Los Angeles Dodgers Strength & Conditioning Symposium

Brandon McDaniel enters his 14th season in professional baseball. He currently is a Vice President, Player Performance for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He has been in the field of Strength & Conditioning for 17 years and has previously worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Minor League level and EXOS (formerly Athletes Performance) in their Military Strength and Conditioning department with the Department of Defense.

Brandon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Wayne State College (NE) where he was a member of the baseball team. He holds a Master’s Degree from A.T. Still University in Human Movement. He also holds many certifications including his Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, as well as FMS, SFMA, USAW, DNS, PRI and Strong First Kettlebell.

He has a strong belief in the importance of sound training and optimal recovery for high-level performance not only in the world of professional athletics, but also in general human performance.

Brandon is married to his wife Andrea, who is a registered dietitian. They have three young sons and currently reside in Burbank, CA.

Travis Smith is a Major League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, where he is responsible for designing and implementing team training, nutritional and recovery programs.

Prior to his current role, Smith spent three seasons (2016-2018) as the Major League Assistant/Minor League Strength Coordinator. From 2012-2015, Smith served as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Dodgers. Previous experience includes strength and conditioning positions with the Miami Marlins organization, Mazatlan Venados Mexican Baseball Organization and Lara Cardenales Venezuelan Baseball Organization.

Travis has earned his license in massage therapy, Master's in Applied Exercise Science from Concordia University Chicago and Bachelors in Exercise Science from Taylor University. While attending Taylor, Smith played defensive back for 4 years.

In 2017, Travis presented at the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society conference on Technology in Strength and Conditioning (Athlete Assessment and Monitoring). In 2018, Smith had the opportunity to run a baseball strength and conditioning mentorship in Okinawa, Japan for both Korean baseball organizations and Japanese baseball organizations. Presenting on Movement Assessment, Athlete development and systematic approach to weightlifting.

• Master of Science in Exercise Science- Concordia University Chicago
• Certified Massage Therapist - South Bay Massage College
• Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science - Taylor University
• National Strength and Conditioning Association: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
• National Academy of Sports Medicine: Performance Enhancement Specialist
• National Academy of Sports Medicine: Corrective Enhancement Specialist
• Strong First Girya Level 1
• Precision Nutrition: Level 1 Certification
• Functional Movement Systems: FMS level 1 & 2, SFMA Level 1, FCS
• Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization: Level 1
• Fascial Distortion Model
• OnBaseU: Hitting Level 1
• Strong First Girya Instructor: Level 1

Eric is the Director of Performance Scouting and Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Eric is currently in his 5th year with the organization. Prior to the 2019 season, he served as a Minor League Performance coach at various levels. His current role splits time within both the Performance and Amateur Scouting Departments. Within Performance, he works directly with the players on the Major League side. Within Amateur Scouting he creates the physical evaluations for all players that have been identified as potential draft picks.

Prior to the Dodgers, Eric spent time in the private sector of Strength and Conditioning. He completed an internship at Cressey Sports Performance (Hudson, MA) before working at Ranfone Training Systems (Hamden, CT). He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut where he was a 4-year member of the baseball team. While at UConn, he completed an internship with the Sports Performance Department. These experiences have offered him the opportunity to work with athletes across many different ages and sport demographics.

• Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science w/ Concentration in Strength and Conditioning- University of Connecticut
• National Strength and Conditioning Association: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
• Functional Anatomy Seminars: FRCms, FRA
• Functional Movement Systems: FMS Level 1, SFMA Level 1
• Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization: Level 1
• Postural Restoration Institute: Baseball
• OnBase University: Hitting Level 1
• National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association: Biomechanics
• Certified Massage Therapist in the state of California

Thomas Albert returns in his 7th season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the Medical/Rehabilitation Coordinator for the Cleveland Indians for 4 years. A native of Burlington, IA, Thomas earned his Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from A.T. Still University. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training, Sports Science, and Fitness from Upper Iowa University. He is certified in Spinal Manipulation and Dry Needling through the Spinal Manipulation Institute. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA.

Thomas resides in Chino, CA with his wife Mandi and three children Chloe, Adelyn and Juliet.

Tyrone Hall is currently the Manager of Performance Nutrition for the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a chef and registered dietitian, Tyrone uses his skill sets to prepare meals and educate personnel throughout the Dodgers organization.

He grew up in Burlington, NC before attending Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Nutrition in 2005. Tyrone then went on to work for the Duke Diet and Fitness Center and the Compass Group for 5 years before going back to UNC-Chapel Hill for graduate school. After graduate school, he worked for the Durham County Public Health Department teaching cooking and sports nutrition to children and adults in Durham, NC. His first season with the Dodgers was in 2016 as their Performance Chef Dietitian.

Registered Dietitian/Nutritions by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Kristen is currently the Head Performance Chef for the Los Angeles Dodgers and is entering her 5th year with the organization. She prepares high-performance meals for players and staff at the major league level and serves as a valuable nutrition resource for players throughout the Dodgers organization.

Most of her life was spent on the East Coast in Cranston, Rhode Island, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Nutrition at Johnson & Wales University. She was a member of the cross country team for her 4 years at JWU. After undergrad, she worked as a diet technician at a local hospital before completing her sports nutrition-focused master’s degree and dietetic internship at Saint Louis University in Missouri. Her research conducted during her time at SLU titled, “Short-Term Mediterranean Diet Improves Endurance Exercise Performance: A Randomized-Sequence Crossover Trial” was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2019. Before beginning her journey with the Dodgers, she worked as a pastry chef, baker, and barista at a local Italian café.

Kristen has a passion for recipe development, food first fueling strategies, and nutrient timing to optimize performance and recovery.

• Commission on Dietetic Registration: Registered Dietitian
• Research- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: “Short-Term Mediterranean Diet Improves Endurance Exercise Performance: A Randomized-Sequence Crossover Trial”
• American College of Sports Medicine: Certified Personal Trainer
• Master of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics, Concentration in Nutrition & Physical Performance- Saint Louis University
• Bachelor of Science in Culinary Nutrition, Concentration in Clinical Dietetics- Johnson & Wales University
• Associate in Applied Science in Baking & Pastry Arts- Johnson & Wales University

French Pastry Professional Training Certification- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Pâtisserie

Received his Bachelor degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Potsdam, holds a Master of Education degree in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Athletic Counseling and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Clinical Mental Health from Springfield College. In addition to graduate work, he facilitated Adventure Therapy and Experiential Education groups at the East Campus Outdoor Learning Center. He is a current member of the Professional Baseball Performance Psychology Group (PBPPG), American Psychological Association (APA) Division 47, and Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP).

In 2010, AJ became a co-founder of the mental performance group, FOCUS Unlimited, LLC. Mainly working with youth, high school, and collegiate athletes on developing their mental game both on and off the field. In 2012, he began government contract work within the Comprehensive Soldier & Family Fitness Program (CSF2), under the directive of the United States Army with placement at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Training responsibilities primarily dealt with enhancing the mental performance and resilience of our uniform service members; in including certification(s) in Learning Enhancement and a Level 3 Master Resilience Trainer.

In 2015, AJ accepted his current position as the StrongMind Coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Developing, maintaining, and enhancing the mental strength of players and staff members within the greater reach of Baseball Operations. Majority of training education and implementation is conducted via lectures, small/large group workshops, individual training, and on/off field consultation. Largely within Player Development, in addition to conducting people projects that enrich the collaboration amongst departments and support resources.

Leo Ruiz is currently the Strong Mind Cultural Development Director with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was born and raised in the United States, specifically in the state of New Jersey. His parents are originally from the Dominican Republic. He graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Spanish and Springfield College with a Master of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Athletic Counseling. He played four years of college baseball as a pitcher at Drew, coached for two years as a graduate assistant coach at both Springfield College and Western New England University, and was an AmeriCorps service member for the Springfield Public Schools system.

He is an active member of the Professional Baseball Performance Psychology Group (PBPPG), American Psychological Association (APA) Division 47, and is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). For the past five years, his role has been to develop-maintain-enhance the mental/emotional strength of players and staff within Player Development, and largely, Baseball Operations.

His primary responsibilities focus on mental performance, life skill development, cultural acclimation to the United States for Latin American athletes, and cultural proficiency for American players and staff across the organization. Coordinates interdepartmental collaboration to optimize player performance through linguistically and culturally relevant development, education, transition, integration, and mental performance programs of international players, from their inception as professionals at our Campo Las Palmas Dominican Republic Academy, through their transition in the United States minor league affiliate teams, and ultimately when they arrive to the Major Leagues in Los Angeles.