Discipline is essential to success, whether in everyday life or the athletic court/field.  The best have mastered it and teach others to do the same.  

Matt Rhodes is the head coach for strength and conditioning at Morehead State University.  He lives, eats and breathes discipline every day of his life.  

A former college lacrosse and football player at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the University of Arizona, respectively, Rhodes understands what it takes to earn things the hard way.  He entered UA as a walk-on, redshirted and then earned a scholarship—playing every position from long snapper and tight end to fullback and defensive end.  

"I was willing to do anything to get on the field," Rhodes said in reflecting on his playing days.  "Coaches would ask if I could play this position or that position and I'd say 'sure I can'.  Honestly, I didn't care.  I simply wanted to give my very best effort regardless of where they put me.  I was a jack of all trades."

Rhodes, 43, brings that same desire and intensity to coaching student-athletes at MSU.  He and his staff—assistant coach Alex Hey and graduate assistant Diamond Simmons—expect maximum effort from every player and refuse to settle for anything less.

"If you take shortcuts in the weight room, you'll do it on the field and in life.  I want to create habits of doing things the right way, real life lessons."

Rhodes practices what he preaches.  He's out of bed when the alarm sounds at 4 a.m. and arrives to work at the Phil Simms Weight Training Center no later than 5:15 a.m. to prepare for groups coming in at 6 a.m., which lasts till 8:30 or 9 a.m.  There are typically three or four groups in three blocks.  He uses the same template to train all Eagle athletes, regardless of what sport they play.  

"I prefer kids lift three days a week, training the body in its entirety every time," Rhodes said.  "We'll do explosive movement (Olympic jumping), lower body (squat and dead lift) and upper body (bench and incline press)."

His primary focus is developing strong legs, hips, midsection, back and shoulders, insisting "athletes will perform better when these areas are stronger."

If athletes are in-season, they work out for 30-40 minutes.  Out-of-season training sessions last about an hour.  The routine is simple:  warm up, lift and send out.

Rhodes, who's in his fifth season at MSU, says success in the weight room doesn't come by achieving every goal all at once, but it's a process.

"We're not going to slay the dragon today, we just want to stab it.  It's not about pushing kids to their absolute limit, just close.  If you're pushing kids to max out every day, that's when they get hurt—and that's unnecessary.  You've got to use wisdom and do things the right way."

Rhodes says it doesn't take long for student-athletes to understand that proper weight training is essential to their success on the field.

"Kids know how important this place is and a lot of guys have to eliminate their egos.  It's about being consistent and doing things in moderation.  Kids may not love coming in here but they definitely know how important it is that they do so.  I don't want them to see this as punishment, but instead, it's a place where they get tougher physically and mentally."

Rhodes admits there's often the immediate 'shock factor' from recent high school graduates "who don't understand what hard work is."  But once the work begins and young people develop a routine, they're eager to see more and more results.

A once-described 'drill sergeant', Rhodes is now more of an 'encourager'—age and a heart surgery changed all that.  He has Marfan Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the body's connective tissue, which caused the aorta in his heart to stretch.  Should he try to train with heavy weight as he once did, his aorta could burst.  That's why he now sticks primarily to walking and jogging.  

Rhodes says he loves Morehead State University because he has freedom to be his own boss and carry out his vision for Eagle athletes.

"I'll forever be indebted to (Director of Athletics) Brian (Hutchinson) and (Associate AD) Fletch (Richard Fletcher) for allowing me to do things my way.  I love this place and want to see us achieve at a high level.  And I feel we're on the road to doing just that."