Latest / The Platform: a Michigan High School Powerlifting Association Podcast / Dennis Reinhart, USPA Record Holder & Coach, Montrose HS Pt 2| The Platform Episode 14

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Dennis Reinhart, USPA Record Holder & Coach, Montrose HS Pt 2| The Platform Episode 14 · The Platform: a Michigan High School Powerlifting Association Podcast

• Chris Whittaker: Welcome to the platform where the stories weigh a ton. This is where some of the MHS PLA's best tell their stories about what it takes to build themselves and their teams under the bar. I'm your co-host Chris Whitaker. We're glad you're here. Hey, if you're enjoying this show, please make sure you subscribe and follow and leave a review on all major podcast hosts: Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Amazon Music, and many more. This support helps us to continue to grow the show. And bring the conversations that you want to hear right here on the platform. If you'd like to give us feedback or suggest a guest or topic for the show, please email info at mhspla.com and we'll get back to you. Today's episode is episode number 14, and this is featuring part two of our interview with Power Lifter and longtime MHSPLA figure Danny Reinhart. In part one, Denny took us through his own journey through Teaching football, powerlifting, and how they built the Montrose program and his philosophy on coaching lifters the right way. And part two, Denny goes into some of the bigger conversations of the sport today and growing the growing wave of female participation in powerlifting and the ongoing debate around drug testing at meats and what he considers the hardest thing to actually coach. We close it out with the rapid fire round, getting Denny's quick takes on lifting, coaching, and everything in between. Ladies and gentlemen. Step up. The bars loaded. For episode 14, part two with Denny Reinhardt. Hit the intro music. Chris Gilliam: Chris. Chris Whittaker: Yeah, I mean it's no it's no different than the the drug testing argument, right? Like it's it's a distinct advantage that either everybody has that or nobody should have it, you know, within the contest. you saw lots of changes within the MHS PLA during your time. what do you think of the surge of female athlete participation in the MHS PLA over the years? Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: I think it's awesome. I think it's awesome. It's just the only only thing that makes it difficult is is is running the meets. You know, because you got so many male lifters and so many female lifters. That may that's the tough part, you know, and but I mean that that's a good problem to have. You know, the only you you know, obviously it's a problem though when trying to get to regional qualifiers and that and you gotta shut off entries for, you know, certain reasons. I mean, I mean that's that's that's hard, you know, especially with you know, the season being so condensed. You know, I mean, you truly aren't going till after the first of the year. And then you're having the state meet, what, first week of May March? You know, so you've got what, you know, not even well, you really got you got January and February and then your state meet. I mean, it it it's tough, you know, and then obviously you're trying to fit it in. You know, I know, you know, obviously years ago we kept the state meet up until like right before spring break. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. It's like three months. Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: Which gave kids a few more times. And then there was the times where, you know, cheerleaders and wrestlers were exempt because they were always competing on Saturdays and this and that. you know, so there's been changes, you know, I think in both directions. But I mean, again, it it's a good problem to have when you got too many people. then it's a way of just figuring out how to get, you know, those people involved. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. Well and I mean I think we talk about it all the time with the you know, the females. There's always that, you know the stigma of powerlifting, you know, and that's what keeps some from trying it. But once they try it, they kinda get hooked into it for the girls. But I really believe I honestly after we went raw totally, I felt like that that's when the girls influx started to grow steadily after that. Because, you know, I don't I don't know. I d it probably wasn't overnight, but I just felt like the numbers started to get a little bit bigger 'cause now you're talking within the next ten years, like we actually added a J V division for the girls. You know? So and you know, now we have a separate J V state meet, you know. It wasn't like that before. The those two day long weekends spitting in all that, I mean it that those were hard weekends, but they were busy weekends. you held some of those state meets w What do you remember about those? Like, did your volunteers hate you? Dennis Reinhart: I obvious obviously a lot of the, you know, the ADFPA ones we held and then obviously the MHPSL ones we held. I remember the one actually one year was probably the best year. I think it's probably like I'd have to look back on it, four, five. We did it with Bendel, me or Jeff Seski was at Bendel at the time, and we combined and ran the state meet at our place. He was responsible for one gym, I was responsible for the other gym. And it worked out great. And then we just, you know, basically split everything. And so it was like at two different two different meets, but basically at the one site. And it worked out well. And then I remember the one the last state meet I think I I actually held was in 17, I think. We ran again the girls were just one division at that time. And we did the girls on a Friday afternoon, Friday night. And I think we had like 300 girls then. And then we ran the JV. Boys Saturday morning with another 300. And then we ran a varsity boys Saturday afternoon with about 250. And Chris Gilliam: Yeah. I that was two thousand sixteen coach. Yeah, 'cause my oldest daughter that she was a sophomore. And so that's that that was the last year w the girls were just one division. And I just I remember that. You know. My wife didn't have to leave work to stay there to watch her daughter lift, you know, 'cause my wife worked at Montrose for a lot of years. So yeah, that was a great Dennis Reinhart: The sixteen? Okay. Yep, and that was, you know. Chris Gilliam: Great state meet. That was a great great experience then, so Dennis Reinhart: You know, and obviously a situation like that, you know, we had ten platforms and we had thirty, thirty judges obviously for Friday night and thirty different ones for each session. And a lot of them were former na lip national lifters and stuff like that. So it quality of the the judging was pretty well not, you know. Again, when you're trying to run a meet and man, you c to get thirty quality judge that's hard. I'm sorry, that's hard. Even though if you put through training and that. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: you know, these a lot of these people they just they don't want to turn somebody down on the squat. You know, they just don't. You know, and that's the hardest thing to judge, but I mean that's gotta be the strictest thing. You know, 'cause it you know it's I always had the pet peeve of you're you're probably better off not trying to set a state record if you want to win the weight class, if you just stay below the state record and then somebody tries for the state record, they get, you know, usually three you know, well again, we used to do it with the state judges and they're gonna Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Pretty good judges. Dennis Reinhart: Judge you stricter versus than somebody that's right there. And so then this person makes a 30 pound jump, they don't get it. And so then you you make the gain there, you make the gain in each lift, and all of a sudden you're actually the state champion just because the other person tried three different state records, which again is a difficult part. But it but it is hard getting quality judging. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. yeah. And trying to Yeah, and trying to convince a kid not to do that. I mean that's that's another challenge too. So that's awesome. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Chris Whittaker: feel like we had one do that a few years ago, right? Where Chris Gilliam: Well, I th this past year there was two kids and and and it ma at matter of fact it was one of Kevin Lang's lifters, the the Ryan that won the scholarship for us this year. He he was asking, you know, you know, I'm like well, you know, you can attempt the state record weight, but you don't have to apply for it to be a state record. You know, if if you just want to attempt it and not be a state record, you can do that weight and you won't get state record judges. You know, that's the bottom line. Cause if you were to go second at the same weight, it's not a state record anymore and the state record judges leave. Which is always which is always messed up. It's the same way. They should just stay seated there and make it fair, but that's not how it works. So yeah, it's a it's interesting how it works. strategies. Dennis Reinhart: Right. Chris Gilliam: And w we could probably talk about that a whole session, but I can't remember if you asked that the last one or I did, Co. Chris Whittaker: d well did we we asked him did we ask him about w what changes he'd like to see? Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I guess that's what you did, yeah. No, ask That that Chris Whittaker: Yeah. so let you know so Yeah, but that one should be Did we talk about that? No. hey, I'm sorry guys. I'm a little I'm half asleep o over here, coach, I'm sorry. these lot Chris Gilliam: No, I don't think so. I you know what? Dennis Reinhart: All right, we good. Chris Gilliam: No, you're good. We kind of drifted off well, we we talked about the female participation, but like yeah, you did you did talk about that one. So what are some changes you think that the MHS PLA should po entertain, you know? Chris Whittaker: Mm-hmm. Dennis Reinhart: Well, from my perspective, the number one thing I still think there's gotta be some sort form of drug testing. Legit. I mean, you got it on all the sheets. you know, when was the last time there was actually a drug test? You know? That's the question. Chris Gilliam: I I'm gonna guess back into the nineties. Dennis Reinhart: No, no, there was we we we we do we drug tested at ours. in in in the sixteen one I d I dry only drug tested two. I only drug tested two. just just to s keep it on the thing 'cause I didn't want to be called out on anything and and send it in. Obviously in the nineties we had to test 'cause it was all sanctioned. I think some and and then we all know that, you know, over the years, you know, the stories and whatever and Chris Gilliam: Okay. even like that two thousand sixteen one? Okay. Right. Dennis Reinhart: There's been legit ones where we know, and we're not gonna say names, obviously, that people have been on it. And then it's it's even so more prevalent now, you know, with just with everybody taking hell their dad's TRT. You know, I mean, gee, gee, Willikers. I it's out there so prevalent. so I think some form of testing, are we gonna get anybody? Maybe, maybe not, but at least you're you know, you can hey, at least we we should say we're drug testing, it's there. And like I said in the USPA, Adam said it's about $150 a drug test. you know. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Okay. Dennis Reinhart: You know, if we you know, I'd say if you did four, you know, okay, you know, six hundred dollars, you know, or something, you know, just something like that. And then I also think, and I think, you know, with the way it's grown so much, just like in all sports, you have you know, different divisions, different size schools. You could almost run, you know, two state meets, you know, for like, you know, division one, division two schools. And another one for division three, division four schools. And the same thing for the boys and the girls. Then that way you got more people competing. You know, that's you the state meet. So the limited thing to, I don't know, what is it, 20 that get in for the varsity or whatever? Twenty, yeah, you know, like that. Then you got division one, division two, twenty kids. Then if you did division three to division four, another twenty kids, and then you could maybe even, you know, whatever like that, increase the numbers, and then you have that instead of, you know, doing it like that. Chris Gilliam: Twenty two, yeah. I like that. Dennis Reinhart: You know, they just like you do like in you know in in football, you know, you got what, eight divisions, instead of eight you go to four. You know, and basketball eighty seven eight. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I mean when when you think about it, we're the only we're the only sport in the Michigan that only has one division. Everybody's in the same. Dennis Reinhart: You know, and if you then you you know, and that I mean I you know, some people well it's watering it down, but again, I mean, do we want trying to get kids to compete, right? You know, then that might might adjust the regionals, might be easier to get in the regional. You know, okay, there's a division one, two regional at this place, and a division three and four regional at this place. You know, so then certain schools have to go to certain ones, whatever. Just you know, I think that that's a possibility. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: You know, obviously it take some some work on it, but I mean, you could, you know, I think it can be done. You know, so those will probably be the two biggest things. And then there's some people I've heard talking, whatever, and I I feel both the I ride defense on this one. Is you know, if you go to USP or USPLA or you know, USAPL and all the different organizations, their raw is now allows they allow knee sleeves. Chris Gilliam: well. Yeah, I Dennis Reinhart: And they basically do know say it for basically health purposes or training purposes, you know, help keep the knees straight and those sort of things, you know. there, you know, that's that's one. I don't know. I don't know where people stand on that one. I see both sides of that. Is it it isn't as as though it's like knee wraps like they used to be back in the day, you know, sleeves just pull up and they're up. So but again, that again, if you start doing that, then basically that changes all your records. Chris Gilliam: Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: You know, I mean it would. Because again, you know, th the the sleeves help you. There's no doubt about it. They don't help as much as actual knee wraps, but again, is that you can't compare that to a kid who, you know, did the ones without You know, so then you're then you're starting everything over again. So I mean you open up a can of worms. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Well, I mean honestly in my own personal opinion, you know, I know that those do help and aid, but I I think the safety concerns equal that out, to be honest. You know, especially at our meets compared to like a USPA or USAPL. They're used at those meets, there's about ten to fifteen minutes max in between attempts at our meets. There could be forty minutes in between attempts. At some of them because your weight class or your platform's so big. And I think like those knee sleeves help keep your knees a little warmer. Keep, you know, it helps those kids along. But the one piece of equipment I think I would like to see us permit moving forward it at minimum are the wrist wraps. Because we're starting to see more low bar squatters and the stress on their wrists when you low bar squat. You know, and then you know not everybody has great form on bench. And to get Dennis Reinhart: No, I I I yeah, that's one I didn't even think of it. Yeah, that that that them yeah, exactly. I believe I Chris Gilliam: Because it the wrist wraps are fairly inexpensive because I mean I think that one one of the other reasons we got rid of equipment is not everybody could afford it. So like we don't wanna maybe introduce something that starts making the sport super more expensive, but I don't know. That that's something I've always thought about. Like we allow to tape their wrist. What's wrong with a ten dollar wrist wrap? They're not that expensive. Yeah. So no, I I think that's great. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah. No. I I I agree for that one. Chris Gilliam: You know, 'cause we allow them to use lever belts or you know, the only belt we don't allow is Velcro and honestly the Velcro belts nowadays are much better than they were twenty years ago. You know, so I don't you know, that maybe that's something that we entertain too because they're just better made. But I don't know, I'm a leather leather belt guy. That's I'm showing my age a little bit, I guess, but I don't know. What do you think, Coach Whitaker? And some of the equipment. Chris Whittaker: No. I'm a leather belt guy too. no, I'dn't I agree. I think wrist wraps probably would be helpful and they're not that expensive. I think knee sleeves were getting into a bit of a thing you know, with with the you know, the thickness of the Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, new records un you know, it's not like we haven't done it before though, right, Donny? Dennis Reinhart: true. I know I I true. Chris Gilliam: We got retired weight class records because we've changed some weight classes. You know, we've got retired records because we don't know, but most likely those lifters when we allowed equipped lifters, most likely most of those records were equipped lifters, but I mean I don't know. I don't know how many of them were or if it was all of them. But and I know those records gotta be somewhere. That's where I would like to get my hands on so we can post them on the new website. Dennis Reinhart: they were. Chris Gilliam: I'm gonna look through the old website and see if the pata potentially exists there. Dennis Reinhart: The I'm I'm pretty sure on my school computer I got the results of the O seven meet at from Muskegon and that was here we did both. I'll have to double check and see if Hod Ryan Hodges sent me both or he just sent me the raw ones. But I do know I got it on my on my computer. I'll just I'll check I'll check. But if we were to do one or the other, I would I would go more for the wrist straps than I would the sleeves. Chris Gilliam: Must be again. Okay. That'd be awesome if you could dig that stuff up. Yeah, I I gotcha. Well, I appreciate that. coach, you got the next one? Chris Whittaker: Yeah. coach, what's the biggest mistake you saw beginner powerlifters making in their first year of the sport? Dennis Reinhart: The biggest mistake, going up too fast with the weight. You know, you know, they're they barely get, you know, their workout and they're barely get it, and the next workout they're throwing more weight on. And you know, I always, you know, try to say, you know, get the weight, but get it clean and make sure it's good before you move up. And why don't we just want to go go up too fast. And then, you know, they're they're they're they're sacrificing depth on the squat, you know, and stuff like that. Then you just got we gotta start super light, start from scratch. Can you start training high? It's you know, it's hard to break that habit and they wanna go up too fast. And I think that I think it's the biggest thing, they just go up too fast. Chris Gilliam: Okay, good. going to the taper coach, you know, as you got near the meets and I don't know how you you you programmed them exactly, but like what was your approach to the taper and peak week to ensure that the lifters, you know, were fully recovered, but you know, they weren't losing their nervous system sharpness. What was something that you used that was pretty helpful and successful? Dennis Reinhart: Well, I I always with our kids when we were competing, real heavy and everything like that, always did the same thing that I did when I competed and also the same thing that I got from Russ. But I I ta I changed it a little bit. Russ would what he would do, and when he was there at Mount Morris, his kids all maxed out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday the the the the week of the meet. So they would squat on Monday so they knew exactly what they could get. And then they did their bench and then their deadlift, and then he would hand them a piece of piece of paper and they would always, okay, if you got four hundred pounds per se, they would open up thirty pounds below their best. So then it'd be three seventy, then they have written down, then three ninety-five, and then their third one would either be what they got or five pounds over. So they already knew what they were doing going into the meet. And they had that written down because if you had thirty kids everywhere, he couldn't coach all thirty kids. So they had it written on a piece of paper, they put it in their whatever they had. That's how he used to do it. And I generally did that, but I would never I I never had our kids deadlift the the the the the week of the meet. We did it the week before and tried to get a gauge of what it was. and then the squat, depending on how much weight they were handling, we would do it like the Friday before or that Monday, depending. And if it was that Friday before, then on Monday we would just do like we would go the Monday, Tuesday stuff, just do our openers. Just do your opener. Make sure we're good and safe with it and get the opener and then just do our supplements. And then Thursday, Friday, absolutely nothing. You know. If anything, we would just do commands with just a bar or something like that to make sure they remember the commands because some of these kids would be first time lifters and they get all psyched up and ready to go and then they forget every command in the world and and stuff like that and blow meats because of commands. So that's the kind of how we would do it. Or how we did it. Chris Gilliam: w did you did you ever blow a command as a lifter coach? 'Cause Coach Whitaker has. Dennis Reinhart: come a never. Yeah. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: No no. I actually actually my big my biggest thing was I I got I had a five hundred pound bench turned down because I had my wrist wraps and I had the the the hook around my thumb. It's gotta be off of it. And so I had a five hundred pound bench turned down the the one meet. Chris Gilliam: All the loop over your thumb. Isn't that silly? 'Cause that did not help you get that way. But it's the rule. Dennis Reinhart: You it's like, why do you turn it down just for that? 'Cause that's the rule. But I you know, I get it, but yeah. But I've also I also had another time I recently not recently, but my one meet when I come out of retirement here about three years ago before I blew the shoulder out, I I got away with it. I kept it on, completely forgot about it, kept it on, but actually got it though. They didn't catch Chris Gilliam: they didn't catch you? That's awesome. All right, good. Good, good. Chris Whittaker: Was that the meat you competed against Todd Miller? Dennis Reinhart: I competed against Todd Miller? Chris Whittaker: They compete against each other, Chris. What did he tell us? They competed in the same meet. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Or you guys were in the same weight class. but I don't know if it was that year or some other year. But I think Todd might have been alluding to the fact that you guys competed like three years ago and that you guys were in the same weight class, but he was probably at a different meet. And he wanted us to let you know Dennis Reinhart: Really? Chris Gilliam: that he benched more than you. Probably for the first time ever, is what he said, but yeah. So what was it he did? Roughly like 360 something. And you were just like you were like five pounds under or something. I can't remember what it was. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah. Chris Whittaker: Well Dennis Reinhart: I didn't know that. Chris Whittaker: I'll I'll look it up. I'll f I'll find it again. Dennis Reinhart: 'cause I know when I when I I came back out of retirement there I was I was down there, gee, somewhere near K zoo, and I was in the sixty to sixty four age division and I set the state record. It was only like a three sixty-three or something like that down there. and then I I went to the national record, I dropped down to one ninety eight, and that's when I blew my shoulder out. And I got the national record for a while, and then it's been broken since. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. okay. Okay. That Dennis Reinhart: But that wasn't that wasn't a full meet. I was competing in a full meet. Chris Gilliam: All when you set the national record. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah. At one ninety eight and then I blew the shoulder out and had a reconstruction on it and that was I think that was two years ago and I'm slowly, slowly working myself back. But I I I blew it out pretty bad. Chris Gilliam: All right. So is there is there a future meat coming your way? I mean, 'cause there's they got all these other age groups and divisions still. Dennis Reinhart: Well I well I actually moved up up in up in an age division. Now I'm sixty five to sixty nine, so so who knows? Well knows, we'll see. Chris Gilliam: Ooh, nice. Yeah. Well, you know, the the the days of pushing five hundred are probably over, Coach, but it doesn't mean that you can't still work hard and see where you can push your limits. Dennis Reinhart: Well th the five hundred days are long gone. they're only they're I only got them I got videotape of that and that's it, man. I'll I'll never do that again. Chris Gilliam: I Yeah, I gotcha. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. I can't find that meat. Chris Gilliam: Hey, you wanna get to your question and then you can look it up some more. when we talked to Todd Miller, yeah. Chris Whittaker: Yeah, I can't find that I had it when when we were talking to Todd, I had it. Yeah, I had it and I can't find it again where I put it but Chris Gilliam: I think it's when you did like three sixty three and Todd did like the three sixty nine or the right around the three seventy. Dennis Reinhart: W was he was he in a younger age division? I'm sure of that. Chris Gilliam: Well, he's about he's about your age. I I think he's two or three years younger. So he might have been in that fifty five to fifty nine age group at the time. So it's possible, but yeah, I don't yeah, he made it sound like it was the same me, but I don't know that it was 'cause he's down in Georgia. So I don't know that Dennis Reinhart: Okay. Mm-hmm. I i I I wasn't in Georgia. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I gotcha. Chris Whittaker: They competed in the same time frame. Chris Gilliam: Same time frame, so yeah. Dennis Reinhart: Well well, if I would have known Ty was competing, I would have bumped it up a few pounds then. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, that's what you know. Well, and you know, arguably, you know, you're you pred predominantly up until you know, you said that one recent one full, you did just a lot of bench press meets, right? Dennis Reinhart: Yeah, I did. I did. Well when I first started out I was strictly a bench presser. And then I got got into the full meet. And then my last full meet, or actually last competition would have been in ninety-two. And then I never competed again until twenty I think it's twenty-three or twenty-four. I competed with my son. He just said, Hey Dad, you could still do the national record. And I what? And so he taught me into doing a meeting and so I went down there and so then I said, Okay, but th this was a it wasn't a tested one. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: And so it was just an open meet and I went down there and did it. And then he goes, then I said, You need to go out to to Las Vegas at the national bench. And I said, All right. So then I started training for that. And then I went out to Las Vegas and my third attempt I w I won the meet, so I was a national p champion, but I my third attempt I missed the national record. but I didn't I I I got buried basically. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, I got you. Dennis Reinhart: I didn't have it that day and got buried and then the next year I was gonna train for full meets and try to do the national full meat, then that's when I got hurt. Chris Gilliam: I gotcha. Nice. Not that you got hurt, but that you're you got those competitive juices going again. That's awesome. Dennis Reinhart: I get it every now and then. Even right now I'm starting to come back a little bit. I'm like, hm. So I did a you know, the other day I did three thirty five after my workout. I went, Hmm, maybe sixty five years old, maybe. I don't know. We'll see. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. May. Yeah, we'll see. No, that's that's awesome. I don't know that I could even do that. I I I don't even try in Max out much anymore, but in all the conversations I've been having recently with you and Todd Miller and stuff, and knowing you guys are competing and stuff, it's g getting me to like start thinking, you know what? Maybe maybe I'll I'll I'll do this and and get back into more of a training mode because I I've always loved lifting, but you know, sometimes you get in a routine and you do the same thing over and over. If you're training for a meat, you know, you you you get your wheels moving on things and you know, you start thinking about things that you did in the past that r really worked, you know, and you like. So yeah, I th it got me going again. So I started a a new weight training program about three, four weeks ago and we're we'll see what happens. Dennis Reinhart: Well, like I said, you got until tomorrow to sign up for our meet that the US C A meet that we're hoving at our school. Chris Gilliam: Hey, I know this. I plan on coming and watching that. I think I'm gonna get my oldest daughter to come and watch also. because you know, I think it'd be pretty cool to to see that. 'Cause I've at Montrose's auditorium I've seen quite a few different things 'cause my wife working there. But you remember years ago, Coach, when you guys brought that power team there? Dennis Reinhart: Yep, yep, yep. Chris Gilliam: You ever heard of those, Coach Whitaker, the power team? Chris Whittaker: The only thing I've ever heard, some along those lines, when I we had Bill Casmeyer come to our middle school and he r rolled a frying pan up in front of the the live audience. Chris Gilliam: Okay. Dennis Reinhart: Yep. Yep. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, well that that's what these guys kinda did too, but they they did all these str feats of strength, like ripping phone books, two phone books apart and all these other like curling. I remember the one guy curled like three hundred and fifteen pounds X amount of times. But it they were there for a whole weekend at Montrose. So there's like a Friday night show and a Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening. And th they it that was pretty cool to go and watch something like that. I just remember Montrose always having something unique around health, fitness, strength stuff taking place. Every now and then that one stuck out in my memory. 'cause I was at Birtron then and that was pretty cool. Chris Whittaker: The more I learn about Montrose here, then the more the more I like I like this place. I might have to visit. Chris Gilliam: th they're your kind of people, Coach Whitaker, I can tell you that. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. So also put in the comments if you want to see Coach Gillum compete in another meet let us know. Or if you want to see a all coaches meet, yeah, let put Chris Gilliam: Ha ha Dennis Reinhart: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: yeah. There there's too many young bucks in the in our association now, coach. yeah, we can do age divisions. I that I'm in for that. 'Cause you know, chances are I'm the only one in my age bracket. Coach Reinhart would probably be too, unless we got Todd Miller to come up for the the day. And then we could see you guys head to head. Yeah. That'd be fun. Chris Whittaker: Hey, we got age divisions. We got age divisions. Yeah. That's what we advertise on the marquee, coach. Miller versus Reinhardt. So coach, when you are when when you're competing for both you and your athletes, what's your philosophy on attempt selection and how you choose your attempts? Dennis Reinhart: Well, again, we were very similar to to what Russ did and what he taught me. We generally our opener was usually thirty pounds below, maybe thirty five, you know, roughly. And then the next attempt, you know, five to ten below based on the person. And then obviously if the kid is, you know, very inexperienced, we might go a little more for his opener. I'm I mean less on his opener just just for the fact of the experience because You know, again, they usually miss their attempts because of commands and stuff like that. But usually very similar to what Russ did, usually thirty below, five below, and then above. You know, I always always try to get our kids. I mean, really, I wanted our kids and I tried to preach in it, you know, you know, some of them are bullheaded, you know, I wanted them to be going into the meet and you're you're eight for eight going into your final attempt. You eight for eight, don't give any weight away, then your final attempt, you know, that go for it because then, you know. you know, there's nothing more left. You know, give it a shot and go for it and see what happens. But if you're giving weight away early on, I mean I I mean obviously that you know, that's how I competed too, just for the fact that I couldn't give weight away because I was a god awful deadlifter. So I'd have to get a huge, huge squat, a huge bench, and then pray to hang on for dear life. And that's how I competed and I never wanted to give weight away. So again I wanted to be going to it, going eight for eight and then from the end, you know, in my case I had to go nine for nine because I was never going to out deadlift anybody. So I had to Hope I went nine for nine and the person couldn't c catch me from behind. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Chris Gilliam: Interesting. Chris Whittaker: If if I remember correctly, I think Donnie Thompson said the same thing. He made the squat the squat and the bench press were his his zones, then he held on in the deadlift. All the way to three thousand pounds. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Pretty similar, yeah. Dennis Reinhart: Yep. Chris Gilliam: so you obviously you coached some kids that were probably w would you s consider genetically elite? Like they had they had what that it took to be a really good lifter. Like they were natural. Yeah. So your lifters that weren't that way. W did you train any different? Did did you find like their mindset was different than than, you know, the people who genetically Dennis Reinhart: there's no no question about it. Yep, no question. Chris Gilliam: Had a natural ability to do it. Dennis Reinhart: It was more just just constantly talking with them and just, you know, letting them know just stay steady, just stay consistent and you're gonna make the gains. Just stay consistent, you're gonna make the gains and just gotta, you know, kind of build up and build them up and build them up and and then, you know, keeping re you know, track of what they did, and then they can look back, you know, one month and then two months and three months and just see geez, this is where you were now look where you're at now. Just stay the course, just stay the course. well, I'm not making the jumps as big as so-and-so. Well, you know, you're not. But also that, you know, that's life. We're not all the same. You know, some people are gifted in in certain things and some aren't. You just stay consistent and you're gonna experience the success. Just stay consistent. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. yeah. I understand that. Chris Whittaker: Preaching that on a daily basis. Keep going. Keep you just keep doing what we ask you to do. Having a conversation with a kid today about not overtraining himself to the point of a lack of recovery. Right? Like ever everybody wants to jump in and, you know, everybody wants to do more, more, more, more, more. And sometimes the answer is. Chris Gilliam: yeah, for sure. Chris Whittaker: You gotta do more, but do more of the right things. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah, but it wasn't on YouTube or it wasn't on Instagram, you know? I Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: saw this I saw this last night. Hey, why come we don't do this? Yeah. Chris Whittaker: Yep. Yep. All the time. All the time. what do you think, coach, is the hardest thing to coach or teach in the sport of powerlifting? Dennis Reinhart: Hardest thing? boy, the hardest thing Wow. I don't know if you can narrow that down to one thing. Chris Gilliam: Well, tell us a couple. Dennis Reinhart: Well, I think the one of the thing is just again, is slow down. I mean, they wanna jump up too fast, you know, especially on the squad. You know, they just you know, and they and then they get upset with you when you say you're h you know, you you're high, you're high. You know, then they're mad. I'm just telling you what I saw. You know, I I think that's the biggest thing. They just wanna go too fast. You know, do it right, you know, go light and do it right and then you know, stay consistent, you're gonna make the gain. So I think that's that's the biggest thing with them. Chris Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Dennis Reinhart: You know, and then obviously just because they saw, you know, their their buddy, you know, in the same weight class do this amount of weight doesn't necessarily mean you have to do that weight. Do what you can handle. Do what you can handle. Chris Whittaker: Sure. Chris Gilliam: So kind of patience and understanding. Yeah. I think that that'll never go away. That that'll always be something that's tough. powerlifting can be mentally taxing. You know 'cause you've competed, and you've s you've coached it and stuff. how do you coach an athlete through meat day anxiety or a string of mislifts? I mean, you kinda talked about like with the training, but like, you know, they they missed that opening squad or that opening bench and you know, you you can see they're looking at the numbers and trying to figure out how they're gonna make up for that weight. Like, you know, what's your approach with those kids like? Dennis Reinhart: Well, again, if you if you're missing your opener, obviously, I mean, you know, most likely obviously I mean, no there's no fact, you opened up too high or you blew the commands. But we always, you know, obviously you can't go back, but that was the biggest thing is like the kid, kid that'll miss their opener or for whatever reason, and then they want to jump up, you know. I'll get I'll get the next one. You know, no, you you you didn't get the depth, so let's get the depth and worry about your in your third lift. You know, you gotta go back and get it. So we always try to tell them to Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: Repeat the same lift. You know, even if you blew it out of the water, there was a reason, you know. I just just cause I missed the command. Right, but you also don't want to now miss your second attempt because of whatever reason, get it. you know, so that that's the biggest thing with the kid. If they miss their opener, you know, then they my god, then they're, you know, wow. So you gotta obviously talk them through it and make sure they also if you can get to them, just repeat it. Cause I've had kids bombs, you I'll get it next lift, you and stuff like that. And then go back to them. I missed my opener. What'd you you repeat it, right? No, I went up. You know, just like, God, why? You know, and then before you know it, they bomb out of a meet. I was just like, come on, guys. and again, you know, I mean, you obviously can't play in every place at once, but you try to just preach to them, you know, you have to stay in the meat. Stay in the meat, stay in the meat. I mean, I had a kid many, many moons ago at Nationals. I mean, he he miss his opening deadlift. I mean, he was he was winning by fire, misses opening deadlift. Chris Gilliam: Mm. Dennis Reinhart: And it was just, you know, 'cause of command. And, you know, I told him, you know, obviously repeat it. And then I think it was a three platform national meet. So I'm somewhere else and I go back and he had jumped and he ends up bombing. And we we had actually had points on him back then and you had to declare who your points were on. And you know, he cost us a national title. We finished second by like four points. And, you know, if he would have got his he would have got his deadlift, even in a second one if he had his opening weight. he still would have won the weight class and so we would have won it anyways. But because of that, you know, we end up losing a national title. You know, just things of that nature. So just gotta you know, the kids just gotta understand. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, I think sometimes with the the kids, like keep things in perspective, you know. Maintain your position for the team, whether it's third place, second place, first place. You know, there's there's times to go for records, times to go for PRs, but if you're in a your team's counting on you, it's super important to be strategic with that. And we see that'll happen a lot, unfortunately. Dennis Reinhart: See, the the the hardest thing, you know, when we were competing nationally was, you know, you had to declare who your points were on. And you got a couple kids in a weight class and you got points on kid A and kid B is having a great day. And then you got to go up to kid B going, I can't have you get this lift because you know he's gotta beat you because we get more team points that way. So so so and we don't have points on you, so you gotta take one for the team. And they they're just Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Chris Whittaker: You're gonna beat the other one. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. 'Cause we didn't make you a point getter today. But but you know, it's okay if you take second 'cause we don't want the other schools to get these points. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah. Then their jaw drops and then you gotta add in there, Yeah, but if you do this, you know, we'll do better as a team, plus I'll buy you a large pizza tonight or something, you know. You know. Yeah, something like that. But that that was tough back in the day. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. No, yeah, I can see that happening. Chris Whittaker: Incentives it. Chris Gilliam: yeah. Well and like you had mentioned previously, I remember having to turn in a list of point scorers at state meets some of the earlier ones at Montreux because it was you had to list your ten people. I at that point in time I never had ten people, so how many ever I had I just put on the list. But I knew we were I would I knew we weren't gonna do much as a team, but you know, you let's still, you know, see what points you can get, you know. Dennis Reinhart: Yep. Yep. Yeah. Chris Gilliam: But yeah, that's cool. Chris Whittaker: And was that something that we ever did in the history of the MHS PLA or was that just Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah. We did it in the MHS PLA. especially I'd say nineties through probably the early two thousands. You had to name your your ten and now, you know, and it might have even went longer. I don't know. Dennis Reinhart: Who who was in score for you? I I I don't remember what year was. I don't remember what year w we changed that. I really don't. Chris Gilliam: But well it was probably once we started getting more tech savvy and we've developed a program that sorts it for us. 'Cause you remember the old days of doing the team scoring on a big old dry erase board and in some office, you know. Dennis Reinhart: well Chris, I go back to we used to do it on the chalkboard. Then the dry erase. Chris Gilliam: Well my bad. I didn't want to date you too much, Coach, but yeah. Chalk chalkboard, that's right. Yeah, for sure. you're up, Chris. Chris Whittaker: so talking about weaknesses, coach, how do you diagnose a lifter's weakness or sticking point and program accessory work to fix that? Dennis Reinhart: Generally just by just by watching their lift, you know, and usually in most cases, you know, with the lift you can kinda tell ninety percent of the kids it's gonna be lack of tricep, you know, in the bench press. You know, and then with the squat, you know, that's a thing, you know, got some of the kids who are great out of the hole. You know, then other kids just just can't, you know, they get three quarters up and they they just stop right there. You know, do you gotta do just walk outs or parcels with them or or stuff like that? Chris Gilliam: Yeah, right. Dennis Reinhart: And then obviously the deadlift, I mean, that's the one or again it it's it's ph philosophical. s you know, some kids are better, you know, conventional style, some kids are better sumo style, you know, what, you know, where and you know, where's their sticking point or are they solid out of the hole and and that so just basically watching the kids and just just seeing, you know, what what they have. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, so like as an example, like in bench, 'cause you know, obviously y you are a good bencher, like what what's one of the things like that you looked for on a kid to to know like, all right, he can probably make a twenty pound jump or a you know Dennis Reinhart: Well again, it like I said, it depends on where their strength or weakness is. You if your kids doesn't have it out of the hole, obviously, you know, really put a lot of emphasis on flat flies, flat flies and incline flies and even decline pressing to just to build the whole chest cavity up and get the explosion. And then you know, then if in a lot in most cases it's the kids lockouts, you know, I I was real big in close grip benching 'cause obviously it stimulates the bench, you know, the most as anything. And but then getting the real I mean, I'm talking like really narrow You know, with that for the lockout for the tries and then throwing then, you know, alternating between you know, like a French press or a a tricep extension, you know, like that for the triceps, you know, just depending on, you know, what it is. And then a lot of times with the with the kids deadlifting, if you know, they don't got a big pull off the floor. you know, I got this from Russ with Husted there. His big thing was they had put like a platform underneath the bar obviously and the the plates on the floor, then you you're standing on the platform with your grip, about a three inch platform. So it's only like three inches, but then you're trying to pull the deadlift the extra three inches and it feels like three feet, you know, and you're pulling that out of there, do your workout with that. Obviously it's lighter. And then we he was real big on too. And now we used to be too is real big on after workout singles. Then pull the platform away and do an after workout single. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, deficit polls, yeah. Dennis Reinhart: And it feels like you're not even pulling it. I it's like mine, it's already half halfway up before you even started. That was a big thing too, just to get kids past a a sticking point and get an explosion off the floor. 'Cause that three inches, my guy, it's night and day if you've never done it before. Chris Gilliam: Mm-hmm. Right, no, I I I agree. Yeah, you're one of the first people that we've heard I I don't know that anyone has, talking about decline bench. So like is that something you guys did fairly regular in your program? Dennis Reinhart: W with the high school kids, certain ones, dis you know, that, you know, I it's one of it's a s I put it in their booklets as a supplement. And I just tell them if you really truly want to build a chest cavity, a real chest, there's three parts of the chest. You know, you got obviously the upper part for the incline, you know, the the cleavage area, then your flat flies for the middle of the chest and then the lower chest for that. And if you want the big explosion off your chest, the bigger you can get your chest, the bigger explosion you're gonna get. And then obviously, you know, you know, it ain't gonna sink down as far. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: Now you don't have to push as far. So a short or stubby armed people like me, you know, you don't got to push it as far. So it obviously helps you in in the competition. But again, now we're getting into strictly, strictly powerlifting stuff. And again, you know, really we were trying to do the whole thing as a whole for for football. but again, I'll I'll tell the kids, you know, just an added supplement, you know, and again it makes you look good too, you know, build the whole chest cavity. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Have you ever done DevOS bunch there, Coach Whittaker? Yeah. I feel like it's something like a lot of people d either don't know or they kind of forget about in you know, installing it in their their programs, but you know, there used to be like specialty def d you know, decline bunches, right? That were made, you know, but I feel like with all Chris Whittaker: Mm-hmm. Yep. Dennis Reinhart: We got one. Chris Gilliam: All the way all the ways that the weight rooms have you know went now, like people aren't gonna do it unless they have a utility bench that can go to a decline. You know? So but yeah, that that's great. I used to do a lot of decline bench like when I was in college, I remember doing that. Made you feel a lot stronger. For sure. Chris Whittaker: Yeah, that's what I I have one of those. Mine mine is not the best that I c I can get it to drop down. And sometimes like I just try and just stay on it and not just slide off it off the back end. I just I I usually pass pass on it or with dumbbells. Dumb I've think I've done more dumbbell with that. Decline than necessarily with the bar. All right. what are we at here? Chris Gilliam: No. right, so I think I'm what do you miss most about your experiences? I you know, obviously you started to compete again, but you said, you know, like you had a thirty year absence of competing. So, you know, and you told us how your your son kinda convinced you to kinda do it again. You know, what was it that you experienced thirty years later that kinda like brought you back to, you know, the days when you were competing on a regular basis? Dennis Reinhart: Well, I mean, even in the years where I I wasn't competing myself, it was always like, Wow, would have, could've, should've, or I just truly wonder. But also, you know, when when I took the time off, obviously I took it off. I was starting a family, I was building a house and it just I just couldn't do it. You know, there just wasn't time to train and stuff like that. And then I actually had a shoulder surgery at that era too. And I just it was there's times I trained, I was starting to train to come back to it and it just I I guess the timing never was right, you know, with the kids, you know, you know, doing the football and then the kids playing and then they're following them through college and and stuff like that. And it just it just never fit right. And then obviously always thought about it and and then you know, I always played around, I always, you know, kept benching, you know, and I squat once in a while, but you know, just kept benching I 'cause I always wanted to make sure I was stronger than any of the kid in the football team 'cause I didn't want them to give me any lip, you know, and stuff like that. So I mean it was Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: I don't know, I think it was like four or five years ago one of the kids in the weight room challenged me, you know, whatever like that, and they ended up putting on one of their social media things, you know, about my coach can do this or whatever, and I I threw up four five, you know, or something like that. And so it's kinda like, Man, if I trained, you know, what could I do? You know, and whatever. So, you know, so Chris Gilliam: The radio, yeah. That video's out there 'cause it resurfaced. I did told you that earlier, Dennis, when we'll talk. So Whittaker, you gotta find this. I think it's like Instagram or Facebook or something, but it's like, can your coach do this? And it's showing Mr. Reinhardt mentioned four five. We need to add it to the end of this podcast so all the viewers can also see this video because I think it's awesome that your kids Dennis Reinhart: Yeah, you did, but I I I didn't see it, but yeah. Chris Whittaker: Well. Chris Gilliam: got involved with that and yeah that's pretty that's pretty cool. That's pretty neat experience for you and for your program and everything. who were you know you you mentioned Russ. you know obviously he sounds like he was probably the number one influence. Who were some of the people, you know, that you felt were pretty helpful in those, you know, that that transition Chris Whittaker: Whoops. Chris Gilliam: from ninety four to let's say the early two thousands with the MHS PLA. You know, you mentioned Brian Lemons being in involved and Noel Dean. Like what type of role with and Sotsky, what type of roles is it you guys were just you're organizing at the time did the state meet periodically would be on the west side. How did all that come about? Dennis Reinhart: Well, we originally when we set it up, I think it 'cause the majority of the lifters were still from this side of the state. And I think we would go like two years over here on the we what we classified as the east side and then one year over on the west side. So we would kind of bounce it like that. And then we would just kinda kinda take turns in an essence, you know, who wanted it and then, you know, if you didn't have a state meet, you you would run a regional meet and then there seemed to be, you know, a regional qualifier, you know. just about every weekend at le you know so if kids you know wanted to do it. you know Chris Gilliam: So how did the qualifying totals come into play? 'Cause you guys would have established that. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah, we took that percentages off what the state meet state meet totals were. And I I and I I I can't remember the first year that we actually used that for a qualifying total. But we used to be it used to be you had to be the top three of your weight class and you were automatically qualified and for each of the regional qualifiers and eventually you went with the qualifying total and it was supposed to be a percentage of what was done at the state meet and That was supposed to change periodically and you know, and that's how that's how it kinda was going, or how it's kinda how we did it. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Sure. I can't remember I I wanna think it was right around ninety seven. It was I think that was the first like s state meet I ever went to. Bundle hosted it. Do you remember that? Dennis Reinhart: Ninety seven. Well, I'm sure. I mean, yeah. Chris Gilliam: It it probably was right after Noel Dean had left and Setsky probably had taken over, but ca but like I remember that meet like starting at like eight or nine in the morning and we were there till like frickin' midnight. Dennis Reinhart: yeah. Well yeah, Bendel had a had a very small gym. Chris Gilliam: Small gym. It was crazy. They had platforms set up in their cafeteria. I mean, in so for me, that's like my first major meet that I went to as a a coach 'cause I was with I had coached with Jeff Duncan at Bentley and so we were kind of trying to get Bentley kids strong 'cause we competed against Montrose and in sports and in football and Dennis Reinhart: Yeah, I would Yeah, yeah. Yep. Chris Gilliam: I just remember going there and that was like my experience and I'm just like, holy smokes I remember going, Man, if every meet lasts this long, man, I don't know that I wanna go to too many of these. 'Cause I mean, it was a long day. I did not anticipate it was gonna be like that. And so I mean the transition over the years, 'cause you know, now I've been doing this for thirty years, it's for those that think our meets are long now, it could be worse. Dennis Reinhart: There were some long days. Yeah, and then you know things have changed too, because we used to do even for the state meet, like you would go to a regional site and weigh in for the state meet at a regional site that held held a regional, then you would send send those results into whoever's hosting the state meet and and that. And then there was like home weigh ins for regional meets, like you know, they're supposed to do for wrestling and you know, different things just to just to save the chaos of meet mourning and actually weighing in. Chris Gilliam: Would be a lot worse. Yeah. Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: And then we've Chris Gilliam: yeah. Dennis Reinhart: also done it the old fashioned way where you weighed in, but you could weigh in the night before. And then some people come in the way in. I mean, things have changed a lot back and forth over the years. Chris Gilliam: yeah. You know, and I think that's the one thing I've always grown to appreciate. Like if you know, people don't think that things are going as well as they could, ideas and suggestions are made and then, you know, enough people get on board with it. And I think the association has been willing over the years, starting back with with you guys, like to make those changes when necessary. You know, and it it made I think the organization stronger in the long run. but yeah, it's way different from nineteen ninety seven. I've been to high school to just finish in two thousand twenty six at Lake Orion because, you know, we were not there till midnight this year. That's a fact. Chris Whittaker: No, we were eating pizza at that sick pizza place and like Yeah. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, six PM we were eating pizza in a restaurant after g cleaning up, you know, that's how how quick it went. So all right, awesome. You ready for this coach? Speed round. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. feed that questions. Mm-hmm. Dennis Reinhart: You talking to me? I'm sorry. okay. Chris Gilliam: Well, I'm talking to Whitaker, we're gonna and you we're gonna start it, so Chris Whittaker: Get ready. Gotta get back underneath the bar in thirty seconds, coach. These are f quick, rapid fire. Hit us with your your answer that comes right to the top of your head. what's your favorite lift? Squat, bench press, deadlift. Dennis Reinhart: All what do we got? Badge. Chris Gilliam: Are you a low bar or high bar squad? Dennis Reinhart: Hi. Chris Whittaker: sumo or conventional deadlift. Dennis Reinhart: Simon. Chris Gilliam: Do you prefer a max PR or a rep PR? Dennis Reinhart: Depending on what we're doing it for. Chris Gilliam: Okay, bunch. Dennis Reinhart: No, no, but I mean what are we lifting for is this for football? Is this for powerlifting? What is it for? Chris Gilliam: Well power left him. Dennis Reinhart: Max. Chris Gilliam: All right. Football I'm gonna guess rap. Okay, gotcha. All right. Dennis Reinhart: Well, possibly both. Chris Whittaker: your best accessory exercise for the squat. Dennis Reinhart: Mike Press. Chris Gilliam: Best accessory exercise for the bench press. Dennis Reinhart: flat flies. Chris Whittaker: And your best accessory exercise for the deadlift. Dennis Reinhart: Off the platform. Elevated raised platform. Chris Gilliam: Nice. Good. All right. So we're gonna wrap this up with a few other questions. kind of go down memory lane a little bit. What are your fondest memories of your experience with the Michigan High School Power Lifting Association? Dennis Reinhart: I think just seeing kids getting a weight that they never felt possible and how they react once they pull it or, you know, squat it or whatever it might be and they come off the platform and they're jumping into, you know, teammates' arms or whomever it might be, just in general, just celebrating that they got that lift. It may have been a massive lift or it may have just been, you know, whatever, something light, but it was something That was massive for that person. Chris Gilliam: Okay. Chris Whittaker: And w what's one piece of advice that you would give another coach looking to start or build a powerlifting program? Dennis Reinhart: Just stay consistent in your beliefs and what you're doing and don't go away from it. Chris Whittaker: the Chris Gilliam: Is there any specific people over the years through Montrose that you'd like to give a shout out to? because they helped you in running meets, they helped you in training your athletes, you know, like assistant coaches and and such? Dennis Reinhart: man, I've had numerous people over the years just help out. I mean, you know, it can be the simplest as transporting kids to national meets. I mean, we'd go to a national meet and we'd rent a motorhome and pile fourteen kids into the motorhome and go. You know, I had my good buddy of mine, Gary Wilson, who d didn't coach, you know, at the school or anything like that, but he would take time off work to help drive the vehicles for us, you know, with us and stuff like that. had numerous coaches over the years. I've had you know, like Craig Dustramp who's been with me ever since I came to Montrose. coaching, he's been there and he still is. you know, John Deem is is is right there with us. I can go to to my my school superintendent who started out as a you know, he's I don't know, five, six years old and has worked his way up the thing be has become player for me, then coach with me and, you know, I have a teacher and Athletic director, principal, and you know, he's my superintendent, you know, over the years, you know, Dr. Lyndon Moore. You know, so there there's numerous people like that. I mean, there's so many. I I I couldn't start the name, but there was just a few. And obviously I don't I owe a great deal of everything I've done, you know, to to the late Tim Stiverson and the late Russ Husted. You know, they're probably the two biggest inspirations that I had. You know, Tim relate when I was still in high school, then obviously Russ when I was student teaching. you know, they were the big two of the biggest ones. Chris Gilliam: Awesome. Chris Whittaker: So Coach before we before I kick it to Coach Gillum for any final comments or questions from him, is there anything that we haven't discussed that you'd like to share with our audience? Dennis Reinhart: Wow. I I think we've covered the ha the whole gamut of things. I mean I mean there's probably just some things I probably got in my filing cabinet. If I start digging through it, I could, you know, bring that up, but that could be a at a different time, whatever, but you know, especially some of the original records and of that sort of stuff. But I a whole gamut of things, man. I don't know whether there's anything more out there. Chris Whittaker: Okay. Well we we definitely can have you back on for another episode. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, honestly, we're gonna do some things on like the art of bench press and stuff. That would you like to join us for that episode later on the summer? Dennis Reinhart: And I just say, Get the damn weight up. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, but you you obviously you're a strong guy in the bench. I I would say you you know some things and it would be good to have like a panel of guys to d discuss those things so Dennis Reinhart: Well, I I was genetically gifted with short arms. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, but just like the equipment, if you don't know how to use it, coach, it doesn't matter. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah, that's true. Chris Whittaker: Well, Coach Gillum, actually before I kick to Coach Gillum, Coach, do you have any public facing social media that you'd like to share if like people want to follow you or anything like that? Dennis Reinhart: I I don't do social media, I'm old school. Chris Whittaker: The the internet just lied to me to him and said that he had a Instagram page. Dennis Reinhart: If if Yeah, probably probably might have my son or whatever, but I I don't I don't have Instagram or any of those things. If somebody wants anything from me, you can give out my phone number or contact to school and I'm I'm there. That's my social media right there. Chris Gilliam: Well Yeah. Yeah. You're better off going into Montrose schools and going by the gym and you'll or the weight room and y his office is right there. That's most likely where you'll find him. And back in the day, Coach Whitaker, you wouldn't believe this. This guy would be mowing and lining his own football field a lot. You know. But I I hear you guys you guys have turf now, right? Chris Whittaker: Yeah. All right. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah, there you are. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah, yeah, I did. We got a we got a brand new stadium. It's it's be it's beautiful. It really is. Chris Gilliam: Yeah, well th so this is like the third expansion that I'm aware of since 'cause you guys got the outdoor stuff done, like the walk in entrance done not probably like ten or fifteen years ago, right? Dennis Reinhart: About about twelve, yeah, two thousand twelve. Then we had one in ninety eight, so that's the third one. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. And so Yeah, so they take their football there serious and rightfully so. Dennis Reinhart: The more we're actually getting an addition, this one too is part of the we've got the football stadium. We're also getting an addition to the wrestling room and the weight room. It's actually getting increased. So I put months many other things that they did, but those are three of the ones that you know, that we enjoy or will be enjoying. Chris Gilliam: Nice. Yeah. And for a for a small school, Coach Whitaker, great facilities. It's a great sports town. It's a blue collar town. So like they they're they're the we're the epitome of football for a lot of years and still are consistently winning. And you know, you guys I I can still remember being a younger guy in college and you probably for another time. You remember your was a semi final game, I wanna think, or was it finals? I can't remember. When you guys played I wanna think Lor Orchard Lake Saint Mary. So that was ninety four and so Dennis Reinhart: What's your leg name, Mary's? Yep, yep. That was that was ninety-four. Ninety four, that was a war. We lost thirteen seven to him. That was a great team. You know, and yeah, we had our opportunities, didn't do it. That was that was back in the era when we had we had that eighty game winning streak in the regular season. We had one eighty straight. Chris Gilliam: Yeah. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah. Chris Whittaker: Damn that Orchard Lake Saint Mary's. That's who got us. Chris Gilliam: That that's who Coach Whitaker's team lost to in the finals this year, Coach, for division two. Dennis Reinhart: Yeah. Yeah, well I know, that's I get it, man. They they yeah. Yeah. Chris Gilliam: It's crazy. Chris Whittaker: Yeah. Chris Gilliam: Well, thank you for being with us, Coach Reinhardt. Really appreciate it. Yeah, a any files you can find, you just somehow figure out a way to get get to me. Dennis Reinhart: Well, if you're if you're gonna make it up to that meet on the twenty eighth, I could probably have something by then. Chris Gilliam: That sounds great. I I do plan on being there. yeah, and w we can get those files and however we need to do we'll get digitized and get on our website so that everybody can have it. We're just trying to make everybody aware of the history of the organization 'cause there's so many new people and new faces in it. you know, their their memories only go back maybe ten years. You know, so they They don't know anything different than the there's always been J V women and varsity women. You know, they don't know anything about the past. And that's why we're doing this is to educate them on where our association started and how it got through the transitions to where it is now. So thank you for being with us. Appreciate it. Dennis Reinhart: I thank you much. Chris Whittaker: This has been another episode of the platform where the stories weigh a ton.