Andrea Hayden, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball (MLB) team, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about being great at your craft. Topics of discussion include how to train athletes in a sport you have never played and creating great career opportunities through education and networking. Find Andrea through Email: andreahayden@twinsbaseball.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Kayleigh Fournier, now Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at Dartmouth College, talks to the former NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about her journey from unpaid intern to head strength coach. Topics under discussion include work ethic as a young professional getting into the field, programming for unconventional sports, and diversifying your network of support. Connect with Kayleigh through email: kayleigh.fournier@dartmouth.edu

Make the most of your membership by engaging with others through one or more Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

Mike Caro, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Emory and Henry College and chairperson of the College Coaches Special Interest Group, talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about his journey from National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) athlete to head strength and conditioning coach, with limited resources, but an eagerness to succeed. Topics under discussion include internship experiences, interviewing for jobs, and special interest groups.

Brian Buck, Director of Sports at Sparta Science, talks to the NSCA Coaching Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about the new roles that data and technology are playing in the weight room. Topics under discussion include what young coaches should know getting into the field of strength and conditioning and the importance of building relationships and developing people. Find Brian on Twitter: @brianbuck6 | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

The Head Performance and Strength Coach for the Sacramento Kings National Basketball Association (NBA) team, Ramsey Nijem, talks to the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about his recent experience completing a doctoral degree as well as his path to his current position.

This article provides guidance for women on the steps involved in an academic career, including earning graduate and terminal degrees and obtaining tenure and promotions at universities.

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.

How do you build a sustainable high-performance culture despite yearly assistant coach rotations and demanding schedules? Alice Read, Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Performance at Vassar College, shares expertise from managing 29 teams and 600 student-athletes while continuously "riding the rollercoaster" of Division III scheduling. Read explores strategies for maintaining program continuity, including matching assistant coaches to sports based on strengths and growth areas. She emphasizes advocating for daily staff lifts to test and refine programs firsthand. In a full-circle moment, Read, once an NSCA Foundation Assistantship Recipient, now serves on the committee awarding these opportunities, demonstrating the value of early professional involvement. She also discusses collaborative problem solving within the Liberty League Strength and Conditioning Committee and explains how the College Coaches Professional Development Group (PDG) provided boots-on-the-ground guidance for the 2024 NSCA Strategic Plan. Tune in for actionable insights on mentorship, collaboration, and longevity in collegiate strength and conditioning. Connect with Alice via email at aread@vassar.edu and on Instagram: @ajpr3 and @vassar_strong | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs