Given the growing interest surrounding youth strength and conditioning, the NSCA recently engaged a group of leading experts to author a position statement on long-term athletic development. The document proposes ten key pillars of successful long-term athletic development that practitioners should adhere to in order to enhance performance, promote health and well-being, and minimize the risk of sport- or physical activity-related injury.

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.

The use of exercise interventions to maximize athletes’ performance is a common practice in competitions. This systematic review aimed to compile research that explored the effectiveness of priming strategies to maximize physical performance in track and field. The literature search was conducted from PubMed and Scopus. One hundred eighty-two studies were assessed against the inclusion criteria: (a) minimum 1-year participation/competition experience; (b) randomized controlled trials with pre-post intervention outcomes; and (c) studies involving exercise interventions applied #6 hours before outcome measures were collected. Fifteen studies satisfied the criteria and were categorized according to the exercise interventions used (i.e., resistance training, plyometric/ ballistic training, resisted sprints, and modified warm-ups). Heavy-loaded resistance training (i.e., .85% 1 repetition maximum) and resisted sprints increased subsequent sprint performance. Plyometrics/ballistic training also positively impacted subsequent jumping (i.e., long jump) and throwing performance (i.e., shot put). Modified warm-ups (i.e., high-intensity sprints and heavier throwing implements) also improved subsequent running and throwing performance. Overall, exercise interventions performed at high intensity and low volume augment subsequent physical performance as close to 4 minutes before the event. However, a sufficient recovery interval must be considered for a positive performance response.

The NSCA is offering a new book that contains a holistic overview of the knowledge and skills required to support athlete and team performance as a modern-day sport scientist. Learn more here about this new resource.

Student members are required to provide verification of their current full-time student status to the NSCA Membership Department within 30 days of becoming a student member or of renewing a student membership.

This continuing education opportunity explores a variety of topics as they pertain to training the youth population. To earn your CEUs, it will be necessary to review several articles and pass a 50-question quiz. Please note: this quiz awards 1.0 CEU (10 contact hours). Articles 1) Effects of Balance Training on Physical Fitness in Youth and Young Athletes: A Narrative Review 2) Seven Pillars of Prevention: Effective Strategies for Strength and Conditioning Coaches to Reduce Injury Risk and Improve Performance in Young Athletes 3) Navigating the Complex Pathway of Youth Athletic Development: Challenges and Solutions to Managing the Training Load of Youth Team Sport Athletes 4) Energy and Macronutrient Considerations for Young Athletes 5) Assessing Athletic Motor Skill Competencies in Youths: A Narrative Review of Movement Competency Screens

Colorado Springs, CO – The National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the foundation’s 2019 scholarships. Since the Foundation’s creation in 2007, it has awarded 455 scholarships, which includes the 38 new recipients this year.

Tex McQuilkin, Director of Training for Power Athlete HQ, defines athleticism as a trainable performance variable at the 2019 Coaches Conference. McQuilkin illustrates the four phases of the competitive lifecycle for sport athletes and empowers coaches with strategies to best apply progressive overload and support the long-term trainability of novice athletes.