In a season filled with change, coach Justin Cotler is embracing the challenges forward.
Final up to date on February 18th, 2025
Whenever you image an intense and animated coach yelling and pouring each ounce of emotion and vitality into their athletes on the competitors ground, you’re imagining Justin Cotler.
- By no means one to mince phrases, the founder, co-owner, and Head Coach of Underdogs Athletics in Las Vegas has been working with groups and particular person CrossFit athletes for over 13 years.
And like so many coaches and athletes, Cotler got here out of the 2024 CrossFit Games uncertain of what the longer term would maintain.
- In our dialog, Cotler described the way it felt: “As soon as the Video games have been over, I instructed my athletes to take on a regular basis they want and simply give me a shout after they’re prepared as a result of they typically know when it’s time. And a few want extra time than others.”
“I simply give them the autonomy to return again to me and say, ‘Hey, Coach, I’m able to go,’” Cotler continued.
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Underdogs Athletics in 2025
After letting issues shake out, the mud began to settle (barely).
The vast majority of Cotler’s athletes at Underdogs Athletics plan to take part within the CrossFit season, and there’s the potential of competing in individual way more than in years previous, due to in-person CrossFit Video games Qualifying Occasions and the World Health Tour.
Cotler understands how this reality makes his job as a coach much more vital and troublesome.
- “You need to be sensible about how you intend, the schedule, and the way you program,” Cotler mentioned. “There’s going to be much more tapers and peaking – you’re going to must play issues very otherwise, which I’m cool with. I really like the concept that the athletes are going to have extra alternatives to compete!”
Along with the competitions, there’s a lot to think about in terms of journey.
- Cotler elaborated: “You could have the journey side, not simply financially, but in addition bodily. It’s a lot to go to Rogue in Scotland, however then you should have the finals of the WFP in Copenhagen in December.”
With a brand new season construction, Cotler’s athletes should determine what competitions imply probably the most to them. As soon as that’s determined, the teaching crew will do their finest to information the athletes within the route that makes probably the most sense for them and their targets.
- “Everybody goes to prioritize particular issues greater than others, and in the end, it’s not my job to inform my athletes that is what you’re going to do. It’s my job to information them,” Cotler mentioned.
The Group
Cotler has cultivated an incredible group of coaches round him to help the athletes at Underdogs.
Right here is the present teaching squad:
- Casey Acree – A two-time Higher Extremity CrossFit Video games Champion, Acree is the Head of Programming and writes the Elite Template Program.
- Colette Casey – Casey has been with Underdogs since 2021 and is a former podium Masters CrossFit Video games. She is among the camp’s busiest distant coaches.
- Brendan Snyder – Snyder works hands-on with Cotler at Underdog’s residence base in Las Vegas because the Assistant Program Director.
The Athletes
Alex Gazan stays the middle of the Underdogs Coaching Camp, and Cotler speaks with glowing reward when her identify is talked about.
- “Alex is mature past her years, and he or she is totally different. She is among the youthful athletes who has been round for the final 5 – 6 years who hasn’t gotten burnt out,” Cotler mentioned. “I believe quite a lot of that’s that she doesn’t eat, breathe, and sleep simply CrossFit. She has much more stability.”
The purpose for Gazan remains to be to grow to be the perfect on the planet.
- “She’s 23, and I believe she has a shiny, lengthy future, so we’re attempting to do it the proper method. Even when it takes us a pair extra years to get there, she’ll be lots younger sufficient to have the ability to be in that place for a number of years,” he continued.
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Apart from Gazan, Cotler stays busy with Sara Sigmundsdottir, Katelin Van Zyl, and Bronislaw Olenkowicz, simply to call a couple of, who’re all in several levels of their CrossFit careers.
Van Zyl is a mother to 2 youngsters, which makes coaching much more complicated. Olenkowicz has transitioned to success in Masters, coming in third within the 35-39-year-old division on the CrossFit Video games final yr.
- “I believe for [Olenkowicz], he’s on the level in his profession the place it’s all enjoyable now,” Cotler mentioned. “He had such a tremendous yr, and I believe quite a lot of that needed to do with taking a ton of stress off of himself. I believe he’s simply loving competing at this level in his profession, and we’ll proceed to take action so long as his physique feels good.”
Sigmundsdottir continues her comeback tour after her latest ACL harm and has a lot respect from the crew at Underdogs.
- “We’re attempting to resurrect her profession, however Sara may retire tomorrow and nonetheless have had one of many biggest careers within the historical past of CrossFit,” Cotler mentioned. “She’s a legend, however I believe she desires to exit on her personal phrases. I believe a wholesome Sara remains to be a harmful Sara, and I simply don’t suppose we’ve been capable of see it for the previous couple of years.”
One other latest addition to the Underdogs roster is Manon Angonese, who was thirty fifth on the 2023 CrossFit Video games.
- Angonese posted on Instagram final Thursday, “Appears to be like like that lone wolf determined to hitch a canine pack for 2025.”
Past the People, Underdogs will assemble a crew to take a run on the CrossFit Video games.
Cotler has additionally began working with a teen athlete from New Zealand, Tahlia Vasaki. The 14-year-old despatched Cotler a handwritten letter speaking about how huge a fan of Underdogs she is and the way her purpose is to be a CrossFit Video games Champion someday.
Transferring On
There have been many additions to the Underdogs camp, however one notable athlete has moved on — Ricky Garard. The 2 stay shut, and Cotler is extraordinarily happy with what they achieved collectively.
- “We had an unbelievable run in three years collectively. We had two wins at TYR Wodapalooza, a podium end on the Video games, two high fives at Rogue, and three high fives at Dubai. Garard’s efficiency over the previous couple of years has spoken for itself,” he mentioned.
Cotler remarked that the actual significance of their partnership went past the competitors ground.
- “I believe extra vital…is that we have been capable of assist rehabilitate his profession and popularity, which is 10 instances extra vital than the efficiency in a contest,” he mentioned. “I believe he’s now grow to be probably the most beloved athletes round, and the truth that that occurred below my watch, and the truth that I used to be prepared to take that likelihood when no person else would at first – I’m very happy with that.”
Heading right into a season filled with change, Cotler will follow what acquired him and Underdogs right here within the first place – the reference to the athlete.
- “It is very important perceive that when an athlete, particularly one on the highest degree, chooses you to be their coach, they’re placing what they maintain probably the most expensive, their profession, which is so short-lived, in your fingers,” he mentioned. “And in the event you don’t join on each single degree, and in the event you don’t instantly have an emotional connection, then I don’t suppose you possibly can convey all the things out that you just wish to convey out as a coach.”
Cotler is conscious this sense could also be distinctive, and different coaches may even see the athlete/coach relationship as extra of a enterprise relationship, however he holds steadfast to his perception.
- “It’s an extremely vital choice, and I really feel very privileged and lucky. When an athlete chooses me, for nonetheless lengthy that lasts, I at all times put my coronary heart and soul into each individual, and I attempt to make it possible for I assist them maximize their potential as an athlete and as a person.”
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