Alvin Roy Award for Career Achievement

Alvin Roy helped establish strength and conditioning as an integral part of any training program. Roy was one of the first coaches to prove that lifting weights would improve both speed and power, and he helped debunk the myth that lifting weights made athletes slower. This esteemed award is given to an individual, 70 years of age or older, or posthumously, whose career achievements made a substantial impact on the scientific understanding, methodologies, or practice of resistance training as a component of sports conditioning. The NSCA Board of Directors carefully deliberates to select the recipient of this prestigious award.

Congratulations to Our 2023 Winner

Vladimir Zatsiorsky, PhD

Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky was born on December 26th, 1932, in Leningrad, USSR (what is now Saint Petersburg, Russia). From 1949 to 1951, he studied mathematics at Lvov University in Ukraine and graduated from the Lvov Institute of Physical Culture in 1954. In 1957, he joined the graduate program at the Central Institute of Physical Culture (GCOLIFK) in Moscow. After completing his PhD and obtaining a tenure-track position at GCOLIFK, Vladimir dedicated 30 years to the institution, serving until 1990. In 1972, he was elected Chair of Biomechanics at GCOLIFK. During his tenure, he also briefly held the position of Director of the All-Union Research Institute of Physical Culture between 1986 and 1989. In 1961, Vladimir co-authored the first paper on strength training for elite weightlifters with the three-time World Champion and 1960 Olympic Champion in weightlifting, Viktor Bushuev. Later, in 1965, Vladimir published Motor Abilities of Athletes, which explored strength, speed, endurance, and flexibility training. This book has since seen five editions in Russian and has been translated into 12 languages. While working in the USSR, Vladimir was regularly invited to deliver lectures and consult with national team coaches, often visiting their training camps twice a year. In 1995, Vladimir published the influential book Science and Practice of Strength Training. This work went on to have two additional editions in 2006 and 2020, featuring new chapters contributed by Dr. W. Kraemer and Dr. A. Fry, respectively. Vladimir currently resides in Sunnyvale, CA, with Rita, his wife of 63 years. The couple has two children, Betty and Michael, and six grandchildren: Anastasiya, James, Yana, Irene, Ellen, and Jaclyn.

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Vladimir Zatsiorsky

Award Eligibility

70 years of age or older, or posthumous
Nominee does not have to be a current or past member of the NSCA
Individuals must be nominated by a current member of the Board of Directors but recommendations may be submitted to the Board by any current member of the Association
Nominations must be accompanied by a brief supporting statement regarding the nominee’s qualifications for consideration for the award
Nominations and recommendations must be received by December 15 to be considered for the following year’s award

Past Award Recipients Include:

2022 - Mike Greenwood, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA  
2021 - Louie Simmons  
2020 - Michael H. Stone, PhD, CSCS, FNSCA  Triplett and Stone Career Achievement Award
2019 - Dr. Thomas R. Baechle, CSCS,*D (R), NSCA-CPT,*D (R)  Baechle and Triplett
2018 - Mel Siff, PhD Given posthumously
2017 - Terry Todd, PhD  Haff and Todd
2016 - Donald Chu, PhD, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, FNSCA  Haff and Chu
2015 - Gayle Hatch  Fleck and Hatch
2014 - Dr. Tudor Bompa, PhD  Fleck and Bompa
2013 - Thomas DeLorme, PhD  
2007 - John Patrick O’Shea, PhD  
2004 - Edmund J. Burke, PhD, CSCS  
2000 - John Grimek  
1995 - John Terpak, Sr.  
1993 - Peary Rader  
1987 - Bob Hoffman  
1986 - Alvin Roy  
#NSCAStrong #NSCAStrong

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