Isiah McDonald is now a strength and conditioning coach with the New York Yankees organization

By Chad Klassen

ISIAH MCDONALD

Former Kamloops ballplayer joins New York Yankees organization in strength and conditioning role

Apr 7, 2022 | 2:10 PM

KAMLOOPS — In 2014, Isiah McDonald was a leader on the Kamloops Midget AAA Riverdogs. He went on to play baseball collegiately at TRU.

Now, McDonald is a strength and conditioning coach and is part of the New York Yankees organization.

“When you grow up and you’re playing, that’s kind of the only option you see and the only option you want to see to be out there as a player, but I think I’m fortunate enough to sneak my way into the back door of professional baseball, so I’m just very happy for the opportunity,” he told CFJC Today.

Leading up to opening day on Thursday, McDonald was down with the Yankees at spring training in Florida working with all the teams. He’ll soon be assigned a specific team within the organization.

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“When you’re going through all the hours of hard work, it seems like it takes forever, but now that it’s happened, like you said I’m only 25. It happens quick and I didn’t expect it at all. It’s usually how it goes,” said McDonald.

The 25-year-old, who went to TRU for two years before finishing a kinesiology degree at UBC, was given an internship opportunity at Cressey Sports Performance in Florida at the start of the pandemic in 2020.

He was there for six months and learned a lot, working with pro baseball players and even NFL quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

“Jacoby works out with us down in Florida. We had over 100 major league guys there this past offseason,” said McDonald. “It’s a pretty cool little private facility.”

Then after starting a sports performance business in Kamloops, Eric Cressey, who’s also the Director of Player, Health and Performance for the Yankees, reached out to McDonald for help during the MLB lockout. He went back to Florida for a couple months before Cressey asked him about the Yankee job.

“When I was back these past few months, a week before I was about to fly home, he came up to me and just asked my thoughts [about the Yankees opportunity] and sat down and talked a little bit,” he said.

Before all this happened, McDonald had planned to work with the Kamloops NorthPaws, the new baseball team in town, in a strength and conditioning role.

Even being with the Yankees, he plans to still work virtually with high-level athletes in Kamloops. However, his ultimate goal is to work the big club in New York and win a World Series ring.

“A couple. I need a couple. We’re looking pretty good this year, so hopefully in year one.”