INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Columbia director of strength and conditioning Tommy Sheehan spoke at the Major League Baseball Strength and Conditioning conference at the MLB Winter Meetings earlier this month.

Sheehan specifically touched on sport-specific movement training, which is being utilized by several Major League Baseball teams, largely based on his visit to the Cleveland Indians training camp in 2007. 

During his talk, Sheehan featured a movement analysis of Indians infielder Jhonny Peralta, who recently transitioned from shortstop to third base during the 2009 season, thanks in part to movement training.

Jim Malone, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the San Diego Padres and the president of the Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society, invited Sheehan to the conference.  The two played football together at the University of Rochester under Ray Tellier.

"Tommy and I talk alot of shop," Malone said.  "One of the methods he's been using at Columbia is movement training and I've utilized some of that [in San Diego] with our players."

Other presenters at the conference included Boyd Epley, Nebraska's head strength coach for 34 years and one of the pioneers of strength and conditioning, along with Al Vermiel, former strength and conditioning coach for the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox, and Dr. John Ivy of the University of Texas.

At Columbia, Sheehan is in his ninth year as Director of Strength and Conditioning, where he supervises all aspects of strength and conditioning for Columbia's 29 intercollegiate teams.