Hi, my name is Ben Bradley, and I am the Founder/Owner/Head Coach of the Rising Phoenix Track Club. At the age of 32, I have been coaching in the sport of track & field for 11 years now. Currently, I am the hurdle coach for Pendleton High School, the head coach for a non-profit youth (ages 5-12) track club called Roundup City Racers, the head coach and founder of the Rising Phoenix Track Club (all ages) and head coach for the Pendleton High School Cross Country team. Mostly, my coaching revolves around high school age athletes, but I have coached and worked with athletes of a large variety of ages.
As a coach, I am ALWAYS looking to improve myself and my skill of coaching. Being a coach does not mean that you know everything, but instead means that you must be a lifelong learner. To be the best, you must continue to seek out and learn from the best. I will always put all of myself into the work I do with my athletes. Track and field is my passion. It is beyond an incredible privilege to be able to pass along my knowledge of the sport and to help develop young athletes into not only better/faster/stronger athletes, but into amazing young men and women of character as well.
Notable Coaching Qualifications and Certifications:
* ALTIS Coaching the Sprint Hurdles Certification – February ‘22
* USATF Level 2 Specialist (Youth Specialization) – January ‘22
* ALTIS Coaching the Shot Put and Discus Course – January ‘21
* USATF Level 2 Specialist (Jumps) – January ‘21
* ALTIS Coaching the Pole Vault Certification – December ‘20
* Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR) Level 1 Certification – November ‘20
* ALTIS Coaching the Javelin & Hammer Certification – November ‘20
* ALTIS Essentials Course – September ‘20
* USATF Level 2 Specialist (Throws) – August ‘20
* USTFCCCA Event Specialist Certification in Jumping Events – June ‘20
* ALTIS Coaching the Horizontal Jumps Certification – June ‘20
* ALTIS Coaching the Short Sprints Certification – January ‘20
* Recipient/Participant of USATF Fall Master Coach Mentorship Coaching Enhancement Grant (1 of 4 in U.S.) – November ‘19
* USTFCCCA Event Specialist Certification in Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays – July ‘17
* USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Coach Specialist Certification – July ‘17
* USATF Level 2 Specialist (Endurance Events) – July ‘17
* USATF Level 2 Specialist (Sprints, Hurdles, Relays) – July ‘16
* USATF Super Clinic Attendee – July ‘16
* USTFCCCA Track & Field Technical Certification – June ‘16
* USATF Level 1 Certified Coach – November ‘13
* NFHS Accredited and Certified Interscholastic Coach – January ‘12
ALTIS = Elite training environment for athletes, and a global leader in the provision of education for sport performance
NFHS = National Federation of State High School Associations
RPR = Reflexive Performance Reset
USATF = USA Track & Field
USTFCCCA = U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
As an athlete, I competed mostly in the sprints and relays throughout all four years of high school. In my time competing for Pendleton High School, I was a 2-time state competitor in the 4×100 relay and 4×400 relay. In my senior season at PHS, I earned the honor of being named the “Male MVP” by scoring the most varsity points throughout the season and I was also voted the “Most Inspirational Male Athlete” by my teammates.
My freshman year of college, I competed in cross country and track & field for a small, private school called Cascade College in Portland, OR. In cross country, I was voted the “Most Improved” athlete by my teammates and ran the 800 and 400 and both relays during the track season. My school was shut down after my freshman year because the mother campus, Oklahoma Christian University, could no longer afford to fund the satellite Portland campus any longer. After that, I attended Oregon State University which did not have a male track & field program at the time.
After a year off from competing, I began my coaching career with an elementary track program through the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis and absolutely fell in love with being a coach. I have been doing that ever since!