Do you know your legal blind spots? Attorney and former collegiate strength coach Reed Wainwright explores how legal expertise reinforces professional standards in strength and conditioning. Wainwright has been instrumental in developing NSCA resources that help professionals mitigate the inherent risks associated with athletics. He highlights key areas — such as facility safety, equipment management, and emergency preparedness — that help coaches effectively advocate for their athletes and protect their careers. Emphasizing professionalism, Wainwright notes, "the more professional we act, the more professional we're perceived.” He underscores why enhancing public perception is crucial for improving compensation, overcoming stereotypes, and supporting long-term field growth. Wainwright also reflects on how his precise, methodical approach as a strength coach has translated seamlessly into his legal practice. Discover actionable strategies to help minimize risk, stay protected, and elevate the strength and conditioning profession. Contact with Reed via email at reed@wainwrightattorney.com and on LinkedIn: @reed-wainwright | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Review the NSCA Strength and Conditioning Professional Standards and Guidelines (PDF) to identify liability risks, improve safety, and enhance program quality. Watch Wainwright’s session, What's Our Standard of Care?, and its implications on liability from the 2017 NSCA Coaches Conference. Stream Wainwright’s free Legal Considerations series on NSCA TV for guidance spanning participation screening to emergency planning. View Wainwright’s session, Standards in Strength and Conditioning, on the NSCA YouTube channel for more insights, including case examples.

Bert Sorin, President and Co-Owner of Sorinex Exercise Equipment, talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about Bert Sorin’s upbringing and his experience being a collegiate athlete, how Sorinex is contributing to the field, and how TSAC is continuing to grow and improve.

The variables of an NBA season constantly change, which requires strength and conditioning coaches to adjust accordingly. The success of a program is often influenced by the coach’s ability to combine strength and conditioning principles with common sense and the ability to adjust to the schedule.

This episode of the NSCA Coaching Podcast features Nicole Fowler, the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Phillips Exeter Academy. Fowler connects with the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Staff, Eric McMahon and Kevin Gregory, about transitioning from collegiate coaching, at Merrimack University and the University of Denver, to now working in a high school. Learn what it means to be “unembarassable” in your coaching and how that helps your strength and conditioning program. The impact of the high school strength and conditioning coach extends far beyond weight room in this episode. Tune in to learn more about programming for high school student-athletes and training insights for youth during the pre-college formative years. Connect with Nicole on Instagram at @nicolesampson104 and @phillips_exeter_strength | Reach out to Eric and Kevin on Instagram at @ericmcmahoncscs and @coachgregorystrength

Matthew Ibrahim, Co-Owner of TD Athletes Edge, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about using setbacks as a learning opportunity. Topics under discussion include creating a holistic approach to a client’s training by collaborating with other professionals, and the importance of deceleration technique and eccentrics in his programs for skill acquisition. Find Matthew on Instagram: @matthewibrahim_ | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Joe Kenn, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Carolina Panthers, talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about… well… a little bit of everything.

Ali Kershner, Director of Creative Strategy for Art of Coaching, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about overcoming adversity on the road to win the 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Women’s Basketball Championship at Stanford University. Topics under discussion include the inequalities found at the NCAA tournament, being true to yourself as a coach, and working outside of the weight room to help strengthen coach-athlete relationships. Find Ali on Instagram: @kershner.ali or Twitter: @alikershner | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Bobby Smith, owner and Director of Sports Performance at Reach Your Potential Training, talks to the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about the transition to owning his own facility and his impact on youth athletes. Topics under discussion include Smith’s education and previous athletic experience that led him to sports performance, being the owner of a sports performance facility, and his impact on youth athletes.

You don’t have to love the weight room, but you can’t last without it. Champ Bailey, a National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer, admits he never enjoyed lifting, but says respecting the work gave him the edge to sustain 15 seasons at the highest level. Hear how his preparation evolved from traditional lifts to readiness routines — core, mobility, warm-ups, and recovery — that kept him fresh through the NFL grind. Bailey emphasizes that strength and conditioning coaches are undervalued leaders who “see you at all levels,” guide comebacks, and build buy-in with simple numbers. He recalls how a failed conditioning test led to one of his best seasons, and how weight room leadership left no cracks to ensure buy-in from everyone. Bailey continues his impact through the Positive Athlete initiative, using sport as a platform for growth. Gain practical ways to tailor training by role, earn athlete respect, and build a winning culture. Connect with Champ via email at: ChampBailey@positiveathlete.org | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Answer the call to give back and lead the profession. Applications for the NSCA and NSCA Foundation Boards of Directors are now open, with more volunteer positions available October 1. See if you qualify and apply at NSCA.com/Volunteer.

Richard Howell, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Indianapolis Colts National Football League (NFL) team, talks to the NSCA Coaching Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about his impressive 21 years with the organization. Topics under discussion include going from pre-medical to strength coach, building relationships with athletes and staff members, and how technology provides hard numbers for sport coaches to understand stress management. Connect with Richard through email: Richard.howell@colts.nfl.net | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs