This excerpt from the NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science, discusses some of the benefits and validity of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data.

This excerpt from NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science briefly explains the force-velocity-power profile and how it can give strength and conditioning coaches a more holistic view of athletes.

As Director of Sport Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Heather Farmer spearheads comprehensive integration efforts. This includes ensuring every stakeholder, from sport performance staff to academic advisors, has a seat at the table. Farmer also outlines developing an internship and graduate assistantship program to meet staffing needs and offer opportunities for practical experience. She recounts how leveraging relationships — not data — has been her key to scalability. Additionally, Farmer recognizes that to make an impact, she must meet athletes and sport coaches where they are, which she uncovers through “highlights” and “hurdles.” She suggests that sport scientists with strength and conditioning backgrounds, like herself, are uniquely equipped to excel due to their communication skills. Farmer and McMahon also discuss avoiding “analysis paralysis” and how to incorporate data to elevate the student-athlete experience — an unignorable factor as athletes bring an element of “self” in the age of name, image and likeness (NIL). Reach out to Heather by email at: heather.farmer@unlv.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

Andy Galpin, Associate Professor and Co-Director of Center for Sports Performance at Cal State Fullerton, talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about the roles of science and technology in sport.

The steps on this page will help you select the right certification that fits your career goals.

The NSCA is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing strength, conditioning, & related sport science professions.

Congratulations to the NSCA's 2022 winners! This page is updated as new award winners are named throughout the year.

The strength and conditioning profession involves combined competencies for the application of sport/exercise science, administration, management, teaching, and coaching. Its professionals must also comply with various laws and regulations while responding to instances of potential injury, and related claims and suits. This creates remarkable challenges, and requires substantial experience, expertise, and other resources to effectively address them, especially in multi-sport (e.g., collegiate and scholastic) settings.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association is governed by a Board of Directors that is elected by the NSCA membership. The board is comprised of eight members of the NSCA and one elected public member.