NSCA Impact Award
The NSCA Impact Award is given to an individual who is mid-career or later that has made significant contributions that have impacted a segment of the overall field of strength and conditioning.
About the Award
The NSCA Impact Award annually recognizes a outstanding professional who is in their mid to late career and has had an especially positive influence on a specific area within the field of strength and conditioning.
Awardee Selection
The NSCA Board of Directors carefully deliberates to select the recipient of this prestigious award. Consideration is given in the following areas:
Overall Impact: How the nominee has impacted the scientific understanding, methodologies, or practice of resistance training as a component of sports conditioning.
Pioneering Qualities: Whether the work done by the individual was unique and innovative and not the proliferation or substantiation of previous strength and conditioning work.
NSCA Support: Whether the nominee has supported the NSCA's mission and goals.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
| Nominee must have a minimum of five years cumulative professional membership |
| Individuals must be nominated by a current member of the Board of Directors but recommendations may be submitted to the Board by any current member of the Association |
| Nominations must be accompanied by a brief supporting statement regarding the nominee’s qualifications for consideration for the award |
| Nominations and recommendations must be received by December 15 to be considered for the following year’s award |
While the NSCA does not solicit nominations from the NSCA membership at-large for Career Awards, NSCA members may submit recommendations for the Board's consideration.
NSCA Impact Award Recipients
Congratulations to Our 2025 Winner
Joe Kenn, MA, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E
In his fourth decade in the field of strength and conditioning, Joe Kenn continues to distinguish himself as an innovator, mentor, and leader. Coach Kenn’s illustrious career spans the private sector, high school, collegiate, and professional ranks. He has been honored as both the NSCA Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year and the NSCA Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, as well as NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, all awards voted on by his peers.
Coach Kenn has represented the NSCA as a State Director for three states and served on numerous NSCA committees and special interest groups. He also earned the Bronze Award from the NSCA Certification Agency. He has presented extensively at NSCA events and published articles in both the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and the Strength and Conditioning Journal. Coach Kenn also authored the highly acclaimed book, The Coach’s Strength Training Playbook, along with several other training manuals.
Currently, Coach Kenn serves as Vice President of Performance Education at Dynamic Fitness and Strength in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He has been married to his wife, Angela, for 36 years. They have two sons, Joe IV (Morgan) and Peter (Director of Olympic Sports Performance at SMU), and two grandchildren, Leighton and Joseph V.
2024 Winner
B. Sue Graves, EdD, FASM, FISSN
2023 Winner
Mark Stephenson, MS, ATC, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D
2022 Winner
Steve Bliss, MEd, CSCS, RSCC*E, FNSCA
2021 - G. Gregory Haff, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA
2020 - Steven J. Fleck, PhD, CSCS, FACSM, FNSCA
2019 - Jerry L. Mayhew, PhD
2018 - Mike Arthur, CSCS, RSCC*D
2017 - Andrea Hudy, MA, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E
2016 - Yuri Verkhoshansky, PhD
2015 - Keijo Häkkinen, PhD2012 - Jim Lorimer
1997 - Bernard Cahill and John Fatouros
- Privacy Policy
- Your Privacy Choices
- Terms of Use
- Retraction and Correction Policy
- © 2025 National Strength and Conditioning Association