Our Team
What ZLP Athletes say about Michael
"Very intentional with each athlete."
"Strives to help each of us find what works best."
"Schweiss is amazing, always coming up with new ways to help understand movements that lead to better performance."
Michael Schweiss
Pitching & Hitting Coordinator
Coach Schweiss grew up in Parker, CO where he attended Chaparral High School, graduating in 2008. Following high school, he attended and played baseball at the University of Dallas – a NCAA Division III school in Irving, TX where he was a reliever and a starter for the Crusaders. Schweiss pitched over 200 innings for UD, setting several school records and being named an All-American in 2011.
Graduating in May 2012 with a degree in Economics and Finance, Schweiss decided to pursue professional baseball. After rehabbing his arm following an injury his senior season, he was offered a contract to play for the Normal Cornbelters of the Frontier League to play independent professional baseball. Schweiss was a starting pitcher for the Cornbelters from 2013-2016 racking up over 350 innings across four seasons, leading the league in strikeouts in 2015, and setting the franchise record for career wins.
Immediately following his playing career, Schweiss was offered the assistant coach position at his alma mater in the Fall of 2016. In four seasons as the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, he recruited and coached numerous all-conference and all-region players. Schweiss did a little bit of everything at UD but mostly handled the pitching staff during his time there.
Coach Schweiss joined the team at Zero Limits Performance, in May 2020, and now oversees player skill development.
Fun Fact: Senior Superlative - Best Smile
Derek Valiska
Strength & Conditioning Coordinator
What ZLP Athletes say about Derek
"Very relatable coach that is enjoyable to be around."
"Coaching is great, communication is always there, great energy."
"Does a great job helping us understand what we're doing incorrectly in movements and how to fix it."
Coach Derek grew up in Bastrop, Texas where he attended Cedar Creek High School, graduating in 2014. Following high school, he attended and played baseball at Hendrix College and the University of Dallas - two NCAA Division III schools where he played middle infield.
After finishing his baseball career, he graduated with honors from Texas State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise and Sports Science. Coach Derek began working under Christian in 2018. He has continued to educate himself in the industry with specialties in Functional Range Conditioning, Functional Movement Systems, Sturdy Shoulder Solutions, and the NeuroType System.
"Neurotyping” refers to utilizing a person’s personality traits to evaluate his/her neurotransmitter dominance and utilize that information to select the best type of training and diet to maximize his/her training results. The Neurotype System is the athlete’s and the coach’s ultimate tool to effectively individualize training methods. It allows the coaches to understand the athlete’s brain dominance and thus know what kind of training will be best suited to optimize results.
Coach Derek serves all levels of ZLP Athletes from Middle School to MLB and has a lead role within our adult training programs.
Fun Fact: Senior Superlative - Most Unique
Sam Dumbacher
Strength & Conditioning Coordinator
What ZLP Athletes say about Sam
"Tons of good energy and always jumps in to help/push us to be better."
"Great coaching, good communication, always staying on us, amazing energy."
"Phenomenal job pushing us as athletes and making sure we are doing the movement correctly. Definitely my hype-man for the big lifts."
"More Arm Farm!"
Coach Sam grew up in Dekalb, IL. Following high school, he attended and played soccer at Kishwaukee College – an NJCAA school in IL. After graduating with his Associates of Science, Sam transferred to Tarleton State University to earn a B.S. in Kinesiology.
During his time at Tarleton State he demonstrated an unparalleled dedication to his education and career, playing a pivotal role in a variety of training/coaching positions. Coach Sam set a precedence for future Kinesiology majors at TSU. He has since been asked to speak to other Kinesiology majors about how to prepare for the Health/Wellness, Performance, and Strength and Conditioning industry.
Graduating Cum Laude from TSU, Sam accepted a position as a performance coach and personal trainer at realPerformance PT in Cleburne, TX. At RPPT, Sam programmed and implemented speed and agility protocols for High School and Middle School athletes. He also had the opportunity to continue to train adults in private and group sessions.
Coach Sam began working under Christian in 2018. While continuing to educate himself in the industry, he serves all levels of ZLP Athletes from Middle School to MLB and has a lead role within our adult training programs.
Fun Fact: Senior Superlative - Most Optimistic