As Director of Sport Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Heather Farmer spearheads comprehensive integration efforts. This includes ensuring every stakeholder, from sport performance staff to academic advisors, has a seat at the table. Farmer also outlines developing an internship and graduate assistantship program to meet staffing needs and offer opportunities for practical experience. She recounts how leveraging relationships — not data — has been her key to scalability. Additionally, Farmer recognizes that to make an impact, she must meet athletes and sport coaches where they are, which she uncovers through “highlights” and “hurdles.” She suggests that sport scientists with strength and conditioning backgrounds, like herself, are uniquely equipped to excel due to their communication skills. Farmer and McMahon also discuss avoiding “analysis paralysis” and how to incorporate data to elevate the student-athlete experience — an unignorable factor as athletes bring an element of “self” in the age of name, image and likeness (NIL). Reach out to Heather by email at: heather.farmer@unlv.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

While a basic fitness assessment will always be a part of a comprehensive client assessment, there is an array of more sophisticated tests and measures that are available to the personal trainer today.

This excerpt from Developing Speed aims to develop athletes’ ability to accelerate quickly through stride modification.

An internship is a good way for the exercise science student to start getting some valuable experience in the field of strength and conditioning. The purpose of this article is to present an integrated approach to becoming an effective intern in the collegiate setting.

Who you know directly impacts the opportunities available to you—and being in someone's corner not only expands their options, but also improves the health of our industry.

Joint Statement from NSCA and CSCCa to NCAA on Behalf of Division 1 Strength and Conditioning Coaches

The Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education, commonly referred to as CASCE, is a nonprofit accrediting agency devoted to advancing the strength and conditioning profession. We provide accreditation to collegiate-level education programs specializing in strength and conditioning. We rely on peer-reviews by academic and industry professionals to assess standards of quality, ensuring relevant curriculum and effective instruction.

The Tactical Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year Award is awarded to the coach, researcher, tactical professional, educator, or administrator whose influential contributions to the field measurably result in its advancement in a way that exceeds the outcomes achieved by others.

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Learn about the basics of the high school strength and conditioning coach profession: description, responsibilities, qualifications, pay, advantages, and challenges.