Future of S&C: Strength Coach Job Network Scholarship

Being a strength and conditioning coach is more than yelling and picking up weights. It’s about being the living embodiment of motivation and practical sensibility when times are good and when times aren’t so good. A strength coach must be able to take initiative by impacting others through leading by example and embracing hard work and effort. From my previous experiences all the way to being a graduate student, I’ve developed a well-rounded perspective to see how athletes have been trained by different performance coaches who take different training approaches. There is never one right way to train an athlete, however, strength, speed, and power across multiple planes of motion are non-negotiables. Simplicity can be the biggest ally when training as foundational movements can always be progressed or regressed depending on the comfortability and training age of an athlete. Training athletes in places where a stopwatch is the most objective form of feedback for testing can definitely bring out the competitive nature of athletes as they desire to improve upon their previous tests. Similarly, in places where resources to quantify athletic development is more prevalent, it can make a positive impact on both the athletes as well as key stakeholders of each athletes’ performance. As technology advances, the ability to give athletes feedback and monitor their training will become part of the culture. As forms of feasibility tools, Artificial Intelligence (AI), become integrated in regular workflows, finding ways to stay up to date on how AI will affect the fitness industry is important for future strength and conditioning professionals and I. Both coaches and athletes will need to be able to communicate with these emerging technologies to better trust the process on improving their athleticism. By learning how to interact well with AI, this will allow smoother transitions into full AI systems much easier. As a strength and conditioning professional still must be able to assess, program, and coach their athletes appropriately, they also must understand that algorithms used for testing and programming for athletes may have equal, lessor, or even greater benefit than a coach designed program. Humility is a moral that must not only be taught by coaches but experienced as well. Not every part of AI has the highest reliability and validity, but with the development of one’s knowledge in education, alongside the interplay of AI, an appropriate training plan may be developed to better the athletes that myself, as a future strength coach, will work with. By continuing my education, I am exposed to critical thinking that will benefit me when trying to navigate the nuances of an everchanging season filled with highest and, hopefully minimal, lows. Interacting with athletes in a lab and weight room can appear different but the coaching, preparation, and objective remains the same: How can I increase your performance, while ensuring your safety, today? I aim to contribute to the field of strength and conditioning by taking on the challenge of integrating research-based sports science and being cognizant of both the practicalities of a “coaches eye” and well supported research. Staying in the know with AI’s role in the field of strength and conditioning will help myself as a current and future strength and conditioning professional be better suited to integrate those technological systems into a high-performance setting. If I could look into the future, I would see many professionals who are strength and conditioning “practitioners” who, like myself, are furthering their knowledge of human movement to better help ensure that athletes are developing to their own optimums through sound athletic programs built on appropriate testing and monitoring training decisions.

Lying on the training table as a freshman in high school, recovering from spine surgery, I realized something: strength and conditioning isn’t just about getting bigger, faster, or stronger—it’s about staying in the game. That lesson shaped my approach to training, and as the field evolves, I plan to help athletes train smarter, not just harder. My experience with this life-changing injury taught me firsthand how crucial proper training is for longevity in sports, and I believe the next decade will bring significant advancements that redefine how athletes prepare, perform, and recover. One of the biggest changes I see in strength and conditioning is the integration of technology and individualized programming. Wearable devices, force plate analysis, and AI-driven training systems will give coaches deeper insights into movement efficiency, fatigue levels, and injury risk. However, while these tools provide valuable data, they can’t replace the instincts and expertise of a knowledgeable coach. As a future strength professional, I aim to bridge the gap between data-driven science and the fundamentals of coaching, ensuring athletes receive evidence-based training without losing the personal connection that makes great coaching so impactful. Beyond technology, I see a growing emphasis on injury prevention, recovery, and mental resilience. Athletes are pushing their bodies to new limits, but without proper movement mechanics and recovery strategies, they’re at greater risk of burnout and injury. I plan to contribute by implementing individualized mobility, biomechanics assessments, and sport-specific training to keep athletes on the field longer. Additionally, I will emphasize mental performance training, helping athletes develop confidence, focus, and resilience. These are critical factors that separate good athletes from great ones. My experience with injury taught me that strength and conditioning isn’t just about lifting weights—it’s about long-term durability and smart training. As technology and training methods evolve, my goal is to combine cutting-edge science with time-tested fundamentals to ensure athletes aren’t just stronger and faster, they’re built to last long careers. I will contribute to the field by continuing my education, learning from top coaches, and implementing innovative yet practical strategies that keep athletes performing at their highest level. Strength and conditioning is evolving, and I am committed to impacting this change. By integrating science, technology, and coaching fundamentals, I aim to help the next generation of athletes not only achieve success but sustain it for years to come. The more I learn, the more I realize how much there is still to discover, best captured by Aristotle’s words: “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know". This mindset drives me to continuously seek new knowledge, challenge my understanding, and refine my coaching methods. As strength and conditioning continues to advance, I will embrace lifelong learning to ensure that my athletes always receive the best possible training to keep them healthy, prepared, and performing at their highest level.

The field of strength and conditioning is evolving at a rapid rate because of the influx of new technologies, ideas, philosophies, and the influence of social media. Now more than ever everyone has access to the internet and/or have been exposed to different fitness wearables which are great tools but can also hinder sport performance. Many of the fitness watches on the market score or rate physical activity, exertion, steps, sleep and recovery; this system can affect psychological perception of personal health. To illustrate, I have worn a whoop band in the past because of the vast metrics it is able to analyze through the app, there are many benefits to knowing those metrics but every morning you receive a notification with a score. Once the screen pops up red and states that I have a dangerous recovery score and should refrain from physical activity it definitely does raise some concern. But what happens when an athlete has a competition on the same day, they simply can't choose to withdraw because an app suggested them to. Having to rely on an app to tell you how to feel will influence the culture of some but not all sport performance settings. It is definitely becoming a common trend that coaches need to be able to raise awareness about and find a balance between self evaluation and artificial modes of tracking. Additionally, the concept of influence has become a prominent part of our society and most professional atmospheres; many sport performance coaches have been affected by this whether it pertains to being apart of this revolution or remaining entrusted in simple observation of the content being produced. More coaches have used social media platforms to promote their programs and athletes which is a positive opportunity to connect within the performance community and to gain ideas from other reputable professionals. The problem that may arise is the contradicting content that comes from individuals that may not be certified in the field which spread false information, this may influence athletes outside of the weight room because as a coach I have no control on the social environment my athletes choose to engage in; I can simply give them some direction or suggestions. I plan on contributing to this evolution by creating meaningful content that is simple, effective and follows principles that have been innovated within our field. I will also work to create a cohesive balance between technology and self-awareness when it comes to the weight room. Being able to track different data metrics will be very eye-opening to programing and adjusting load but also having the ability to control your mind will help overall performance and longevity in general. I really enjoy the work of Mike Stone who has been a huge advocate on not taking days off but rather taking days off when your body is feeling good in order to foster physiological adaptations. That is merely a brief summary about his work, I would need more than 600 words to dive deeper into his ideas. Coach Stone has been around prior to all of these emerging technologies, therefore bringing light to ideals that have worked in the past will be an important mission of mine to preserve in the field of strength and conditioning. A quote that stands out to me with this revolution is one that my volleyball coach has engrained in my head throughout my years of club volleyball prior to playing in college: "respect the past, and grow the future".