This article applies LTAD principles to guide the process of generating an athletic profile (part 1) and sample program design (part 2) for a middle school athlete and a high school athlete.

NSCA awards are governed by this following general criteria. Please visit the individual award's page for specific criteria.

In order to effectively prepare an ice hockey player for the season, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the specific demands of the sport.

Colorado Springs, CO – The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) announces the results of the 2017 Board of Directors elections, as voted on by NSCA members, which includes a new President-Elect. N. Travis Triplett, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA, becomes the first female to be elected President of the NSCA’s Board of Directors.

The NSCA is offering a new book that contains a holistic overview of the knowledge and skills required to support athlete and team performance as a modern-day sport scientist. Learn more here about this new resource.

Some of the major misconceptions concerning Olympic-style weightlifting for sport are addressed in this article, providing evidence-based recommendations to better implement the snatch, clean and jerk, and their derivatives in the training of high school and collegiate athletes.

Arm yourself with the latest anti-doping knowledge. The NSCA is partnering with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in order to equip strength and conditioning professionals with the latest in anti-doping education and a better understanding of the important role they play in keeping sports clean.

Coaches can help children and adolescents develop athletic ability by including motor skills training into sports practice and training. This approach is called integrative neuromuscular training.

Paul Comfort, program leader for the Master’s degree in Strength and Conditioning at the University of Salford, talks to the NSCA Coaching Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about his desire to continuously learn through practical application and research in the field. Topics under discussion include creating the post graduate program for the University of Salford, being a founding member of the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA), and the complexities of technology in the weight room. Find Paul on Twitter: @PaulComfort1975 or Instagram: @PaulComfort1975 | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

This second article of a two-part series continues the discussion of long-term athletic development (LTAD). This article provides practical application of the LTAD principles by examining two sample programs.