This episode of the NSCA’s Coaching Podcast features the 2024 NSCA College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, Brijesh Patel. Patel shares decades of wisdom and experience with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, including valuable lessons to support a fulfilling strength and conditioning career and avoid coach burnout. Learn about the journey of the 2023 Quinnipiac University National Champions Men’s Ice Hockey Team from the strength and conditioning coach’s perspective. Patel explains how program resources and support from administration can make or break the success of a program. From lessons on mentorship to putting in the work in support of professional development, this is an episode you will not want to miss. Connect with Brijesh online at coachbpatel.com or by email: brijesh.patel@qu.edu| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs Also, here is the link to nominate a colleague or mentor for an NSCA Coach of the Year Award!

Learn about processes of data collection and presentation, and how to use the data to individualize athletes’ training. In this session from the NSCA’s 2016 National Conference, Kevin Paxton demonstrates an age-specific long-term athletic development (LTAD) syllabus for soccer players.

Former collegiate hockey athlete Cole Hergott thrived in the offseason, but it took a setback to accelerate his path in strength and conditioning. After losing his spot on the team, he channeled his work ethic into interning with Trinity Western University. Years later, he returned to his alma mater as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. Only 25 at the time, Hergott recounts the unique challenge of coaching athletes who were older or previous classmates. Leading over 300 athletes as the sole full-time strength and conditioning coach, he quickly learned to “write all your plans in pencil,” while building trust, optimizing logistics, and adapting through COVID-19 disruptions. Hergott emphasizes mentorship and encourages coaches to lean on those who navigated similar challenges. As part of the NSCA British Columbia Advisory Board, he encourages listeners to share their practical insights at local events. Hergott’s journey underscores the value of continual growth and embracing uncertainty. Connect with Cole via email at cole.hergott@twu.ca | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs | Join the NSCA Canadian Community on LinkedIn! Learn more about volunteering with the NSCA at the local level at NSCA.com/Volunteer. Interested in presenting at a local or national NSCA event? Submit your application here.

The purpose of the program is to support, develop, and enhance the advancement of women in strength and conditioning and related professions. Mentor Qualifications: 3+ years of professional experience and NSCA certified. For persons in education/research, a Master’s degree or higher is also required. Mentee Qualifications: Open to learn, actively pursuing a career in strength and conditioning and/or related profession. The program will run for 6 months. There will be monthly large group workshops for all participants. There is an expectation mentors-mentees also conduct a 1-on-1 meeting each month. Applications are open for both female mentees and mentors.

The aim of this article is to share with strength and conditioning coaches how red light therapy has evolved from its early beginnings to contemporary times, as well as to address the many benefits for athletes.

Learn, participate and network with colleagues at (location) while earning CEUs. Hosted by the state, provincial and regional directors, this local event brings cutting-edge research and application to your backyard.

It is important for strength and conditioning coaches, sport coaches, athletic trainers, and administrators to recognize and address the evidence of stress within student-athletes in order to avoid chronic stress-related anxiety and injury.

This infographic provides a developmental framework within multidirectional speed for strength and conditioning coaches who work with youth athletes.

Duncan French explains the strength and conditioning work with MMA fighters in both their aerobic and anaerobic capacities at the UFC Performance Institute in this 2018 National Conference video.

The NSCA Foundation (NSCAF) awards hundreds of thousands in research grant dollars each year to outstanding individuals within the strength and conditioning community. The NSCAF is one of the few foundations that fund research for master’s degree students and across all levels of education and experience up to senior investigators, as well as one of the few sources that funds work in the strength and conditioning field