Want to Coach the Dodgers? Head Strength Coach Travis Smith Shares His Blueprint

Want to Coach the Dodgers? HeadTravis Smith is living the dream of countless kids and young adults.

As head strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Smith works hands-on with stars like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on a daily basis.

But only one person can have Smith’s job, so how do you make sure that person is you?

Smith recently sat down with Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez and detailed his journey from college football player to the Dodgers.

Smith began his career in baseball by serving as an intern for the Miami Marlins organization.

“I was an intern with the Marlins and at all levels, they had intern positions,” he said. “I was able to be in big league camp right away and from there, the guys were open arms. Our head guy at the time, Stephen Downey, allowed me to come over to big league camp and be there the whole time.”

He soon transitioned from the Marlins’ Triple-A team to the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate, a move he called “seamless.”

Once with the Dodgers’ minor league teams, he was invited to spring training, where he bonded with stars and veterans.

He was eventually promoted to the Dodgers’ assistant strength coach position, then minor league coordinator, where he’d be in LA for home games and at minor-league games when the MLB club was on the road.

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The big leaguers, though, wanted Smith to be present for their road games as well.

“From there, players started to voice their opinion like ‘Hey, we need Travis on the road.’ It worked out,” he said. “This organization should have multiple guys, two or three people on the road, because we have such stars and they need specific attention.”

If you’re looking to follow in Smith’s footsteps and become a trainer or coach in the big leagues, Smith had one big piece of advice.

“Be a ‘send me, I go’ person,” he explained. “Understand that whatever the organization needs out of you in that moment, do your best to be great at it. A lot of people try to think about climbing the ladder or what’s next but just focus on where your feet are and really work hard. I think that with hard work and being good at what you do, you’re going to be seen.”