Meet the AE Staff
After an outstanding high school and college football career at Reading Memorial High School and Syracuse University, Erik focused his career on improving athletic performance and health and wellness for people of all ages and abilities. Erik has personally trained over 60 local athletes whom he has helped receive Division 1 scholarships in football, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and baseball. Recently Erik had a local athlete sign a professional contract in each of the 4 major professional sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) including Chris Shaw who was drafted in the 1st Round of the MLB draft.
Erik was selected in the past as one of 7 strength coaches to travel with NIKE and SPARQ to perform various speed and agility camps across the country. Erik is viewed as one of the nation’s leading NIKE SPARQ trainers. He was recently asked to travel across the country and speak at Keiser Power Summits on their behalf due to the work he has done using their products.
Over the past 4 years Erik has started and grown both an NFL and NBA combine training program; giving New England athletes an alternative to programs down south and out west. Erik takes great pride and modeling his craft after his time with world respected speed coach Tom Shaw. During the past 4 years Erik has been behind 50 signed NFL contracts and 2nd Round NBA draft pick, Pat Connaughton, who recorded the 2ndhighest max touch ever recorded at the NBA combine. Erik is a certified by the NSCA as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
Prior to joining Athletic Evolution, Scott led the Assumption College Football summer strength and conditioning program after completing three diverse internships. His internships included a private training facility, his Alma Mater, UMass, working with the basketball, hockey, lacrosse and football teams, and Sports and Physical Therapy Associates. A former captain of Hudson High School’s football and ice hockey teams, Scott graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a degree in Kinesiology. During his college years, Scott was a member of the UMass Amherst football team and earned the UMass special teams “Player of the Year” in 2010 while starting at fullback.
Scott’s passion for strength and conditioning stems from years of pushing himself to attain his own athletic goals. He is dedicated to helping young, driven athletes accomplish their own athletic goals. Scott has worked with every type of athlete from Youth to the Pros, as well as adults. He prides himself on being able to adapt each workout to the individual needs and goals of each client. Scott also assists Erik with the NFL and NBA combine programs each winter and spring after multiple seasons interning with him. Together they have helped over 50 athletes sign NFL contracts and 4 athletes get drafted. In the summer of 2012 Scott took over the Internship program and ran it for 7 years before handing it over to Kaitlyn Roux in 2018. During his time as Director of Education Scott welcomed over 250 interns to his program from across the United States and from nearly 20 countries across 5 continents.
Scott is also heavily involved with injury prevention and rehab. He takes pride in helping athletes come back from major injuries stronger and better than before their injury. Over the past 10 years Scott has helped over 80 athletes return to their sport following ACL surgery.
Scott is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA and is a Level 1 Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting.
Dan Thiesing joined the AE coaching staff as a Strength and Conditioning Coach in the summer of 2018. Dan was hired after first coming to AE as an intern in the fall of 2016, after the internship he was welcomed back for a fellowship in the Fall of 2017. Dan grew up in Sandwich, MA. While attending Sandwich High School Dan played baseball and basketball all four years. Dan attended Merrimack College and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science in 2017. In 2017 Dan returned to Merrimack College for his Master’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science, earning his degree in 2018.
Dan is currently the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Bentley Ice Hockey and also serves as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for AE. In the summers Dan serves as the Head Strength Coach for Reading High Football. Dan is a Personal Trainer and trains mostly Hockey and Baseball athletes of all ages in addition to Adults with varying goals. He also assists Kaitlyn with the Internship Program. Dan is currently studying for the CSCS through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Josh joined the AE coaching staff as a Strength and Conditioning Coach in early 2021 for his second stint with the company. Josh first worked at AE in our fellowship program in the Fall of 2017 while completing his Graduate program at Merrimack College. He followed that up by spending the spring and summer of 2018 working for AE as a Strength Coach. Originally from Florida, he grew up with a passion for playing football and baseball. Josh spent his first 8-years out of high school in the U.S. Air Force. He used his G.I. Bill to begin his studies in Kinesiology, originally at Florida Atlantic University. After transferring to the University of Massachusetts, he was introduced to the world of Strength and Conditioning with the UMASS football team. At UMass Josh worked for Coach Joe Conn0lly, the current Arizona State Head Football Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Josh soon realized he could use his competitive drive combined with a passion for strength training to get back into the world of athletics. Josh completed his Bachelors at UMASS in 2017, went on to Merrimack College completing his Masters in Exercise and Sports Science in 2018. He has since become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and Level 1 Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting.
Josh is currently the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Bentley University as AE’s Off-site Program Director.
Reggie comes to AE after spending the past 8 years coaching D1 football. In 2013 he was the DB coach for URI. 2014-2016 he was the secondary coach for Pace University before heading to Temple where he became the Director of Player Personnel / recruiting. After a coaching change at Temple he came to UMAINE where he went back to his roots as secondary coach.
Reggie attended Norfolk State University where he played Wide Receiver. During the pandemic, when the UMaine Football season was suspended, Reggie made the decision to switch to the private sector where he believed he could better serve student-athletes. He spent the spring of 2021 interning and training under Dana Barry at Athletic Evolution. He was hired full-time in the summer of 2021 and took over the AE Football Academy from Dana in the fall of 2021.
His wealth of knowledge as it relates to college football gives him a unique skill set that will help any high school football player achieve their dreams at the next level. Whether you are looking for strength and conditioning, position work on the field, linear speed development, combine training, recruiting consulting, or a combination of all of these, Reggie is your guy!
Reggie is currently studying to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Katie O’Brien joined the AE coaching staff full-time in the summer of 2021. She was hired after first coming to AE as an graduate fellow in the fall of 2020. Katie received a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from the University of New Hampshire, graduating in 2019. During her time at UNH, she worked with the Women’s Ice Hockey and Field Hockey teams. Katie continued her education at Merrimack College where she received her Master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science. During her year at Merrimack she spent her time working with a variety of athletes and teams at AE along with the Women’s Soccer, Volleyball, and Field Hockey teams at Bentley University.
Katie is currently the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Bentley University’s Women’s Soccer, Lacrosse, Volleyball, and Softball teams. She also works as a personal trainer, specializing in soccer, volleyball, field hockey, and softball athletes of all ages.
Originally from Peabody, MA, Katie grew up playing basketball, field hockey, and softball. She continued her passion for softball at the University of New Hampshire, competing as a member of their Club Softball team.
Katie is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA as well as a BOC Certified Athletic Trainer.
Taylor Gent started at Athletic Evolution in 2021 where she completed the summer internship and was hired on as a Strength and Conditioning Coach heading into the fall .
Originally from South Africa, Taylor grew up playing field hockey, swam and competed in track and field. She continued to pursue her athletic career at Lindenwood University where she played Division II Field Hockey. Taylor graduated from Lindenwood in December 2021 where she received a Bachelors degree in Exercise Science with a minor in nutrition.
Since joining AE Taylor has worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach, and is currently the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Bentley University’s Field Hockey and Women’s Lacrosse teams. Taylor’s passion and understanding of speed development has led to her role as one of the Speed Development Coaches for the Speed Academy. Taylor’s experience as an athlete has given her the ability to not only coach her athletes but relate to them both inside and outside the weight room.
Dana brings 10 years of experience working in speed settings as well as NFL Combine settings. In those 10 years Dana has worked with athletes all over the country ranging from first round draft picks to Olympian’s to kids who are just weekend warriors. He has helped numerous kids earn division 1 scholarships off of their performances in season through their hard work put in during the off season. Dana is involved in every aspect of the athlete’s life from greeting them when they walk in the door, to helping them with recruiting and guidance for the next chapter in their lives, to making sure they are also staying on top of their studies. Dana makes sure that each athlete feels the individualized attention they need to perform at their very best whether that is at an upcoming camp, or for their upcoming season. Dana makes sure that each athlete is beyond prepared for what they are trying to achieve.
David Ford joined the AE coaching staff as a strength and conditioning coach in the Summer of 2022. He first came to AE as a Graduate fellow from Merrimack College in the Fall of 2021. Growing up in Winthrop, MA, David attended Malden Catholic High School where he played Lacrosse and Rugby while practicing Martial Arts at Boston Taekwondo Academy. After graduating, David attended the University of Massachusetts Lowell and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Management in 2016. After 5 years coaching martial arts, David returned to school and earned a Master’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science from Merrimack College in the Spring of 2022.
David is currently the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for Bentley University’s Swim, Dive, and Golf teams, as well as an assistant coach at AE. He also works with martial artists, adaptive athletes, and youth soccer players in his hometown of Winthrop, MA.
Dan is from Peabody, Massachusetts and grew up playing football, baseball and lacrosse. Following graduating from Peabody High School, he then went on to play football at the University of New England, being a three year starter on the offensive line.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences, Dan was an intern in the summer of 2021 and was hired as a strength and conditioning coach the following winter. Dan has been an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Bentley University football and women’s lacrosse teams. He is also the head strength and conditioning coach at Austin Preparatory School, as well as working with the Hamilton-Wenham High School football team. Additionally, Dan works closely with AE’s IMPACT Football Academy, specializing in training offensive and defensive lineman. He is currently studying for his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification through the NSCA.
Kyle spent the summer of 2021 interning at AE working with high school programs and athletic development. In the summer of 2022 Kyle returned for a part time position and will now be hired as a full time strength and conditioning coach after completing his undergrad degree at Umass Lowell.
Kyle was a three sport athlete at North Reading High School in football, track, and lacrosse and in 2019 after a year of playing football at Springfield College he became an assistant coach for his alma mater’s football team, where they won 4 league titles and had two super bowl appearances including one super bowl win in his time there.
With Kyle’s experience training athletes on and off he field he has a vast understanding of the needs and demands placed on them and is able to help these athletes achieve their goals.
Shannon Walton PT graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 1995 with a Masters degree in Physical Therapy. Shannon brings over 20 years of experience treating orthopedic injuries through manual therapy, functional exercise, and patient education, including 12 years as owner of his own practice in Woburn.
Shannon completed a year long manual therapy residency program at the Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy with Martin Langaas. Shannon is also McKenzie and Graston certified. He also completed the lumbar and cervical MedX certification at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Shannon’s experience allows him to treat a wide variety of orthopedic injuries, working with children to the geriatric population, serious athletes to the weekend warrior. He has coached youth sports in soccer, basketball, and baseball.
Outside of work Shannon enjoys spending time with his family, mountain biking, hiking, and snowboarding.
Maureen joined Athletic Evolution Physical Therapy at the end of April 2019 with over 12 years of physical therapy experience. She completed her Associates of Science (AS) in Physical Therapy at Baystate College in Boston in 2006. She then decided to attend Salem State College for another 3 years where she earned her Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in Athletic Training in 2010.
Maureen grew up a dancer, and loved ballet, tap and lyrical dance. Her love for dance sparked her interest in the human body and ultimately led her into the Physical Therapy field. Her clinical interest includes Orthopedics, evidence based treatment approaches, and hands on manual therapy.
When not in the clinic, Maureen enjoys chasing after her two young children, spending time with her family and friends, working out and baking.
Nate was a strength and conditioning intern turned coach for Athletic Evolution during the summer of his undergraduate college education. He received his Bachelor of Science at Plymouth State University and continued his education at Simmons University where he received his doctorate in Physical Therapy. Nate joined the Athletic Evolution team again in 2022 as a Physical Therapist.
Nate is a Reading, MA native, with an extensive basketball background that includes a 4-year collegiate career at Plymouth State University. His interests include hiking, playing sports, watching/talking about Boston sports, and spending time with his family and their dogs.
Liam participated in our business internship program back in January of 2022. While interning at AE, Liam graduated from Merrimack College with a Business Administration degree with a double concentration in Sports Management and Marketing. After finding success as an intern, he was hired full-time as the Office Manager.
Originally from Weymouth, MA, Liam grew up playing on several AAU and travel teams ranging from basketball, football, soccer, and baseball. This is where he developed his passion for sports. In his time off, Liam enjoys skiing, playing pickup basketball, and spending time with his family (including his 2 dogs) and friends.