Final Draft

Leading the Weight Room – Corrine McPadden
By Jimmy Hulland

Long before she was coaching college athletes in the University of New England weight room, strength and conditioning was simply a feeling for Corrine McPadden. A feeling that has been rooted in movement, competition, and growth.

“Sports have always been a central part of my life,” McPadden said. Growing up, her parents encouraged her to try everything, whether it be gymnastics, dance, golf, soccer, softball, or basketball. Through those experiences, she didn’t just learn athletic skills—she developed a love for performance itself. 

But it wasn’t until college that she realized how much strength and conditioning shaped her and others identity. While playing basketball at Roanoke College, McPadden underwent surgery on both feet which she said was an experience that pulled her away from the court, and toward the weight room.

“That experience gave me firsthand insight into the physical and mental challenges athletes face when dealing with injury,” she said. “Strength training deepened my appreciation for the resilience and discipline required to return to play.”

That moment changed the direction of everything.

After graduating, she interned at UConn, learning under experienced college strength coaches. It was then when she realized she didn’t just want to train athletes, she wanted to develop them. A mentor encouraged her to pursue graduate school, which led her to Merrimack College, balancing a full course load while serving as a head strength coach for four teams.

The challenge pushed her and confirmed she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

“I aim to meet the athlete in front of me exactly where they are — physically, psychologically, and emotionally,” McPadden said. “They’re humans first. Every athlete comes with their own story.”

That philosophy guides everything she does at UNE. When she steps into the weight room, her focus is about the connection she can build not just the numbers. 

“They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care,” she said.

She builds trust. She listens. She lets athletes feel seen.

Because from her own experience, she learned that strength is not only physical, it is emotional, mental, and personal.

“As a strength coach, one of my greatest strengths is being a great listener,” she said. “I make it clear athletes can talk to me about anything.”

Her goal is not just improvement, it’s helping to evolve the players.

“After working with me, I hope athletes learn to embrace the suck, or understand that they’re capable of doing hard things,” McPadden said. “I want them to set ambitious goals, stay disciplined, and ultimately crush them.”

The impact she hopes to leave doesn’t have much to do with the scoreboard it’s more about who athletes become after the whistle stops. 

McPadden’s approach has transformed the culture around UNE training, too. Athletes often describe her sessions as structured yet empowering  a place where they learn to push past limitations they didn’t know they had. She’s intentional about creating an environment where accountability and attention to detail go together, and the athletes leave feeling both challenged and supported. 

Much of her work happens beyond the reps and sets. She checks in with athletes about life, school, stress, and confidence. She celebrates their wins, whether it’s hitting a new squat record or simply showing up when your havin a tough day. She notices details other people might not and athletes recognize that attention as real care.

UNE athletes see the difference. “Corrine is one of the best trainers I’ve ever had,” men’s basketball player Zach Federico said. “She knows how to lead a team, and she is very smart in what she does.”

To McPadden, coaching is a privilege and time to mold, one lift and one conversation at a time. Strength and conditioning allowed McPadden to find who she is, and now she gets to help athletes become who they want to be.