GNA Football: Welcome

2009 GNA FOOTBALL SUMMER INVESTMENT RATING AS OF 7/3/09 (29 TOTAL WORKOUTS/4 SENIOR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE CREDIT FOR SOPHOMORES/JUNIORS)

1. J. BADOWSKI (44)-33
2. SLUSSER (43)-33
3. HUMPHREY (40)-33
4. AGOSTO (40)-32
5. FREEMAN (42)-32
6. LEIBY (38)- 29
7. MYERS (43PR)- 29
8. TENCZA (43)-29
9. OVERWISE (TR/PR)- 29
10. HASHAGEN (40)- 28
11. AGUSTINI (SS)- 28
12. R. BADOWSKI (34PR)- 28
13. HUMMEL (43)- 28
14. BROOKS (44)- 28
15. GROHOWSKI (42)- 26
16. MATULESKI (SS)- 26
17. K. KOTZ (40)-25
18. EVANS (41)-25
19. CHESLA (37)-25
20. BUBB (SS)- 24
21. ESPAILLAT (SS)-23
22. DECKER (SS)- 17
23. JEZEWSKI (SS)- 16
24. DIAZ (SS)- 15
25. BRACERO (SS)- 15
26. WOLFE (SS)- 15
27. PARSONS (34)- 14
28. GAVRISH (SS)-10
29. MASLOWSKI (17)- 4
30. ZAYKOSKI (-32)- -15
31. STEVENSON (-34)- -28

MINICAMP SCHEDULE

WEEK ONE

TUES, MAY 26- DL/ILB 6:30-7:30PM; OLB/DB 7:30-8:30PM

WED, MAY 27- OPA 7-8PM

THURS, MAY 28- DL/ILB 6:30-7:30PM; OLB/DB 7:30-8:30PM

FRI, MAY 29- OPA 5-6PM

WEEK TWO

MON, JUNE 1- SENIOR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 5:30-6:30PM; OPA 7-8PM

TUES, JUNE 2- SENIOR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 5:30-6:30PM; DL/ILB 6:30-7:30PM; OLB/DB 7:30-8:30PM

WED, JUNE 3- OPA 7-8PM

THURS, JUNE 4- SENIOR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 5:30-6:30PM; DL/ILB 6:30-7:30PM; OLB/DB 7:30-8:30PM

FRI, JUNE 5- OPA 4:30-5:30PM; SENIOR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 5:30-6:30PM

WEEK THREE

MON, JUNE 8- OPA 7-8PM

TUES, JUNE 9- DL/ILB 11:40-12:20PM; OLB/DB 12:20PM-1:00PM

WED, JUNE 10- OPA 7-8PM

THURS, JUNE 11- DL/ILB 6:30-7:30PM; OLB/DB 7:30-8:30PM

FRI, JUNE 12- OPA 5-6PM

WEEK FOUR

MON, JUNE 15- OPA 10-11AM

TUES, JUNE 16- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

WED, JUNE 17- OPA 10-11AM

THURS, JUNE 18- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

FRI, JUNE 19- OPA 10-11AM

WEEK ONE

MON, JUNE 22- SPEED CAMP 9-10:30 AM

TUES, JUNE 23- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

WED, JUNE 24- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

THURS, JUNE 25- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

FRI, JUNE 26- OPA 10-11AM

WEEK TWO

MON, JUNE 29- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

TUES, JUNE 30- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

WED, JULY 1- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

THURS, JULY 2- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

FRI, JULY 3- OPA 10-11AM

WEEK THREE

MON, JULY 6- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

TUES, JULY 7- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

WED, JULY 8- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

THURS, JULY 9- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

FRI, JULY 10- OPA 10-11AM

WEEK FOUR

MON, JULY 13- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

TUES, JULY 14- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

WED, JULY 15- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

THURS, JULY 16- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

FRI, JULY 17- OPA 10-11AM

WEEK FIVE

MON, JULY 20- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

TUES, JULY 21- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

WED, JULY 22- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

THURS, JULY 23- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

FRI, JULY 24- OPA 10-11AM

WEEK SIX

MON, JULY 27- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

TUES, JULY 28- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

WED, JULY 29- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

THURS, JULY 30- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

FRI, JULY 31- OPA 10-11AM

WEEK SEVEN

MON, AUG 3- SPEED CAMP 9-10AM

TUES, AUG 4- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

WED, AUG 5- SPEED CAMP 9-10:30 AM

THURS, AUG 6- DL/ILB 10-11AM; OLB/DB 11AM-NOON

FRI, AUG 7- EQUIPMENT TBA

SAT, AUG 8- COMBINE

Assistant Coach, Mike Manassy will run the Senior Leadership Conference. Coach Manassy is a 2000 graduate of King’s College in which he majored in Computer Information Systems. Additionally, Coach Manassy was a two-year starter at Wide Receiver on the football team. Since 2002, Coach Manassy has run Manassy Group Inc., a professional training and coaching industry. Manassy Group Inc. is a part of a group of entrepreneurs developing business online with 1,100+ companies. The business group specializes in coaching leadership and business principles to ambitious individuals for the purpose to develop residual income outside of their full-time careers through a proven mentorship program. On Wednesday evenings at 8:00 PM, Coach Manassy runs a leadership training program at King’s College. Several topics will be addressed over these four days. The mission of this conference is to provide all of our 2009 senior football players with the leadership skills to provide a social influence in which each senior can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. All senior football players are asked to attend, and any football player in the program may attend as well.

Speed Coach, Jason Brader and his staff will run the Speed Camp. Jason, former All-American running back, finished his career as one of the best runners in Division III history. He ranked as the 12th best ball carrier in NCAA Division III history for average yards per game in a career. Following his athletic career, Jason founded FASST, LLC. (Functional Athletic Speed & Strength Training). In only a short period of time, Jason and FASST have created nationally recognized athletic enhancement training programs. These programs focus on developing functional speed and strength in athletics for youth, developing athletes, college students, and professionals. FASST has personally developed over 18 track and field state champions, 6 All-American track performers, and over 22 All-State performers in multiple sports. Jason Brader's FASST athletes have earned scholarships from Georgia, Pittsburgh, Northwestern, Maryland, Notre Dame, Connecticut, and other NCAA D1 Universities; Player of the Year honors from the Allentown Morning Call, Express-Times, and New Jersey Star Ledger Newspapers; and Professional sports contracts with the NFL, AFL, and MLB.

By Michael Blouse

Of The Express-Times

The conditions inside Jason Brader's facility - a warehouse at 1716 E. Tremont St. in Allentown - aren't always ideal.

There are days they're downright brutal.

"It's not like a Gold's Gym," Brader said smiling, with an apparent sense of pride.

"There aren't mirrors on the walls, it's not a social hangout and there aren't regulated temperatures. We care only about performance and improving performance.

"If it's cold outside, it's cold in here. If it's hot out, it's really hot in here. When you're playing, you can't choose ideal weather conditions or perfect situations."

Brader was a standout football player at Liberty High School and Muhlenberg College. Now he teaches psychology and coaches football at Phillipsburg High School.

The 30-year-old has quickly built a reputation as one of the elite athletic performance trainers in the Lehigh Valley, relying on a relentless work ethic and utilizing state-of-the-art Keiser Fitness Equipment inside his rented warehouse.

F.A.S.S.T. (Functional, Athletic, Strength, Speed, Training) Performance is the official name of Brader's self-started business.

"There's no complaining and moaning here, or you're gone," he said. "It's like a badge of honor to train with us and that's the way I want it."

"For me," said Liberty sports star Dan Persa, one of Brader's prized pupils, "I'm not the type of person who sits around and talks. I want to work. And Jason doesn't give you any breaks. It's demanding and it's a challenge but it's a fun time and it's rewarding."

Brader, who resides in Center Valley with wife Alyson and 21-month-old daughter Alexis, lives life full-tilt from sunrise to sundown.

He drives from his job in Phillipsburg to his gym in Allentown almost daily, and, along with his staff of five, trains more than 70 athletes of all ages - some on an individual basis, others in small groups or camps.

F.A.S.S.T. Performance offers packages with prices ranging from $100 to $160 per month.

"This is my passion," Brader said.

And his passion has become big business. Parents are sending their aspiring athletes to "get an edge" at younger ages, and there is a demand for professional help, according to Brader.

His goal is to make a full-time career out of personal training.

"I really enjoy it," he said. "But I love teaching psychology. Not only do I try to train the body in workouts, I try to teach the mind. I combine the two."

To fully appreciate Brader's enthusiasm and success is to understand his upbringing and background.

He grew up in a poor section of Bethlehem, and both of his parents died 10 months apart while he was still at Liberty. Brader moved in with a friend's family - Paul and Joan Albus, who he credits with keeping his life on the right path.

"I remember our house falling apart, laying in bed at night thinking, 'Is this as good as it gets?' " Brader said. "I refused to believe it was. My mom taught me what hard work was all about, working two or three jobs to make ends meet. My dad was an eighth-grade dropout but I learned from him.

"Then, when my parents died, I was nothing. I was below dirt. It was a tough time."

Thanks to a strong support system and sports, Brader made it through Liberty and decided to continue his education.

"I took the long road to make something out of myself," he said. "I went to prep school, I went to junior college, to Muhlenberg, to grad school at Lehigh. It wasn't always easy but I made it."

Phillipsburg football coach Bob Stem believes Brader's upbringing molded him into a good role model for young athletes.

Brader is an assistant on Stem's staff and is in charge of everything related to physical fitness.

He also was an assistant coach at Phillipsburg in track and field until this season.

"Jason relates well to kids, gets into their head and talks to them," said Stem, who coached against Brader when he was still at Bethlehem Catholic. "He's been there, and he was a heck of a football player himself.

"The thing is, he's not exclusive to the football team ... I've seen him working with our golfers and our basketball players, anyone who has a desire to get better.

"Phillipsburg is lucky to have Jason."

On Mondays during football season, the Stateliners never practice in pads. Stem instead sends his players to Brader.

"Jason runs those kids and he'll work 'em really hard," Stem said. "It's probably the most demanding day of the week for the kids. I'm old now, so I'm easy."

Brader's anything but a pushover to the athletes he trains.

His high-profile clients include Dustin Barno of Easton, an arena football player for the Colorado Crush; Justin Gaymon of Phillipsburg, a nationally-ranked hurdler at the University of Georgia; and Persa, an all-state quarterback who earned a scholarship to Northwestern University.

"I always feel like I'm in the best possible shape entering camp," said Barno, a 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle for the Crush who typically works with Brader from October to January.

"We train a lot on speed and agility-type things. I've noticed each year my 225 (bench press) reps have gone up and my 40-yard (dash) times have gone down."

Persa is working out with Brader this summer until he leaves for Evanston, Ill., and Northwestern.

"His program's been very beneficial to me," The Express-Times Football Player of the Year said. "I've built strength and speed. He's made me a better athlete."

For the present, Brader is content teaching by day, running F.A.S.S.T. at night and enjoying his family. (The Braders' second child is due this fall.)

For the future, he hopes to make a career out of training athletes to reach their full potential.

"I aim big," Brader said. "I'm a high-risk, high-reward type guy. I don't go into things expecting to fail. I'm going to go for it."