Mentorship isn’t flawless — and that’s where its power lies. Erik Hernandez, Associate Director for Sports Performance – Olympic Sports at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, has built his career on turning imperfect scenarios into lasting lessons for athletes and young coaches alike. For over 14 years at UNC, he has guided lacrosse, volleyball, and golf, adapting his voice to each culture while holding firm to shared standards of accountability and growth. Hernandez streamlines training into a three-phase model — explosive, strength, and remedial — yet emphasizes that delivery and communication matter more than complexity. He reminds athletes, “modifications are part of progress,” linking health, recovery, and seasonal demands to long-term development. For interns and early-career coaches, his advice is clear: earn mentors by serving others, and learn from every scenario, even the imperfect ones. Hear how mentorship, adaptability, and athlete health point the way forward for stronger teams and longer careers. Reach out to Coach Hernandez on Instagram: @hernandezstrength or by email: ehhernan@email.unc.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Answer Bryan Mann’s “call to arms!” Many volunteer applications are open now through December 15. Step up and give back to your strength and conditioning community at NSCA.com/Volunteer.

Linemen often do not get the same attention of the skill positions like a quarterback or wide receiver. However offensive and defensive linemen can control much of a football games tempo and outcome. This article goes over key areas to develop a well-rounded program for football linemen.

This article will review available information about pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy and practical applications that could be adopted by strength and conditioning coaches.

Learn about the framework for practical, functional, and sequential skill development for a “best practices” model. This model is designed to develop a movement vocabulary, physical literacy, and movement skills for improved athleticism.

This article recommends how to split the responsibilities of planning and executing the platoon physical training formation from the company commander’s echelon to the individual soldier level.

This article demonstrates how strength and conditioning coaches can coach power through non-traditional weightlifting exercises that can be taught quickly, to large groups, with less extensive technique correction.

This article in NSCA Coach shares exercise science comparisons between photobiomodulation therapy and cryotherapy. Visit us online to learn more on muscle recovery and red light therapy.

By adhering to the basic principles of training, including progressive overload, periodization, and a safe lifting environment, the bilateral deficit can be improved by the amalgamation of unilateral force production, maximal effort, and repeated effort training.

This article reviews the basics of the Olympic lifts, including strength base, skill transfer, snatch progressions, and clean and jerk progressions. This article also covers several suggested practices for strength and conditioning coaches to fine-tune and progress learning and coaching of the lifts.

This Personal Training Quarterly article shares hospitality­driven approaches to help personal trainers build connections with clients. Visit NSCA online to read more on fitness, hospitality and health news.