It wasn't exactly shocking when Isiah Bostic chose the University of Cincinnati's Exercise Science program for his college experience.
First, his father, Curtis Bostic, was himself a graduate of the university's Health Promotions program with an emphasis on exercise-a precursor program to the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services ' (CECH) modern Exercise Science major. Curtis Bostic also worked as a strength and conditioning coach for UC for a number of years, and Isiah Bostic spent many summers of his youth in the university's weight room, watching his father work with athletes. And, finally, Isiah Bostic grew up playing basketball, which (you guessed it) his dad had done before him, and the experience ended up guiding his career aspirations.
"I wanted to provide something to athletes that I didn't have to reach the next level," he says.
Listen to the full conversation with Isiah Bostic on the "CECH Chats" podcast!
From UC to Harvard
Step up and make decisions
Isiah Bostic says he had two different, separate goals in mind when he first decided to get into strength training. One was to become a professional strength and conditioning coach for an NBA team, a job inspired by both his father's work with UC and his own lifelong love of basketball. The second goal was to work for NASA as a strength coach.
"NASA hires ASCRs ," he explains. "So I figured that if I were to step into the tactical setting, it would put me in the right path to be able to reach the professional setting or the astronaut strength and conditioning setting. And that's really what drew me to the tactical field."
The decision led him to the state of Washington to work as a tactical strength and conditioning coach for the U.S. Army at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. "My job is very interesting," he says, explaining that he primarily oversees physical training (PT) and develops programs for platoons ranging in size from 50 to 200. "I write PT plans, approve PT plans, come up with ways to improve platoons' Army fitness test scores-doing what I can to make sure they're physically ready to go fight whenever that day comes."
In addition to further developing the exercise science training he received at UC, the job has helped him foster soft skills that are essential to his career aspirations. "It helps you communicate with an array of different personalities," he says. "It forces you to be creative and flexible. Being able to make changes on the fly is what makes this job really fun." He also lauds leadership skills that UC imparted to him while he was studying at the university. "You have to be a leader in this job, especially when you're working with infantry battalions," he says. "You have to be able to step up and make decisions."
When asked if he could have foreseen where his career has taken him since graduating in 2020, Isiah Bostic laughs and shakes his head. "I always saw myself in the sports performance realm," he explains. "Back in college, my mindset was, I'm going to stay in Cincinnati and try to build my career here," he says. "But in order to grow in this career, I had to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. Washington is an amazing place to live, though. I got lucky."
Featured image at top: UC Exercise Science alum and strength trainer for the U.S. Army Isiah Bostic in his home state of Washington. Photo/provided
