Strength and conditioning coaches who systematically progress specific training variables, including games, can help youth improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.

This article discusses career development and progression for women in the field of strength and conditioning. Coach Andrea Hudy provides her personal insight as she touches on goal setting, core values, and professionalism.

The strength and conditioning profession involves combined competencies for the application of sport/exercise science, administration, management, teaching, and coaching. Its professionals must also comply with various laws and regulations while responding to instances of potential injury, and related claims and suits. This creates remarkable challenges, and requires substantial experience, expertise, and other resources to effectively address them, especially in multi-sport (e.g., collegiate and scholastic) settings.

This article seeks to provide a sample periodized program plan that will progress wrestlers for multiple years while considering the diverse individual needs and weight class-specific goals.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce the recipients of the organization’s 2022 Coach of the Year Awards: Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Dan Dalrymple, CSCS, RSCC*E College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Liane Blyn, MS, CSCS, RSCC*E Assistant College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Ryan Metzger, MS, CSCS, RSCC

The purpose of this article is to provide education surrounding the importance of recovery in tactical populations, identify key aspects of the mental recovery process, and identify strategies Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitators® (TSAC-F®) can implement to promote mental recovery when working with athletes.

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

Ground-based free weight lifts, especially the explosive Olympic-style lifts, are highly recommended for athletic conditioning for the core muscles. They can provide a moderately unstable stimulus to augment activation of the core and limb muscles, while still providing maximal or near maximal strength, velocity, and power output.