Becoming a Strength and Conditioning Coach

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: February 19th, 2010

Steps to becoming a strength and conditioning coach:

If you’ve got enough interest in this career to have arrived at this article, chances are you’ve got plenty of personal experience in athletics. If you can confidently say you’d be able to contribute as much to the athletic achievements of another person as you have to your own, then you’re a prime candidate for this profession.
Formal training is as important as personal experience in this career, as it is your responsibility as a strength and conditioning coach to be mindful of the safety and effectiveness of the program you design for the athletes you work with. Complete a certificate, associate’s, or bachelor’s program in one of the fields of athletic science. This may be a degree in exercise science, health science, health and fitness training, kinesiology, sports medicine, etc.
Get certified through one of the national certifying agencies. This may be the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) or the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), or another similar organization. Certification is most often elective, but even so, it is a good way to demonstrate competency to prospective employers, peers, and the athletes with whom you’ll work.
The world is yours. With the desire, the right training, and national certification, there’s no strength and conditioning job that you are not qualified for. Take your passion and your newly developed formal skill-set in athletic science and program development, and pursue your dream job in a high school or college athletic department, or even with a professional sports team.

Is strength and conditioning coaching right for me?

Becoming a strength and conditioning coach starts with personalized attention to your own physical condition. This is one of the things that

make this career so special; it draws directly from your own experiences in sports and athletics, your own inclination to stay in peak physical condition, and your own desire to stay ahead of the curve with the latest information on how to optimize physical performance. There are few other professions that have such a built in mechanism for staying motivated and driven to bring the best out of the people you work with.

Other than having had personal experience in sports and athletics, and even beyond being in superb physical condition, there are some important interpersonal and psychological factors that weigh in when considering this career. The strength and conditioning career path assures the perfect platform for individuals who have a burning passion to realize their full potential, and who can use that passion to inspire the athletes they coach. These individuals must be extremely strong willed and have exceptional verbal communication and interpersonal skills to connect with and gain the respect of the athletes they work with.

What are the personality traits of a good strength and conditioning coach?

As a strength and condition coach your work becomes a literal extension of yourself. Your drive, your intensity, and your personal commitment all shine through in the way you conduct yourself on the field and in the gym. As a strength and conditioning coach you are given the unique opportunity to inspire and motivate others by digging down deep within yourself to draw from your own inspiration. While the key component of your job will be to bring the best out of the athletes you work with, in order to accomplish this you will need to bring the best out of yourself everyday.

If you’re considering a career as a strength and conditioning coach, ask yourself: Can I give 110% everyday? Can I care as much about the success of the athletes I work with as I do my own success? Can I be a living inspiration to other athletes? If you can answer yes to these questions, then you’ve got what it takes to be a professional strength and conditioning coach.

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