TSAC Practitioner of the Year Award - Retired

Alvar is a Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Kinesiology at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA. He has been a Member of the NSCA since 1996 and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® with Distinction (CSCS,*D®), Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator® (TSAC-F®), and NSCA Fellow (NSCAF). He began his career as a personal trainer/strength coach working with the general population and various clinical populations. Additionally, he developed programs for collegiate sports performance and tactical strength and conditioning. He has also been instrumental in developing many college and university academic programs in the area of sports and tactical strength and conditioning, including programs from associate’s to PhD levels. His research focus is in the area of dose-response of resistance training as well as the various components of exercise testing and prescription related to human performance and occupational preparedness. Alvar has over 50 published papers and book chapters, as well as over 75 invited research and professional presentations both nationally and internationally. He is also extremely involved in the tactical area of the NSCA, helping to develop the NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning as well as the TSAC Strength and Conditioning Course. His teaching is centered on evidence-based practice, research methods, clinical exercise prescription, sport, and tactical strength and conditioning. He spends the majority of his time guiding young scholars in their professional and research pursuits, and feels this is the most important aspect of his career.