Strength and conditioning coaches with knowledge of the exercise principles for youth and the specific demands of basketball can design effective integrative neuromuscular training (INT) programs based on the individual needs of youth athletes.

This article is the second part of a two-part series that considers the potential role strength and conditioning coaches have in developing student-athlete leadership.

Research on the benefits of using goals to increase athletic performance has shown that performance generally increases for athletes that use goals consistently. Learn how to move beyond generalities and see how a systematic goal setting approach can be paired with training athletes.

Learn how to recognize and treat muscle dysmorphia in your athletes. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 Personal Trainers Conference, James Leone covers many facets of athlete muscle dysmorphia, including the clinical features, identifying at-risk populations, using assessment tools, managing athletes suspected of having muscle dysmorphia, and how to treat it using a team-based approach.

When working with athletes who play team sports, your main goal as a strength and conditioning coach is to ensure that your athletes arrive at a competitive peak in a predictable way, Dave Hamilton says. No matter the athlete's level - college or elite - training loads impact the ability to perform. As coaches, we need to remove the subjectivity and use monitoring tools that are effective.

Learn how to evaluate the performance model of non-traditional, freestyle sports, and subsequently design the preparation framework that will positively influence performance. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 National Conference, Jeremy Sheppard explains how to provide an effective training environment that is embraced by the athletes, as well as the mindset of athletes who are rule makers and rule breakers, not rule followers.

In order to ensure consistent and accurate results, coaches must take certain steps to ensure proper data collection. It is also important to establish sound protocols prior to testing.

In this lecture from the NSCA's 2016 Coaches Conference, Caitlin Quinn discusses how to implement simple techniques for creating a disciplined (yet enjoyable) team lifting environment. Quinn talks about how to hold athletes to a high standard of knowledge and movement accountability, how to teach simple physiology to achieve desirable technique, how to instill a level of ownership within each athlete, and how to place a large emphasis on an athlete's mental engagement throughout a lifting session.

Purchase the 2021 RSCC renewal course. - Achieve a minimum of 70% to renew your RSCC designation and earn 0.5 CEUs towards your certification.

This book excerpt is from Developing Agility and Quickness, Second Edition and goes over change of direction drills to help with speed and power development as well as an athletes cognitive and decision making skills.