CA Athletics Welcomes Castilleja as Director of Sports Performance

Colorado Academy is proud to welcome Isaiah Castilleja as Director of Sports Performance. He will immediately direct programming for all sports teams and sports/performance classes in the Athletics Department. Most recently Head Sports Performance Coach at Metropolitan State University of Denver and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Colorado School of Mines, Castilleja has had similar roles at University of Colorado Boulder and various local martial arts and training facilities.

“Isaiah joins our community with a wealth of knowledge, a humble approach, and a true passion for developing student-athletes,” notes CA Director of Athletics Jon Hill. “A master of collaboration, Isaiah has built strong relationships with coaches, athletic trainers, and administrators both locally and nationally. Because sports performance is a vital pillar of our Athletic program’s success, we feel incredibly fortunate to have a leader of his caliber join our team.”

Castilleja holds a BS in Exercise Science from Metropolitan State University of Denver; an MS in Kinesiology from AT Still University in Mesa, Ariz.; and an Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology in Washington, D.C. He also holds a variety of Strength and Conditioning Coach certifications from national organizations.

Says Castilleja, “I am confident that my background in creating and leading competitive, holistic strength and conditioning programs at all levels will translate into meaningful impact with the Colorado Academy community.” With an approach that emphasizes individualized coaching, communication, and education, he is “excited to get to know CA sports families and fellow coaches and faculty.”

As the host of the Iron Game Chalk Talk podcast—a top resource for performance professionals nationwide—Castilleja knows that the leaders in his industry are much more than the “weight-room guy”: “We make sure our student-athletes are physically and mentally prepared for practice and competition; we work with the sports medicine team to keep players safe; and we emphasize essentials such as nutrition, rest and recovery, and leading by example.”

In the same way, Castilleja notes, the best student-athletes are multi-dimensional, representing themselves and CA as much as competing to their full potential.

“I look forward to contributing to a culture of development, collaboration, and high performance that best serves CA’s student-athletes.”