Successful performance in sport is a multifactorial process that includes a blend of technical, tactical, physiological, biomechanical, and psychological features interacting together to result in the desired performance outcome. The strength and conditioning (S&C) program, depending on the sport, can support performance by influencing the physiological and biomechanical components through direct and indirect avenues of impact. Performance planning to achieve identified objectives is typically a long-term process, ranging from a year in seasonal professional team sports to a four-year Olympic cycle. It is critical to develop and implement key strategic processes to ensure that the S&C program effectively supports performance at major competitions. Furthermore, it is essential to have clarity for the role of S&C within the overall sports training program. Having a clear approach to deconstructing and understanding performance from a human performance perspective, showing how and where the impact on performance can be made, and objectively demonstrating the contribution to performance variables is vital. The current article uses the author’s experience of working across a range of Olympic and professional sports to articulate a process for strategic planning and managing S&C support from a technical perspective. Examples from various sports have been used to illustrate critical strategic processes.

Specialist law enforcement resources are under constant strain to maintain operational and organizational outcomes. The high operational tempo disturbs many functions including skill enhancement, personal development, work/life balance, and time for physical conditioning.

It is important for strength and conditioning coaches, sport coaches, athletic trainers, and administrators to recognize and address the evidence of stress within student-athletes in order to avoid chronic stress-related anxiety and injury.

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Every fitness professional should strive to become a leader in the fitness industry. This will ensure continuity across the field of fitness and assist in the establishment of standards of professionalism.

A constant long-term mindset of system improvement, although often time consuming at first, will pay big dividends in the long run. All of this is done with the intent of spending more time on what truly matters: making money by helping people and changing lives.

Personal Training Quarterly is digitally published four times a year. Look for articles and information on how you can expand your personal training career through integrating training methods and accessing tools for building your business. You must be a member of the NSCA to access the PTQ.

If you want to manage the performance of assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, you better know what you’re doing. At the elite and professional levels of sport, strength and conditioning coaches are responsible for managing the performance of teams’ most valuable assets – The Athletes.