Wasilla grad finds another way to keep D-I dreams alive

WASILLA — Growing up in Wasilla, Adam Friese wanted nothing more than a chance to play hockey as long as he possibly could.

The former Wasilla High star and member of the Junior A Alaska Avalanche dreamt of a life in Division I hockey. Even though his playing career is over, Friese found a way to realize his Division I hockey dreams.

Prior to the beginning of the 2011-12 season, Friese was named the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Alaska Anchorage hockey team.

“I could have never known how well this worked out,” Friese said recently. “Of course I am done with (playing) hockey. It’s heartbreaking. That was my dream. But this was meant to be. I’m so blessed it came together.”

Friese, a 2008 graduate of Wasilla High who was named the 2008 Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman Student-Athlete of the Year, became sort of a weight room rat in high school. He remembered his uncle giving his family an old weight lifting set.

“That’s kind of what got me started,” Friese said. “I’d be there creating different workouts, hitting it real hard.”

Friese naturally gravitated toward exercise and personal training, and was hired by Acceleration Alaska — a highly regarded sports training business in Anchorage — two years ago. There he worked for a former UAA hockey strength and conditioning coach.

Once it was evident his hockey career would end after two seasons with the North American Hockey League’s Alaska Avalanche, Friese accepted an academic scholarship and enrolled at UAA. One of his first stops on the UAA campus was the office of Seawolves head coach Dave Shyiak.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be playing and I asked him if there was anything I could help the team with,” Friese said. “I knew I wanted to help. I knew I wanted to be a part of the program.”

Friese eventually moved on and took a job with Alaska Club in Anchorage. He kept training, training others and kept ties with the hockey program. Before the season, Friese, a junior majoring in physical education with an emphasis in health and fitness, got a surprise invitation from Shyiak and the Seawolves.

“They made me an offer I was extremely excited,” Friese said. “When the coach first talked to me about it I was pretty speechless. It felt almost surreal.”

The coaching job is a part-time position. Friese led preseason training for three weeks prior to the beginning of the year, and now meets with the hockey players twice each week.

“I try to keep it short, but very intense,” Friese said of the workouts. “We’re working with very highly-skilled athletes. They actually make my job easy.”

Friese said a difficult part is designing hockey-specific workouts, but his long background in the sport certainly helps. He also has to adjust the workouts when taking injuries into account. Friese said he coordinates with athletic trainers to prepare workouts for the injured players.

The bulk of the programs center around circuit training, Friese said.

“High intensity,” Friese said. “Circuit training, anywhere from six to 10 workouts, either timed or do a certain amount of reps.”

Friese said he’s excited to have this opportunity and potential for the future.

“This is one field I really enjoy. I love to be part of the strength and conditioning field, and someday I might like to open a gym, sports-specific gym,” Friese said. “Anything with athletes and a gym I’m open to.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremaih Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.