Mike Sobczak ‘07 is a criminal justice alumnus, and owner/head coach at Training for Warriors in Plumstead, Pennsylvania, which is a short drive from Doylestown.

Sobczak had planned to join the police academy following graduation, but unfortunately, suffered a severe ACL injury which would eventually lead him down a different path; the Training for Warriors path. After almost an entire year of physical therapy Sobczak may have had a better knee, but unfortunately was coupled with 50+ extra pounds.

He was searching for an answer to the weight loss when a friend handed him a book called “Training for Warriors,” a book written by Martin Rooney who years later would become great friends with Sobczak.

The Training For Warriors (TFW) system is a physical and mental training program originally created for fighters by Rooney more than 25 years ago. This training program utilizes ongoing evaluation and feedback to adapt specific strength and conditioning protocols to best fit a warrior’s needs. The system was adopted by all types of high-level athletes from MMA fighters to NFL athletes.

During his physical training rehab, he was still taking police assessments. Sobczak pushed through and made it far in the Pennsylvania trooper exam. However, he met his wife Krista and knew he would be sent away for a long time. So, Mike had the idea to open his own training business to follow his true passion for training which ultimately led to his weight loss and keeping it off.

Sobczak was active on campus through Rho Epsilon Kappa, A-Day, the Halloween Haunting, Lacrosse Club, and Track and Field. He explains that academically, the opportunities were plentiful, and his overall campus life experience was momentous.

“I think I owe more to my entire DelVal experience than just the education,” said Sobczak.

“My education gave me incredible opportunities, field trips, insights, and wonderful advisors, but in my opinion, that was only 1/2 of the coin. Our penology class had the opportunity to go tour several different penitentiaries like Greaterford, Edna Man, and even Bucks County Corrections. When I was part of the criminal justice club, we went on a trip to New York and stayed overnight to see how night court was, which was pretty amazing.”

He continued to immerse himself in the community that surrounded DelVal, by starting his own business in Doylestown, and despite the pandemic, continued to keep it open. In the span of almost 10 years, TFW has raised well over $10,000 for Pine2Pink and the Kin Wellness Center for breast cancer/cancer care. Mike serves on the Be Kind 5k committee. TFW supports the Travis Manion Foundation each year by hosting their Manion WOD and 9/11 Heroes Run.

Learn more about Sobczak’s story at Delaware Valley University.

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