Fire of A Fighter: Look of a Professor
// VF File Photo by Meghan Gerke
Steven Anderson, lecturer of kinesiology participated in “sparring” previously, so he he had to force himself to, he threw up before and health promotions at Grand View University, goes by many names. To some, he is coach; to others, he is professor; to himself, he is simply a student.
“He is a continuous learner,” Zeb Sullivan, associate professor of kinesiology, said.
Yet, Anderson didn’t even have kinesiology on his mind as he began his undergraduate program at Iowa State University; he was originally a music major.
Anderson’s mind changed while on a run through the Iowa State campus. He ran past the kinesiology building and spoke to an advisor out of curiosity. Anderson had always thought of exercise as more of a hobby than a career.
As Anderson began to dive into the field of kinesiology, a friend encouraged him to compete in the school’s Thai boxing club.
“That was a very different part of my life,” Anderson said with a shake of his head. “I don’t know how I ever survived it.”
Anderson’s first boxing fight was a shock — right to his face when his opponent threw the first punch. Anderson had only had never actually thrown a punch in the ring. Anderson realized right then that it wasn’t going to be just fun, that he could be seriously hurt, so he began to push himself harder.
// VF File Photo by Meghan Gerke
“I trained hard, so I (wouldn’t) get killed in the ring,” Anderson said.
During the last half of Anderson’s career, he made connections with Sullivan’s friends who were professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters from Madrid, Boone and the Des Moines area. Instead of fighting, Anderson began training some of the fighters. While helping the athletes, he was able to get more familiar with the details of the sport.
Anderson said that Thai boxing was completely different from MMA. In boxing the fighters were standing, and they often waited for an opponent to get up when they’d fallen. In MMA, they could be on the ground, continuously beating on each other the entire time.
Anderson began participating in MMA fights after a while just to help make ends meet. Anderson still remembers that even if every fight. Some of the injuries left Anderson laid up for two or three days afterward.
Anderson still has love for the sport of fighting, but he doesn’t plan to get in the ring anytime soon.
“I can’t; I’m too banged up now,” Anderson said.
He said he has refocused that passion and energy into his career and more importantly, his students.
“It helped me understand athletes more, from a psychological aspect,” Anderson said.
Anderson’s student, Jack Postlethwaite, who wants go into the strength and conditioning field himself, said that he believes some of Anderson’s passion has rubbed off on his students.
Anderson is very open with his students; he wants them to know what he has been through, and he believes that telling his
story will show them that he is not just some “coaching robot.” He is human.
Anderson hopes that through coaching, he will at least change one life. After that, he will be content.
Leave a comment