SXU Alum Named Director of Strength and Conditioning
Saint Xavier University (SXU) exercise science alum Armani Christopher '25 recently took a position at Oak Hill Academy as the director of strength and conditioning.
The prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Virginia is known for having the most historic high school basketball program in the country, producing over 250 NCAA Division I athletes and over 40 NBA players.
While earning his master's degree with a focus in kinesiology from Saint Xavier, he assisted multiple teams, including men's basketball, track and field sprinters and throwers, soccer, cross country, esports, football, baseball, and volleyball, which ultimately led him to his dream job.
"[Those experiences] prepared me for Oak Hill, where I now teach and train both kids who are on their way to being collegiate athletes and kids who aren't athletes at all. Walking into the gym at Oak Hill, I immediately feel the history and tradition. At the end of the day, it's about helping kids grow and making sure their foundation is rooted in the right things. Seeing them go on to achieve their dreams will make it even more special," Christopher said.
Christopher's interest in strength and conditioning began with his own high school experience of being injured as an athlete at Calumet New Tech High School in Gary, Ind. Not having a strength and conditioning coach set him back, and he knew that he wanted to provide athletes with the tools he didn't have.
After earning a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Franklin College while playing football, he pursued a graduate exercise science degree at SXU, where his professors, such as Joe Eisenmann, Ph.D., and Brad Leshinske, Ph.D., taught him all the essentials needed to become a director of strength and conditioning.
"Academically, having Dr. Joe Eisenmann mentor me through my graduate project and always taking the time to answer my questions helped me grow as a student and coach. Brad Leshinske's Advanced Strength and Conditioning class gave me the tools to program and think critically about training for different sports," Christopher said.
SXU football head coach Mike Feminis set the standard for what a coach should look like, and while Christopher worked as an assistant athletic performance coach within SXU Athletics, he took notes.
"Working under Coach Feminis shaped me tremendously. His integrity, care for players and staff, and consistency are qualities I now try to model in my own program," Christopher said.
The Master of Science in Exercise Science (MSES) at SXU is designed for individuals with a bachelor's degree in science or a health care-related field interested in advancing their knowledge within their discipline. To learn more about the program, visit www.sxu.edu, keyword: MSES.