Kevin Neeld, Head Performance Coach of the Boston Bruins National Hockey League (NHL) team, joins the NSCA Coaching Podcast to share about strength and conditioning practices in the NHL. Neeld connects with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, on his path to working in professional hockey, the involvement of strength and conditioning at the annual NHL Draft Combine, and the partnership between the Strength and Conditioning Association of Professional Hockey (SCAPH) and the NSCA. The discussion includes perspectives for aspiring coaches about working in professional hockey, on-ice and off-ice training, and the recent growth of performance staffs. Connect with Kevin on Instagram: @kevinneeld or Twitter: @KevinNeeld| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

This article examines training from collegiate lacrosse programs and how this data can be used to develop data-informed recommendations and refine current approaches towards preparing military and tactical personnel for the Army Combat Fitness Test.

Adam Ross, Chair of and an Assistant Professor within the Kinesiology Department at Dallas Baptist University, talks to the NSCA Coaching Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about his unique dual role of strength coach and professor at the university. Topics under discussion include the NSCA Special Interest Groups (SIGs), building trust with athletes and students, and how his mentors and children have shaped his perspective of the field. Find Adam on Facebook: NSCA Baseball SIG or via Email: adamr@dbu.edu| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Job descriptions, schedules, personal responsibilities, and physical training experience are all factors that should be taken into account when designing a unique and specialized training program for tactical athletes.

Ankle injuries are very common and their incidence potentially can be reduced or prevented if the person has a better sense of foot position if proper footwear is worn while exercising.

Battling rope exercises can be used as a metabolic training modality following a comprehensive resistance training workout to increase the client’s heart rate and help maximize the metabolic cost of the training session.

In order to move patients, gear, and equipment properly, the first responder must be able to move well themselves. Both unloaded and loaded movement should be examined and trained. One way to achieve this is to train frequently and properly with a constant focus on both mobility and strength in the various positions that are commonly required of first responders.

If Mission Critical Teams intend to enhance their capability, they must first embrace a learning organizational culture and develop a belief that organizations are required to continually improve and adapt in the current competitive and complex environment in order to survive and prosper.

In the first of a two part series, this article explores the possible benefits for strength and conditioning coach development and discusses how mindful meditation can improve reflective practice and the coach-athlete relationship.

One challenge is to critically examine your own successes and failures to find a way to attribute the outcomes to something you can control and can change for the future. This could be as small as how you deal with a single person, or it could be a more in-depth examination of how you provide feedback to athletes and how you work with your own staff.