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.

Founded in 2007 with the aim of supporting the advancement of strength and conditioning practical applications, the NSCA Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to providing funding to NSCA members taking part in educational and research endeavors.

Repeated sprint ability (RSA) may be one of the most important factors to consider when developing strength and conditioning programs for high-intensity repeated sprint sports. In this session from the NSCA’s 2016 Coaches Conference, Ernie Rimer reviews the latest science behind RSA, compares the pros and cons of RSA protocols performed in the laboratory and in the field, and suggests methods to improve RSA.

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.

The catecholamines—primarily epinephrine, but also norepinephrine and dopamine—are secreted by the adrenal medulla and are important for the acute expression of strength and power because the hormones act as central motor stimulators and peripheral vascular dilators to enhance enzyme systems and calcium release in muscle.

Oxygen uptake (or consumption) is a measure of a person’s ability to take in oxygen and deliver it to the working tissues, and the ability of working tissues to use oxygen. During low-intensity exercise with a constant power output, oxygen uptake increases for the first few minutes until a steady state of uptake is reached.

This article features the recharge skate—an in-season hockey conditioning drill, designed by the authors, to maintain hockey-specific energy system fitness throughout the competitive season.

Hayley Legg, the NSCA Provincial Director for Saskatoon and senior lecturer at St. Mary’s University in London, presents on training the older adult. This includes considerations during the aging process, training implications across the spectrum, and the role of the strength and conditioning practitioner.

From the 2020 NSCA Coaches Conference, Ashley Jones, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Houston SaberCats Major League Rugby team, presents a high-energy hands-on presentation highlighting fun warm-up games coaches can implement with their athletes.

Major League Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Texas Rangers, Eric McMahon, describes how he utilizes velocity-based training for professional baseball players and the benefits this technology brings to the players in this session from the NSCA’s 2019 Coaches Conference.