Dylan Chan ’24

Meet Dylan Chan ’24, a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of New Haven.

Tell us about your current position and how LRU prepared you for it.

At the University of New Haven, I am responsible for the following: creating year-round programs for D2 athletes, running athletes through warm-up and workouts, assisting other sports teams and increasing sports performance by athletes. I also assist with nutritional advice and supplements distribution, prepare injury prevention guidelines, work with sport science-based testing to investigate sports performance and provide game-day sideline support.

La Roche helped me to gain experience in the field before stepping into my role, including an opportunity to lead the Intro to Weightlifting class for La Roche’s Center for Lifelong Learning, men’s soccer team programming, and advice inside and outside of the classroom. Being the strength coach for the Powerlifting Club also was a great way to cultivate campus and grow my professional career.

Why did you choose LRU for Exercise & Sports Science?

I chose La Roche for my major because it was close to home, and for the history La Roche has for aiding students into careers after college.

What do you love about your major?

I love that my major had applications to my everyday life and my interests. Everything I learned applied to my life and my peers’ lives in one way or another.

Everyone has aches and pains throughout their lives, and it is very interesting to see the process of how the body works and compensates.

Describe your experience as a student at LRU.

The small class sizes really allow you to get the full experience of having a relationship with your professor. If you have questions or need help, it is readily available.

Outside of the classroom, I found La Roche to be very tight-knit community. People build culture with what they are surrounded by, and I think La Roche is surrounded by caring individuals trying to propel forward.

How have extracurricular activities enhanced your university experience?

Baseball and Powerlifting really shaped my experience. These activities kept me busy and taught me time management.

I always wanted to play baseball at the next level, and La Roche offered that opportunity, for which I’m extremely grateful. It gave me a family to rely and build upon.

Powerlifting allowed me to become a leader on campus and to build a culture of strong-minded individuals with common interests.