Head Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Ana Tocco in the Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center.
Coach Tocco’s days often begin well before the sun has risen. Chances are you can find her and her fellow strength and conditioning coaches in the Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center around 6 o’clock in the morning, setting up the Joseph R. Levis ’60 Fitness Center or Dianne and Ray Carey ’67 Field House for the 150-plus student-athletes she can see in a day.
While student-athletes train with their coaches and teammates, each team—as well as individual students who sign up for her strength and conditioning class three times a week—spends time with Coach Tocco in the weight room focusing on foundational movement patterns.
“In these weight room sessions, athletes not only improve their performance in various sports, but also gain an understanding of how their bodies work,” she explains. “This approach to physical competency helps reduce injury, enhances agility, and fosters an awareness of movement that extends beyond sports, promoting healthy, sustainable habits for all physical activities.”
In 2018, Tocco joined the St. John’s Prep community as an associate strength and conditioning coach and middle school health teacher. This fall, she began her first school year as the head strength and conditioning coordinator.
“Developing a comprehensive strength and conditioning program is all about building a foundation for functional movement and lifelong physical literacy. We emphasize technique first, and then build on a gradual progression of strength, speed, and power.”
The benefits that follow go beyond physical capabilities. The process Coach Tocco’s athletes undergo promotes servant leadership, self-confidence, empowerment, growth, and creates a solid foundation for lifelong resilience.
“In this field, the most valuable work isn’t about the points they score or how fast they run. It’s in the moments when athletes can apply what they’ve learned in the weight room—when they learn to reset after a setback, push themselves a little further, or support their teammates. Those are the moments that drive me, and it’s what keeps me passionate about this career.”
Tocco first got her foot in the door in the world of strength training at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning in Woburn, MA. Itching to dive deeper into the field, she pursued a Master’s in Education with a graduate assistantship in the varsity weight room at Boston University.
“I wasn’t just training bodies; I felt like I was shaping minds and building character,” says Tocco. “It was during this time that I became passionate about the journey itself—the development, the progressions, and the powerful emotional growth that comes from learning to push your limits.”
In what Tocco describes as a niche industry, strength and conditioning wasn’t exactly a go-to career path. Fifteen years ago, the space felt reserved only for those who made it to the collegiate level or a professional team. The industry was small, competitive, and challenging, and most saw strength coaching as a man’s game.
“But to me, that wasn’t the whole story,” explains Tocco. “Starting out, I often felt like an outsider, but it only reinforced my purpose: the job wasn’t about my gender, or the status of the industry, it was about what I could bring to the athletes. So, I poured everything into building those relationships. Every win, every bit of progress they made, fueled me.”
And with that fuel, Coach Tocco continues to make an impact on those she works with—impacts that can be felt for a lifetime.
P.S. What do a surgeon, VP of marketing, and a lieutenant colonel have in common? Read more about alumni taking charge in these positions.
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