STRENGTH & CONDITIONING CAREER GUIDE

As I explain to them, if an assistant strength coach positionopened up at Colorado State University-Pueblo (whereI am currently employed) I would likely receive at least40 applications. Of those 40, well over half of thoseapplying would have earned a Master’s degree. The firstthing I am going to do with those 40 applications is toput them into two piles, those who have earned agraduate degree and those who have not. Those whohave not achieved a graduate degree are no longer inconsideration for the position.I made the decision to acquire my graduate degree fromFresno State, rather than to attend BYU where I had beenaccepted, for one reason: I believed that gaining theexperience right away in the strength and conditioningprogram at Fresno State was more important than the addedprestige of graduating from BYU. By that I mean that, ona national level, graduating from BYU is likely to be moreimpressive to most people than graduating from FresnoState. However, for those people who were going to bereviewing my résumé and making a decision to hire me orsomeone else, I believed they would be more impressed withthe fact that I had gained experience working in a collegiatestrength and conditioning program and less concerned withwhat school’s name happened to be on my diploma.That brings me to my second bit of advice. You need toearn a Master’s degree and you need to gain experienceworking in a strength and conditioning facility while youare earning that degree. The ideal situation is when you canbe selected to fill a graduate assistantship position and becompensated for working in the strength and conditioningprogram while earning your graduate degree, like what I wasable to do at Fresno State. However, the reality is that thereare a limited number of those positions available. As a result,you may need to volunteer your time working in the strengthand conditioning program. Initially you may not be filling anybigger responsibilities than cleaning the facility. However,if you are persistent, work hard, and continue to show up,oftentimes your position will grow into something moremeaningful. Do whatever you have to do to begin buildingyour résumé with practical experience in a strength andconditioning facility.Why is gaining this practical experience so important? To goback to the example of the 40 applicants applying for thatopen position, I eliminated a portion of those by weeding outapplicants who had not yet earned a Master’s degree. Whyhire someone with only an undergraduate degree when Ican hire someone with a Master’s degree? Scanning throughthose applicants left under consideration, the next thing Iam going to look for is those who have practical experienceworking in a strength and conditioning facility. Why hiresomeone with a graduate degree with no experience, whenI can hire someone with a graduate degree who actually hasworking experience? For me that is an easy choice.You can always improve the quality of theprogram you provide to your athletes yearafter year.I now have a pile of applicants left who have a graduatedegree and practical experience. Out of the 40 applicantsI originally started with, I have eliminated those who donot have Master’s degree or practical experience. My pileof qualified applicants is getting into a more manageablenumber to review, but I still have one more criteria toeliminate additional applicants from consideration. I willnext look at the applicants left who have a graduatedegree, practical experience, and have earned theCertified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS )certification through the NSCA. Why hire someone witha graduate degree and practice experience but who is notcertified when I have several applicants who meet all of thecriteria I am looking for? Having that certification furtherseparates those who I will consider for the position and thosewho are no longer in the running.Of those candidates remaining, I will contact their referencesto hear from those who actually know and have interactedwith the candidate. Of greatest interest to me will be tospeak to the person who supervised them during theirpractical experience setting. I will want to hear abouttheir coaching experiences, how they interacted withtheir athletes, their level of expertise, and the amount ofresponsibility displayed. This means thatduring your practical experience you needto make an excellent impression on yoursupervisor(s) because they are going tobe the final determining factor as to if Idecide to interview you for the position ornot. If I get a good review of youfrom them and you meet all thepreviously discussed criteria,then more than likely I amgoing to at least take the time tocall you and speak to you directly.Up to this point, we have talked abouthow to get your foot in the door as astrength and conditioning coach andthe criteria I will evaluate in the hiringprocess. Now we will assume you haveyour foot in the door and you havebeen hired for your first positionas a strength and conditioningcoach. Congratulations, butnow the emphasis shifts from6 NSCA Career Development Guide

getting the job to keeping the job. As I mentioned earlyin this article, this is a competitive profession, with lots ofqualified individuals who are ready, willing, and qualifiedto take your job. Just because you have the job does notautomatically mean you are going to keep the job. One of myresponsibilities as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coachis to provide my athletes with the best possible staff.As a result, you have a responsibility to the coaches andathletes you work with to continue to improve as a strengthand conditioning coach. One of the things that I like mostabout the profession is that new information (especially fromscientifically based peer-reviewed journals) is constantlybeing published. There are conferences and clinics heldon a regular basis where highly qualified strength andconditioning coaches, exercise physiologists, and othersrelated to the field discuss a variety of topics related tostrength and conditioning.I have said this for a long time now, if I ever believe I havedeveloped the perfect program, or that there is no roomfor improvement, that is a clear sign that it is time for me toretire. I have been working in the strength and conditioningprofession for 25 years and I constantly adjust the programsI provide to my athletes each year. For example, I recentlyread an article discussing intraset rest periods during ahypertrophy cycle. The information in the article made senseto me; I called one of the authors and spoke to him furtherabout the article, and then implemented the intraset restperiods within the hypertrophy cycle that I provide to myfootball athletes. Based on the success I have had with theseadjustments within the football program I will integrate theintraset rest periods into the hypertrophy cycles of the otherteams I work with in the coming months. You can alwaysimprove the quality of the program you provide to yourathletes year after year.In regard to conferences, if you talk to coaches whoregularly attend conferences, they will tell you some of thebest learning opportunities occur not just in the formalpresentations but in interacting with other strength andconditioning coaches between sessions in less formalsettings. Most strength and conditioning coaches are alwayswilling to share information with others in the field, if notin person then over the phone of via email. Just remember,in these situations you have two ears and one mouth for areason. Another big benefit of interacting with strength andconditioning coaches in these settings is that oftentimes,when applying for a job, it is not just what you know but whoyou know. Think of it this way, if out of the 40 applicants Ioriginally started with I am able to reduce that number downto 10 using my previously mentioned criteria. Out of those 10,I remember having had a long conversation with one of themduring lunch at the last conference I attended, that individualis likely to have the upper hand in being the one selected tofill the position.One technique that I have used effectively for many yearsto improve myself as a strength and conditioning coach isto determine an area that I want to learn more about. ThenI will research information related to that topic and publishan article discussing that subject. I enjoy researching anarea of interest and then writing an article based on theinformation provided in the research. For me, it is a goodlearning tool and publishing is a good way to promoteyourself. I can honestly say many of the experiences I havehad as a strength and conditioning coach (i.e., speakinginternationally, serving on the NSCA Board of Directors, andbeing named the NSCA Collegiate Strength and ConditioningCoach of the Year) are directly or indirectly related to thepublishing I have done throughout my career.Speaking at conferences or clinics can serve the samepurpose for you. Determine a subject matter you wouldlike to speak on. Perform the necessary research to beable to make a presentation that provides valid, up-to-dateinformation. This way you better your own knowledge baseon the chosen subject and share that information with othersin the profession, which is really what the NSCA is all about.And, of course, speaking at a conference or clinic is anothergreat way to promote yourself. You never know, there maybe someone in the crowd listening to you who may be thekey to you getting that next opportunity.There is not another profession I would choose overbeing a strength and conditioning coach. I enjoy helpingmy athletes improve their athletic performance and I enjoyworking with the coaches and athletes towards attaininga common goal. Perhaps even more important, this careerpath allows the opportunity to improve self discipline, workethic, and the ability to work together with teammates andcoaches. All of those attributes will be of value to them inboth their personal and professional lives.ABOUT THE AUTHORAllen Hedrick is the Head Strength andConditioning Coach at Colorado StateUniversity-Pueblo. Previously, Hedrickwas the Head Strength and ConditioningCoach at the United States Air ForceAcademy, the National Strength andConditioning Association (NSCA), and the United StatesOlympic Training Center. Hedrick was named the NSCA’sCollegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in2003. Frequently published in various journals, Hedrickhas authored books on football and dumbbell training,written chapters in three textbooks related to strength andconditioning, and spoken at numerous conferences and clinicsboth nationally and internationally.7 NSCA Career Development Guide

BECOMING A HIGH SCHOOL STRENGTHAND CONDITIONING COACHby Patrick McHenry, MA, CSCS,*D, RSCCCoach McHenry providesa path for education,certification, knowledge,and networking essentialto excelling as a successfulhigh school strength andconditioning coach.There are two different ways tobecome a high school strengthcoach; you can become a certifiedteacher (preferably in Physical Education)or you can be hired to work as thestrength coach after school and duringthe summer. While getting your Bachelor’sdegree, some colleges and universities willrequire that you take education classeswhich will allow you to graduate witha four-year degree and qualify you totake a test to become a licensed teacher.Other colleges and universities will havethe teaching education program and thespecific content area included together.The difference being that in the firstexample you will graduate with a degreein Physical Education and then have to goback and take teaching education classesto fulfill the student teaching requirement;whereas, in the second example you willhave a degree in Physical Education andhave completed your student teachingrequirement before you graduate. Forthose coaches who have a four-yeardegree and do not have the teachingrequirements, check with the localcollege to see if you can take the classesnecessary to become a teacher. Alongwith a degree, each state has a test tobecome a licensed teacher. Having ateaching license in one state does notcarry over to another. Check with the localdepartment of education for state laws.8 NSCA Career Development GuideThe Educator/CoachIf you are an academic teacher, thesalary and benefits package can makefor a comfortable living. It can also giveyou stability not seen in other coachingprofessions. One of the most importantfactors of being an academic teacher isthe connection made with the studentson a day-to-day basis outside the sportsrealm. Being an academic teacher willrequire you to teach a full load (i.e., sevenclasses that are 45 minutes long, or threeclasses that are 90 minutes long) andthen coach when the school day is done.You will be paid as a teacher and as acoach. Coaching pay is by season (fall/winter/spring) and is not part of yourregular salary.

THE DEDICATED COACHAs a strength coach who comes in after school, the benefitsand salary will be limited. Each school will have differentrequirements and responsibilities for an outside coach. Anumber of states require a coach who is not an academicteacher to go through a background check and a coachingclass. Talk to the athletic director to determine yourworkload and for which teams you will be responsible. Themore teams and responsibilities you have, the higher thepay range will be. Normally, coaches that are not academicteachers do not receive health benefits and are only paid forthe seasons that they work in the weight room.MY COACHING PATHI was fortunate that my first strength coach positionrequired only a Colorado Teaching License and a NationalStrength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) CertifiedStrength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS ) credential.There were many coaches who worked at the college levelwho held a Master’s degree and a CSCS and not licensedteachers. There were also licensed physical educationteachers who did not have a CSCS so they were also notconsidered. When I changed high schools, there were morethan 100 applications for my position; however, only threeapplicants had both the teaching license and the CSCS .When I first started teaching, I worked at an elementaryschool and a middle school, and then I would drive to thehigh school to coach football and open the weight roomafter school in the off-season. When I was hired as the highschool strength coach, I had to quit coaching a sport so Icould have the weight room open before and after schoolfor all the teams. Now I open, coach, and supervise theweight room before and after school. During school hours Iteach four classes that last 90 minutes.GAIN KNOWLEDGETwenty years ago when I was in college, classes suchas kinesiology, exercise physiology, and biomechanicswere not as prevalent. In fact, the only people who tookthose classes were going to medical school. It was notuntil two years after I graduated with my undergraduatedegree and I started looking for a Master’s degree programthat these courses of study became the standard. Today,there are numerous universities that offer Bachelor’s,Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in exercise science andrelated fields. The numbers of educational opportunitiesoffered today are endless. Find a program that will meetyour needs and allow you to see all the different optionsthat are available. (NSCA recognizes college and universityprograms that meet its standards through NSCA’s EducationRecognition Program [ERP].)NETWORKFinding and working as an intern in a strength andconditioning program will give you a great advantage andwill be invaluable when you start applying for full-timepositions. The best approach is to find a mentor that willgive you experience and a quality education at the sametime. I was lucky to work with several experienced personaltrainers and strength coaches and was able to learn fromthem. This experience provided networking opportunitiesthat led me to other strength coaches who allowed meto work under their supervision so I could expand myknowledge and experience.This enables me to develop and coach strength andconditioning programs for our athletes in all sports. Havingresponsibility for the strength and conditioning programsbefore and after school allows the sport coaches freetime to work on sport-specific plans while I supervise thestrength and conditioning programs. It works well for theathletic trainer because he and I can talk about the studentswho are injured and watch for injury trends.Attendance at National Strength and ConditioningAssociation (NSCA) conferences is another way to expandyour knowledge and networking. This is a major benefit ofNSCA membership as events and symposia can providelimitless opportunities to network, expand your knowledge,and discover job opportunities. I still remember my firstNSCA National Conference in Denver, CO. The followingyear, I took the USA Weightlifting course where I metseveral other strength coaches who would later attendthe National Conference in San Diego, CA. At my secondNational Conference, I took the CSCS exam and followedup with the coaches I had previously met. We stayed incontact and they introduced me to other coaches; thisled to my first presentation at a NSCA State Clinic. EachAt first, I missed working after school as a football coach.However, the more teams I worked with the better Ibecame as a strength coach. Now, the diversity makes myjob exciting. I get to work with a variety of sport teamsincluding football, golf, swimming, gymnastics, basketball,lacrosse, and wrestling, to name a few. Another greatchallenge is the range of working with eighth graders whohave never lifted before as compared to working with highschool seniors who are preparing to compete in collegeathletics. Although they may play the same sport, theirprograms are completely different.The CSCS will give you an exceptionalprofessional advantage and separate youfrom those who only want to ‘work in theweight room.’9 NSCA Career Development Guide

conference I attended improved my educational level and asI networked with more coaches, more doors were openedfor me. I volunteered to help at a NSCA Coaches CollegeConference in the early 1990s and was allowed to present.I knew the only way to get better was to become involved,so I applied to be on the NSCA Education Committee.Three years on the committee helped me meet morecoaches and gave me more opportunities. I becameinvolved with the NSCA and through that involvement mycareer as a strength and conditioning coach has improved.GET ENGAGEDI knew the best way to develop myself as a presenter was tostart small and work my way up. I knew most of the coachesso I would receive honest feedback. I also listened to thosespeakers at the NSCA National Conference who I felt werethe best in their area. I took their style, mechanics, and tipsto better my own presentations. After I felt comfortableat the local clinic, I volunteered to speak at a regionalconference. Finally, I presented at the NSCA NationalConference as part of a panel. By having a distinguishedgroup to work with, it gave me the confidence to speak onmy own. The more I presented at local, state, and nationalconferences the more opportunities I got. This included tripsto both China and Puerto Rico.After my Education Committee term expired I volunteeredto be on the High School Coaches Special Interest Group(SIG). While working with this group I was asked to write achapter for the NSCA’s Strength and Conditioning Manualfor High School Coaches. I wrote two chapters on my ownand collaborated on a third. This experience showed me howto write for a wider audience. With the final copy in hand,I talked to a publisher and showed him that I could write.I pitched my book idea and co-authored it with anothercoach. Our book was accepted and now we have two booksand a video about strength training. Because I enjoyedwriting, I looked for other opportunities within the NSCAto become involved. I am currently an Associate Editor forthe Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and havewritten for the NSCA’s Performance Training Journal.KEEP GROWINGAn organization is only as good as its members. Whatdo you want from the NSCA? What are you willing to giveto the NSCA? Every time I have volunteered to be on acommittee, helped with a project, or wrote a paper, I havegained from that experience. To be a quality strengthcoach you have to keep learning and expanding. Reading,going to conferences, and meeting other strength coacheshas helped me develop into the coach/teacher I am today.Even the little things, like sitting down for coffee withother coaches to pick their brains for ideas, or readinga wide variety of scientific journals, it all helps me tocontinuously grow.The NSCA helped me get my first job because I was a CSCS and a licensed teacher. The professional connections thatI have developed over the years are priceless and havegiven me opportunities to become published, visit otherstates, and go around the world to speak and learn. It allstarted by networking with coaches who attended the sameconferences I did.My words of advice: go to as many NSCA conferences,clinics, and workshops as you can, volunteer to help at theseevents, meet as many coaches as you can, and never stoplearning from those coaches.ABOUT THE AUTHORPatrick McHenry is the Head Strengthand Conditioning Coach at Castle ViewHigh School in Castle Rock, CO. In 2003,McHenry was the Regional StrengthCoach of the Year for American FootballMonthly. In 2005, he was the NationalStrength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) High SchoolStrength Coach of the Year and in 2006, he received theEditorial Excellent Award from the Strength and ConditioningJournal (SCJ). He received the Strength of America Awardin 2010 from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, andNutrition (PCFSN). In 2012, McHenry was the Colorado HighSchool Physical Education Teacher of the year.10 NSCA Career Development Guide

BECOMING A STRENGTH ANDCONDITIONING COACH AT ACOLLEGE OR UNIVERSITYby Michael Favre, MEd, CSCS,*D, RSCC*DThis article encompassessome of the necessaryexperience, education,certifications, and personaldevelopment needed tobecome a strength andconditioning coach in thecollege/university setting.Collegiate strength and conditioning isa profession with far more applicantsthan there are positions; therefore,you must discover ways of making yourselfstand out from the competition. Make nomistake; landing a job in the collegiatesetting is a definite competition. So, howdo you set yourself apart from your peers?I am going to detail some necessary stepsin order to exceed the standards and beprepared to progress within the collegiatestrength and co

put them into two piles, those who have earned a graduate degree and those who have not. Those who have not achieved a graduate degree are no longer in consideration for the position. I made the decision to acquire my graduate degree from Fresno State, rather than to attend BYU where I had b