Coach Details

Jason Kilderry
ETA Coach LLC
Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey Area, NJ
Please visit www.etacoach.com to find out more information on ETA's coaching packages and consulting services.

ETA specializes in coaching endurance athletes of all abilities. 

At ETA, we understand no two athletes are physically the same and each will respond differently to training. ETA athletes are not given a one size fits all training program, but rather a customized plan based on the latest research as well as the athletes individual goals, limitations, time constraints, and fitness level. We believe all athletes are capable of making gains, regardless of perceived ability. 

ETA coaches have a solid background in the sciences, allowing them to evaluate the latest research findings and apply what is sound to training. We would not suggest anything to our athletes that has not been scientifically validated and researched. We also pay attention to detail, and ensure that from both a physiological and biomechanical standpoint our athletes training is maximized. That is why we also take on a small clientele, so we can further the individual attention.



Our methods are proven to be effective in preparing athletes to compete at their highest level of performance on race day.

Head Coach Jason Kilderry

Coach Jason Kilderry

An Evidence-Based Way of Thinking

Jason has an extensive background in endurance sports. He was a recreational runner in high school and a competitive runner in college, and he also began racing triathlons while in college. Through his participation in athletics, Jason became fascinated with training theory and subsequently earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science. He continues his education today as he pursues two master's degrees: one in human movement and the other in kinesiology.

As Jason searched for the best way to maximize his own athletic performance, he sought out the top coaches and most popular literature on training. However, he found himself continually frustrated by the prevalence of unoriginal, belief-based, and/or illogical training methods and philosophies. It was this lack of evidence-based coaching that led Jason to focus on the intelligent application of basic scientific principles to training. Using this approach, Jason found his own racing performance to improve dramatically. This inspired him to take up coaching full time and to make an effort to help others achieve similar success and realize their potential.

Kidney Transplant Recipient A new take on training and coaching

  Another reason Jason loves to coach is rooted in his personal life and struggles with health. In the summer of his freshman year of high school, Jason was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic disease that ran rampant in his family. The disease progressed in Jason much more quickly than in most patients with KD, and this greatly affected his health and race performances. Between 2006 and 2009, Jason had more than 11 surgeries. He was very sick and on dialysis from 2008 until April 9, 2009, when a college teammate donated a kidney to Jason. Although Jason still works out regularly, his illness may have brought his racing days to an end; his body just does not hold up well at a high volume of training due to his years of struggle with PKD. However, Jason has not given up on returning to racing and is determined to make a comeback in swimming, cycling, and hopefully running and triathlon again someday. The uncertainty about his own athletic future is why Jason gets such enjoyment from working with his athletes; he lives vicariously through their achievements and appreciates his role in enabling them to achieve their dreams. Jason's illness has had the added benefit of giving him a newfound appreciation for the newbie and beginner athlete, because after being sick for so many years, he was back to square one when it came to working out again and understands how daunting that can be.

Those who can, do. Those who cant, teach.

  Most people do not have the genetic gift to be able to race at the elite level, but a strong background in exercise science allows Jason to understand how to apply the appropriate workloads, stress the specific physiological factors, and suggest the appropriate nutritional needs to an athlete looking to compete in longer and highly competitive endurance events. Athletes often look for coaches who have personally competed in these events, and Jason understands why some athletes think a coach's athletic experience automatically makes them a good coach. However, Jason constantly reminds potential clients that he has led athletes to Olympic Trials qualifications, successful Ironman finishes, personal records, and stellar performances such as sub 2:20 in a marathon and 10 hours in an Ironman-distance triathlon. There are many coaches who never had success in the sport they coached but still were phenomenal coaches, leaders, and mentors. Vince Lombardi played football in college and was admired for his spirit and aggressiveness, but he never was a standout player. However, today he is known as one of the all-time great football coaches. Bill Bowerman played football but coached runners: 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 24 NCAA champions, and 16 sub 4-minute milers. Like Lombardi and Bowerman, Jason was a decent but not exceptional college athlete; that said, his passion and love for endurance athletics is unquestionable. Jason thinks this quote sums it up best: "Those who can, do. Those who cant, teach."

Education

Jason is a USA Level 1 triathlon and track and field certified coach as well as a National Strength and Conditioning Association strength and conditioning specialist. He holds a bachelor's degree in Health and Exercise Science from Rowan University and is currently pursuing two master's degrees in movement science and kinesiology. Jason is the owner of ETA Coach and is a member of the PhysFarm Coaching Consortium. He comes highly recommended by his athletes, many of whom have qualified for various championships or earned entry into races requiring qualification, including the Olympic Trials, Boston Marathon, the USA Triathlon National Championships, Half Ironman World Championships, various Ironman distance events, and the New Jersey High School Meet of Champions.