the weight room. But he needed help. Now, he has a guy to help," Fitzpatrick said. "They're not the exact same person, so they'll complement each other. Anthony mentioned in the interview process, 'AJ will bring different ideas to the program, make me look at things differently.'"

As a dad with three kids ages 5 and under, Rubino is excited for some help.

The potential of what Rubino and Short can accomplish together is amazing. 

"It's great, not only for me and my family, but more importantly, for our young men here," Rubino said. "More coaches in the building allows us to do more. Our manpower has doubled overnight, so it's exciting for the athletes. For AJ to be back as an alumni, it's huge for us as a whole."

Rubino and Fitzpatrick aren't the only ones excited to have Short around.

His former coaches are ecstatic to have him back, and ready to work with him. 

"I'm so excited that AJ is rejoining the Ignatius community," said Head Rugby Coach Dan Arbeznik '00. "He was such a positive influence on the rugby team in its nascent years. It will be such an invaluable tool to have someone who has played the game in the weight room with the kids. Not only will he be able to connect with the kids and understand the strains on their bodies in-season, but he will provide tremendous understanding of ways that we can continue to refine our training regimen."

Short has big goals for his time at Saint Ignatius. He wants to help implement more movement-based training, yoga, and down the road, a staff wellness program. 

Short is excited to be here. 

"For me, it's all about the 'Why?' Why am I doing what I'm doing. I always start with the why and build out from there," Short said. "I see what the need is, and I make a plan to fix the need. I'm very flexible in my coaching style."

Short lives in Maple Heights with his wife, Daniella, and dogs, Reese and Milo.

Welcome aboard, AJ!