About Us Ed Smith, PT Co-Owner, Director Strength and Conditioning Coach Physical Therapist University of South Florida B.S. 1984 University of Florida College of Physical Therapy 1986 Ed is no stranger to the athletes and coaches in South Florida. He began his professional career in strength and conditioning under Harry Smith, the first strength coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was here Smith found his love and success in power lifting could be well served. In 1985 Smith began a career in physical therapy focusing on orthopaedics and sports medicine. Smith relocated to Palm BeachCounty opening his first office in Lake Worth in 1988. Belle Glade, Florida was the next stop for Smith in 1991 when he opened his second physical therapy practice, which he owned until opening Athletes Advantage in 2004. While treating and rehabbing patients in Belle Glade, he also started training athletes from Palm BeachCounty in speed development. Several of the areas high school, collegiate and professional stars including Fred Taylor, James Jackson, JaJuan Seider, Anquan Boldin and Reidel Anthony were under his tutelage. The creation of Athletes Advantage enabled Ed to have a place to merge both his love of training athletes and treating and rehabilitating injuries. Sean Benevides MA, CSCS, USAW, CGFI, USATF Co-Owner, Business Director Sports Performance Coach University of Rhode Island B.S. 1996 Gardner-Webb University M.A. 2001 After a successful high school career in RI, Sean spent one year at Wyoming Seminary Prep (PA) before accepting an appointment to West Point where he played football before injury cut his playing days short. Sean's professional career began in college while as a student-athletic trainer for the URI baseball, football and track and field teams, serving as co-Head Student Athletic Trainer in 1996. From there Benevides was a summer intern in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With coaching in his blood, he took his career to Portsmouth Abbey School (RI), where he was defensive coordinator for the Ravens 1998 New England Prep Championship team. While at the Abbey, he also coached JV football, JV basketball and JV lacrosse. In 1999 Benevides relocated to North Carolina, where he served as Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer and Football Strength Coach at Gardner-Webb University. In 2000, he was then named Director of Strength and Conditioning overseeing the entire athletic departments sports teams weight training and conditioning. In 2002 and 2003 GWU football program won consecutive Big South Conference titles, while the staff garnered consecutive staff of the year honors as well. Under his direction, five GWU athletes earned strength and conditioning All-American honors. During his GWU career, Sean also presented topics at the South Carolina Coaches Association and taught classes in the Sports Science and Wellness Department. Benevides has coached at Athletes Advantage since its opening in 2004. He has also been responsible for training, set up and administration of serveral NFL, CFL, Professional Indoor Football, and high school combines throughout his career. Benevides is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (NSCA), certified golf fitness instructor (Titleist Performance Institute), USA Track and Field Level 1 coach and a USA Weightlifting sports performance coach. Preston Baez MS, CSCS Assistant Sports Performance Coach Preston Baez is no stranger to Athletes Advantage Sports Performance. Baez, from Belle Glade, trained at Athletes Advantage as a standout football player for Glades Day School and Bridgewater (Va.) College. After is playing career ended, Preston joined the Athletes Advantage staff as an intern in 2006, later becoming an assistant in 2007 and 2008. The spring season of 2008 gave Preston his first collegiate coaching experience, where he interned with the James Madison University Men's Soccer Team and Baseball. Coach Baez then relocated to Tallahassee where he enrolled in Graduate School at FSU. While at FSU earning his Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology, he worked as a Graduate Assistant in one of the top strength programs nationally, and worked with the Seminole Football and Swimming programs. Also, Preston worked as a Team Leader for CHP Champions in Tallahassee. The primary focus of Champions is working with Elementary and Middle School students preventing childhood obesity and improving athletic performance. Most recently, Coach Baez completed a summer internship at the University of Iowa, working directly with the Hawkeye football team. Coach Baez will head up the Athletes Advantage Adult Fitness and Youth Training Programs, as well as serve as Internship Coordinator. Lourdes de Valle, PT Physical Therapist Sports Performance Coach University of Florida College of Physical Therapy 1987 From I-95: Take Forest Hill Blvd. exit, head west into Wellington, cross State Rd 7/441 about 3/4 of a mile, take a left onto Stribling Way. Stay on Stribling Way into business park. Athletes Advantage is second yellow building on right. From Florida Turnpike: Take Southern Blvd. exit, head west into Wellington. At State Road 7/441 take a left and and travel south, take a right onto Forest Hill Blvd, about 3/4 of a mile, take a left onto Stribling Way. Stay on Stribling Way into business park. Athletes Advantage is second yellow building on right. Click for Location