Coach Dispenza is the only full-time USAW National Coach and International Weightlifting Federation (Category 2) Technical Official in Maryland.  His athletes span ability levels from beginners who have never picked up a barbell to national competitors.   These athletes also include all age groups from school-age lifters to masters (35 years and up) and as a lead instructor for USAW’s coaching certification, he has trained dozens of certified USAW coaches in the Maryland/Potomac Region.

Coach Dispenza focuses on the individual lifter using standardized training for beginners (up to two years) with adjustments to programming determined by the athlete’s response and progress.  He believes in close coaching, with at least one coach for every five athletes in a training session.  This ensures maximum development for the athlete’s technical proficiency and strength development in a safe environment.

He is a retired federal agent, serving 23 years with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigating violent crime in Cleveland, Ohio, Alexandria, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland.  He is a member of the Maryland Bar, a certified public accountant and a part-time professor of Criminal Justice at Baltimore County Community College.  Coach Dispenza and his wife, Laura, who is also a USAW National Official live in Catonsville, Maryland.