PBSCCS Coach Of The Month
Lance Thomason, St. Louis Cardinals
Lance Thomason just completed his 11th year in strength and conditioning and 10th in professional baseball. His coaching career started at the University of Wyoming where he worked as an intern in Strength and Conditioning (2011) and volunteer Strength and Conditioning Coach (2012).
He joined the Cardinals in 2013 and has served in several roles in Strength and Conditioning. His first position was as an intern with the short season and rookie ball affiliate, Johnson City Cardinals, in 2013. In 2014, he was the S&C coach for the Low-A Peoria Chiefs. He coached the AA Springfield Cardinals in 2015 and 2016 and AAA Memphis Redbirds in 2017 and 2018. He was promoted to his current position, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Cardinals in 2019.
A native of Ogden, UY, Lance was a multi-sport athlete at Evanston High School in Evanston, UT. He played baseball, golf and ice hockey for 4 years and ran track for 2 years. He also participated in martial arts for 10 years. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Wyoming where he earned a BS in Kinesiology and Health Promotion in 2007. In 2021, he earned a MS in Nutrition and human Performance from Logan
Lance lives in St. Louis, MO with his wife of 13 years, Crystal, 7-year-old son, Brooks and 5-year-old daughter, Everly. He enjoys playing ice and street hockey with his children, hanging out with the family, hiking and hunting.
He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He also holds FMS1, FMS 2, SFMA and SFMA 2 certifications.
He became interested in the field of strength and conditioning in high school while participating in a weight lifting class. He realized early the benefits of strength training and sports performance.
Lance credits Trent Greener, former Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Wyoming, for giving him an internship opportunity that ignited his passion to pursue a career as a strength and conditioning and Mike Cotterman, Director of Sports Performance for Olympic Lifts at Wyoming, for teaching him how to be prepared every day. He believes that he would not be in his current position without the knowledge and trust that Pete Prinzi and Jim Malone provided. Pete and Jim were eager to share from previous experiences, encouraged creativity and paved a path for me and many other young strength coaches. All of the coaches that I had the privilege of serving under challenged me in different ways to become a better strength coach, which I strive to be every day.