Honoring Coaches at the NSCA

Earlier this month Elisabeth and I took a quick trip to Colorado. The trip was mostly to see family but we did sneak in some hiking and other outdoor activities. While In CO we made an important detour to some place that I have wanted to visit for many years.


The National Strength and Conditioning Association’s World Headquarters in Colorado Springs.
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​The NSCA is special to me because it is my main credentialing association. I am as Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. I wrote about this certification HERE.

It is an agency that I support strongly for several reasons. Most prominently, I feel that the NSCA pushes the sport sciences further and further ahead. Through their regular scientific journal publications, advanced certifications, conferences, seminars, and other educational materials the NSCA regularly reminds everyone that it is the gold standard when it comes to educating and certifying exercise professionals.


Their mission statement is simple and descriptive: 

“As the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) supports and disseminates research-based knowledge, and its practical application to improve athletic performance and fitness.”

To me, the NSCA is an organization that I have been aware of since I began studying Exercise Science in college. Holding student membership was recommended for access to their FIVE journals. Many of my professors held certifications through the NSCA. It was inferred that after you graduate, you take the test to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist whether you decided to go into strength and conditioning, physical therapy, athletic training, or any other career. In fact, we even had a class where we had to buy the CSCS textbook and it acted as prep for the test. The NSCA was spoken about with high esteem, it simply became natural to be associated with it.


As I became more established in my career I travelled around New England attending multiple state or regional conferences each year. The speakers that they highlight are well regarded and inspiring. The content is always novel and applicable. Every time I leave a conference, I feel motivated to do more with my career.


Some of my favorite presentations included-
Building culture in the weight room
Exercise and depression
The vagus nerve and the sympathetic nervous system
GPS tracking on the sports field
Deceleration Training


Just to name a few.

​To say the least, I was very excited to visit the NSCA. Unfortunately, because we were quite busy on our trip visiting family, attending parties, and other events. We could only go to the NSCA on a Sunday when it was closed. Nobody was around, but we were able to walk the outside grounds which features a beautiful building with big garage bay doors that open up to state of the art weight room. Pristine and clean too. Just outside the doors a turf field the serves as a blank canvas for any drills one could throw at an athlete. I’ve seen a lot of weight rooms, some brand new, heck- I trained in a very new and well equipped one for four years, but this place had a special feel about it. I was jealous that I couldn’t get inside.

​Oh well, another trip.


Outside on the wall that faces the turf field there was a sign-

This sign was very cool to me. It recognized and honored influential coaches.


Reading this sign made me think about the great coaches I have had. Sports coaches, academic coaches, career coaches, life coaches. These teachers that I have had my whole life that have had influence on me. There are many.


I was touched that this wall facing the main training area is devoted to the coaches that have inspired many athletes. It goes to show that the NSCA is a credentialing agency and they are proud of the coaches that they can give approval to.


To me, this was such a cool feature.


I have been inspired my so many of my coaches and I aspire to inspire my athletes in the same way.


While I may not ever be on this wall. I do hope to someday be on someone else’s “wall”. Maybe it is at a high school. Or maybe it is simply my name on the back of a program from a track meet tucked away in a folder of memorabilia. Hopefully, I am just a memory of positive experiences in sport and life. I know that I have so many memories of great coaches that helped me learn about sport and myself. I intend to continually do the same.


The influence of a good coach is irreplaceable. As coaches we have the power to influence our athletes and clients. We can turn around someone’s day. We may be the part of the single hour one looks forward to. We can be an ear that listens. For student athletes, we can be an adult that offers positivity that may not be received in other parts of life (home, school, etc…) For some coaches hold the position of a guide who helps to make exceptionally meaningful change in ones life.


Recognizing what we can give as coaches, what our clients/athletes need, and how we can communicate within the relationship is how a coach can have great influence. Perhaps this is considered mastery of compassion. I believe that if all coaches did this we would all end up on someone’s “wall”.

If you're interested in reading more about coaching, I have a couple of other blog posts I have written:
My Coaching Principles
The Ethics of Coaching