Coach Bonikowske and the Foundation of CDH Sports
Greta Cunningham ‘23, Communications Intern
August 2, 2023
Under Ryan Bonikowske’s instruction, the Patrick Daulton Family Fitness Center has become an epicenter of student life at Cretin-Derham Hall. Bonikowske, known by students as “Coach B,” joined CDH as a strength and conditioning coach in 2021 through CDH’s partnership with Training HAUS, a performance facility renowned for their sports medicine expertise. Over the last two years, Bonikowske’s training programs have played an essential role in reducing Raiders’ risk of injury while allowing them to enhance their performance.
To prepare for in-season training, CDH offers Raider Speed and Strength over the summer. This year, 329 students participated in the $250 seven week program, three days a week for middle schoolers and four days a week for high schoolers.
“Raider Speed and Strength serves as a foundation that we can build upon throughout an athlete's competitive season to make each athlete more explosive, stronger, faster, and more resilient than their competition,” said Bonikowske. “We can then take steps forward as a team throughout the season to improve each athlete's athletic potential. It’s a huge advantage for teams to train together over the summer, so when they play together, they have confidence in one another.”
During the school year, all access to the fitness center is completely free for students, becoming an essential tool for conditioning between games and seasons.
“Coach B and myself take pride in getting athletes ready to compete at a high level in season and out of season,” said Kenny Udoibok ’16, CDH Student Advocate and assistant coach in the weight room. “Our goal is to help athletes reach goals and develop into the absolute best version of themselves.”
Bonikowske learned the potential of this kind of programming first hand during his own high school athletics experience.
“My dad was the first coach to introduce me to the weight room and drove me to the high school at 6 a.m. during the week starting in sixth grade,” he said. “It was a great tool for me to improve because, even though I wouldn’t have considered myself a ‘natural athlete,’ I was a really hard worker. I spent a lot of time training there, and it allowed me to become super successful in wrestling during high school. I think that’s where I got the idea to be a strength and conditioning coach.”
Bonikowske continued wrestling and football in college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse before receiving a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Rehabilitative Science from Winona State University. He was then a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at Arkansas Tech University while earning his master’s degree in Strength and Conditioning Studies. Bonikowske also interned as a strength and conditioning coach with various teams at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Those coaching experiences were huge because I’ve been able to integrate everything I learned from those universities into my programs and make it my own today,” he said.
However, after developing a strong professional foundation at the collegiate level, Bonikowske knew he eventually wanted to work with high school students.
“I love working with high schoolers because they have really big goals and the aspirations to get better. I get to be a piece of that puzzle for them,” he said. “Working at a high school level really allows you to build something. In the fitness center, I’m combining my vision with that of our coaches and CDH as a whole to create something special for our students.”
The collaboration between Bonikowske and coaches is integral to Raider athletics. CDH offers 28 varsity sports, along with a wealth of junior varsity, B squad, and ninth grade teams, all of which Bonikowske is responsible for training.
“I usually meet with coaches six weeks out from the beginning of the season. At that point, I've already looked at their entire game schedule and have an outline of what I want to accomplish throughout the season,” he said. “The coaches at CDH have really embraced making training an important part of their team schedules, and when they buy in, the kids buy into it too.”
Bonikowske usually has three groups, roughly 60 to 70 students, come through the weight room before the school day even starts: two in season teams and a group of off season students, all with their own designated time.
“In the middle of the day, I'm planning and prepping for both the teams that are in season and the out of season kids that will be training that afternoon,” he said. “Sometimes, I'll sub in the classrooms, which has been a great way to keep getting to know the kids a little bit more. Really, I just help out within the school as much as I can.”
After school, Bonikowske has sessions with four to five teams from around 3:00 to 6:00, in addition to another group of off season students. Whether they’re training before or after school, Raiders have set workouts Bonikowske has designed specifically for their group, focusing on different elements throughout the week as part of a long term four to eight week progression.
“Once I’ve finished with the last group of the night, I usually head out to watch a team’s game. I try to get to two or three games a week and show my support because, when the kids know I'm invested in them, they're going to be more invested in me and what we're trying to accomplish in the weight room,” he said.
And that goes beyond athletic performance. Along with physical health, the fitness center has a profound impact on students’ character and emotional wellbeing.
“When the kids come in here, in addition to keeping them safe and helping them improve, we're also teaching them how to work. Developing that work ethic and desire to get better not only helps them be successful in their sport but in life,” he said “There’s more to lifting weights than improving performance; there’s a lot of life lessons, even if kids don’t always realize it in the moment. They’re learning the importance of doing the little things right, showing up on time, taking care of this space, and supporting each other.”
That mutual support between students is central to work in the fitness center. From team cultures to friend groups holding each other accountable for off season lifts, training builds essential community for students.
“Our programs allow students to form groups to push one another through workouts. The hard work, time, and sweat these athletes put into their training creates a strong bond with their fellow teammates,” said Udoibok. “The workouts are difficult and are designed to be done with others. It’s easier to reach goals when you have a community supporting you, and even sweeter when you do it with your teammates.”
Continuing to develop this foundation of encouragement and camaraderie is a priority for Bonikowske as he looks to his future impact on the CDH community.
“My goal over the next several years is to continue building culture within teams by expanding the individual relationships we make with students to a group dynamic. I want everyone to be comfortable working hard here and know I'm a person they can come to,” he said. “It’s going to be really cool when I’ve been here for four years and have had a class from the time they were ninth graders to the time they were seniors. I'm just hoping my continuous effort and hard work will reflect on all the kids that come through here.”
In addition to strengthening students’ interpersonal skills, Bonikowske’s influence has been equally formative in students’ independent and intrapersonal growth.
“All I ask from kids when they come into the weight room is to bring their best effort and trust that I’ll show them the rest,” he said. “I love seeing those aha moments in kids when their motivation starts to change and their mindset and transforms to ‘I can do this!’ As they spend more time in the weight room, they get more mature mentally, and I know they can leave CDH with the confidence to be successful beyond our community.”
While Bonikowske might be empowering students to leave CDH prepared for what’s next, he hopes to remain a pillar of Raider athletics for years to come.
“I plan to be here for a long time because it's through that continued relationship that we can continue building something great in a school I love,” said Bonikowske.