MILTON, Mass. – On Tuesday, February 19, the Curry College baseball, men's lacrosse, men's soccer, and softball teams hosted former New York Yankees Strength and Conditioning Coach Dana Cavalea as a guest speaker in the Hafer Parents Lounge.

Cavalea spent 12 years with the New York Yankees organization, many of those years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning & Performance Enhancement, winning a World Series in 2009. During his career, Dana has had the opportunity to train greats such as Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Justin Verlander, and more.

Currently, he is a high-performance speaker and consultant to Pro Athletes, Entrepreneurs, Business Executives, Workforces and Universities on lifestyle strategies to reduce stress, improve work/life balance, and most importantly improve daily performance/outcomes. Dana has formulated plans and strategies to improve sleep, reduce pain, lower stress, improve body composition, speed-strength-power, as well as mindset training for maximum performance.

"Coach Dana Cavalea touched on the aspect of sports that isn't normally talked about and that people don't really take into consideration," said junior Caroline Johnson (Milton, Mass.) of the softball team. "The mental aspect is a big part of the game and it should be recognized more by student-athletes. Dana's story is a great example of showing that you can always find a way to be good at what you love."

Cavalea spoke to the Colonels about staying above the horizon line with their thoughts, exchanging negative self-talk for positives. Cavalea also mentioned writing your own story and taking control of the pen that writes the book of your life. He touched on topics such as the importance of sleep and recovery as a collegiate athlete, stories from his experiences with the Yankees, and what makes a true champion.

"Having Dana come was an awesome experience," said senior Tyler Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) of the baseball team. "To hear about a guy who has accomplished so much talk about not only what it takes from a physical standpoint to be a successful athlete, but also from a mental one, was a great lesson."

The Colonels all received copies of Cavalea's new book "The Habits of a Champion", which he stayed to sign and answer any additional questions.

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