2026 NSCA Youth Sports

Light breakfast provided

1. Describe the concept of Strengthspan and explain its relevance to health, performance, and functional capacity across the lifespan.
2. Explain how the development and maintenance of muscular strength from youth through older adulthood influence injury risk, physical function, and long-term activity development.
3. Identify practical strategies for strength and conditioning professionals to design resistance training programs that extend the Strengthspan.

Lecture

1. Identify key red flags that may indicate a youth athlete is under-fueling or struggling with their relationship with food
2. Apply simple, performance-based nutrition frameworks (e.g., balanced plate concepts, fueling language) when guiding youth athletes
3. Demonstrate effective communication strategies for addressing sensitive topics (e.g. body image, wieght concerns, "good vs. bad" foods) in a supportive, performance-focused way.

Lecture

1. Use basic movement patters to design programs that are easy to learn and teach at the middle school (or younger) level.
2. Identify movements that may be difficult for athletes to learn, and teach different progressions or alternatives.
3. Identify the intangibles (small victories lead to bigger outcomes).

Hands-On

1. Demonstrate educational value and credibility with school district leaders by creating a S&C curriculum grounded in pedagogical concepts.
2. Differentiate a S&C training program from a S&C curriculum.
3. Integrate coaching practices like differentiation, goal setting, goal attainment, and social support into a curriculum.
4. Utilize formative and summative assessments effectively in curriculum development.
5. Explore the positive systemic impact of a standards-based curriculum vertically aligned with elementary and middle school physical education programs.

Lecture

1. Demonstrate and coach fundamental Olympic lifting exercises for young athletes with varying abilities while ensuring safe and effective practicies that support long-term athlete development
2. Analyze and apply appropriate Olympic lifting exercise progressions to support the development of young athletes' movement literacy and physical competency

Hands-On

1. Learn to use sport science tools within a multidisciplinary assessment model to guide individualized, age‑appropriate interventions that address the physiological, biomechanical, and psychosocial factors influencing injury risk in youth athletes. 

Lecture

1. Identify key physiological, biomechanical, and psychosocial factors influencing injury risk in youth athletes.
2. Learn how to integrate sport science tools into a multidisciplinary assessment model to inform individualized, developmentally appropriate interventions.
3. Understand how strength coaches and athletic trainers collaboratively identify inefficient or high risk movement patterns and apply evidence based testing data to progress movement skills and design appropriate strength programs for youth athletes.
4. Introduction into strength periodization and movement regressions/progression for youth athletes.
5. Understand best practices for communicating data-driven findings to coaches, clinicians, parents, and athletes to support safe and effective decision-making.

Hands-On

Lunch included with registration. Possible tour of facility.

1. Identify key red flags that may indicate a youth athlete is under-fueling or struggling with their relationship with food
2. Apply simple, performance-based nutrition frameworks (e.g., balanced plate concepts, fueling language) when guiding youth athletes
3. Demonstrate effective communication strategies for addressing sensitive topics (e.g. body image, wieght concerns, "good vs. bad" foods) in a supportive, performance-focused way.

Lecture

1. Use basic movement patters to design programs that are easy to learn and teach at the middle school (or younger) level.
2. Identify movements that may be difficult for athletes to learn, and teach different progressions or alternatives.
3. Identify the intangibles (small victories lead to bigger outcomes).

Hands-On

1. Demonstrate educational value and credibility with school district leaders by creating a S&C curriculum grounded in pedagogical concepts.
2. Differentiate a S&C training program from a S&C curriculum.
3. Integrate coaching practices like differentiation, goal setting, goal attainment, and social support into a curriculum.
4. Utilize formative and summative assessments effectively in curriculum development.
5. Explore the positive systemic impact of a standards-based curriculum vertically aligned with elementary and middle school physical education programs.

Lecture

1. 1. Demonstrate and coach fundamental Olympic lifting exercises for young athletes with varying abilities while ensuring safe and effective practicies that support long-term athlete development
2. Analyze and apply appropriate Olympic lifting exercise progressions to support the development of young athletes' movement literacy and physical competency

Hands-On

1. Learn to use sport science tools within a multidisciplinary assessment model to guide individualized, age‑appropriate interventions that address the physiological, biomechanical, and psychosocial factors influencing injury risk in youth athletes.

Lecture

1. Identify key physiological, biomechanical, and psychosocial factors influencing injury risk in youth athletes.
2. Learn how to integrate sport science tools into a multidisciplinary assessment model to inform individualized, developmentally appropriate interventions.
3. Understand how strength coaches and athletic trainers collaboratively identify inefficient or high risk movement patterns and apply evidence based testing data to progress movement skills and design appropriate strength programs for youth athletes.
4. Introduction into strength periodization and movement regressions/progression for youth athletes.
5. Understand best practices for communicating data-driven findings to coaches, clinicians, parents, and athletes to support safe and effective decision-making.

Hands-On

1. Identity the physical, psychological, and behavioral gaps between youth/high school athletes and collegiate-level demands.
2. Evaluate an athlete's readiness for the next level using objective metrics (performance, workload, and consistency indicators).
3. The importance of collaborate between the high school and private sector with collegiate programs.

Lecture