NSCA Impact Award
The NSCA Impact Award is given to an individual who is mid-career or later that has made significant contributions that have impacted a segment of the overall field of strength and conditioning.
About the Award
The NSCA Impact Award annually recognizes a outstanding professional who is in their mid to late career and has had an especially positive influence on a specific area within the field of strength and conditioning.
Awardee Selection
The NSCA Board of Directors carefully deliberates to select the recipient of this prestigious award. Consideration is given in the following areas:
Overall Impact: How the nominee has impacted the scientific understanding, methodologies, or practice of resistance training as a component of sports conditioning.
Pioneering Qualities: Whether the work done by the individual was unique and innovative and not the proliferation or substantiation of previous strength and conditioning work.
NSCA Support: Whether the nominee has supported the NSCA's mission and goals.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
| Nominee must have a minimum of five years cumulative professional membership |
| 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 |
While the NSCA does not solicit nominations from the NSCA membership at-large for Career Awards, NSCA members may submit recommendations for the Board's consideration.
Award Eligibility
| Nominee must have a minimum of five years cumulative professional membership |
| 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 NSCA Impact Award Recipients
Congratulations to Our 2023 Winner
Mark Stephenson, MS, ATC, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D
Mark Stephenson currently serves as the Program Director of the Center for Sports Performance and Research Team for Mass General Brigham leading tactical research initiatives. He brings over 32 years of experience in the human performance field. Previously, he was the Human Performance Program Manager for a special operations force unit at USSOCOM and held sports performance leadership positions, including Head Strength and Conditioning Coach (NCAA Div. 1), Director of Player Performance (NFL), and TSAC Director and Program Co-founder for the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Stephenson holds several sports performance and sports medicine certifications, including Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Certified Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F), Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), and Certified Brain Enhanced and Recovery System (BEARS) provider. He also holds advanced degrees in Exercise and Sports Science and in Sports and Performance Psychology. In 2017, Stephenson was named TSAC Practitioner of the Year by the NSCA.
Read Full Press Release
| 2022 - Steve Bliss, MEd, CSCS, RSCC*E, FNSCA |  |
| 2021 - G. Gregory Haff, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA | |
| 2020 - Steven J. Fleck, PhD, CSCS, FACSM, FNSCA | |
| 2019 - Jerry L. Mayhew, PhD |  |
| 2018 - Mike Arthur, CSCS, RSCC*D |  |
| 2017 - Andrea Hudy, MA, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E |  |
| 2016 - Yuri Verkhoshansky, PhD | |
| 2015 - Keijo Häkkinen, PhD | |
| 2012 - Jim Lorimer | |
| 1997 - Bernard Cahill and John Fatouros |
