Ryan BerningCoach/Consultant Boston Institute of Jumping
Junior Hordon Health Lifestyle Coach
Renegade Trainer, DMC, Pink
(617) 367 - 0035
HordoN HEALTH North End
294 North Street
Boston, MA 02113
Renegade coach Ryan Berning has his soccer-playing, basketball-coaching dad to thank for introducing him to the concept of competition. This never-give-up, winning-is-the-only-option attitude carried through Ryan’s involvement in baseball, soccer, skateboarding and basketball in his youth in Dayton, Ohio. By high school, Ryan excelled enough on the field to be named captain of his soccer team both his sophomore and junior years. From his strategic post in center mid, Ryan led his team to win the regional championships in ’00 and to the state quarterfinals in ‘01. Tragically, the fall of his senior year, Ryan tore his ACL and was forced to have surgery, preventing him from playing soccer. Although he was devastated, Ryan found some solace in becoming the assistant coach for the 7 grade volleyball team. A longtime friend and dedicated volleyball player, Alan Brunsman, had taught Ryan the game, and although he had never played competitively, he had a good grasp of the basics that he passed on to the middle school girls he coached.
After yet another knee surgery December of his senior year, Ryan threw himself back into skateboarding. He was a sponsored athlete and participated in two serious competitions the spring before he graduated high school.
Ryan obtained his associate’s degree in phlebotomy from Sinclair College and then moved on to the University of Dayton where he completed his Bachelor’s in applied science while playing on the varsity soccer team. It was during these college years Ryan found his true passion. With Brunsman’s guidance, he began playing more and more volleyball, including a few years on the University of Dayton men’s club team. However, it was ultimately the beach game, with the grit of the sand between his toes and the sun beating down on his back that would become Ryan’s favorite.
Every weekend, he played in tournaments, determined to obtain the best partner he could and improve with each match. Natural athleticism and the same competitive attitude passed on to him from Dad, allowed him to blow past players who had been playing since middle school for the best clubs and college teams. Eventually, Ryan was traveling all over Ohio to compete. After a move to Boston earlier this year, he has placed in multiple semi-pro tournaments, even once winning third with his partner Lucas Coffeen in the East End Volleyball Tour’s stop in Newport, RI. He and Lucas are still striving to top this finish and with lifestyle coaching from Marc Hordon they are confident they can do it.
Ryan has continued to pursue his passion in the sport of volleyball through coaching as well. A few years after his first coaching gig with the 7 graders, he was rehired as the JV coach. Then, when the head of the program left the following year, he inherited the team and coached both varsity and JV for the next two years. The program was behind many of the other teams in the conference when Ryan found himself in charge, but with patience and serious focus, Ryan taught the girls to use proper form and run a competitive offense.
During this time, Ryan experimented with various careers, none of which he could see himself pursuing for the rest of his life. However, he knew his favorite things to do were play and coach, and with this in mind he obtained his personal training certification and began work as the Assistant Director of Personal Training at a local Ohio gym. Ryan’s focus as a trainer was in core strength and plyometrics. With this knowledge, Ryan was recruited by the Wittenberg University women’s volleyball team as their jump coach. Wittenberg routinely dominates the Division III tournament but were still looking for ways to push their game to the next level. With Ryan’s plyometric coaching, they were jumping higher and exploding to the ball faster.
Ryan found himself attracted to Hordon Health because of their unique and progressive training philosophies. He loves that he can continue to pursue his passion of plyometrics and core strength, and he has been introduced to new ideas about injury prevention and body control by the senior Renegade coaches. Ryan now heads the youngest division of H.H., the Boston Institute of Jump. Ryan emphasizes that jumping better isn’t only beneficial for basketball and volleyball players, but also your basic fitness enthusiast. Jumping is a wonderful way to burn calories and build lean muscle. Despite the layered obstacles that lay in front of Ryan’s completion of International Certification and HordoN HEALTH Apprenticeship, Ryan’s investment in his future, similar to that of Thom’s and Marc’s, trumped failure at every corner. The demands for a coach at HordoN HEALTH and the Boston Institute of Jump are rigorous and require tremendous effort, but it is clear that Ryan is up to the task.
Although much of what Ryan has been able to accomplish has been loud, his disposition and overall attitude is reserved and humble. Ryan’s mild temperament is not to be confused however with any lack of self-confidence. His soft but stern energy is extremely motivational and productive for his athletes and clients. Clients and athletes alike excel under his tutelage and as his knowledge of Renegade increases Ryan’s future in this industry gets brighter. Ryan is one of the greatest trainers and coaches in all of the Northeast and his decision to stay in Boston, with HordoN HEALTH will change the face of fitness forever.
