Coaches Spotlight: Craig Doran, Dan Ojeda & Shaun Fishel
Upon entering the Downer Family Fitness Center, one is greeted by the sound of laughter and lively music. On the right, head coach Shaun Fishel is blowing his whistle at the boys’ varsity basketball team, pushing them through their last set on the assault bikes. In the back, coach Dan Ojeda leads the girls’ cross country team through their free weight workouts. On the left, coach Craig Doran jokes with the boys’ hockey team as players grind to increase their maximum deadlift weights receivingcelebratory fist bumps along the way.
The Fitness Center’s strength and conditioning team, triumvirate coaches Shaun “Fish” Fishel, Craig Doran and Dan “OJ” Ojeda play as critical a role as any other coach in preparing Exeter’s team for success on the field, court, track and ice. Fish, Doran and OJ each work with a number of different teams and student groups each season to help students build a foundation of strength and endurance that enables them to excel in their respective sports.
Each coach brings vast experience as strength and conditioning professionals to Exeter, and all attest to the fact that working at Exeter with high school athletes is something extra special. Fish has been with Exeter the longest, having started in 2016, followed by Doran who began in 2018 and OJ who is new to Big Red this year. Fish highlighted that his favorite part of serving as a strength coach is “getting to work with all the different athletes who come in here—it’s not just one sport or one team.” All three coachs share an appreciation of getting to work with high school athletes, who “are just starting to learn themselves and their bodies and sports,” Fish said. “There is a much greater impact you can have with them, whereas most college athletes are already at their potential. I really like helping kids reach these major goals and accomplishments.”
OJ echoed Fish’s sentiments, describing his passion for witnessing high school students set the foundation for their strength training. “I understand that high school is when most kids figure out what they want to do,” OJ said. “When it comes to exercise, a lot of kids are just starting to really exercise or strength train for the first time, so it’s being able to show them how to correctly do it and see them go from not being able to squat properly, for example, to being able to squat this amount of weight and keep adding up [that is rewarding].”
OJ added that the opportunity to be responsible for his own teams has been a gratifying experience. “I’ve never had it that way anywhere else before—all of my other internships so far were just under someone who made the program or ran the team,” he said.
Doran noted his unique position of encouraging kids to improve both in and out of the gym. “Although I love seeing the joy on kids faces when they hit PR’s, excel in their sport or remain injury free, by far the best part of being a strength and conditioning coach—or any coach for that matter—is being able to help foster an environment for young adults to become better people on and off the field,” Doran said.
Doran added that working specifically with Exeter students has been a privilege. “Being able to coach such well rounded, articulate and respectful kids who have a passion for learning and becoming better at whatever they do, is amazing,” he said.
Each coach traveled a different road to arrive at Exeter. Fish described his fitness journey in which he lost 100 pounds. “I realized through that and through my experience as a track and field thrower, how much of an impact weight training can have. I figured that I could figure out a way to help other athletes reach that potential through fitness, and strength and conditioning seemed like the perfect mold to do that,” Fish explained.
Doran had been working with the UMass Lowell Men’s Hockey team when he saw an opening for a position at Exeter. “After working in the private sector, along with the collegiate setting, I had a hunch that I would love coaching at the high school level, which was true!” Doran said.
OJ is currently working through a fellowship from Merrimack College. He originally found his inspiration to be a strength and conditioning coach after a severe knee injury of his own after high school in which he tore both his ACL and Meniscus.
The variance in their paths to Exeter, is what makes the three of them a stronger team, Doran believes. “What I like most about my fellow coaches is that we all have different backgrounds, coaching styles and strengths and weaknesses, but we respect and learn from each other and have a common goal of becoming better every day,” he said. “My favorite moments in the gym are when we are each coaching a team at the same time. You can just feel the positive energy—it is perfectly orchestrated chaos.”
Indeed, all students who get the opportunity to work with the coaches are incredibly grateful that each of their paths led them to Exeter. Senior and gym proctor Carly Kirsch noted that her favorite aspect of the fitness coaches “is the environment they create—it’s very welcoming and friendly. Even though I think the fitness center can sometimes feel like an intimidating space, the fitness coaches create a supportive environment that’s fun for everyone to be in. You can work hard while still having fun.”
Upper Caroline Huang similarly noted her appreciation for the environment the coaches create. “Even when I’m feeling super unmotivated, they ask how I’m feeling, if I’ve gotten enough rest, and how am I eating. They will also give me workout tips and just be super positive … even when I’m having a bad day. They also always say ‘hi’ around campus,” she said.
Senior Jon Bradbury added that not only are the coaches “super optimistic and encouraging,” they are also “super knowledgeable and motivational,. “They seriously inspire me to be the best that I can be everyday.”
The coaches are always eager to engage with students who come through the Fitness Center doors. Both Kirsch and Huang highlighted memories of working out with the coaches, even skating and playing hockey with them.
Huang finished by emphasizing not to be intimidated by the Fitness Center. “The trainers are so friendly and nice—once you get to know them, they make your workout and day just 100 times better.” She added, “getting to know them was definitely one of the best things I have done at Exeter so far.”