Approximately 2 million youth from 6 - 12 years of age participate in football every year. This article discusses the importance of long-term athletic development (LTAD) for youth football athletes and the significance of a player development pathway for long-term success and longevity in the sport.

The purpose of this article is to bring awareness and provide an overview of emerging areas within strength and conditioning and sport science.

Explore the NSCA and SHAPE America joint statement connecting evidence-based practice, physical education standards, and professional learning for K–12 schools.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association was founded in 1978 with 76 strength coaches from across the country with the common desire to network, collaborate and unify the profession of strength and conditioning. Since its inception, the NSCA has grown to nearly 30,000 members in 72 countries and become the leader in the research and education of strength and conditioning professionals. Take a tour of the NSCA’s past and learn more about how it became the institution that it is today.

This is the NSCA’s Coaching Podcast, where strength and conditioning coaches share their experience, lessons learned, and advice about how to thrive in a highly competitive profession.

April 6 - New York, NY - Built in collaboration with the Greater New York ACSM Regional Chapter to learn from leading researchers in the field and help with more effective program design.

Choose your path with new 2026 NSCA Performance Summits. Join us at one of four specialized strength and conditioning events across the U.S. and earn 0.8 CEUs.

Certified Special Population Specialists® (CSPS®) are fitness professionals who, using an individualized approach, assess, motivate, educate, and train special population clients, including those with chronic and temporary health conditions. Become a certified personal trainer, then pursue this advanced personal trainer certification. CSPS® individuals train clients with medical conditions such as metabolic disease, autoimmune disorders, cancer and cardiac arrest, and address the needs of prenatal and postpartum personal training clients.

The Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) specializes in the application of scientific processes to improve individual and team athletic performance and decrease injury risk. The CPSS may be either a generalist, working across the breadth of scientific disciplines, or a specialist practitioner, who has training and/or applied experiences predominantly within one or more specific scientific discipline area(s) relevant to sport science and sports performance.