How do you build a sustainable high-performance culture despite yearly assistant coach rotations and demanding schedules? Alice Read, Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Performance at Vassar College, shares expertise from managing 29 teams and 600 student-athletes while continuously "riding the rollercoaster" of Division III scheduling. Read explores strategies for maintaining program continuity, including matching assistant coaches to sports based on strengths and growth areas. She emphasizes advocating for daily staff lifts to test and refine programs firsthand. In a full-circle moment, Read, once an NSCA Foundation Assistantship Recipient, now serves on the committee awarding these opportunities, demonstrating the value of early professional involvement. She also discusses collaborative problem solving within the Liberty League Strength and Conditioning Committee and explains how the College Coaches Professional Development Group (PDG) provided boots-on-the-ground guidance for the 2024 NSCA Strategic Plan. Tune in for actionable insights on mentorship, collaboration, and longevity in collegiate strength and conditioning.
Connect with Alice via email at aread@vassar.edu and on Instagram: @ajpr3 and @vassar_strong | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
Mary Kate Feit, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at Springfield College, and Adam Feit, Coordinator of Physical and Mental Performance at Springfield College and Assistant Director of Performance Nutrition at Precision Nutrition, talk to the NSCA Coaching Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about being a married couple in the world of strength and conditioning. Topics under discussion include the unique positions they hold at Springfield College, how becoming parents has changed their perspective on coaching, and why diversity is so important for the future of the field.
Connect with Mary Kate via email: mfeit@springfield.edu | Find Adam on Twitter: @Adam_Feit or Instagram @aefeit | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
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.
Looking to exhibit at an NSCA conference? Find all the information you need to know about NSCA National Conference, Coaches Conference, Tactical Annual Training, Personal Training Virtual Conference, and more.
The Head Performance and Strength Coach for the Sacramento Kings National Basketball Association (NBA) team, Ramsey Nijem, talks to the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about his recent experience completing a doctoral degree as well as his path to his current position.
This article from TSAC 76 provides health program frameworks to enhance the well-being of public safety personnel. Visit us online to learn more about tactical fitness and performance.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise ScienceProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition, Disorder, or DiseaseProfessional Development
This NSCA Coach article provides a framework for strength and conditioning professionals to support athletes in accessing appropriate mental health services. Visit NSCA online to read more on mental health and sport performance.
CoachesProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentSafetyEmergency ProceduresBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition, Disorder, or DiseaseProfessional Development
November 19, 2025by Lee Brown, PhD, CSCS, CSPS, TSAC-F, RSCC, Scott Caulfield, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D, RSCC*E, Jim McDonald, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, TSAC-F, and Alexandra Cacioppo, MS, CSCS, TSAC-F, USAW-2
This article from TSAC Report shares a coaching philosophy than can bridge the communication gap between strength and conditioning professionals and firefighters Visit NSCA online to read more on tactical athletes and fitness news.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise ScienceProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentSafetyBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition, Disorder, or DiseaseProfessional Development
Lyndie Kelley, Coordinator of Strength and Conditioning at the University of New England (UNE), talks to the former NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about her journey from athlete to strength coach at UNE. Topics under discussion include coaching and mentoring a variety of athletes and students, finding creative solutions for things and being resourceful at the Division III level, and having a fully integrated team from the athletic staff all the way to the non-athletic administration.
Find Lyndie on Instagram: @noreaster_strength | Find Scott on Instagram: @coachcaulfield
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 64th Annual Meeting was held in Denver, CO May 30 – June 3, 2017. Overall, there were more than 50 presentations with a military focus, an indication of the importance of this research. The following is a review of some of the presented research.