Learn how to coach various weight room exercises and understand the differences of “intention” between the various levels of football. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 Coaches Conference, Pete Bommarito dives into the details of building strength in the weight room for youth and early high school football players, how to maximize all aspects of speed-strength and power by heavy variable loading, and advanced techniques at the elite and professional levels.

All fitness components depend on body composition to some extent, and the demands of many sports require that athletes maintain standard levels of body composition.

Integrating weight room cues that are more consistent with those used to reinforce safer tackling techniques on the field may help with athlete retention and buy-in, and prevent potential confusion.

Coaches can also benefit from understanding the concepts of positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment as they relate to motivation. Although coaches use a mixture of both reward and punishment, using rewards and a positive approach is arguably the best approach because it focuses on what athletes should do and what they did right.

Managing workload and optimizing athlete performance while promoting injury-free participation is simplified using the eight tips in this article.

It is important for strength and conditioning coaches, sport coaches, athletic trainers, and administrators to recognize and address the evidence of stress within student-athletes in order to avoid chronic stress-related anxiety and injury.

Gain insight into the interactions between strength, power, speed, and agility for soccer players. Also, learn basic programing guidelines that adhere to current research.

Athletes in field and court sports require reactive agility—they must accelerate, decelerate, and change direction in a constantly changing environment. These requirements result in technical differences between sprinting in a field or court sport and sprinting the 100-m.

This excerpt from Developing Speed aims to develop athletes’ ability to accelerate quickly through stride modification.