I believe the majority of our field will continue shifting reliance toward technology in order to obtain results. GPS, VBT, and other systems are necessities at Power 5 program, and Sports Performance Coaches/Scientists are looking for anything they can get their hands on to enhance the player’s physical condition. During both of my internships at the University of Georgia and Marshall University, the S&C/Sport Science staff brought in either new technology or new equipment in order to retrieve more data on the athlete. While physical tech is prominent, Artificial Intelligence is beginning to find its role in our field as well. This is currently in the form of synthesizing data, generating reports, providing suggestions with program design, and even how to handle certain situations. As we all know, this only scratches the surface of what AI can do in its entirety, and coaches will forever continue to find new ways to implement AI into their program. We must be able to adapt to the current tech for success in the field, but I do have some concerns for the future. My biggest fear is the loss of coach-to-player and player-to-player relationships. With continual implementation of NIL deals, AI, and data gathering, athletes are starting to be seen more as a set of numbers rather than a human and teammate. As S&C coaches, we have a personal obligation to invest emotionally with my players, as I’m afraid we are loosing a true connection that once defined team sports. I personally believe this is issue is bleeding out into general society as well, as humans continue to rely on the internet to answer questions that would generally require critical thinking and problem solving skills. We’re Googling or asking ChatGPT “the best” answer to a question, rather than asking someone else what they think or how they feel about that question. I believe that coaches will begin going to the internet to solve issues that require real life experience. Regardless, there will always be an aspect of our job that requires genuine relationships between the coach and athlete. My goal in this field is to be an outlet of realism and true connection, which is what I believe will be desired for a job in the future. Even now we see schools are getting caught up in statistics and adjusting accordingly, as the sport scientist at UGA told me “don’t rely on the numbers, utilize them”. The big question on my mind is “how do we blend current technologies with authentic relationships?” S&C coaches should all strive toward answering this, and being the person players can lean on in a time of need.