It is incumbent on all youth coaches to provide youth with the very best opportunities to succeed and develop to the best of their potential. The 10 pillars of long-term athletic development and recommendations provide coaches with the information they need to help all youth reach their potential.

There are five ways that a strength and conditioning position is typically structured in a high school. Each position structure has its own pros and cons that should be evaluated for your specific situation.

The “five Ss” of trainability and performance are critical periods of development that all youth strength and conditioning coaches should consider when creating a training program. Coaches should take advantage of each window to maximize a youth athlete’s potential and help ensure a long athletic career.

Proper form and biomechanical execution of the squat has been a long-debated subject in the fitness and sports performance industries. The following article describes a method to help determine an individual’s preferred squatting foot position, setup, and depth based on their unique hip anthropometrics for smarter, safer, and more optimized squatting.

Get to know Army Lieutenant Colonel Nick Barringer, Program Director for the United States Army-Baylor University Master’s in Nutrition. Barringer shares how he originally planned to become a strength and conditioning coach before a nutrition course inspired him to pursue dietetics. However, it was his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) credential that ultimately landed him his role as the first 75th Ranger Regiment (Army Rangers) Dietitian. He recounts drawing inspiration from the Navy SEALS to start the Ranger Athlete Warrior (RAW) program and seeing the Special Operations THOR3 program follow suit — laying the groundwork for the US Army Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system. Barringer and McMahon discuss the synergy between strength and conditioning coaches and dietitians, as well as cultural challenges and diverse training ages in tactical settings. The pair also stress the importance of sales and building relationships before discussing basic nutrition advice and pathways into tactical and dietetics careers. Connect with Nick on Instagram at: @nickbarringer.phd.rdn or by email: nickbarringer35@gmail.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

Learn about the basics of the high school strength and conditioning coach profession: description, responsibilities, qualifications, pay, advantages, and challenges.

This article addresses emerging research that both supports and refutes betaine’s capacity to promote muscular adaptations.

This article aims to provide a good understanding of sleep health and the way it affects high performance populations.

The daily energy requirements of tactical personnel are highly variable, depending on gender, body composition, activities performed, age, and environmental conditions.

Traveling overseas to administer a strength and conditioning program can be an immensely beneficial experience for both the coach and the athlete. It can help build a strong rapport, which can ultimately build more trust and adherence to the training program.