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NSCA’s Coaching Podcast, Episode 52: Caitlin Quinn

by Scott P. Caulfield, MA, CSCS,*D, RSCC*D, and Caitlin C. Quinn, CSCS
Coaching Podcast April 2019

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Caitlin Quinn, Director of Performance for Toyota Racing Development, talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about her start in the field of strength and conditioning with internships, her time at Florida State University as a graduate assistant and strength and conditioning coach, and her new position at Toyota Racing Development. Topics under discussion include internships, graduate assistant positions, not letting people define you as a coach, and the athletes she works with at Toyota Racing Development.

Find Scott on Twitter: @scottcaulfield

Email: cquinn8544@gmail.com

Twitter and Instagram: Thequinn44

Show Notes

“It was very early that I learned the value of constructive criticism” … “You need that feedback”      6:44

“If it’s not comfortable in that box… You got to find a way to figure out how to make it yours, so you can be your authentic self and not who someone else wants you to be.”  14:25

“I’m going to make mistakes, and own them and move on”           16:33

Reporting Errors: To report errors in a podcast episode requiring correction or clarification, email the editor at publications@nsca.com or write to NSCA, attn: Publications Dept., 1885 Bob Johnson Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80906. Your letter should be clearly marked as a letter of complaint. Please (a) identify in writing the precise factual errors in the published podcast episode (every false, factual assertion allegedly contained therein), (b) explain with specificity what the true facts are, and (c) include your full name and contact information.

Transcript

[00:00:01.29] Welcome to NSCA's coaching podcast, episode 52.

[00:00:06.42] People want to put you in a box. Like this is what it looks like to be a female strength coach, or a football strength coach, or a whatever. And if it's not comfortable in that box, like you know it's just not the best fit, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be with that sport. It doesn't mean you shouldn't be in that role. You just got to figure out a way to make it yours so that you can be your authentic self and not who somebody else wants you to be.

[00:00:32.34] This is the NSCA's coaching podcast where we talk to strength and conditioning coaches about what you really need to know, but probably didn't learn in school. There's strength and conditioning, and then there's everything else.

[00:00:42.96] Welcome to the NSCA coaching podcast. This is Scott Caulfield. Today with me, Caitlin Quinn, Director of Performance for Toyota Racing Development. Caitlin, welcome to the show.

[00:00:51.82] Thanks, Scott. Appreciate it.

[00:00:53.04] Excited to be here. We are in a snowy, this morning, Indianapolis at the NSCA 2019 Coaches' Conference. How's it been for you so far?

[00:01:01.41] It's been really good. I missed last year, unfortunately, so it's really nice to catch up with everybody.

[00:01:06.18] Yeah, it's great. There's so much going on today, too, even though this is the last day of the conference. And they're calling for about six inches of snow. So I think some people are trying to rush out of here before they get stuck here. I have a pretty good feeling a lot of people are going to be staying in Indy today.

[00:01:24.19] Yeah, we might just extend it a few more days.

[00:01:26.01] Yeah, so maybe we'll add a track of content tomorrow for the people that didn't get out.

[00:01:31.38] There you go.

[00:01:32.61] Cool. Well, you've got a lot of cool experience. You're at Florida State, and now this new gig we definitely want to talk about. But I also want to talk about internships and how you got started. So maybe you tell us a little bit about first, where you went to school, and then your first experience coming out of school.

[00:01:51.96] Yeah. I went to Springfield College. I'm from Western Mass. My dad went to Springfield College.

[00:01:57.06] Nice.

[00:01:57.66] So it was kind of a no brainer when it really got down to it and after I stepped foot on campus. I'm like, oh, this is where I need to be, kind of thing. I initially was an English major, and then when I got there and realized was not really what I want to do, switched to PE. Rusty Jones, who's the perform instructor over at the Colts is a good family friend. And I just knew he was a strength coach at the Bills. And I'm like, well, that sounds cool. How do I do that?

[00:02:27.03] So they all studied PE back in the day. So that was the advice I got. And I taught my first class of kindergartners, they take you they get teaching experience really early, which is a good thing. And I was like, yeah, this is not for me. So kind of talked to some people and realized exercise science was a good option.

[00:02:47.01] Looked into that, and Charlie Redmond, who was actually the athletic trainer, one of the athletic trainers for my dad when he played football at Springfield, is still there as a professor. So he's like go see Charlie, and see what he says. And he pointed me straight towards Dr. Margaret Jones' office. He's like if you're going to make it, if you want to be a strength coach, she's the one who you need to go talk to.

[00:03:12.09] She took me under her wing, and kind of the rest is history, literally. She pathed out what I needed to do. Came down to you finish-- they probably still do it this way. I finished my big year coursework with a big internship. And I wanted to wait until the summer so I could hang out with my friends, cause the mature things you do when you're 22. So she's like Andrea Hudy. That's where you need to be.

[00:03:38.46] So I applied to go to Kansas and do my internship with her with basketball. At the time, in the summer when I was there, it was women's volleyball was there, and men's, women's basketball. So that's primarily who I worked with. And it was like being thrown straight into the fire. And it was amazing. Because it'd be really tough during the day, being an intern is so awkward. It's just is. It's like the nature of it. And then we'd go get coffee or frozen custard or whatever after, and talk about how you screwed up or how you did great.

[00:04:08.55] Yeah, so from there, I went straight to-- that internship actually opened the door for me to-- all I did was I applied for a GA position at Florida State. And the way that went was, Jon Jost was the director at Florida State at the time. Called Dr. Jones and said, I need a female to apply for a GA spot, do you have somebody? So she she called me and asked if I was interested. And it's crazy because the first thing that pops in my head is, my brother is like the biggest Florida State fan. And I'm like, whatever. I'm from Massachusetts.

[00:04:38.88] So it wasn't even like, do I want this? It was, Dempsey's going to be so jealous. So I apply for an interview, and just kind of go straight from Kansas to there. And didn't really realize at the time that I was moving away from New England for the next, what is it now, 12 years?

[00:04:58.17] That's wild. How-- ask a Kansas question because I've been there-- how awesome is it being in a facility like that as an intern? Or super intimidating, awesome or intimidating? Two ends of the spectrum. Or could it be both?

[00:05:15.50] I think it's been tough for everybody since then that I've had to talk about facility stuff with, because it's kind of like a ruler that I measure everything against. To the point where their football program ended up building a weight room, and they're like, well, we're going to do it exactly this one, because it's amazing. For those of you who've never been there, you walk in, there's a mezzanine that overlooks into the weight room area. And actually I haven't been there is years, so I don't know if she changed the setup. But--

[00:05:40.56] It's pretty much the same. There's a few difference.

[00:05:43.16] Ramps and those plyo steps. And then you have the turf upstairs, and it's just-- it's pretty secure which I think some people take for granted weight room wise. There's just the big door in and where they're letting you in, and you're not-- it was definitely more exciting than intimidating, because I didn't know better. I didn't know any better.

[00:06:02.18] Well, for anyone that wants to go, she has a clinic the first week in May every year now. And it's coming up again in May, so check it out.

[00:06:09.98] Good advice.

[00:06:11.20] Good opportunity, yeah, and a great-- I've had a few other people who have been interns there, or assistants there that I know very well. And everybody has great things to say, but it's also I think the great thing about Andrea, too, is she'll tell you when you're not doing things great. Or if you're not doing it right.

[00:06:34.43] I think there was also-- I say all time, I've just been so fortunate in my experience. But it was very early and from her that I learned kind of the value of that, of constructive criticism. You need that feedback. And it's scary to get because it's hard to hear when you have done something awesome or less than awesome. But you're never going to get better if you don't obtain that feedback. So I've kind of tried to ask for it ever since then. Jon Jost was good about that, as well. Because not everybody is willing to give it. Sometimes you got to ask for it. It's tough.

[00:07:07.91] Yeah, totally. That's great info. So Florida State, you kind of worked your way up the ladder, too, right? You went from being a GA to getting employed and sticking around for a while. Tell us a little bit about how that went, and how that experience was.

[00:07:23.53] I did. I experienced the whole, the split of football from Olympics kind of firsthand, because Jon Jost was over both when I got there. Literally when I stepped on campus, they had just moved him away from football. And kind of saw the birth of an Olympic strength conditioning department working alongside football. And Florida State's unique in that to this day they still share the same weight room. I think they have plans, they always have plans to build a new one, but--

[00:07:56.24] So we had four GAs when I started all sitting in the back room together swapping war stories and working with teams. And then they started to eliminate some of those positions to make more full time as you kind of move towards coaches having less teams overall, and being really kind of part of the coaching staff. And I think there's pros and cons to that model. I liked it because you feel so-- the good part was you're so integrated with the staff, with the players, making decisions. You feel like you're a really valued part of that program.

[00:08:31.71] It's hard though because the time you end up spending. I end up going to booster events and going to community service things. Because I want to be there, and I want to support them. And when the kids are like, I'm doing this other academic deal. Come hang out and see it. And you're like, of course, I will. So there's good and bad.

[00:08:51.26] So yeah, I finished my GAship, and I worked with softball. Went through a coaching change early on in my career, which was also really eye opening and interesting.

[00:08:59.45] Like someone getting fired, you mean?

[00:09:01.13] No, so Coach Graf, legendary Joanne Graf, was softball retired. And they brought in Lonnie Almeida. And yeah, so it was a cool opportunity for me to take all the mistakes that I made first year as a GA, and be like, I get to start fresh with this team. Which was really neat. It's kind of where she came in and was like, you're a coach, Quinn.

[00:09:23.48] Because at Springfield, that's how we talk to everybody. I get down to Florida State, and it's Caitlin. And I'm like, this just feels weird. It's just not the way I was-- I still call Coach Jost, Coach Jost. Like I can't call him Jon. It's just a respect thing. So that's where CQ was born. So now it's just been like my name, which all the kids are like, stands for Coach Quinn. I'll never forget the day, we're in the dugout, one of them looks at me and she's like, Coach Quinn, CQ is like also your initials. I'm like, yes, yes. It is. Good job.

[00:09:55.06] So then when Coach Jost left, Dan Schaefer, he's now at Wisconsin getting his PhD, brilliant dude. He's awesome. They named him director, and he was really young. And I was there when he came out as an intern, and then a GA, and then an assistant. And he moved fast. And so, we started really working together, which was kind of the best move there at the time. And that's when I became the associate director.

[00:10:27.03] And Jon Jost, great, great guy. I've gotten to know him when he was on the NSCA board of directors. And it was funny, because he wanted-- him and Boyd were really adamant about my position kind of being more out in front, and getting me out of the NSCA headquarters weight room. And just being more of a connection, ambassador, liaison, whatever to strength and conditioning coaches, especially college.

[00:10:55.40] And at first I'm like, man, I don't know. I don't know if that's-- I don't know if that's great. I need to be back there training people. And looking back, it was probably the greatest thing that we could have done organizationally. And it's made my job so much different and better. But at the time I'm like, man, I don't think these guys know what they're-- it was funny. So I just really love Jon just from our interactions, too.

[00:11:22.74] But what was it like-- what are some of the traits that he had that really either carried over and you took on? Or that you really admired about him as a leader? Because he's been-- he was at Nebraska under Boyd, and coached for 30 years, and all the way up to being a director. An amazing career.

[00:11:45.75] I'm actually really excited to talk about this. He's a human. I mean, like he never had this-- you never got the sense that he was trying to be anything. He just he is who he is. And I talked about it a little bit yesterday on that panel is, he's very authentic. And kind of instilled, whether he meant to or not, I don't know, I think it's just his way-- that you have to be who you are. And I think he has a really good ability to see the best parts of you that maybe you don't even see. And finds a way to draw them out. It's definitely, it's a skill and a gift for sure.

[00:12:27.17] And to highlight, as painful as it might be, some of the worst things. I was the most unorganized mess. If you see my car, you'll feel totally agree. But at work, from him, I've learned to really tighten it up. And I'm eternally grateful for him teaching me those skills. Because it's really kind of elevated and made a lot of things a lot easier, obviously, in the work sense.

[00:12:49.29] But when I left, I remember asking a couple of the male GAs at Springfield who we'll leave nameless, give me some advice. I'm going to Florida State to be a GA. And one of them was like, don't be a girl. And I'm like, I have no idea what to do with that information, first of all. It was little things like, don't ever have your hair down. Don't ever give anybody a hug. These things that are, for some people, that's easy to do. Sure, no problem.

[00:13:21.12] For me, I grew up dancing in the theater, and not that that means anything other than I love it all. I want to do arts things. I want go to a sporting event. I love strength conditioning. I love getting dolled up to go on-- it doesn't matter, right? It is all encompassing. And I felt there, I had really the freedom to be me, and to sharpen the edges that were really good. And kind of dull the ones that are really bad, and go from there.

[00:13:50.52] So do you have any specific advice as a female that you would tell young Caitlin, young females coming out right now that's different than you'd tell males? Or is there something you wish you knew then that you didn't know?

[00:14:07.26] Yeah. I think, and I honestly don't know, this might happen for males, too, honestly, because I obviously don't know. But I think people want to put you in a box. Like this is what it looks like to be a female strength coach, or a football strength coach, or a whatever. And if it's not comfortable in that box, like you know it's just not the best fit, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be with that sport. It doesn't mean he shouldn't be in that role. You just got to figure out a way to make it yours so that so that you can be your authentic self and not who somebody else wants you to be.

[00:14:39.88] Yeah. That's great info, great details. And now you have a new position. So tell us what it's like being the director of performance at Toyota Racing Development. Because we've had a couple of speakers at times from different NASCARs, but I think people don't really know that's a thing yet. I mean there's been a couple journal articles I've seen, and I remember seeing them on the cover of the journal one time. But I think this is still pretty new in racing, too. So I guess tell us what you can. Because I know it's not all allowed to be talked about. What you can about your job, and how the racing stuff works.

[00:15:22.59] Yeah, so it is completely new as far as kind of the way that we're doing things. Which I'm not hugely going to get into. But basically just that we are going to be working with some drivers and some young ones that are kind of up and coming. And the coolest part about it was it's a start of a program from scratch. To the point where our plan two months ago looks different than our plan today. Just because it's been evolving.

[00:15:55.83] And I think, for me, being on something at the ground level and really having the purview to evolve and change it, and put my stamp on it, really, in the beginning I think initially when I kind of stepped in, I had no idea that that's really what it was going to be. As it started happening, then I started to get a little scared of, oh my gosh, I don't know if I'm ready for this kind of thing. And kind of reached out to some people in my network that I trust, and kind of to say, no I do, I have this skill set. I can do this. And I'm going to make mistakes, and we're just going to own them and move on.

[00:16:36.39] And it's been stretching me in a ton of ways that-- it's not super comfortable to have that wave of anxiety when you get a text that something didn't go as planned, or whatever. But when you resolve it in an effective way, it's really, it's been a really cool thing. I've grown a lot.

[00:16:56.55] And what do you-- I guess, what's training look like for race car drivers?

[00:17:07.35] So you know, we're figuring it out. I'll tell you this, so basically, and we talked to some of the guys that worked with Formula 1 over in Europe, as well, just to-- let me see if I'm on the right track at the very least. And right now, in its inception, it's just some base level fitness as crazy as that sounds. Just to be able to take it to that next level conditioning stuff, where we're going to eventually work on-- the biggest thing that they talk about right now is I introduce conditioning.

[00:17:42.70] I had to get them used to running, first of all, because there were like shin splints all over the place. Because they don't ever do anything. To really ease into that, and then we can push the envelope a little bit more with some-- not that conditioning always has to be running, we know it doesn't. But kind of mixing a lot of different things in there. And they're like, Coach Quinn, I was in a race and I didn't feel like I was falling out of the seat.

[00:18:02.29] Which is the other fun thing, terminology. I'm like, what does that mean? So what that means is, at the end of a race, you can get to the point where you're so tired, and it's really it's mental fatigue more than anything else, but you're so tired that you can't focus on what you're supposed to be doing. And they call it falling out of seat.

[00:18:19.48] So the biggest feedback I've gotten so far is that kind of general physical preparedness stuff that we've been doing is keeping them from feeling like that. Which is cool. Doing a lot of strength and it's not correctness in the traditional sense of-- I just use a lot of that info in the way that I coach. And when I need to, I'll pull out, and we'll do some specific corrective things. But building a base level of strength for resiliency.

[00:18:47.47] I don't know, and then we've got some fun stuff up our sleeves where we might kind of tap into some other areas, and do some research, and really kind of do some groundbreaking stuff. But it's all up in the air right now.

[00:18:56.30] Yeah. Well, that's cool, because I imagine especially with the younger kids, you're dealing with the typical kid that is on a screen too much probably. But then they're drivers. So now they're sitting and they're probably, same thing, you need the posterior chain and--

[00:19:14.08] Yeah. You know what was crazy, too, is that I had this aha moment. It was kind of nice because I have about six kids, and I was working out of a motor home storage unit, more or less, with like a rack and a couple of inches, like bare minimum. Which is cool because they now really appreciate what we have. They're talking the other day about getting, it was J44 was the number of the unit. Think I'm going to get that tattooed on my arm. And I'm like, OK, guys. But I'm telling J44, I don't remember where I was going with this story. But it's kind of like making mistakes, but then realizing like, oh-- so the aha moment I had. They don't work-- they don't rotate their thoracic ever because they're not swinging anything.

[00:19:56.77] They're not looking over their shoulder.

[00:19:57.43] They're not kicking. Exactly. So I put a lot of that in just strictly also to try to keep them mobile so they can function, and actually work out safely. And so it's kind of been a-- I realize something, we start to implement. If I see a lot of success, we know that was really the right thing to do immediately. And then go from there. Yeah, that that was a big one.

[00:20:18.40] And I'll tell you, with these kids is they, most of them start homeschooling pretty young. Because they have to travel all over the country to race. So they're missing a large part of the social education, a little bit. And it's this stuff, like the lesson you learn when so-and-so is pissed at you for a stupid reason, and like the rest of the team is-- you know what I mean? Like the stupid stuff you go through in school that you actually learn volumes from. Not necessarily like the social studies or the math, but social education.

[00:20:54.12] And so it's a lot of that, of kind of getting them to work together, and looking in the eye, and be comfortable with people they don't know. Because eventually they're going to have to talk to a lot of sponsors, and all sorts of people. Like business people down to the amazing blue collar guys that work on their car. Those people are not in the same element.

[00:21:19.72] Is that area of performance training growing, do you think? Is it still pretty new and growing for opportunity for strength and conditioning?

[00:21:30.55] So things like exactly what I'm doing?

[00:21:32.95] Yeah.

[00:21:35.11] If we are successful, which knock on wood, I think we will be, then, yes. I think it will. It's the same thing that happened was-- so Hendrix is kind of one of the first, I might get in trouble after this for having my history wrong. But the first team that figured out that if they train their pit crew, they're shaving time off the pit stops, and that's so valuable when you're talking about seconds on a race track or fractions of a second on a race track. One team figures that out, and now everybody does it.

[00:22:06.94] I think it's pretty well established in NASCAR. All those guys train. Yeah, yeah.

[00:22:12.72] And so, but there was a time where that was kind of a new radical thing. Yeah, so I don't know. And I think that's why this gets like when I first got the job, I didn't tell anybody what I was doing. They were like, are you strength coach for the CIA? I don't know it's happening. No, but I just can't really talk about it. So yeah, sorry I keep clearing my throat.

[00:22:35.94] No, that's super cool. It's exciting to hear stuff like that. Just because it's different, and I think it's cool to see the evolution of strength and conditioning and branching out into different things like racing and special forces. The growth in the military is off the charts right now. Obviously, if it started NASCAR, now all these other teams who have all these other levels of racing, like you said, with the youth development of racing. It's such a great opportunity for strength and conditioning coaches.

[00:23:14.74] So my skill set is definitely the relational piece. Like, yes, I can program successfully to make you stronger faster, obviously. Or either I wouldn't have a job. But it's the relational piece. It's like helping kids grow and becoming successful adults, or at least better humans. That is why I love this job. And it was so cool because-- and I just got to give props where they go, pointing to this guy-- I was able to find a place where that, like that's what they wanted. Like, yes, they wanted to be more fit, and however it carries over to driving is kind of a little bit secondary initially to, we need them to be able to function a little bit better. I'm like this is amazing that I found like literally my favorite thing, which is kind of like a side part of it that gets ignored sometimes. We know it's really important, but not everybody looks at it that way in strength and conditioning, the relational part. That's like the whole point of my job, and it's amazing.

[00:24:13.47] Yeah. Well, it's great that you say that. Because it kind of reinforces the whole premise of this podcast. We all know that being able to design a strength and conditioning program that's safe and effective is a strength and conditioning coach's job. And that you're going to have to do that to get a job. If you're not outstanding, and this is why people I think like this podcast, they're hearing if you're not outstanding at building relationships, and that ability to connect with people, and raise people up, and get them to do things they didn't think were possible, and empower them, that's what it's all about.

[00:25:01.09] There's content everywhere, right?

[00:25:02.51] Right.

[00:25:02.76] So at the end of the day, I mean, you know a coach can find a workout program somewhere. Or an athlete can find a workout program and implement it. But there's a reason why that doesn't go so well. And it's those intangibles.

[00:25:14.85] Yeah, that's huge. So talking about that, what kind of things would you look for if you're going to hire people? And now that you're a director, you're probably going to get to have staff at some point. What kind of things are you looking for people when you're looking to hire?

[00:25:33.12] I think someone's ability to think ahead, as crazy at that that sounds. Because like, well, duh. But what I mean by that is, you know you're going to implement something with an athlete, or with a team, or whatever. You have to be able to think through, it's almost like disaster planning, which is probably a negative way to think about it. But what are all the things that could happen? Not that you have to think of all of them, but at least you have to give some thought to the fact that there are unknown variables. And the few that I can actually project, I'm going to plan for at the very least. And then be able to adapt from there.

[00:26:11.97] So for example, we used to play the indoor Salt Lake, just do other things with my softball and volleyball teams. Like we play basketball, as or volleyball, or do indoor soccer or something. We would dance actually with softball, too. So whenever I explain rules to get-- like the rules kept getting longer that I was explaining. Because every time we play the game, they would you know find a way, cause they're so competitive, to cheat or whatever. And then so that's like a microcosm of what I mean. It's just like, can you think through some of the scenarios before you actually get out there? And everybody's bad at that in the beginning. You just get better.

[00:26:50.22] And then I think admitting and owning mistakes. I almost wish I did more of that when I was a younger strength coach. Because mistakes are actually really such a gift, not that you want to be making them front, right, and center. But they really are a gift. Especially if you can learn from them. If you're with somebody, a mentor or a coach, who can help you work through them, that's really valuable.

[00:27:12.42] In a place to where it's OK, like you were saying, it's OK to make the mistake. and then you realize it, and you get better.

[00:27:20.43] Yeah, you realize it. You own it. You move on.

[00:27:22.23] Yeah. That's awesome. So you're at this event, you've been coming to NSCA clinics and speaking at NSCA clinics. What's that involvement been like? And how has that helped your career?

[00:27:38.19] I love doing stuff like this and getting to speak. I don't know if it's because I feel like I can tap back into some theater roots or something. I feel like I'm performing. I don't really know. No, but I really just love to share. I used to love recruit talks, too, at Florida State. I am really passionate about what I do. And when you are passionate about something, you want to share it with people. And I think it also helps me define-- the night before especially, my brain will be rolling through thinking about what I might say, or what might be asked. And it really helps me get very clear in my own mind of, like I said, what am I about? How can I be my authentic self?

[00:28:22.95] That's great. This has been really cool to chat with you. It's great, always great catching up with you.

[00:28:29.04] Yeah, Scott, likewise.

[00:28:30.21] Yeah, if people are interested in connecting with you and hearing more about what you're doing, or have questions about stuff we talked about, what's the best way to connect with you?

[00:28:39.96] I would say email for now. And I think we'll go-- this is like I'm thinking right now-- my email is so long. We'll go with my regular email which is cquinn, so C-Q-U-I-N-N 8544 @gmail.com.

[00:28:58.42] Cool.

[00:28:59.87] Yeah, shoot me an email. And then or a Twitter. I'm pretty sure I'm theQuinn44. Instagram's the same. That's kind of my jam. Like The Dude. You've seen The Big Lebowski, you know what I'm talking about.

[00:29:11.94] So yeah, yeah. Let's catch up for sure. And you send me a message, I'll definitely write back and say, let's talk on the phone. It's way easier to have a conversation than it is to-- and I always tell, so I tell young coaches, you're not bugging a strength coach. They're just that busy. So don't be afraid to keep reaching out. And you know at the end of the day, if you are bugging them, they're just going to ignore you. It's fine. But if you're not, stay on their radar. Because they will eventually reach back out.

[00:29:41.34] Yeah, and Brian Mann told us at one point, too, he's like, I get a few hundred emails a day. He's like, I get maybe one or two Twitter messages or Instagram messages a day. So for people listening in, if you're trying to reach people through email and not getting a response, social media is a great way to connect with people. And you don't have to be overly annoying about it, or intense. But you can shoot a little-- you hit a couple likes here and re-tweets or whatever it is, and comment. And, oh, that's so cool, coach. And suddenly, you're not just an anonymous person.

[00:30:22.84] You feel like you know them, which is so funny. Because it's really just from their name popping up.

[00:30:26.00] No, I love social media. I've met a few people at this conference. And I was like, I know you from Instagram. And they're like, yeah, we love your dogs, or whatever. It's pretty funny.

[00:30:37.40] All right, so Scott's going to go ahead and edit this and take out my email address. And then we're just going to say--

[00:30:42.95] We can totally do that.

[00:30:44.03] I'm pretty sure it's thequinn. I'm actually going to look right now just to make sure I'm not telling you the wrong thing. Yeah, @thequinn44.

[00:30:50.42] There you go.

[00:30:51.26] Boom.

[00:30:51.78] Follow her. Like.

[00:30:52.76] Yeah.

[00:30:53.66] She's going to put some cool training--

[00:30:55.40] I'm new to Instagram, so if you have advice, just be kind with it. But otherwise, I'll take it.

[00:30:59.21] That's perfect. Thanks for being on the show. Really appreciate your time. I know it was early to get up and get down here.

[00:31:06.71] No, it's great. Now I'm ready to go for the day.

[00:31:09.17] Ready to start the day, yeah. And as always, thank you to all of our listeners. We truly appreciate the support here at the NSCA, and especially for the coaching podcast. It's a great part of my job to be able to do this and share this info with all these great coaches with you. So continue to download us, and go give us a review wherever you get your downloads from, and subscribe and help us get up the charts. And we truly appreciate it. And I hope to see you soon. Thanks for listening.

[00:31:36.62] This was the NSCA's coaching podcast. The National Strength and Conditioning Association was founded in 1978 by strength and conditioning coaches to share information, resources, and help advance the profession. Serving coaches for over 40 years, the NSCA is the trusted source for strength and conditioning professionals. Be sure to join us next time.

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Photo of Scott P. Caulfield, MA, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D, RSCC*E
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Caitlin Quinn is currently working with up-and-coming CASCAR drivers as Sport Science Director for the Toyota Performance Center. Quinn said goodbye t ...

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