By following the guidelines of the American Dietetic Association, a vegan or whole food, plant-based diet can be a viable option for athletes as well as non-athletes to maintain health, support athletic performance, and positively impact the environment.

To address and combat neurocognitive decline in tactical personnel, this article will detail the mechanistic underpinnings of, and describe how to apply, attention regulation strategies to facilitate greater skill acquisition, retention, and performance transfer.

Exercise Technique: High Bar Back Squat

The purpose of this article is to emphasize the critical need for a nutrition strategy that aligns with the specific demands inherent in the sport of soccer.

This article is part of a continuing series on practical, evidence-based approaches to reducing the risk of injury while developing tactical strength and conditioning.

This article describes the long-term athletic development programming pillars and suggests practical applications for strength and conditioning practitioners.

CC2023

How to Build a Successful Long-term Coaching Career

Mentorship isn’t flawless — and that’s where its power lies. Erik Hernandez, Associate Director for Sports Performance – Olympic Sports at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, has built his career on turning imperfect scenarios into lasting lessons for athletes and young coaches alike. For over 14 years at UNC, he has guided lacrosse, volleyball, and golf, adapting his voice to each culture while holding firm to shared standards of accountability and growth. Hernandez streamlines training into a three-phase model — explosive, strength, and remedial — yet emphasizes that delivery and communication matter more than complexity. He reminds athletes, “modifications are part of progress,” linking health, recovery, and seasonal demands to long-term development. For interns and early-career coaches, his advice is clear: earn mentors by serving others, and learn from every scenario, even the imperfect ones. Hear how mentorship, adaptability, and athlete health point the way forward for stronger teams and longer careers. Reach out to Coach Hernandez on Instagram: @hernandezstrength or by email: ehhernan@email.unc.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Answer Bryan Mann’s “call to arms!” Many volunteer applications are open now through December 15. Step up and give back to your strength and conditioning community at NSCA.com/Volunteer.

Joel Raether, Director of Sport Performance at Authentic Performance Center, uses this session to take a closer look at how all variables within a program must be addressed to account for cumulative fatigue, density of variables within, and how to manage stressors for the tactical athlete with high demands for physical, mental, physiological, and emotional stress.