Charlie Woida Position: Athletic Performance Center Assistant Director

Charlie Woida was hired in August 2010 as the assistant director of the University of Montana's Athletic Performance Center. Woida completes the three-person staff, with Scott Kirchmann serving as the center's director and Rob Oviatt working exclusively with the Griz football team.

In his role, Woida will oversee the strength and conditioning programs for women's soccer, women's tennis and track and field.

A Minnesota native, Woida was most recently working at Noonan Sports Specialists in Alexandria, Minn., as the director of sports performance.

"In my interview I had a good vibe coming out here. The people I met reminded me of the Midwest," Woida said. "And the type of athlete that comes to Montana is the type of athlete I'm used to, more so than some other (job) options that were out there.

"I liked the idea of coming to a place where you don't have to build a program. The teams are already doing well, and I just need to keep them at that same level of success.

"You want to work at a place like that instead of going to a place where it feels like you're at the bottom and you always feel like you're battling uphill.

"Montana is already at the top."

Though he graduated from Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D., in 2006 with a degree in fitness management, Woida has accumulated a wide range of experiences the past five years.

He worked at the collegiate level at IUPUI, North Dakota State, Minnesota and Colorado State in volunteer, graduate assistant and internship positions and worked one year as the minor league strength and conditioning coach for the San Diego Padres.

Woida earned a master's degree in exercise science from NDSU in 2008.

"I think my experiences have been important in my development, whether they've been good or bad," Woida said. "Being exposed to so many places, I think I've learned what to do and what not to do.

"I've taken a little bit from everyone and tried to make it my own.

"In that way I feel I'm a little more seasoned than someone who's only been at one school and never really learned anything different than that one approach."

Prior to his various strength and conditioning positions, Woida was a two-sport college athlete. He played both football and baseball at Fergus Falls (Minn.) Community College and baseball at NCAA Division II Northern State.

"That's one of those things where the student-athletes will ask you, `Did you play?', and if you have it's almost an instant-respect thing," Woida said. "Even if I didn't play the sports I'll be working with, I played collegiately so I think I can understand what they are going through.

"It's one thing to go to college, but when you've been a student-athlete, you know the rigors that come with studying, practicing, meetings and the traveling. I can understand what these kids are going through."