Strength and Conditioning Coaches who are NSCA-Certified are preparing youth for training, using proven strategies that improve their safety and competitiveness.

Colorado Springs, CO – Coaches Bill Foran, Jeff Connors, and Domenic Reno recognized for their career accomplishments at the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Coaches Conference on January 4, 2017 in Nashville, TN.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce the recipients of the organization’s 2024 Career and Service Awards. Given annually, the distinguished Career Awards honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the strength and conditioning community throughout their careers. Additionally, the Service Awards recognize those who have provided exceptional dedication and support to the NSCA’s journals or State and Provincial Director Program. Each winner will be formally recognized at the 2024 NSCA National Conference in Baltimore, MD, this July 10-13.

Expectations for strength and conditioning coaches now extend far beyond the weight room. Athletes and sport coaches demand better data, deeper insight, and stronger performance. Faith Brown, Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at George Mason University, supports women’s basketball and volleyball while collaborating with the Patriot Performance Lab. Brown describes balancing teams, testing, and athlete monitoring as a “circus act.” At the heart of her coaching is one goal: be the coach she wishes she had as a college track athlete. She demonstrates ways strength and conditioning coaches can contribute as scientists, creating impact and value outside the weight room walls. Brown shares how GPS, heart rate monitoring, and force plates support workload monitoring. However, she believes that technology should only be used when it answers a real question. Learn how to turn data into better training decisions, translate sport science so sport coaches buy in, and reach out to other coaches to refine your program. Connect with Faith on Instagram: @faithsabrown, LinkedIn: @faith-brown, or by email: fbrown20@gmu.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs From the Episode: Explore NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science, a foundational text defining the field and the role of sport scientists in high-performance environments. It also supports preparation for the Certified Performance and Sport Scientist® (CPSS®) certification exam.

This NSCA Coach article examines strength and conditioning strategies for collegiate distance runners to build performance for outdoor competition. Visit NSCA online to read about sport science.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce the recipients of the organization’s 2022 Coach of the Year Awards: Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Dan Dalrymple, CSCS, RSCC*E College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Liane Blyn, MS, CSCS, RSCC*E Assistant College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Ryan Metzger, MS, CSCS, RSCC

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce the recipients of the organization’s 2021 Coach of the Year Awards: Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Paul Goodman, MS, CSCS, RSCC*E College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Brian Thompson, PhD, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E Assistant College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Andrew Stocks, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Dr. Allison Randall, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Vanderbilt University Women’s Basketball Program, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about how her path to the 2012 London Olympic Games as an athlete led her to pursue the strength and conditioning profession. Topics include the use of appropriate cueing strategies to optimize work with young athletes, differences with team versus individual sports, and the importance of education for coaches. Find Dr. Randall on Twitter: @AllisonVRandall or Instagram: @allisonvrandall | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Learn what it takes to become a strength and conditioning coach. Explore what strength coaches do, work environments, average salaries, and how to get started.