By Steve Martorana

STRENGTH&CONDITIONING

COACH

National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) Founded in 1978 Started with 76 coaches Network, collaborate and unify strength

& conditioning Currently over 30,000 members in 72

countries

Strength & Conditioning Similar to personal trainers and Group

exercise instructors Differ in one important way

Improve performance or skill in sports Work primarily with athletes

Two Main Goals Goal #1

Improve athletic performance Goal #2

Reduce athletic injuries

Improving Athletic Performance Improving athletes’ speed, strength, and

power Work closely with coaches Teaches proper lifting techniques Supervising/ motivating athletes during

training Access performance before/after

program

IMPROPER

Improving Athletic Performance (cont.) Conditioning programs vary depending

on: If sport is in season or not The specific sport itself The position in each sport

Off-Season vs. In season Off-Season

Training is more rigorous

Focus on improving: Speed, strength,

agility, flexibility, explosive strength, confidence

In Season Focus on

maintaining condition rather than improvement

Injury prevention

Reducing Athletic Injuries Programs designed to

strengthen body parts prone to injury

Proper training techniques

Monitor athletes overall health

Give nutritional advice or refer to dietitian

Ouch!!!

Dealing with Injuries Work with athletic training and sports

medicine staff Devise a program that corresponds with

athlete’s injury Often work with parents if they have

younger clients (such as in high school)

Personal Skills & Abilities Strength and conditioning coaches should be:

Good motivators

Organized

A good teacher

Perceptive

Good with people

Let’s go! One more rep!

Push yourself!!

Education and Certifications Required BA degree Major in kinesiology Master’s degree required for college-

level Required strength and conditioning

certification: CSCS: Certified Strength & Conditioning

Specialist

Aspiring Strength & Conditioning Courses The following classes are in the coursework

of most programs: Nutrition science Anatomy Physiology Kinesiology Exercise science Communication Psychology Professional ethics

CSCS Certification NCSA administered Required CPR (cardiopulmonary

resuscitation) certified Required AED (automated external

defibrillator) certified 3 hour test 65.5% pass rate

Experience Most important aspect when looking for

a job Assistant, intern, or volunteer during

college Working in fitness center Mentoring of a skilled strength and

conditioning coach

Future Opportunities Significant competition for jobs Have to have a good pedigree Hard to succeed with no experience Growing industry

Strength-experts among top 5 most promising employment trend (study by ACSM)

Place of Employment Strength and conditioning coach may be

hired by: High schools Fitness centers Physical therapy clinics Universities Professional sport teams

Different levels of coaching Collegiate

Depends of the size and level of competition Iowa State(D1): 4 coaches to 450 athletes Central College (D3): 1 coach to 450

athletes Professional

More coaches working with fewer athletes SA Spurs: 1 coach to 15 athletes

Salary Vary depending on experience and

qualifications Typically $40,000-$60,000 annually Rare cases make over $200,000 Professionals make more than colligate

level Usually up to $100,000

Put your name out there Professional social websites can be very

beneficial Ex. LinkedIn, Monster

Intern with well-known coaches Coaches are willing to let younger people

shadow them to get started

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

-Proverb

Strength & Conditioning program Example of program with video:

Boise State Football: http://

www.boisestatefootball.com/video/program/strength-conditioning-0