From the 2021 NSCA’s Coaches Conference, Guy Hornsby, Teaching Assistant Professor in Athletic Coaching Education at West Virginia University, and John Wagle, the Director of Performance Science and Player Development for the Kansas City Royals Major League Baseball (MLB) team, discuss applied sports science and athlete monitoring for both intercollegiate student-athletes and professional athletes.
CoachesProgram designTesting and EvaluationSport SciencePlayer LoadFatigue ManagementAthlete Monitoring
From the virtual 2021 NSCA Coaches Conference, human performance specialists from the O2X Human Performance network discuss the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), including what it entails, how strength coaches can best prepare individuals for it, and the nutritional and mental demands of training for the test.
TSAC FacilitatorsCoachesNutritionProgram designTesting and EvaluationArmy Combat Fitness TestNational GuardSoldiers
Rob Orr, co-lead of Bond University’s Tactical Research Unit, explains the differences in load carriage requirements and contexts between different tactical forces, and how to prepare tactical personnel for load-carriage tasks. This session from the NSCA’s 2018 Tactical Annual Training also looks at how to employ fitness assessments to determine future load carriage requirements.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designTesting and EvaluationLoad Carriage
Traditional movement screens are not always feasible when working with a multitude of athletes with time limitations. In this session from the NSCA’s 2016 Coaches Conference, Michael Bewley demonstrates how to implement the Dynamic Warm–Up Movement Assessment™, which is a succinct way to pinpoint movement deficiencies and apply correctives for an entire group at once.
CoachesProgram designTesting and EvaluationMovement ScreeningDynamic WarmupAthlete AssessmentDWMA
Justin Roethlingshoefer, Strength and Conditioning Coach at Miami University, talks about ways to utilize global positioning systems (GPS) and heart rate technology to identify and adjust loads for in-season time periods—and keep players fit and healthy—without creating fatigue. This is a recording of a session from the NSCA’s 2016 Hockey Clinic.
CoachesExercise ScienceProgram designTesting and EvaluationTechnology in Strength and ConditioningIce HockeyGPS monitoringHeart Rate MonitoringMetrics for Load Monitoring
Learn how to use sprinting as a means of screening athletes for power, strength, range of motion, and coordination. In this session from the NSCA’s 2018 National Conference, Derek Hansen also identifies appropriate sprinting and running mechanics for optimizing performance and minimizing injury, and outlines a process for using sprinting as a return-to-play modality for soft-tissue and joint injuries.
Personal trainersCoachesProgram designTesting and EvaluationReturn to PlaySprintingAthlete ScreeningRange of Motion
From the 2019 NSCA’s Coaches Conference, Andrew Paul, Senior Athletic Performance Coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association (NBA), discusses the importance of the emerging role of the dual-credentialed physical therapist/strength and conditioning specialist and identifies communication strategies to help facilitate good relationships and player transitions between the medical and performance teams.
CoachesExercise TechniqueProgram designTesting and EvaluationProfessional DevelopmentPositioningPatterningMobilizationReloadReinforce
A comprehensive but realistic battery of tests can reveal those who are sufficiently fit and athletic to immediately assimilate into training with the least possible likelihood of failure or injury. The Occupational Physical Assessment Test (OPAT) was designed to identify those individuals and screen out those who require further physical development.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designTesting and Evaluationtactical strength and conditioningoccupational physical assessment testopat
This article aims to explain why integrating multiple tests such as Anaerobic Speed Reserve (ASR), Intermittent Fitness Test (IFT), and Maximum Aerobic Speed (MAS) can provide a comprehensive evaluation of soccer players’ fitness levels and help to design effective training programs tailored to their individual needs.
CoachesProgram designTesting and EvaluationSoccerFitnessIntermittent Fitness TestSpeed
The purpose of this paper is to conduct a critical appraisal of peer-reviewed articles on the effects of load carriage on cognitive function among military personnel.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designTesting and EvaluationLoad CarriageCognitive FunctionRuckMilitary