Champ Bailey | Sport as a Platform for Growth

You don’t have to love the weight room, but you can’t last without it. Champ Bailey, a National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer, admits he never enjoyed lifting, but says respecting the work gave him the edge to sustain 15 seasons at the highest level. Hear how his preparation evolved from traditional lifts to readiness routines — core, mobility, warm-ups, and recovery — that kept him fresh through the NFL grind. Bailey emphasizes that strength and conditioning coaches are undervalued leaders who “see you at all levels,” guide comebacks, and build buy-in with simple numbers. He recalls how a failed conditioning test led to one of his best seasons, and how weight room leadership left no cracks to ensure buy-in from everyone. Bailey continues his impact through the Positive Athlete initiative, using sport as a platform for growth. Gain practical ways to tailor training by role, earn athlete respect, and build a winning culture.

Connect with Champ via email at: ChampBailey@positiveathlete.org | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs  

Answer the call to give back and lead the profession. Applications for the NSCA and NSCA Foundation Boards of Directors are now open, with more volunteer positions available October 1. See if you qualify and apply at NSCA.com/Volunteer.

“I'm a firm believer in the best way to lead is by example. And it doesn't mean just performing on the field. It's how you conduct yourself in meetings. And you don't ever have to be vocal. You let your actions speak for you.” 20:10

“But Positive Athlete is a platform-- it's a recognition platform. So what we do is we recognize student athletes 9th through 12th grade for really just being positive individuals. So it could be somebody who's overcome a terrible injury, just great in the community, great student, good teammate, always on time, always showing up, accountable, all the things that sports sort of teaches us without us even thinking about it.” 26:05

“You've got to think how we value sports and the scrutiny. If every company was run the way you run a sports organization, and the detail, and the evaluation, and the team-oriented environment, and everybody knowing the mission, and staying on task, understanding your role, that's what a team looks like.” 32:30

[00:00:00.00] [MUSIC PLAYING]
[00:00:03.44] Welcome to the NSCA Coaching Podcast, Season 9, Episode 10.
[00:00:08.88] You've got to think how we value sports and the scrutiny. Like, if every company was run the way you run a sports organization, and the detail, and the evaluation, and the team-oriented environment, and everybody knowing the mission and staying on task, understanding your role, that's what a team looks like.
[00:00:38.64] This is the NSCA's Coaching Podcast where we talk to strength and conditioning coaches about what you really need to know, but probably didn't learn in school. There's strength and conditioning, and then there's everything else.
[00:00:49.16] This is the NSCA Coaching Podcast. I'm Eric McMahon, NSCA's Coaching and Sports Science Program Manager. Today's episode is different in that we usually interview strength and conditioning coaches about their experience working with athletes.
[00:01:04.16] But today, we have an impressive athlete with us, Champ Bailey, NFL Hall of Famer. And he's going to tell his story about getting into professional football, working with strength and conditioning coaches over the course of his impressive career, and some of the work he's doing today to support youth athletes. So Champ, welcome. Thanks for being on.
[00:01:27.88] Thanks for having me. Good talking to you, man.
[00:01:30.40] Yeah. So tell us where you're coming from, man. I'm in Colorado Springs. Right up the road is Denver. I know you've spent a lot of your career there. Where's home for you?
[00:01:40.12] Yeah, Atlanta's home. Been here about 10 years shortly after I retired. And this is where-- I grew up in South Georgia. But being in Athens, I've been exposed to Atlanta for a long time, so it's always felt like home. I'm a Georgia boy at heart. Everybody knows that. And it's great to be back in my great state.
[00:01:59.68] Awesome, man. Yeah, we've got the elevation here. You were planning in that for a lot of your career.
[00:02:04.74] Oh, yeah. Yeah, that took some adjusting. [LAUGHS] I had no idea. I had no idea.
[00:02:10.20] But not quite the same humidity you're dealing with down in Georgia.
[00:02:13.54] No, a different breed of weather down here. I mean, it's funny. When I found out I was getting-- well, I wouldn't say found out. When I knew Denver was interested in trading for me, all I could think about was snow. And I never thought about the altitude until I got there.
[00:02:32.62] And then it was like-- you know, people would talk about it, but it wasn't a thing that I really spent a lot of time thinking about. And the altitude, boy, it wakes you up, because you realize, breathing in that thin air, it's different from being in the South. Much thicker [INAUDIBLE].
[00:02:50.28] One of those things that coming in from the South, it's a different experience. But over time-- and you had a long career in the NFL. Over time, that can be a hometown advantage for you.
[00:03:02.40] Yeah, it could be. I tell people all the time, my road games-- when we left Denver, I mean, you could run all day. I mean, the only thing that would get in the way is inclement weather or this rain or anything. But as far as air, man, I was fortunate to play in Denver, because I can remember just fighting through some moments where I should have been dog tired. But just being in that thin air for as much as we did prepared us for those moments.
[00:03:32.84] So getting into it, I want to ask you about your experience with strength and conditioning coming from Georgia, taking you to Denver, playing at the altitude. What's been your experience training for the sport of football?
[00:03:46.72] You know, Eric, I've got to be honest. Like, I hated lifting weights.
[00:03:51.26] [LAUGHTER]
[00:03:54.60] And you know, most cornerbacks are small, athletic guys. They don't really love doing it. Most of us. Now, there are some that are just weight room nuts, and they love conditioning. Some people love to run. But for me, I was just-- I was a player, right? So I knew there was always going to be something that I had to do that I didn't love to do.
[00:04:19.96] And that's the thing about the journey, is appreciating and really having this real grasp of what it's going to take to get to where you want to go. And it's always going to consist of shit you don't like to do. [LAUGHS] So for me, it was just, OK, I don't like to do it, but I know I've got to do it.
[00:04:41.92] In high school, it was ridiculously hard. We worked out hard. I mean, we had a significant number of great athletes in a small town. I'm talking about single A football where I grew up.
[00:04:57.68] And then I get to college, and it's more of the same, the best of the best. I think the older I got-- so from high school, it was just lift weights hard, power clean, bench press, squat, right? It was just all of that all the time. College, it became a little more dialed in about the big boys and making sure that their weight was right. Because in high school, you didn't have to worry about weight. Nobody-- you wish everybody was big, but nobody was big.
[00:05:26.80] So once I got to college, it was a little more dialed in. And then in the league, it was all data-driven, right? Well, not starting out. Starting out, it was a little kind of old school, and then it gradually got better and better. You start seeing more technology, all these devices, heart monitors. And by the time I retired, man, they were off and running with all the different sensors and things that they use.
[00:05:52.96] So it's one of those things. I saw the evolution of strength and conditioning and what it meant to actually have a great program. And the coaches that adopted it, they tend to get players to buy in a lot more, because now they can see numbers, and then they can tell where they are in things. Your heart rate, things like that.
[00:06:17.64] I'll tell you what. My first strength coach in Denver was a guy named Rich Tuten. You probably heard of him. He was tough as nails. He had this thing where we're pushing sleds and just running crazy. Like, 200-yard sprints. I'm like, man, I'm never going to run 200 yards.
[00:06:38.58] [LAUGHS]
[00:06:39.84] So I was the guy that could run a lot in short bursts. But distance, that was not my thing. And boy, he tried to break us. And fortunate enough for me, man, I just had the mindset to get through it and to embrace it. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't talk myself into some of that.
[00:07:00.71] Yeah. No, it's interesting. And we do hear that from athletes. I think when you work in a team setting, some athletes are going to gravitate to the weight room and love that-- that energy, the benefit they're feeling from getting big and strong. And other athletes, they love their sport. It doesn't take away from that. But maybe they don't love the weight room as much.
[00:07:21.89] Was there ever a time for you that maybe going from high school to college or college to the league that you felt like, hey, I've been the best of the best at this level, but to take the next step, there's something I need to work on in the weight room or that gravitated you maybe a little bit more towards strength and conditioning?
[00:07:43.92] You know-- OK. Not really. There wasn't something in the weight room, per se. I think what really woke me up is when I got older, and I started transitioning more from just working out to more maintenance. And what I mean is doing more core and things that-- the muscles you sort of forget about.
[00:08:07.91] Because I think I started getting hamstring injuries and muscle tears. And I just-- I realized my body couldn't hold up. So I've got start doing more core and more stretching, and just more maintenance, you know? Massaging and making sure that my body's warmed up more.
[00:08:27.69] I can remember a point in my career early on, I just-- I could go out and run all day without even stretching. [LAUGHS] And people would talk about it all the time. And it was like, yeah, that's just who I was.
[00:08:39.09] And then all of a sudden, the muscles started-- it just started catching up to me, not being overly prepared for that. And you know how it is. You get those miles on any tire. You've got to take care of it. You've got to maintenance it. And that's how I look at it. My body was my engine. I just had to keep up on it.
[00:08:59.45] And it became one of those things. I just got wiser. I started looking at older guys and what they were doing. Saw John Lynch and how detailed he was about maintaining his strength without lifting a bunch of weights. It was just through core and stretching, and all this other stuff.
[00:09:15.45] And it was just those things. I was fortunate enough to hang around to see that stuff. But I also was humble enough to pay attention and realize I don't have all the answers. So I'm going to look at the guys that have done it at a high level for a long time. That's going to be my model. So I really focused on, how do I stay in this thing as long as possible? It was the maintenance.
[00:09:39.59] You know, it's interesting you say that. And that's one of those terms, maintenance, that I think coming from an athlete, you want to maintain your readiness to get out there. Maintenance is actually one of those terms that in the strength and conditioning field, we struggle with at times, because to do this profession at a high level, to advance, we have to have a real strong growth mindset.
[00:10:05.25] And there's that mentality that there's always something you can improve at. There's always something you can get better with. And that's something that the majority of athletes we work with face. And it's true for-- I mean, there's athletes we talk about that maybe they're excellent on the field, and there's character things we're working on. Or maybe the character's great and we're just trying to get the speed up, or whatever it may be.
[00:10:30.99] And as strength and conditioning coaches, we try to have a little bit of something for everyone. But the way you answer that question really connected me to-- another term we use in the field a lot is readiness over the course of your career. So when we're talking about athlete readiness, what I'm hearing from you is that, yeah, there was a huge change from obviously coming out of high school and college, getting into the league, to later in your career of how you needed to prepare so that you could get out there and do what you need to do.
[00:11:04.57] And I think it is actually a really good point for strength and conditioning coaches to hear, that it's probably going to be few and far between to find an athlete that loves the weight room as much as we do as coaches. But we can continue to have a number of resources and options and programs and opportunities within our weight room, within our program, within our conditioning program to reach players that are connecting on a different level through their preparation.
[00:11:36.61] So I think it's really important to hear that perspective. And you've kind of-- you've mentioned in high school, nobody was really big. As a defensive back, you're more of a speed player, especially in football. You really have every body type in football.
[00:11:54.87] Yeah, you do. I mean, it's one of those few sports where you just-- you see very big and you see very small. Like, when you think about-- I forget the kick returner from Dallas. Man, he's just a little guy out there. You see him standing next to these big guys. It's like, well, everybody has a role. So you see that wide-ranging sizes of bodies across the spectrum. It's weird to think that all this can coexist. But when you watch the game, yeah, this is how it is.
[00:12:26.41] So as a strength and conditioning coach, you've got to have so many levels of how you train certain guys. You can't-- the quarterbacks can't do what the defensive back does or the linemen. So it's like-- figuring that all out is something else.
[00:12:43.61] And then I think one of the things that's so underrated about being in the weight room is the therapy. And what I mean is just the mentality that it builds.
[00:12:58.77] When I see a bunch of guys hanging around a guy that's going for his best squat, or you see the tapes on Nick Chubb doing these crazy [INAUDIBLE], like, to me, those are moments that sort of get lost, because there are no cameras in there most of the time. And those moments when you are inspiring the next guy or you're just working out one on one with the coach and those conversations, to me, that's a little therapeutic.
[00:13:32.15] So those things don't get talked about a lot. And I think when you hear guys maybe in a Hall of Fame speech or some speech where they reflect, they're always talking about people you've never heard of because of those moments. And I rarely hear people talk about their strength and conditioning coaches enough.
[00:13:54.03] I feel like there needs to be more of that, because I can promise you, so many guys that have gone through injuries and trying to come back, all these different-- you've got to think, the strength and conditioning coach see you at all levels, when you're perfectly healthy, when you had a bad game, good game, injured, all levels. They see it all. And then they see you and help you and are critical in your comeback. So to me, man, it's so undervalued, the role strength and conditioning coaches play in that journey. And I mean, it's so important.
[00:14:28.27] Yeah. I know our listeners appreciate hearing that from you. It reminds me of an intern I had once that-- getting to know him, and he was starting to work with players a little bit more, and we're figuring things out in professional baseball. And he's like, hey, well, how many of these guys do you work with every day?
[00:14:49.15] And that was a hard question for me to answer, because I was thinking of all the hallway conversations or getting in line behind somebody in the kitchen to go get lunch for the day, or whatever it is. And I answered, I work with all these guys every day. They may not all lift weights every day. They may not all do a conditioning routine out on the field with me or whatever it is.
[00:15:11.99] But we had a 25-man roster, a couple players hurt on the rehab side. So we had 25, 30 players there. I was going to make an effort to connect with every single one of those guys every single day, because that's our job. That's our job to have that relationship. And I mean, to your point, it means something if players are coming into the weight room or coming in to see you on the days that they're not lifting.
[00:15:39.83] Yep.
[00:15:41.51] Coming in-- coming in to cheer someone on that's getting a session in on a day that they're not scheduled to lift, whatever that is.
[00:15:50.95] Yeah. I remember-- it's funny, because I had this kind of happen by something I failed to do. So we had this conditioning test, and I think it was like three or four of us did not pass it. I was one of them. This was in the-- I was probably in the middle part of my career, maybe on the latter part.
[00:16:11.53] But my point is we had a new coach. He came in with this crazy conditioning test. A lot of people-- like I told you earlier, I am not a distance runner. We had to run, like, three 300-yard shuttles in a certain time. And I hate that stuff. [LAUGHS] I hated it.
[00:16:32.81] So a few of us failed the test. And our strength coach was that guy, Rich Tuten, at the time. And what we had to do, we had to wake up early in the morning. We were on the PUP list. We had to wake up early in the morning, come work out. I think we had to work out before every-- before and after every practice.
[00:16:54.71] So this was back when we were still doing two-a-days before-- this was before the lockout, so give you a good time frame. Before the lockout. So we were working out two-a-days-- well, before every practice, so that's four workouts in a day, before and after. So we're staying-- we're coming the earliest, we're staying the latest.
[00:17:14.47] But I just remember those moments, because he would have a strenuous workout for us. We would train doing the shuttle run to try to pass it, because we had to pass it. But we would also do a lot of core and a lot of other things.
[00:17:29.19] And what I realized is I wasn't practicing because I was on the PUP list. You can't practice when you're on that list. But that year, man, I had one of my best years in football. And why did that happen?
[00:17:45.53] Well, I wasn't putting a lot of wear on my legs, but I was still working very hard, doing core, lifting, stretching. Just working on muscles that I didn't think existed. [LAUGHS] So it was just a lot of that over and over. And I felt fresh going into the season. I was like, dang, this really worked for me.
[00:18:10.19] So that was another part of what convinced me to start doing more and more of that when I had downtime. Now, it was harder because I was practicing too after that year. But I eventually passed the test. We all did, and ended up having a great year.
[00:18:29.59] But I just think about those moments with just the four of us or five of us. I can't remember who-- I feel like I'm missing somebody, but I remember two other guys for sure. And I just remember those moments with that strength coach. It sort of built the bond between us, because we were all kind of pushing each other.
[00:18:47.43] One other guy was a DB. Another was a D lineman. I think another, O lineman or something was in there with us. And it was just tough. It was tough, but man, we were pushing each other. And it just felt like, damn, this made us better. Like for me, personally. But it was all because of the way they set up that program. It was a mix.
[00:19:10.21] So I use it as a benefit. Now, I'm not telling anybody, go out and fail a conditioning test. But you wanted to-- I did not try to pass it. I'm just not good at that stuff. And I'm at that part of my career. Like, damn, I've got fight against this. But at the same time, I'm not an anti-team guy.
[00:19:31.01] So always follow the rules. But for me, that actually helped me. Having that little bit of adversity put me in a situation where I focused on different things. I never knew what [? works ?] [? for me. ?]
[00:19:44.44] I like what you said there about being a team guy-- not being an anti-team guy. That's something that just jumped out to me. What does that mean to you? I mean, I think of teams where there's a lot of talent on a football team, especially in the NFL. What does it mean for a player like you to step up and support the team and support the coaching staff over the course of your career?
[00:20:10.70] Well, I'm a firm believer in the best way to lead is by example. And it doesn't mean just performing on the field. It's how you conduct yourself in meetings. And you don't ever have to be vocal. You let your actions speak for you.
[00:20:27.88] Now, there are moments where you should be vocal, but it's few and far between when it compares to what you actually do and what people see you do. And it's not hard to sort of break your team. It's very hard to get people to buy in to what you're trying to sell.
[00:20:52.49] Every coach starts out the year with objectives, goals, and things like that. And to get people to buy in on a daily basis takes real leaders on the field. And that's how they conduct meetings, how you handle yourself in the weight room, the respect you show to others in the building that really don't do anything for you. That's what builds real good teams.
[00:21:17.82] And one thing you realize, the freshmen, the rookies, the young guys in any team, they're always looking at the older guys. They're always looking for a crack. They're looking for something to give them some leeway to do something wrong, because they don't know. They're learning as they go.
[00:21:35.60] So that's what it means to me to be a part of a team. First off, lead by example, and just be-- and that consists of being accountable, you know? Being respectful of others that can't do anything for you, that are doing a lot for you that you don't realize.
[00:21:53.88] So it's more that-- just lead by example, man. Be the example that you want every teammate on the team to be like. Like, just be that every day. That's probably the best way you can support your team.
[00:22:08.26] I mean, that's huge advice for athletes, student athletes. You brought it back, sort of that high school, college level all the way through. What advice do you have for strength and conditioning coaches that want to have great relationships with their athletes, regardless of the level they're working at? Maybe they have some aspirations of working at a high level like the NFL.
[00:22:32.26] Yeah. Well, I think structure is most important in this day and age. I think if you look at high school, college, the lack of structure and what it's doing to the decision making-- and everything's around these kids and what they're doing, moving around, jumping in the portal, doing this and that.
[00:22:52.44] There's a lot of structure missing around the game at the youth level, which eventually is going to hurt the pro level, eventually. The pro level's so strict and so merit-based, you really have to be good to get a shot in the league. I don't care what league it is. Yeah. When you get to that level.
[00:23:15.30] But for me, strength coaches, you are sort of the backbone of every organization you're involved with. Like, there isn't-- I mean, there isn't-- I know high-profile or at least high school on the bigger class level, they really have detailed strength programs.
[00:23:35.66] And I think about my son. He's a freshman in high school. I mean, he has a strict program that he follows. And I'm bringing that up because you're in it. And for me, just be cognizant of, every athlete's not the same. So being flexible, understanding your players, the relationships you build with them, those things can be-- don't underestimate your influence, for one.
[00:24:07.06] And really just get to know the players and what they're about, what makes them tick, what works for them. I do know some things carry over. It's no different from me teaching young corners how to play. Everybody's not the same. So you've got to figure out how you get the best out of that person and what works for them.
[00:24:26.14] One thing I do know that carries over is great feet, but it might be a little different for every corner. So it's no different in the weight room. Like, find out what you got, what's going to make your guys better. And I really encourage them to get to know the guys and know their personality, what makes them tick. It's all going to make the team better, which is what the goal is anyway.
[00:24:49.54] I like that. Important points on connecting with athletes, not tuning a guy out right away when he says he doesn't like to lift weights just because that's what you like to do as a strength and conditioning coach. There's a lot we can learn as coaches from our athletes, and especially on a football team. You have 60, sometimes 100-plus players on a team. That's a lot of different exposures, a lot of different opportunities to learn, refine your coaching skills, refine your program, develop some new things that maybe you've never had to do before.
[00:25:23.96] I know working at the professional level, I had never, at the college or high school level, needed to adjust my approach for working with players maybe on the back half of their career. That changed my approach to training. You touched on some of that, Champ. I appreciate you doing that.
[00:25:41.86] So we connected through another nonprofit association, Positive Athlete. You're an ambassador for Positive Athlete. Wanted to give you an opportunity to share some of the work you're doing in the community and with this organization.
[00:25:59.66] Well, simply put-- positiveathlete.org is the website. But Positive Athlete is a platform-- it's a recognition platform. So what we do is we recognize student athletes 9th through 12th grade for really just being positive individuals. So it could be somebody who's overcome a terrible injury, just great in the community, great student, good teammate, always on time, always showing up, accountable, all the things that sports sort of teaches us without us even thinking about it.
[00:26:36.60] And these people are leaders and future leaders in this world-- in this country in particular. But I mean, obviously, the things you learn being an athlete and being part of a team within some type of structure is so crucial to your development.
[00:26:54.58] So what ultimately happens is corporations want to get to these kids and people that have these traits. I was on this committee. One of my former teammates is the lieutenant governor here in Georgia. And he put me on this workforce study committee.
[00:27:12.42] And we went around-- I went around with six or seven other senators, state senators. And we interviewed a bunch of big corporations around the state, because Georgia likes to pound its chest. Like, we're the state to do business, right? So you know, I got to see that up close and personal.
[00:27:30.30] And one of the things that all these corporations kept complaining about was talent. Where do we find good talent? And I would always end the meeting like, well, if you hire athletes, you won't have an issue. So they all agreed, but there was really no place for it. Well, that's what Positive Athlete is.
[00:27:49.94] So now our deadline is May 9 to nominate these kids. How do you nominate? Go to positiveathlete.org. It's very simple. So people can go nominate as many student athletes 9th through 12th who you believe deserve recognition, rewards, scholarships. This is a chance for them to really enhance their profile, right?
[00:28:12.97] But also, we're developing an app that'll will come out. I'm excited about this, because this is a way for these kids to engage with future opportunities, career opportunities, or whatever these companies are looking for when it comes to talent. They want these kids, but they want to get to them a lot earlier than they have access to right now. And there is no database for just athletes in general that we can actually pull from and give them the resources, and these companies can kind of handpick and throw opportunities out there at them.
[00:28:49.08] One thing I know is I don't care who you are. If you're wearing cleats, sneakers, it doesn't matter. At some point, you're going to hang them up. I know I played 15 years, but even I had to figure out how to be on the other side. What is my identity outside of sports?
[00:29:08.86] And everybody's going to have to deal with that. And most are going to have to deal with it right after high school, that transition to, what next? The writing's on the wall for a lot of people, but a lot of times they don't read the writing on the wall. You're just in it.
[00:29:23.46] But that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. You have to understand, what sports teaches you is so valuable to anything that you do. You know how many people are out here with great, successful jobs and careers that don't have those same values? They just don't.
[00:29:41.72] And you know it. In the corporate world, it's sort of a dog-eat-dog world. Like, a lot of people are not very team-oriented. They're not very accountable. They don't have the soft skills that sports sort of teaches you. You know, being a role player, learning how to lead and learning how to follow. It's a lot of that.
[00:30:02.84] And I just feel like I'm always going to be in a position to help football players, but I want to help all athletes. So this gives me the opportunity to give something back to all athletes, all sports, all genders. It's perfect. Most of our nominations are girls, believe it or not. Like--
[00:30:22.22] Nice.
[00:30:23.54] Yeah. People can find Positive Athletes around the country. Most of them were girls. I mean, [LAUGHS] it's no surprise there. They're the ones that are always pushing the hardest or being pushed the hardest more than guys. Guys always got something to complain about. But the girls--
[00:30:39.92] [LAUGHS] --they go hard, man. And the demand on them, that's why they are more equipped to be Positive Athletes, because they're the more workforce-ready individuals in our country, believe it or not.
[00:30:55.50] No, I-- well, we talk a lot about opportunities for women in sport. One thing I'm hearing you say is using sports as a platform for growth, but not just growth as an athlete. We are building athletes as coaches, but we're also building people. And most of these athletes are going to have life after sport, significant life after sport that they need to prepare for and think through what that means. But there's a lot they can dig from from their athletic experience. That's what Positive Athlete's about.
[00:31:32.40] We have a number of programs at the NSCA as well, our NSCA All-American Athlete program for student athletes having success through their strength and conditioning programs as part of-- they might be a football athlete or another sport at their college or high school. The NSCA champions, a similar effort in that we're promoting early exposure to strength and conditioning for youth athletes, K through 12 all the way up, because we believe that that is a pathway to success, not just as an athlete, but as a person.
[00:32:10.22] We can create better coaches, better mentors, better people, a stronger society. And it's something that is inherent to the values of the NSCA. Obviously, that's coming through with what you're doing at Positive Athlete. There's a lot of good work to be done in sport.
[00:32:27.95] There is no doubt. Yeah. I think-- you've got to think how we value sports and the scrutiny. If every company was run the way you run a sports organization, and the detail, and the evaluation, and the team-oriented environment, and everybody knowing the mission, and staying on task, [LAUGHS] understanding your role, that's what a team looks like.
[00:32:57.31] That's what every NFL team-- all the college teams. I don't care if it's Division III or Division I. They are all doing the same things, dialed in, going after the same missions. And there's just not a lot of that uniformity outside of those walls. But there's individuals learning that stuff, so we need more of them in the workplace, in society, in leadership positions, because they have the tools.
[00:33:26.93] Now it's just getting them to understand how that transitions outside of sports. I think that's the hardest thing for a lot of youth athletes. When they're done, they don't know how valuable those traits that they've been building and learning over time, how valuable it is in the real world. Because it's almost like you immediately turn to people who probably weren't athletes to try to help you. It's like, no, man, these things you've been learning can really propel you to be great in any career you choose, regardless of what it is.
[00:34:01.61] Yeah. And it prepares you to take on new things that maybe you haven't been exposed to yet, you know? Learning-- working with your coach to get quicker feet, well, those drills and skills and perseverance you put in there helps you when you're getting your degree, or whatever it may be, to push through into the corporate sector where you may have more success than you did on the football field.
[00:34:26.97] So it's something that character-- character matters. Sports, a big part of that. It's refreshing to hear you come with that message, Champ. I appreciate you being with us today.
[00:34:41.09] As I do for all our guests on the podcast, I have your email from Positive Athlete. Would you be cool if I dropped that into the show notes so people can reach out with questions?
[00:34:53.33] Please do. Please do. Thank you. And also-- yeah, just so I don't forget. I've go to reiterate, go to positiveathlete.org. I think nominations close May 9 nationwide. Georgia's already closed down.
[00:35:06.29] But nationwide nominations, May 9 is the deadline. Nominate any Positive Athlete, 9th through 12th, boy or girl, any sport that you think deserves to be recognized, rewarded with scholarships. I mean, we've got it all. So this will be good for them. And whether they win a reward or not, they'll be in this database to utilize the app and then obviously look for career opportunities down the road.
[00:35:34.81] Yeah. Well, just where we're recording this episode, we're coming up on that deadline now. But this is an annual program. There's opportunity to recognize athletes on an annual basis. You mentioned there's going to be an app in the future. So by going to the website, you'll be able to connect with Positive Athlete resources, NSCA resources that connect with these values that the Positive Athlete campaign pushes forward.
[00:36:00.69] Champ, really appreciate you sharing your story. I know we don't typically start episodes with, hey, I didn't really love the weight room, but let's talk about strength and conditioning, but we're open to it. And-- no, we love everything you do. I know there's a lot of football fans here in Colorado who think really highly of you and everything you've done for the sport.
[00:36:23.95] And as a strength and conditioning coach, I think it's important that we keep an open mind. Not all our athletes are going to love the weight room like we do, but that doesn't mean that they aren't valuable to our processes, coaches. They are. And this was a lot of fun today, Champ. Thanks for being with us.
[00:36:43.33] Thank you. You know, to be honest, I didn't like some of the things I did on the field. So--
[00:36:48.53] [LAUGHS]
[00:36:49.01] --it is what it is. You can't enjoy every part of the process. You'd just better respect it and understand it's important and go through it. That builds character in itself, just understanding there's things you don't appreciate-- you don't like. But you just have to have some level of appreciation and just do it anyway. That's how I was.
[00:37:09.83] Hey, and you don't outgrow that. That's not just sports. That's going to work every day for the rest of your life. So perseverance, working through the hard times, things that are challenging for you, maybe one of the big themes of this episode. So thank you.
[00:37:25.41] And everyone listening in, we appreciate you for always tuning in to the NSCA Coaching Podcast, but especially this episode. Different spin on the strength and conditioning profession. Also, a special thanks to Sorinex Exercise equipment. We appreciate their support.
[00:37:41.29] My name is Autumn Lockwood, and you just listened to an episode of the NSCA Coaching Podcast. And if you'd like to get involved in any sort of way for a volunteer opportunity, make sure you head to nsca.com, and you'll be able to find a list of them to get involved.
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[00:37:59.65] This was the NSCA's Coaching Podcast. The National Strength and Conditioning Association was founded in 1978 by strength and conditioning coaches to share information, resources, and help advance the profession. Survey coaches for over 40 years, the NSCA is the trusted source for strength and conditioning professionals. Be sure to join us next time.

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