Latest / The Platform: a Michigan High School Powerlifting Association Podcast / Road to Nationals with Ron Roberts | The Platform Ep. 31
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- Chris Whittaker: your athletic career and can't wait to watch and see what you do at the college level. And to her dad, Adam Stuyverson and the entire Stuyverson family. We are sending our best wishes to you. I know you've had some medical things going on that you're working through. We've got a whole community of coaches and lifters and friends behind you supporting you and pulling for you. We hope you make a speedy recovery coach. We're all pulling for you. Now Make sure you subscribe to the platform, leave us the rating and review, and share this episode with your athletes, coaches, and parents. And don't forget to visit the MHSPLA Forthwall shop, MHSPLA-shop.forthwall.com and grab yourself some podcast or MHSPLA gear. So it's time. Step up, lock in. The bar is loaded. Episode 31, Your Road to the Nationals with Coach Ron Roberts. Hit the intro music. Chris Gilliam: Balance. Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: That's the Chris Whittaker: And here we are, folks. We are back with another episode of the Michigan High School Powerlifting Association podcast. This is the platform where the stories weigh a ton. I'm here, as always, with my co-host, Chris Gillum, our executive director of the U MHS PLA. I am Chris Whitaker, Iron Dread Strength and Conditioning, Dexter High School. Don't even know my own intro here, Coach. Dexter High School Iron Dread Strength and Conditioning, Iron Dread Power Lifting, a member of the board as well. And we have fellow board member with us today, Coach Ron Roberts. Gentlemen, I apologize for my babbling in the intro here, but welcome to the show. Ron Roberts: Hello. Chris Gilliam: Thanks for having us. Chris Whittaker: so today we got Coach Roberts coming in, and we're gonna talk about USAPL High School Nationals, right? Navigating the path to high school nationals means mastering two different rule books, ours and theirs. All right. This episode is gonna focus on helping our Michigan coaches, lifters, and parents bridge the gap between our MHS PLA meets and then the going into the USA powerlifting or USAPL meets and the national platform. We're gonna break down the technical rule shifts, individual and team registration logistics, and the strict scheduling timelines required to get your athletes to the big stage without burning them out. So we're all high school nationals today, Coach Gillum. Give us some important facts about the twenty twenty-seven USAPL high school nationals. Chris Gilliam: so a couple of things stood out to me and Coach Roberts will be able to elaborate on but it's the earliest that I remember it happening. it's usually at the end of March and it's smack dab kinda in the middle. So it's the the third weekend in March. So it's technically gonna be two weeks after our state meet this year, and it's usually around three weeks. So that's a little sooner than normal. And it's taken place in Albany, New York, which I don't remember any in the past taking place in New York. but we've been in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and Texas and Louisiana and all over the place. So that that's pretty cool. some of the things, that we'll be discussing is some of the rule discrepancies. There's minor ones between the USAP L and us. And then some of the updates. So they changed some qualifying totals for some of the varsity men. because those weight classes that they addressed, they had way too many people in there in in the past three or four years. And so they're trying to level the playing field and not have as many people in there because that's caused it. And I think part of that is because as Ron's gonna talk to us about, instead of being a four day event, It is only a three day event this year. So those are some major changes compared to the past. So even our veteran savvy coaches, it's gonna be some new adjustments for them as well. So we're gonna go ahead and start asking coach Robert some questions, if you will. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Albany, New York, my old stomping grounds, Kingston, New York, right? 12401, home of the Kingston High School Tigers, class of twenty-six alumni here. Albany's about 30, 40 minutes north, the capital of New York. I told Coach Roberts earlier in a text message, I'm like, Ron, you gotta go to Dinosaur BBQ. Right. So we're gonna tell everybody, right, that's going to this meet, you need to either stop in Syracuse if you go the New York State through way. And go to Dinosaur Barbecue or you can there's a location just outside of Albany. I think it's in Troy. worth checking out. Chris Gilliam: yeah, Coach Roberts, just for those that don't know, he's a foodie. He loves to learn Ron Roberts: stop. Chris Gilliam: about the local food places to eat. He likes to he likes to try different things too. So, it makes me Ron Roberts: I got my top five I already picked out. Chris Gilliam: wonder. Do you nice? I figured you already did some research, but yeah. Coach Roberts might be the guy that if he went with Todd Miller over to Taiwan. He might try those donut holes. Chris Whittaker: yeah, they were made of bugs. Ron Roberts: No chance. That's past my limit. That's past my limit, bro. Chris Gilliam: That's past your levels. Chris Whittaker: You gotta draw the line somewhere. Chris Gilliam: Come on, a little hot sauce coach, you could handle it. Ron Roberts: I'm gonna need more than hot sauce. Chris Whittaker: Well yeah. On your on your road. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, for sure. Chris Whittaker: On your route out there, there's all kinds of stuff. So if you're going to go through New York, stop at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, too. Get the home of the original wings. All right. Then hit up Dinosaur BBQ in one of those spots. So there's a lot of good stuff there in New York. Go up at the Lake George, Saratoga Springs. It's all cool. So, Ron, we're gonna first talk about the USAPL local, state, and regional events. So your school, Goodrich High School, hosts a local USAPL meet. on January 16th of 2027. This specific meet is used to qualify for the USAPL High School Nationals. How many lifters are being accepted into your qualifier meet? Ron Roberts: Well, we had 95 last year and two platforms. I'm expecting the same this year. and we, we were capped last year. We capped at 95. it was, it was run by a power, power belly barbell, or power belly powerlifting, depending on what's, depending on which page you look at. But they, it was probably one of the best USAPL meets. One of the good features Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Ron Roberts: like live stream announcing excellent judges, excellent loaders and spotters was a class act. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, we just recently talked to Dane Roach and he was telling us about them and the live streaming and I think that's pretty cool. So and you had already told me about it previously, but we got a little more of the details from Dane Roach l when we interviewed him last week. so yeah, awesome. So you already kinda answered a couple platforms. So does that mean there's gonna be three flights at each platform roughly? Ron Roberts: If I remember right last year, I believe it was two flights, two platforms, but it'll depend on how it takes out. I've had as, Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Ron Roberts: at that qualifier, I've had as many as four flights before, but this is last year was the first year we went two platforms. So it cut down on the flights. Chris Gilliam: Sure, yeah, I understand that. For those that aren't familiar with a USAPL meet, flights are different if you're not used to I used to run some meets with flights. I don't mind flights. I think it's great. but it it can make the day go a little bit longer. But in USAP L, they cap their flights like what is it, sixteen max in a flight, Coach Roberts? Ron Roberts: Yeah, usually right around 15, 16. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. So and I don't think they they try not to go under ten or eleven to be honest. Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: So they try and keep it in double digits. So basically, if they're running two platforms and you got ninety people, they're gonna put forty five on each platform. So that's probably gonna be around three flights roughly. Ron Roberts: Yeah, makes sense. Chris Gilliam: so can be a quicker day if you're in f flight one. Could be a a lot longer day if you're in flight three because everybody has to get through the squat, all three flights. Then everybody goes through the bunch. and so flight one gets all three attempts done, and then flight two, so on and so forth. So that's something different, wouldn't you say, Coach Roberts? Takes a little getting used to if you're used to the way we run the meet. Ron Roberts: last year we were cleaned up and out of there by three 30. They ran such a tight ship. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, that's been really good. Ron Roberts: We were gone at three 30, from the school, not just the meat awards and everything. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. They did a really good job then. That's awesome. Very efficient. Chris Whittaker: Mm-hmm. So what, Ron, should lifters and parents expect differently at a USAPL qualifier than what they experience at our MHS PLA events? Ron Roberts: Well, when you check in, they're going to expect you to do a equipment check. And because we have some equipment that we don't have at the MHSPLA, the knee sleeves and usually wrist wraps we don't have, although we've tamed that rule and belts. And they also do equip the USAPL. So there might even be more equipment that has to be checked if you're an equip lifter. And then The weigh-in's a little different. They'll have the weigh-in posted. And if you're not in line waiting to get weighed in and they say your name and you're not there, you go to the back and you have to wait for everybody else to weigh in. That's a lot different. You have to check in your rack heights. And some of the meats are different. Some of the meats, they expect you to put your rack heights in and lifting gas. At my meet, they usually have somebody stationed there to enter them in for you. So you have to, you have to check your, your squat height, rack height, your safety height on squat. And the same thing with bench. You got to do your bench height and your safety height. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, typically the rack stuff is done after equipment check, right? Ron Roberts: Yeah, yeah, your equipment checked in, you're normally doing rack, you're normally doing your rack height before weighting, right? Because then they try to get everything in. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Well I think the one thing to make sure make sure our listeners know that haven't done this before, like when you said when they call your name, basically everybody who lists at a USAPL meet, you're assigned a lot number, is what they Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: call it. And and so the lower your lot number, the earlier you get called in for weigh ins. If you miss your time, that's not a big deal. But you can't weigh in until everybody else has. You go back to the end of the line, so to speak. Which, probably isn't a big deal for some people, but there's another thing that's different between USAPL and the MHSPLA, right? We both have a two hour time window for weigh ins, right? Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: But what what's the main difference between hours and the USAPL within that two hour time limit? For when you weigh in. Ron Roberts: different from the MHS PLA. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. in ours, you step on the scale, whatever you weigh, that's the weight class you're in. Does USAP L do that? Ron Roberts: Yeah. Yeah. No, If you're if you're over or under, they will give you a certain amount of period to handle that. Right. And it's it's not one touch like ours is. And yeah. Chris Gilliam: Okay, so you can weigh in multiple times until you until the time runs out, correct? Ron Roberts: Yeah. And you're expected Chris Gilliam: Okay. Ron Roberts: to give, you're expected to give your openers that weigh in right in kilos. That's important that when you're inside the weigh-in booth, you're expecting to give your openers in kilos. Chris Gilliam: Okay. Yeah. And for us, they've already done that ahead of time. and so there's there's a little difference there. But at the same time, you're talking ninety people coming in at your meet, we can have three hundred and ninety people. So there's Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: there's a big difference in the mass amount of people. Okay, great. go ahead, coach. Chris Whittaker: Well, and with weigh ins too, right? They also don't don't the the females go to a female locker room, the the males go to a male locker room Ron Roberts: Yeah, they're separate. Chris Whittaker: with Ron Roberts: separate locker rooms and I think the age is 14 where if you're did you have to have a parent in with you I think I think the age is 14 Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Ron Roberts: but but yeah they're separate locker rooms females weighing in the females because where we do t-shirt and shorts a lot of times the kids they're in their skivvies Chris Gilliam: Yep. Get as light as possible. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Yeah, and it's stripped stripped down for the weigh ins. Ron Roberts: the app. Chris Gilliam: I've watched kids get in like at meets and they're running and cutting weight and then they're busting out credit cards and scraping all the sweat off of their body, all the moisture Chris Whittaker: Ha ha ha. Ron Roberts: Thank Chris Gilliam: out of their body to get every ounce of extra weight off themselves. It's like it's hilarious, but I understand where they're at, And we Yeah, it it's one of those things. So all right, go ahead, Chris Whittaker: Right. Chris Gilliam: coach. Chris Whittaker: So how else can someone qualify for the USAPL High School Nationals if they're unable to attend the Goodrich Meet on January sixteenth? Ron Roberts: So that's the tricky point because these meats are scarce, but you can use your last year's national qualifying total if you want. You can enter another USAPL meat, which is tough, or you can use our MHSPLA state meats. You can use the JV state meat or the varsity state meat. The tricky thing about that is, you usually have to be registered for our meat. So if you're going to use our VARC or JV state meat, you have to register yourself. And if you don't qualify, then you're just out the money. Right? That's why I highly recommend coming to my meat. I highly recommend going to another USAPL meat. But what I have to say about USAPL meats in Michigan, is they cap out very quick. There is not an uncapped USAPL meet that happens in Michigan and definitely not between now and February. So if you don't, if you don't think you're coming to my meet, you better find another meet, the USAPL meet or register early. I've already got several of my kids registered now because it's open and we're just gonna, we're just going to get qualified, right? But there's, there's a little risk. Now I got a few kids that lifted last year that lifted enough to qualify and they'll step. They'll still lift that mind meat because they get the feel of a USNPL, but they're qualified no matter what because they lifted enough because the qualifying total goes from January as a year before. So usually, the third week of February of the year. Chris Gilliam: All right. Awesome. Yeah, good point. your meet is specifically, forward qualifying, but any USAPL meet, even if it's not in our state, if they find Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: one in Ohio or Indiana or Illinois, and that's where they need to travel to get to one, those results also count. So any total you register at a USAPL sanctioned meet, as long as that total meets the qualifying standards for your weight class, you would be eligible to participate at high school nationals. Okay. Ron Roberts: Yes. Chris Gilliam: even your total if you participated last year, your total at nationals is, you already were there, so you already qualified last Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: year, but there's, a few things that that I found interesting with with our research on stuff with some of the changes, there's a cap this year. So th that's the other thing that I think is a worry, something, Coach Roberts, is if you wait to use our state meet, they might fill up before because our if you're a varsity lifter, our meet takes place on March seventh. The the deadline is already passed. So you had to have already registered without a qualifying Ron Roberts: Yes. Chris Gilliam: total. Right. But you better have Ron Roberts: Damn. Chris Gilliam: registered ahead of time because one, the deadline would have already passed. But two, if you don't register ahead of time, they might already reach their cap. 'Cause they're capping at seven Ron Roberts: And it's hard when that cap hit. Chris Gilliam: fifty. Ron Roberts: Yeah, it's a hard cap. When they hit that cap, there's no negotiating. If you're not registered, you won't be in. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. So well, and th they convert things in into pound from pounds to kilos when we give them our data from our state meets. But, Ron Roberts: Yes. Chris Gilliam: we'll give people a a general idea on how that works coming up. But yeah, so as you were mentioning earlier, coach, one of the fun facts that I always enjoyed about the USAPL, especially when I first got into it, was basically for two years your qualifying total counts in an in a roundabout manner. high school nationals takes place in March. So from January first of two thousand twenty-six, all the way until you know the deadline for the registration Ron Roberts: In February, usually. Chris Gilliam: for this twenty twenty-seven, which will be in February, you would, whatever total that you established those totals count. So you don't have to have done the total in the year two thousand twenty seven is the main thing we want our newbies Ron Roberts: Sure. Chris Gilliam: to understand. Okay, good. All right. So we'll move on to Ron Roberts: I wouldn't like, I wouldn't like to cut. I wouldn't like to stress that I recommend qualifying at a USA PL because you'll get the feel of the USA PL meet. And I'm sure later we'll talk about the differences, but I would not Chris Gilliam: Mm. Ron Roberts: make my first USA PL meet be national. That's just my suggestion. Chris Gilliam: Right. Yeah. I I I would agree with that. I think anybody that's done that, it's a eye opener for them and their coaches. Ron Roberts: Within a Chris Gilliam: And I know we have some coaches and members that did it a few years ago and it was an eye opener for them. And Coach Miller talked about it their first time going and they were so naive, they they're openers, they entered in pounds and it they're supposed to be in kilos Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: and People had to come over and tell like you there's no way you're opening at three hundred and fifty kilos. no, we're open at three hundred and fifty pounds. They're Well, you better convert that. So Ron Roberts: Yeah, for sure. Chris Gilliam: I had to let know because th they definitely went a bombed out. Ron Roberts: For sure. Chris Gilliam: So all right, let's get on to registration process. L let's talk about the cost a little bit. Coach Whitaker? Chris Whittaker: Okay, so what is the cost of membership dues for the USAPL for our high school lifters? Ron Roberts: For a competing lifter, think it's around 50 bucks. I always add for a lifter. think it's 50 bucks and then you can do multiple year memberships and stuff, but it's around 50 bucks for a membership and coaches have to be members as well. You don't have to be a competing member. always purchase an open. An open membership, which I think for adults is 75. But everybody involved in the meat has to have a USAPL membership, coaches and lifters. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, i if coaches don't have a membership, you're not allowed backstage. You're not allowed in the warm-up area, and you're definitely not allowed in the staging area. So you have to have that membership to even get the passes and stuff like that, which we can talk about that a little bit more. explain what's the main differences in the gear that they need for a USAPL meet. Cause they're used to t-shirt and shorts, long socks on deadlift. w is that what they wear at a USAPL meet coach? Ron Roberts: Well, we do wear the long socks, right? But we wear singlets with a t-shirt underneath and I'll try my best to stress this by a plain singlet, right? SBD works good. Try to wear a plain t-shirt. They'll allow a school name, but I saw a t-shirt with a cross on it get denied once because the rule says not to have anything on your a single or a T-shirt. So certain things get by, but sometimes it's to the discretion of the official, right? And so you're going to a singlet, a T-shirt, and they normally give a meat shirt for nationals and the meat shirt always qualifies, right? And then you're going to need your long socks. You're going to need your shoes. And you're also something you could use that we don't traditionally use in the MHS PLA is we use wrist wraps, which I double check the length and it's one meter. I don't know who would use one meter wrist wraps, but it's up to one meter for squat and bench. I have seen people use them on deadlift. My kids don't, but they're available to be used all three lifts. and also knee sleeves, right? And if you check the USAPL website, there's a standard, but usually if you look up SBD knee sleeves, on Amazon it says approved by the USAPL. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, there's a lot of companies and honestly more and more get in and but there's a ton of companies that are approved, but make sure you do your research before you purchase that stuff. Now, you don't have to wear all that stuff, but you do have to wear a singlet. Ron Roberts: Yes. Chris Gilliam: You do have to have the short sleeve shirt and you do have to have long socks Ron Roberts: And you do have to have a Chris Gilliam: for Ron Roberts: yes. Chris Gilliam: And you you the belt is the s rules are basically the same as ours, Ron Roberts: Yeah, there Chris Gilliam: correct? Ron Roberts: are millimeters not inches like ours. Only once have I had a belt be questioned and we had used the belt the year before, but a different official questioned it. And I got Jennifer Thompson to say it was only off half a millimeter and then she approved it. But it's basically the same measurements as ours. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, and some people always ask, Well, if it's USAPL, why are we using metric system? But they need to understand we compete internationally. And we're the only country in the world that has Ron Roberts: Thank Chris Gilliam: these, pounds and and inches. Every other country in the world uses the metric system. So if we're gonna compete internationally, it's just easier when the rest of the world is using metric system. So that's what people need to understand. Ron Roberts: And as a coach, I wouldn't wait until national to learn kilos, right? Where you're trying to, where you're trying to on your third deadlift, move your lift around and you're sitting there trying to convert. I've been doing this since, 2018. Now I've been going to these nationals and, I got a pretty good idea of the major weights in my head, but I would definitely either a conversion chart or, get familiar. And there's an app called Bar is Loaded that I would highly recommend. Because when you're, most of the time when you're in the warm up room, the warm up plates are in key loads. So if you download Bar is Loaded, you can just put your pounds in and it'll tell you what color of plates to put on the bar. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, that is a a pretty helpful device to use. I use it all the time and and where you use it the most is the warm-up area. Because I watched a lot of lifters in the meets that I went. They're just throwing on the red plate thinking it's a forty-five pound plate and that thing's fifty-five pounds. there's a Ron Roberts: Absolutely. Chris Gilliam: big difference. they they need the the blue plate, which is twenty kilos, that's more like our forty-five pound plates. But people just, they don't understand. Next thing they're doing more weight than they thought. And then they're like, Man, the weights are heavy today. And I'm like, But what were you trying to warm up at? So I Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: that's different. And then the collars aren't aren't plastic or the metal spring collars we use. These collars are heavy duty and they weigh what, two and a half kilos Ron Roberts: Yeah, there's that. There are five pounds themselves. Chris Gilliam: each? Ron Roberts: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, so each collar is five and a half pounds. So that gets factored into your bar and the weight and stuff. So yeah, it's it it it's definitely a different science you need to learn. especially if you want Ron Roberts: Yeah, cuz do red play, Sonny. Chris Gilliam: to catch mistakes. Ron Roberts: Two red plates on each side with a collar is 275 pounds, not 225, so. Chris Gilliam: Right. yeah. Yeah, that's that's a great point to make. go ahead, coach. Chris Whittaker: All right. So g getting back to the the costs of things here. how much does it cost for a lifter that has their membership already, to enter your Good Rich qualifier meet? Ron Roberts: So it depends on how many divisions you enter because one lifter can enter in the teen division. They can enter in the high school. I highly recommend that you enter either high school JV or high school varsity, those two divisions, but you can do high school JV, high school varsity, teen one, teen two, teen three. And our meets open meets, so we'll have more than just high school lifters there. But there's also an open category. So each category, it's normally about 150 bucks for the meat. And if you have multiple divisions, it's like 20 bucks per division, right? And nationals is around 185 for one division. And at nationals, it's only one division at nationals. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. in some meets, I don't know that yours is gonna be this way, but I've been to some USAPL meets where when you register, it allows you to register for two divisions as part of Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: the registration fee. So you could sometimes they give you what your one division is because they say you're automatically in the open. Well, for a teenage kid to be in the open, that means you're competing against adults. You're not probably gonna meddle or place. Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: so you should avoid open divisions if you're going to these and just focus on your teen age group or the high school JV or high school varsity division. But what they need to understand that's similar to our meets is if you lift at Goodrich high school JV and you hit your qualifying total, you cannot change to varsity for the national meet. Because you didn't qualify for the varsity, or vice versa. You you'd have to qualify in each division at a separate meet. Just like we we do a correct. Ron Roberts: Not sure. I'm not sure that's true, Chris. If you hit the total, Chris Gilliam: Okay. Ron Roberts: I always have my JV kids lift JV and my varsity kids, but if you hit the total, I'm not sure I'd have to double check that. If you hit a qualifying total Chris Gilliam: Okay. Ron Roberts: that qualifies for that, I think you can change, but I'll double check that in the rules. Chris Gilliam: I gotcha. All right. Well, for weight classes it it is an impact though, right? Ron Roberts: Absolutely for weight classes, whatever you call it. Chris Gilliam: So you can't Yeah, you can't you can't lift in the one fourteen and then decide I'm gonna cut weight and lift in the ninety seven. Right? If you wanna qualify Ron Roberts: unless you've qualified for both. Chris Gilliam: in the lighter Yeah. So you're better off qualifying and competing in the lighter division and within that division hitting the qualifying total for a heavier weight class. That's what's best for a lifter to do rather than qualify and compete in the heavier weight class. I know it's rare, but we've had lifters show up to the state meet and they were a two seventy five pound lifter and they weighed in a two hundred and forty pounds. They can't lift in the two seventy five weight class 'cause their body weight says it's two forty two weight class. Ron Roberts: Yeah. Yeah. Chris Gilliam: So th they just need to be wary of that as well if you're borderline. 'Cause the kilos Ron Roberts: Yes, for sure. Chris Gilliam: that throws a lot of people. It throws a lot of people off. All right, great. Chris Whittaker: Talking about registration now, coach. how are or how d how do these kids and parents and coaches, how do they register for your meet at Goodrich and how will they register for nationals? Ron Roberts: I believe we opened the registration opened in October last year. When Power Belly posts the link, and it's always on LiftingCast, You go to the app LiftingCast, look up to meet, click to meet, and there'll be a registration tab. And that's how you register is through LiftingCast. And there's different links that'll take you right there. When Chloe from Power Belly posts the meet, she'll drop a link, but it normally takes you to LiftingCat. you follow, you have to be a USAPL member, so you'll need your USAPL member number, and you'll fill in all the information, your age, your birthday, your... all your personal information, and then you'll pick a division, right? And again, for high school and nationals, I recommend JV and Varsity High School. Those are the two divisions, one of those. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, and for s something else to consider for those that are new to it. When you go to get your membership, if you were to go get a membership now, it's only gonna last a few more months. Right? For next year. So they need to wait they need to wait till probably November or December for it to count. Ron Roberts: November 1st is when I would buy it. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, November first will give you membership not only for November and December 2026, it'll also give you membership for the entire two thousand twenty-seven calendar year. So don't go Ron Roberts: Yes. Chris Gilliam: out and get a membership right now, because you're gonna end up having to renew it again for high school nationals next year. So wait till November first or later, just so people understand that. Chris Whittaker: Going to coaches registering their school team, right? So some of our members of our association have established teams that they register in the USAPL as well. So how does a coach go about establishing registration for his school for high school nationals? How are our newer coaches that are willing and able to get multiple lifters qualified and willing to compete at the national level, right, w what do they do to compete and represent their team at USAP L High School Nationals? Ron Roberts: So the very first thing you need to do is go on the USAPL website and create a USAPL team. Right? That's the first thing you have to do. You have to have your USAPL number to create a team. And then I believe it's like you got to put in at least five team members and they all have to have USAPL numbers. And once you create a team, it'll go into Michigan, USAPL, Michigan team database. that you're a legit team. If I remember that was about a hundred bucks. And then when the link goes live for the team side of nationals, you can enter different teams. can enter a girl's JV, a boy's JV, a girl's varsity, a boy's varsity. You can also enter a JV boys girls mix and a varsity boys girls mixed team. And each of those four different or six different competitions is another fee between 75 to 100 bucks. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, mean it's there's significant added cost to USAPL. our association keeps things very affordable. Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: but if you want to take it to the next level, and let's be realistic, any any young lifters out there that really enjoy the sport of powerlifting, there's opportunities to compete collegially, those college coaches, we've had them on our podcast already. they're looking for people with experience. And when we say Ron Roberts: Absolutely. Chris Gilliam: experience is not just in powerlifting, but they want them to have competed in USAPL because, the proofs in the pudding, so to speak, they've already been on those stages and they're used to the equipment, they're used to the rules and the judging. And so those kids have an advantage. when it comes to getting recruited. So it's something Ron Roberts: But I'm cool. Chris Gilliam: that if you're serious about it, you should consider it. Ron Roberts: Another point to be made is in the USAPL nationals is there's normally three different prices. There's an early bird price for registering. There's a on time price and there's a late price at a certain point it goes up. And I think it's normally around $175, but it makes it up into the two hundreds if you wait till the end. So my lifters that lifted last year, since I have a membership. We're just registering them all now so that we get the cheaper price. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, they'll still have to renew their membership card when it comes November, but they already Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: are established as a member. So it's you you can already register them. That's a good point, Ron. I think the other thing that's super important for anybody new to it to understand is reach out to Coach Roberts, reach out to us at the MHS PLA. There's plenty of people that have competed. there and we can answer questions. We're kinda doing this because, we got too many questions too late in the season last year to be able to help people. if you're waiting and go, man, I did great at states, I wanna go to nationals, it's too late. you gotta you gotta be months ahead of time. Ron Roberts: Too late. Hey kids at state last year. At states last year, how Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Ron Roberts: do I get in and I'm like we got a lot to do in 36 hours, dude. Chris Gilliam: Well, and I'm wondering when the deadline's gonna be because last year it was the last day in February, but the meat was a month later. th with the meat being Ron Roberts: Well, the funny thing about that. Chris Gilliam: earlier. Ron Roberts: Well, at States last year, I told everybody that come up earlier in the day that it was too late, that the deadline had passed. And then at about seven o'clock at night, it dropped that they extended the deadline a week. So I had to reach Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Ron Roberts: out and give people an opportunity. But I'm like, if you're not going to do everything I'm telling you to do tonight, don't bother. Right. That's why I highly recommend you do it Chris Gilliam: Well yeah. Ron Roberts: now. Chris Gilliam: Well and the other thing, we we can talk about this, it it's still a little bit different, but these venues that these are held at are not high school gym. So we'll get into that. And so there's a lot of planning that parents and the lifters will need to do for where to stay. when when possible, you need to stay at the venue it's being held because it's so much easier to get to and from stuff. If you're trying to drive across town, I don't know how big of a city Albany, New York is there, Coach Whittaker. But if you're if you're ten minutes away in downtown Albany at a different, hotel, it could take you maybe thirty, forty minutes to get to that venue that it's being held at 'cause of traffic and stuff. So and if you wait too late to book your hotel rooms, you're gonna be at a a hotel not where the venue is. Ron Roberts: Yeah, well, I will say. Chris Whittaker: Mm-hmm. Or when there's some shady spots there too. Ron Roberts: We'll say this year, the Chris Gilliam: Yes, it's sure. Ron Roberts: chair of the team committee told me that the venue is not attached to hotel specifically. There's a convention center in town, but she said there's hotels surrounding the convention center. so Chris Gilliam: Perfect. Ron Roberts: my experienced parents have already either booked a hotel or booked Airbnb. Now, rather than fighting with everybody in November, December, and January. I can never remember a meet in that sense, 2018, where there was any convenient hotels available after the first of the year. So if this is something you're gonna do, start doing your research now. I had a parent in Texas last year, that was driving an hour and 15 minutes to their hotel. And I said, I understand the affordability, but let's try to fix that next year and go a little earlier, because an hour 15 Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Ron Roberts: ride in the morning and an hour 15 ride at night is pretty rough. Chris Gilliam: Well, and even for the coaches, if you're gonna have multiple kids lifting, chances are you're there all three days and you're there every session they're holding because you're gonna have multiple weight classes, you wanna stay in the same hotel or as close to the venue as possible because if you do need a break and you get a free hour it'd be nice to have a a room to go to, Ron Roberts: Yeah, a bathroom to you. Chris Gilliam: Or a or a bed to lay in because a bathroom to use that's not being, absorbed by all the patrons attending the the meet. So yeah, I'm with ya. that's still super important. go ahead, coach. Chris Whittaker: Well and and where that Albany where that Albany Capital Center is, I just pulled the map up. So just letting people know if we've never been there before. Right, it's right there by the MVP Arena, which back in the day was the Knickerbacher Arena, believe it or not. Chris Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Chris Whittaker: but that is a busy city area right there. there are three hotels within a few blocks. but plan for being in Detroit in that area right there. Right by right by the arena. It's right off the highway. You and and traffic in that area can be difficult at times, especially during the morning and evening commutes. At least it was when I lived there, ten years ago. I grew up there and it was always like that. So plan for that, folks, as a native New Yorker as you go through there. so the next thing, Coach, we mentioned the start of the podcast. Chris Gilliam: you're kinda breaking up for me, coach. Yeah. You wanna go ahead and do that? You were breaking up Chris Whittaker: I call it Chris Gilliam: for me. I couldn't hear everything you said. Sorry, coach. Did you hear him run? Chris Whittaker: You Ron Roberts: No, he's frozen on my screen. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, he's moving now a little bit, but all right, so at the beginning of the podcast, Coach Roberts, we talked about new qualifying totals for three of the varsity men's weight classes. Those are the sixty-seven and a half kilo, which is basically a hundred and forty-eight point eight pounds, the seventy-five kilo weight class, which is one sixty-five point three, and the eighty-two point five kilo class, which is the one eighty-one point nine. So Our lifters that competed last year, let's say, in any of those weight classes, there's new qualifying totals. what should they do to make sure that their qualifying total has been reached? What what what's something they need to look up? Ron Roberts: So if you Google the USAPL qualifying total, it'll come up really easy. When you click on the link, there's a spreadsheet and there's several different meets. There's raw nationals, there's collegiate nationals, there's military nationals. Every national meet that we hold, high school is all the way down at the bottom. And there's four charts. female equipped, male equipped, female raw, male raw, and find your division, find your weight class, and your qualifying total will be in kilos. That's important to do the math, I always just Google it, Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Ron Roberts: but, or 2.24 Chris Gilliam: Yeah, so good. Ron Roberts: or whatever it is times, right? Chris Gilliam: Yeah, think it's two point two zero four five something something Ron Roberts: Stop right there. Chris Gilliam: funky. There's a lot of decimals, but so our sixty seven and a half kilo, that's not really a weight class we have for boys. So if our boys are lifting one fifty five, they don't their their state total wouldn't count because they're above the one forty eight point eight weight class. They would have to have competed in our one forty five weight class. in order to compete in the sixty seven and a half kilo. So that's another Ron Roberts: Absolutely. Chris Gilliam: thing for our boys to think about is if you lifted fifty five, you you're gonna be competing in the seventy five kilowat class, which means you're giving up ten ten pounds to people because the seventy five kilowat goes up to one sixty five. and so that sixty seven and a half kilowatts, three hundred and forty kilos kilograms is the new total, which is about seven hundred and fifty pounds. And the seventy-five Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: kilo weight class is now four hundred and twenty kilos for the QT, which is nine hundred and twenty-six pounds, which for a hundred and sixty-five pound kid varsity, that's that's a decent total. A decent lifter should meet that, Ron Roberts: Yeah, absolutely. Chris Gilliam: But whether you're gonna be in the top ten or five or whatever, that's different. And then eighty-two and a half kilo weight class. This one's the one that got me. That's four hundred and sixty-five kilos now, which is a thousand twenty five pounds. That one went up nearly a hundred pounds. So that's a big jump. Ron Roberts: which will tell you that weight class is pushing weight. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, that and and they had a lot of qualifiers in it, and it's like that's something that they look at. Kinda like our old system when we would make our qualifying totals. It was based on top the tenth place finish and stuff like that. But yeah, th they better our lifters need to be aware, you have to if anything, you better have lifted in a lighter weight class when it gets converted into kilos. Yeah, that's super important. Okay. Ron Roberts: so much. Chris Gilliam: already talked about the lifting gear. Go ahead, coach. Ron Roberts: something else as far as qualifying totals. The varsity totals are all real totals. you have to be a qualified lifter to qualify for the varsity totals. But JV is about getting people to the meat and those totals are much lower, right? And I know with the women with the exception of one-way class where the total is high for some reason. Qualifying for JV, if you've lifted, you're probably going to be able to do it. And it's so you can get down there. You can get the experience, see that you like it. So for our JV lifters or freshmen and our sophomores that don't want to lift varsity, highly recommend qualifying for the JV, going down there, taking a shot at a JV national title, because the qualifying totals are pretty respectable. they're, they're much different than the bar in three ways. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, the other thing I noticed is there's a there's a yeah, there's a middle school division now I noticed. Is that new? Ron Roberts: You notice that the qualifying totals aren't there yet? On that spreadsheet I mentioned. Chris Gilliam: No, it does. It has a minimum. No, th the qualifying totals for middle school kids is minimal, seventy five kilos. Ron Roberts: Okay. Chris Gilliam: I don't know. So they got real minimal qualifying totals. I think they're just trying to see how many people would actually come and compete. Maybe. I don't know. Ron Roberts: Absolutely. Because they used to be separate meets. And Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Ron Roberts: I'm not, I'm not sure that high school nationals will have a middle school division. But they used to be separate meets. But if they can get people there, they may, you'd have to look at the, on the website and see if it's, if it's a possibility. Chris Gilliam: Sure. Ron Roberts: Cause they used to be separate days or separate weekends. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. For sure, yeah. 'Cause it well, and that's part of their youth divisions, right? Middle Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: school technically. Yeah, I gotcha. So we talked about lifting gear coach. y you discussed also certain brands for them to look at because that they're already certified. y y the singlist, you you got it all covered. in regards to that. So we're gonna move on to the environment. We we talked about the number of platforms used at your meet. I read that the high school nationals this year plans on running four platforms. So can you explain how that setup's different than our MHS PLA meets? Ron Roberts: Yeah, they do a really good job at Nationals with the show of it. When you're when when the parents are out front in front of the platforms. The platforms. Have a curtain behind him. Where blacks out the stage behind the warm up area behind the platforms, and so you can't really even see the lifters back there warming up, getting ready. You might see him just before they lift. But there's there'll be four platforms with a curtain that goes across the whole room. And then your lifter will come out of a hole in the curtain there. And when they're called for their lift. And it's the reason why I love National so much is the show of it. There's cameras, there's lights, there's screens that tell you everything. There's a crazy announcer in a pirate suit running around telling everybody what's going on. Gino is famous in our world and the first time you see him. He's pretty eccentric but There's a big show of it but behind the curtain there's screens telling you who lifts next there's They're telling you where the competition is who made what lift and I'll tell you my first nationals, that was my favorite part of it. came, my first national that, Abby Joseph won the national title, my first trip there. And there was some gamemanship, you can move your deadlift twice at the end of, at the, at the third deadlift at nationals. And I announced that I was changing the lift. Like I was. raising the lift when I was really lowering the lift. And a bunch of people chased me when I wasn't actually raising the lift. And when you're behind the stage, there's a whole warmup area and there's screens around the warmup area where you can keep track of where the meat is going. So if you're in flight three and you're warming up, you can see where flight two is and how close it is to your actual turn coming up. And after you warm up and your flight starts, you go behind your platform and there's normally a row of chairs back there where the lifters will sit down and take some weight off their legs while they're waiting for their turn. And there'll be a table where you put in your next lip and there'll be a person that's standing in the hole between the platform and the behind the scenes. And they'll be calling people up, telling them who's up, who's on deck, who's in the hole. And I don't think I'm describing Chris Gilliam: Mm. Ron Roberts: it enough how cool it is. But when you're behind the scenes, Chris Gilliam: you're doing a good job. Ron Roberts: what? When you're behind the scenes, everybody is like ants crurrying around, getting ready and getting to go. But when you're in front of, when you're on this stage, the crowds there, the crowds there, the... Chris Gilliam: yeah. You gotta be there to experience Ron Roberts: Everything's going on. Chris Gilliam: it. It it's hard to describe. Yeah. Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: Coach Roberts, if you get a chance, can you turn an interior light on? We're talking to darkness. Ron Roberts: Yeah. Okay. Chris Gilliam: We can't even see you, bud. I vaguely can get your your beard in the picture. There, that's a little bit better. Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: so what coach Roberts was explaining to our listeners, It's not like other meets, lifters, parents. You're not going to see your kid in between attempts. All right. You're not even going to see them when they're basically when if they're in session one, they get the warm-up room first. Then they go from the warm-up area to the staging area. Okay. And the staging area is behind the curtains that are for the platforms. And then the next session is in the warm-up area. So you're warming up before, when the previous flight is going, right? And so as you're warming up and you're finishing your warm ups, if you time it just right, they're on their last few guys or gals for deadlift third attempts. And then you move into the staging area. So, the only time you'll get to socialize with your parents or family is after your flight goes and you'll have a little bit of time. Because, they'll most likely be three flights at your platform. So, but other than that, you're spending a a flight warming up and then a flight competing, and then you have a flight of somewhat, getting to socialize and rest and do stuff like you would at at a normal high school meet. But it's way different. you're not gonna see each other, it's gonna be hard for all that stuff. So that's how they they w do that and the kilos are definitely something different, but they do a great job with the TV screens showing it. I wish that's something we could do, but you know what's being loaded on there. It tells you what it is in kilos and in pounds. So it Ron Roberts: Yes. Chris Gilliam: it helps. Those screens are big. But it's a it's a big it's a big show, I think. They do a great job with it. it makes it exciting for the kids. and once a kid does a USAPL national meet, they're kinda hooked on those meets. They're they're big, let's go to rules platform adaptations, coach. You you talked about the racks and stuff like that. So we won't really discuss that right now, but what's the most common technical rule differences that might catch a MHS PLA lifter off guard when they step onto a USAPL sanctioned platform. Ron Roberts: Right. So I got something for all three lifts for sure. But for squat, the number one difference in depth, right? When you lift in the USAPL meet, if you're not breaking parallel, and I'm not meeting at parallel, your crease of your hip bone is not breaking the crease of your knee, you are going to get red-lighted. And I watched it happen to a team in 2025. And they showed up and they were warned. And after the first round, the coach came up to me and said, you weren't joking. And I was like, I know I don't joke about anything in powerlifting. I warned you. And then this last year, they came. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, that was a that was a group. Go ahead, coach. Ron Roberts: But this year they came for real, right? They were ready and they didn't give up their first lift. Every lifter made depth on their... This vehicle is in demonstration mode. Connected by OnStar's high speed 4G connection. Press the blue OnStar button to learn more. Three years and I ain't figured out how to turn that off. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Leave it to Coach Roberts, baby. Ron Roberts: Three years and I ain't figured out how to turn that off. Yeah. Chris Gilliam: It's all good. I tell you what, we were talking to a total pitch black for a little while. Now we're talking to OnStar Coach Roberts. this We're going back like it's our first episode and it's all these hiccups. It's awesome. But no, yeah, I think you learn as you go. Unfortunately, we don't want our lifters and coaches to learn the hard way if we can help because it can be an expensive hard way. Yeah. Because these meets cost more, there's more travel involved, there's a lot more sacrifices. and we don't want people to spend that money, get there, and have a miserable time because they, bomb out. We don't want to see our lifters bomb out because Ron Roberts: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: of technicalities and stuff. but commands are somewhat similar, but yeah, the depth on squat is huge. But there's an extra command for bunch that our kids aren't used to, correct? Ron Roberts: a star command. And when when we're Chris Gilliam: Yeah, so what that's different. Yeah. Ron Roberts: used to the press command, which which is pretty serious at some of these U USAPL meets, it's a pretty serious. They really want that bar to be motionless before you press. But the star command says you have to be ready before they'll tell you to start the lift. And what w and in our organization we have to present the bar. But and Chris Gilliam: Well, what Coach Robert's trying to say is if you're fidgeting your feet, you're moving around on the bench, they're not even gonna let you start the lift. you can unrack it and they're not gonna give you the start command until your whole body is locked in and motionless. Then they'll tell you to start, meaning you can take the bar down to your chest. Then just Ron Roberts: USAPL, they have to believe you're you you're presenting the bar, right? And so they they'll say start and then when it hits your chest and it stops moving, they'll say press and then there's rack. So the three commands and I've seen that burn a few people, well they'll well they'll unload the bar and just start bench pressing. Chris Gilliam: like our meet, you'll get the press command and the rack command. And so that that's a little bit different and that That takes practice. So those that are gonna go to a USAPL meet and compete, you and your coaches, you need to practice these commands and you need to be really tough on one another because these officials sat through hundreds of hours. And if you're at the national meet, they sat through thousands of hours of judging lifts to get their certification. Ron Roberts: All right, I'm still recording but I think you guys are frozen. Chris Gilliam: So they've seen a lot and they're not gonna be lenient at all. They're not gonna be lenient. You're there at the best, highest quality meat. You better lift with high quality and performance. Chris Whittaker: they're gonna hold to it. Chris Gilliam: yeah, for sure. I think Coach Roberts, I'm hoping we get him back, but he did a great job explaining stuff. He's passionate about it. His lifters always do really well. I think he's won a JV women's national title back in the day. I don't remember exactly what year off the top of my head, but he's won one. and then just recently Davison Boys J V won a national title this past year. Yeah, I know Troy Athens has been they've placed high, Cros Lecks did back in the day too. When I was at Birch Run, we were able to finish third in the country one year. So, w we've had some team success. Plainwell's won some in the past. So Michigan usually does a good job representing at these meets, but we all learned the hard way. And we're hoping our new people can not learn the hard way so much because it can be an expensive lesson. So Chris Whittaker: Yeah. An expensive expensive lesson to go and screw it up. So hope Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Chris Whittaker: hopefully our listeners take and heed the advice that was provided here. Coach, I I think that's we'll call this one a wrap. We'll bring it in for a landing. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, for sure. I once again we appreciate Coach Roberts being with us. He is the liaison for the USAPL for the Michigan High School Power Lifting Association. He's also a board member and he is responsible for I'm trying to think, zone four. No, five. He's a odd. Three, maybe. No, you're five, aren't you? Or seven. Yeah, we're Chris Whittaker: We're gonna be honest. Chris Gilliam: we're messing it all up. It it's posted on the website anyway, but Chris Whittaker: On the website. Chris Gilliam: he he's the thumb and flint area, Coach Roberts is, along with Coach Conrad. so yeah, he he does a really good job. He's passionate and we're glad we could have him tonight. Chris Whittaker: Well, for Coach Roberts and Coach Gillum, this has been another episode of the Platform where the stories weigh a ton. Ron Roberts: All right. Chris Gilliam: We'll add it. Ron Roberts: something I would like to tell them every year and I know you've done this, Chris, and I do it every year, a kid shows up without a coach. And if they're from Michigan and I'm available, every year I coach some kid I met that day. And Chris Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Ron Roberts: if they want it I watched you do it to the kid from each jordan one year. I did it two years ago to a kid from sh over on the west side of the state and we had a great day. So I'm there the whole tournament no matter what. So if you got questions or if you need a coach, we can normally find you one. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, that's a great point. 'cause some of their their high school coaches aren't able to attend. Their parents are not comfortable, being in that role of coaching because they're just a parent they want to watch as a spectator. And that's a way different environment for an individual to be in without some guidance and help. So, Ron Roberts: Absolutely. Chris Gilliam: yeah, search out familiar faces from our association. especially the coaches if you can. And, if you're lucky enough to be at a platform that they've got a kid at, I'm sure that they would help you as much as they can, as long as it didn't interfere with their own student athletes their coaching. But yeah, we're all trying to lend a helping hand as much as we can. Ron Roberts: Absolutely. I had a cool story at Worlds this year as I was walking in and this poor girl was in complete tears. And I go, What's going on, little girl? And she's like, my coach isn't here, my coach isn't here. And I was like, Okay, what's your name? What weight class are you? Do you know what platform you are? And I walked her through the whole weigh in process. And it was funny when it was all done. Her coach showed up right when he was supposed to, right as she was going into weigh in. And not only did she make way and get registered and get completed, she ended up winning the meet. So was it was a Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Ron Roberts: as a girl's dad, I couldn't just sit there and let her let her feel like she was alone. Chris Gilliam: Sure. Ron Roberts: And we got her all registered and ready to go and her coach thanked me. But that's what we're there for, right? Chris Gilliam: yeah, for sure, definitely. Well thanks for sharing that story. We appreciate Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: you, coach. and hopefully you get as many kids as they want to qualify and I hope they all compete and do well this coming season. Ron Roberts: Thank you. Chris Whittaker: Gentlemen, this has been another episode of the platform, where the stories weigh a ton. There you have it, folks. That does it for another episode of the platform. And a huge thank you to Coach Ron Roberts from Goodridge High School for joining Coach Gillum and myself in helping break down everything our Michigan lifters, coaches, and parents need to know about competing at the 2027 USAPL High School National Championships. I think the biggest takeaway from this conversation is pretty simple. If you want to compete in nationals, you need to start prepping now. It's not just about being strong enough to qualify. You gotta understand the rules. Know your qualifying totals, get your memberships taken care of and registrations so that you are prepared for an entirely different competition environment. From equipment checks, weigh-ins, lifting in kilos, starting the bench press with a start command, meeting stricter judging standards, there are a lot of little details that can make a big difference. And the last thing we want is for a Michigan athlete to spend the time and money traveling across the country only to miss out because of something that could have been addressed before they left home. Remember, Coach Roberts and Goodrich High School will be hosting a USAPL qualifying meet on January 16th of 27. And if you're considering Nationals, that's a great opportunity to get some experience competing under the USAPL rules and working towards your qualifying total. And don't wait to register. These meets fill up quick. Nationals has a limited number of spots available. And reach out to Coach Roberts if you have questions. we here at the MHSPLA are here to try and help. Get more Michigan athletes onto the national platform. So reach out to Coach Roberts and he'll help you answer a lot of your questions. You can find his contact info on the website or email info at USA or at MHSPLA.com and we'll make sure that Coach Roberts gets the information. Now a few more important announcements before we prepare for the upcoming season. Again, nominations for our inaugural MHSPLA Hall of Fame is up. Go on the website,