Morgan Smith | Gaining Applied Experience Through Education

Your career can accelerate when you ask, offer, and say yes. For Morgan Smith, that approach led to a postdoctoral fellowship with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford University. Smith recalls how coaching sparked her interest in the science behind performance. Working across academic and practical settings, she encountered challenges with research feasibility firsthand. Today, she focuses on blending coaching with sport science. At Stanford, she began by building relationships and trust within the athletic department. She describes collaborating with coaches and staff to identify research interests, gaps, and low-burden contributions. Smith also highlights opportunities to support club sports, campus recreation centers, and community programs. These roles can help fund education while building your resume, network, and practical skills. She reinforces the value of education as a time to maximize experience and explore interests. Discover how to gain applied experience early, drive cross-department buy-in, and cultivate relationships that move your career forward.

Reach out to Morgan on Instagram: @goldenmo_ and LinkedIn: @morgan-smith-sportsscientist | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs | Learn more about the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at: humanperformancealliance.org.

Interested in bridging coaching and sport science?

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“My biggest tip would be to put yourself out there and to say yes. Especially as an undergrad, if there's something that pops up and it's like, hey, we have an opportunity for a four week internship, or there's an opportunity to shadow this performance center or this coach, or if anything pops up related to what you may be interested in, say yes as much as you can, because those experiences not only are going to help you build skills, but it's going to help you meet people and network, especially when you have such a positive experience. Your name and your face will be in their minds.” 15:50
“Especially as an undergrad, if there's something that pops up and it's like, hey, we have an opportunity for a four week internship, or there's an opportunity to shadow this performance center or this coach, or if anything pops up related to what you may be interested in, say yes as much as you can, because those experiences not only are going to help you build skills, but it's going to help you meet people and network, especially when you have such a positive experience. Your name and your face will be in their minds.” 16:10
“You never know what's going to happen. And especially if it's something that maybe it's an experience or it's a job that you don't necessarily have the experience for, still apply, especially when you're in undergrad or in grad school. I always tell people when you're a student, it's the best time to explore.” 25:20

[00:00:00.00] [MUSIC PLAYING]

[00:00:02.80] Welcome to the NSCA Coaching Podcast season 9, episode 19.

[00:00:08.04] My biggest tip would be to put yourself out there and to say yes. Especially as an undergrad, if there's something that pops up and it's like, hey, we have an opportunity for a four week internship, or there's an opportunity to shadow this performance center or this coach, or if anything pops up related to what you may be interested in, say yes as much as you can, because those experiences not only are going to help you build skills, but it's going to help you meet people and network, especially when you have such a positive experience. Your name and your face will be in their minds.

[00:00:46.00] 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.

[00:00:56.64] This is the NSCA Coaching Podcast. I'm Eric McMahon. It's not every day you meet a CSCS coach and sports scientist who's working in the genetics department at Stanford University. Today we meet one, Dr. Morgan Smith, who's work with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance focuses on sport performance. Morgan, welcome.

[00:01:16.85] Thank you. Hello.

[00:01:18.81] Yeah, it's great to meet you and connect with you here on the air and learn a little bit about your journey. I want to know what drew you to sports science.

[00:01:31.01] Yeah, so I can start way back when I was a kid and playing any sport under the sun. My parents thought that was really important for me to just be in summer camps and sport camps. And so I was doing anything and everything, and I eventually landed on basketball and track when I was in middle school, high school. And from there, I had a lot of injuries. So was always in physical therapy. So I was like, oh, I just want to be a PT when I grow up, because I'm always here. It's so fun. I love my PTs.

[00:01:59.06] And so that is the idea that I had going into college. And so I was a kinesiology major still with the idea that I wanted to be a PT. But the more I kind of delved into that space or dove into that space, I was like, I don't know. Maybe this isn't for me. And so I was kind of floundering for a few years at the end of my bachelor's into my master's of just figuring out what is it that I want to do. I know that I love movement and that I love kinesiology. Then I started working as a personal trainer. I like, OK, this is close. I like working with people and applying my knowledge. But I think there's more out there.

[00:02:36.00] And then I had this random summer job that was in actually a school of medicine lab, and it was in a rat lab, but it was exercise physiology research. So that was the first time I actually understood that there was a science behind sport, behind movement, behind physiology. It just never really crossed my mind where we get some of our information from. And so that led me to the science part of it.

[00:03:05.71] And so I was always still interested in working with people, hopefully working in sport. Like I said, I was a personal trainer, but I liked working with athletes or firefighters or something else. And so as I kept going through my academic career and I guess I can expand a little bit more on that, getting my master's at University of Florida. And then that led me to getting a PhD, also in kinesiology, to really blend that science component.

[00:03:32.19] And while I was there at Auburn University, I started a program called Performance Optimization Team with ROTC branches. So we primarily worked with Army, but we also expanded to all branches at Auburn. And that's where we got to blend strength conditioning. We brought in registered dietitians. We had a mental performance coach come in and talk about all aspects of wellness and performance with these cadets.

[00:04:00.61] And so while I was doing that, and I really wanted to do that because I wanted to get practical experience running strength and conditioning programs for groups. So I was like, I'm just going to stay in S&C and go from there. But I was realizing there was so much more that I could have an impact on and learn about. [CLEARS THROAT] Excuse me.

[00:04:20.91] And so that was almost like the second push for me to get into sport science, because I was doing a lot of the science work, and then I was doing just strength and conditioning. And I was like, there's something here that I can blend these two together in some way. And so that was really the reason that kind of pushed me more into sports science, of being able to pull physiology, pull some kinesiology with actual performance outcomes. And so that's what I wanted to chase. And that's what led me to Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance to continue that journey here at Stanford.

[00:04:55.98] That's interesting. For our listeners who maybe don't know what the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance is, can you break that down for us?

[00:05:03.90] Absolutely. Yeah. So it's a six institute network of universities and research institutes that are pushing science into human performance optimization. So one of the main sites is Stanford University. And so here I also work with the female athlete science and translational research team. So we do physiology. I do physiology research for female athletes here.

[00:05:33.30] But there's also multiple other sites that do different things. So for example, at Kansas, the Jayhawks Center, they do amazing work in terms of sports science and applied sports science work. But University of Oregon is one. Boston Children's Hospital and Salk Institute. And so it's kind of all over the nation. And so they have postdocs, they have undergrads, they have professors, labs that all work to what is human performance and how can we optimize it in various ways, which is really an awesome program, initiative, and network that's really trying to push human performance.

[00:06:13.59] So just looking at you mentioned some of the stops you've had along the way. University of Florida for your undergrad and your masters. Then you went to Auburn for your PhD, and you mentioned some of the tactical work that they're doing there at Auburn University. Now at Stanford, all the way across the country, what's fueled that journey for you?

[00:06:34.95] Yeah, so again, taking it back to when I was in high school, I grew up outside of Chicago in a suburb called Naperville. And my mom at the time, my mom was looking for a job at the time or getting a new job. And so she was moving to New York and she was like, hey, I can't get in-state tuition for you anywhere, so I can't really tell you where to go, because all the rules of having to live there for a year and whatnot.

[00:06:59.68] So I applied to a bunch of schools in the Midwest, and then Florida was kind of like my reach school or it'd be really cool to go there because it's in Florida. I kind of thought that it was on the beach, which I don't know why. I should have looked at a map. But I have some of my godparents live there. And it's just like, this seems really cool to be in a place that doesn't snow, that has really good department for what I'm interested in studying, has great athletics, because I'm still a sports fanatic.

[00:07:30.78] So I was like, well, I would love to go to a football game there. I'm in high school, so that's just what was interesting to me. So that's what pushed me to Florida, because I could go to any school that I got into that I wanted to. And I had some family there, which was nice. So I ended up moving there.

[00:07:47.22] And then that summer job that I worked at with Dr. Karen [INAUDIBLE], she recommended that I get a PhD. And she's like, hey, I know someone that actually might really be interested in what you want to look at, which was Dr. Mike Roberts at Auburn. So she connected me and I did my interview process and all of that. And so that's how I ended up there through connections.

[00:08:06.31] And then again at Stanford, I was looking around. People kept asking me what I was going to do next. And I kept saying, I have no idea. And they're like, hey, you should look at the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance and you should look at their lab. So I just ended up at Stanford, because I was just scrolling through all of their different locations and labs and trying to see who does work that I'd be interested in doing and how can I add with my skills. And so that was also a cold email to get into the lab and to get an interview. And so that's how I ended up here.

[00:08:39.13] I moved a lot as a kid. So I'm not not used to moving and being in new spaces. And my family's pretty mobile too, so I still get to see them, and because they'll come out and see me and I go there. So there wasn't really-- I mean, the string that got me there was just my mentors pushing me to expand and try something new. So that's how I kind of bopped around everywhere.

[00:09:01.42] That's cool. What you're saying is very relatable, I think, to everyone on the research side and in the coaching profession. We bop around a lot in this field. We chase opportunity, and it sounds like that's what you're doing. You also do some track and field coaching. Was that your sport coming up?

[00:09:18.38] Yeah. So I picked up track and field when I was in middle school. And then as I was finishing high school, I stopped playing basketball and just focused on track and field. I was a long and triple jumper, and anything under a 200, not including the 200. 200 was a little long for me. And I was in Illinois.

[00:09:35.24] Don't worry, it's long for me too.

[00:09:37.42] [LAUGHS]

[00:09:37.74] Exactly. And I was in Illinois, so we had indoor. So we also had the 60, which I was like, perfect. Nice and short. Exactly what I like. So that was in high school. When I got into college, I didn't run track. I played club field hockey for about three years because I still wanted to be a part of a team. And then fast forward, moving here to the Bay Area, and there's a local high school that was just in search of a jumps coach that I just happened upon.

[00:10:05.70] And I was like, oh, it's in the afternoons. I can still get my full time job work done and be able to dedicate some of my time in the afternoons. And so I just randomly picked it up three years ago the first year I moved here. And like I said, it's been three years, and I love it.

[00:10:24.66] I mean, it's something that I didn't really consider as I was going through my academic career. Even though I was CSCS certified and trying to get some practical experiences there, the other coaching aspect of sport didn't really cross my mind until the opportunity presented itself. And I was like, oh, I do really want to do this, or I have a little bit of personal experience, but I have a lot of this academic and all of that stuff. Well, how can they actually come out of the books and come out of class and apply to a youth athlete right in front of me?

[00:10:55.69] Which is so much so of coaching, of not just strength and conditioning, but sport too. There's a lot of things we see in research. Like, oh, this is the best way to do this, or you'll see these adaptations if you train this way. And then you actually get into the field, you're like, oh, this is not feasible, not applicable. Athletes are humans and they do crazy stuff or they don't eat or they don't sleep or whatever it is, and so you have to modify on the spot. So that's been really fun and a challenge as well that I've really enjoyed.

[00:11:27.81] So your postdoc is in the genetics department. I remember you mentioned that to me. And we don't have a lot of people in the strength and conditioning field working out of genetics departments. But do you get the opportunity to work with different Stanford sports programs?

[00:11:42.70] Yeah, yeah. And so my first year of my postdoc was essentially relationship building. So just like you said, I'm in a genetics lab. And they brought me on because I have this physiology experience and they do a lot of omic work, which gets kind of way outside of what we want to talk about. But something we can look at is inflammatory markers, which is a pretty clear connection to sport, to recovery, and really to anything in terms of sport. And so that's where I'm coming in to blend those technologies and different disciplines.

[00:12:19.34] So having that idea in mind when I got to Stanford and being a part of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, I was like, OK, how can we figure out to get connected to the athletics department in a way that makes sense for them, that they're interested in, that also scientists are interested in as well? So it was about a year of just having conversations, meeting with different teams, coaches, different professionals in the sport performance department, and just figuring out what do people want to know? Where is the gap? Where can we be an add and where is the burden the lowest?

[00:12:55.65] And so by doing that, I was able to connect with the women's rowing team. Shout out to national championships this year. And we're like, hey, we have this project idea. Would your team be interested in something like this? And it was a few months of going back and forth like, OK, we're interested in looking at inflammatory markers. How can we do this at practice? Maybe this won't work. And so it was a lot of just workshopping in collaboration with the sport staff or the sports coaching staff. So that's been really fun.

[00:13:27.29] And so we have more like intense projects where we come to practice, we do some saliva tests, we do finger pricks, that kind of stuff. We also have surveys where we go to practice where it's like, hey, five minutes of your time. This is what we're talking about. This is what we're researching. And then we also do educational work as well. So we'll come in and we'll be able to schedule with their athletic trainer or with their head coach times where our team can come in for 20 minutes, 40 minutes, and just talk about whatever topic the athletes want to talk about in terms of it could be human performance related. It could also just be well-being or physiology related.

[00:14:06.40] So that's the three buckets of work that I do within Stanford athletics. And it's not just within. It's with them as well. So a lot of it was just figuring out where can we come together as a team to produce something that everyone is interested in. There's a benefit to everyone involved. And then also we can publish, we can present on this.

[00:14:29.64] So it's been a lot of fun. It's been challenging. I've been here for two and a half years, going on three. But it was all worth the time. It takes time to build those relationships and build trust. And you can't just hop in and be like, hey, give me your athletes so I can do a study. That will never work. So yeah, it's been a good challenge for me.

[00:14:50.77] Stanford's obviously a powerhouse institution, but what I love about what you said is that you put your coach voice on, and you talked about creating buy in within the athletic department. A lot of times, I hear from coaches that we don't have a lot of support from our academic departments, or it's completely detached. It's nice to see that you've been able to maybe break down some of those barriers.

[00:15:14.17] And what's interesting from an NSCA perspective, we pay really close attention to career opportunities for coaches, obviously. That's what we do at the NSCA. And today, there's a huge debate over the value of college education. You've had a very strong academic path. What is your message to aspiring coaches, sports scientists, students, maybe they're in high school like you were, to get the most out of their academic experiences so that they're feeling positive about the path they're on?

[00:15:51.70] Yeah, I love this question, and it's something that is on my mind and has been on my mind for years. Because just like you said, I've been in an academic space for my entire-- I mean, it's essentially an academic career. And so I think my biggest tip would be to put yourself out there and to say yes.

[00:16:11.70] Especially as an undergrad, if there's something that pops up and it's like, hey, we have an opportunity for a four week internship, or there's an opportunity to shadow this performance center or this coach, or if anything pops up related to what you may be interested in, say yes as much as you can, because those experiences not only are going to help you build skills, but it's going to help you meet people and network, especially when you have such a positive experience. Your name and your face will be in their minds.

[00:16:43.08] That's awesome. Yeah, I think it's encouraging. And at the NSCA, we want to really do a great job of connecting to a younger audience, because-- I don't say that from a marketing perspective. I say it from a figuring out your life perspective. I was a young coach once, and I didn't know about this profession until really a critical time when I had to either go for it or find something else.

[00:17:12.10] And I thought it was interesting. You pursued physical therapy. A lot of students think that's the path they're on. And until something just doesn't click with them or academically, it's not a good fit, or they don't want to work in that medical environment. So strength and conditioning shows up on that horizon a lot, and we get a lot of great coaches from that career path. So I really appreciate you sharing that. It's important we're always pouring into that next generation audience, even though you still got a lot of career left. Where do you see your career going?

[00:17:50.77] Yeah. Oh, that is the dreaded question for any postdoc. I think where I would like to see my career go is blending the coaching with the science. And so I think that what that position looks like exactly, I'm not entirely sure. This is like my five year goal, kind of down the line of being able to-- I have this research background, and there's definitely a time and a place for research.

[00:18:21.01] And you can always apply the scientific method to whatever you're doing, even if it's not technical research or technically research. And so I think being able to have that mindset and being able to ask good questions and then figure out a plan to answer those questions is always going to be applicable.

[00:18:39.22] So relating back to what you were talking about, if you're in the academic space and you want to transition to being more in strength and conditioning or into sport, know that you have skills that can actually transfer. And so I'm open. I mean, I love working with youth athletes. So I'm like, maybe there's something there in terms of being able to build developmental pipelines.

[00:19:01.82] So again, kind of bringing in what I have studied in terms of development and growth. And then adding that physiology part and then adding in that sport. So it could look like being a coach and being able to pull in that different aspect or diving more down into that sports science realm.

[00:19:23.26] And then something I forgot to mention, but I wanted to mention for your last question, is just especially if you're in the academic space or you're in research or you're clinical or whatever that is, being able to offer your services or your mind or programs while you're doing that. And what I mean is if there's-- here there's club sport systems. And I'm like, OK, well, maybe I can help you build a strength and conditioning program. Maybe I can come out to your practice and help coach you up on conditioning or something.

[00:19:53.91] And just offer your time, because those experiences, again, are valuable. You can still quantify them and put them on your resume and say, these are what I was able to accomplish. So on top of saying yes, it's just offering, hey, can I write you a program? Can I help you through it? Can I coach you through it? Whatever that is, an individual person, teams, programs, to just start to get that practical experience in.

[00:20:17.81] Because even after I took my CSCS exam, I was like, great, now I'm certified. And then it's like, OK, well now you have to write a program, you have to coach it, you have to implement it, you have to track it, and then you have to adapt. And it's like, oh, OK. So let me actually put all these things to practice, because it's different than what's on the computer in front of you when you actually get out into the real world. So that's also something I would say is just, again, say yes and offer. If you see a potential, go for it and see what happens.

[00:20:49.44] I like that you said applying the scientific method to whatever you're doing. An analytical mindset, critical thinking mindset to strength and conditioning, that's really the world we're in right now. And it's not just purely loud and motivational. We could say maybe it once was in the strength and conditioning field. We have data and we have testing and we evaluate our athletes. We're measuring recovery. We're looking at workload. There's so much that goes into the day to day responsibilities of a strength and conditioning coach. Obviously at bigger institutions, you might have more resources. You might have dedicated sports science roles that really get into the weeds on some of those things.

[00:21:34.01] But I want to get into the mechanics a little bit of maybe your academic journey, but we can explore some advice for our listeners as well. What I'm hearing from you is that there's often more opportunities to grow as a professional than we typically think of. We think of going to University of Florida or Stanford and, OK, I want to be a coach. So I'm going to try to work with the athletic teams. And that is an opportunity for you that's out there, but not always an easy one to pursue.

[00:22:07.23] But club sports, for example, is one that is often left without a strength and conditioning or performance program. And sometimes those programs are competitive with some really good athletes, depending on the institution. Were you ever concerned with, OK, I want to pursue this field, just the finances of it. Financial aid, funding, assistantships. How did you navigate that? And what's your advice for students that are maybe struggling with that?

[00:22:41.94] Yeah. I mean, I think that's-- man, that was huge. I mean, just like you mentioned, it's the path right now. If you want to be a strength coach, you need to get a GA position probably with the football team, and then hopefully that will open a door. And actually, I serve on a board for my department. And so someone that I serve on the board with went to UF, I think it was about 30 years ago. And he was like, yeah, I made my way into the weight room and I said, this is what I can offer and this is what I can do.

[00:23:10.58] And now, that's not possible. You can't just walk into that space or there's a lot of barriers that are very valid to be able to keep those spaces separate and they're super hard to get into. I was going to say break into, but not physically. But just getting into that space or getting into that bubble almost. And so just like you mentioned, there's club sports.

[00:23:36.44] And also whatever area you're in, there are probably multiple facilities that are just looking for help. So not just sport performance facilities, but you can look at are there club systems in my area? So not just club sports at your university, but there's probably different club programs. There's community centers. There's so many movers and athletes around you that they're not collegiate athletes and they're not like your top level club athletes, and they're still athletes, and they can still benefit from strength and conditioning services. So that would be one thing I would look at.

[00:24:14.28] And just the second part of your question, finances, it is difficult, because a lot of the time you are offering your services and your time for free. And that's part of the game. And if you compare that with either-- I also worked at the rec on campus. So I was a fitness supervisor. So I just worked in the gym. I loved being in the gym, so I was like, well, I'll get a job there. I also worked as a referee through rec and wellness.

[00:24:42.21] So you can take advantage of on campus opportunities within your rec and well centers, because a lot of times there's a lot of student employee positions that can lead to leadership roles. And then they do have GAs there. They have that pipeline built in. So I would recommend that as well. And really any on campus job can be helpful.

[00:25:06.37] And then I mentioned I got a summer job in a research lab that was outside of my department. It was in the School of Medicine. And that just came through on a random email chain. I know a lot of us get blasts of emails, but just join the listservs. You never know what's going to happen. And especially if it's something that maybe it's an experience or it's a job that you don't necessarily have the experience for, still apply, especially when you're in undergrad or in grad school.

[00:25:33.56] I always tell people when you're a student, it's the best time to explore. If you're either on an assistantship, you can take a class that's not within your pipeline. You can audit classes. So you can-- if there's, hey, I'm actually interested in this, email the professor and say, hey, can I audit this? I want to learn about this.

[00:25:50.94] So it gets a little bit away from the financial perspective, but just being able to get education and experiences as a student, I think it's a very unique experience. And you won't get that opportunity when you're not in school anymore. It looks a little bit different. So I just say take advantage of that.

[00:26:08.22] And there's a lot of GA positions, TA positions in universities or schools that maybe aren't necessarily-- it's not a strength and conditioning GA position, but there's GA positions in almost all departments. And so a lot of times you can just Google what's available at your university.

[00:26:28.43] And then in the area, like I said, I was at the University of Florida, and there's a couple big gyms that they will hire interns. And you can count that internship towards your education. And so you can find paid internships through your time as a student. So I would recommend that as well.

[00:26:48.71] So I heard this reference once, and you're a postdoc so I think you'll relate to this, the debate over can I afford to do a postdoc and the salary of postdoc researchers. And to get this on target, the point was that it gave you time to develop your career further. And it was really encouraging when I heard the person say it that, look, I'm not making a lot of money, but I have time to develop and advance my career during this time.

[00:27:24.00] And what you're saying is exactly the same thing, maybe at the undergraduate level or the master's level. Maximize on campus opportunities. Volunteer. Work on or around campus whenever you can. Intern. If there's no intern, maybe it's observing or volunteering.

[00:27:42.58] And I really liked what you said about looking beyond your academic or athletic department for those opportunities. Strength and conditioning coaches have great knowledge of anatomy and physiology. There's no reason you couldn't go and be an anatomy and physiology lab instructor, for example. That was actually my path through grad school to get that paid for.

[00:28:04.54] So I think it's one that when you work hard on everything you're doing, when you aspire towards a goal, you're always doing a lot of things to learn where you can. But I really like that message, because when you're coming out of college, your classmates and your friends, and this pours into the competitive mindset we take as strength and conditioning coaches, those become your competition for jobs.

[00:28:37.95] And what did you do during those four years or six years or eight years, whatever it may be, to set yourself apart? What makes you unique as a professional? And I think that comes through loud and clear in this episode, is that there are opportunities everywhere, coast to coast, at every degree level, in every department on campus. And to take the time while you're there, investing in education to maximize that experience. I really love that takeaway from this episode, and I think it's not just going to be researchers who connect with that. So I really appreciate you sharing that with us, Morgan.

[00:29:17.39] Yeah, yeah. Of course. And I think the last thing would be ask. If you're not sure where to get a GA or TA maybe you're having an opportunity that-- go up and ask your professor. Hey, I'm looking for something where I can be paid to do this or I'm looking for-- don't be afraid to ask, because the worst they can say is no. But it's still better than being in the unknown. And people at universities or at your institutions, they are there to support you. They are there to help you. And you're not just kind of fighting this battle on your own, especially when it comes to finances and finding paid opportunities.

[00:29:56.59] Ask your peers. Ask a mentor. Ask your academic advisor. Ask your professors, because eventually you'll meet someone that's like, hey, actually, I do know this. Or they'll think about it a month later when an opportunity comes up and they'll forward it your way. So just get yourself out there. Say yes and ask questions.

[00:30:16.64] All right. How can our listeners reach out and connect with you after the episode?

[00:30:20.68] Yeah, so you can find me on Instagram. It's GoldenMo_. You can also send me an email at morgan@themoperformance.com. The Mo is exactly what it sounds like, T-H-E-M-O. It's my nickname, so that's how it comes out. But you can reach me either of those options. I'm also on LinkedIn. I'm a little hard to find, because Morgan Smith is, if you would imagine, a common name. But I have PhD CSCS behind my name as well, and I can send those links over. But either of those three options are the best way to get in contact.

[00:30:56.28] Perfect. I'm going to add those to the show notes. Thank you to Dr. Morgan Smith for joining the episode today and sharing about how to leverage opportunities through academia within the coaching and sports science fields. These are important conversations, and we continue to have them with two episodes every month. Thanks for tuning in to the NSCA Coaching Podcast and to our sponsor, Sorinex Exercise Equipment. We appreciate their support.

[00:31:20.37] I'm Ian Jeffries, the NSCA president. You've just listened to an episode of the NSCA Coaching Podcast. Hopefully it's generated some interest in strength and conditioning and the NSCA. If it has, get involved. Go onto the NSCA website, see what opportunities are available, and I hope to see you at one of our events where you can be the next leadership generation of the NSCA.

[00:31:47.81] 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. Serving 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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