This book excerpt reviews the psychological principal of the self-determination theory (SDT) and its role in motivation and how this can be used in a tactical setting.

PT 2021

In this lecture from the NSCA's 2014 TSAC Conference, Katie Sell talks about the unique demands and skills required of wildland firefighters. Because wildland firefighters are involved in many different disciplines, Katie stresses the importance of fitness for not only job performance, but survival.

What does it take to become an award-winning Director of Strength and Conditioning in the National Football League (NFL)? Justin Lovett reveals the “we over me” mentality that guides his role with the Los Angeles Rams. Lovett reflects on receiving the 2024 NSCA Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award after being an NSCA Member for over 20 years. He draws parallels between working with high school and NFL athletes — where the desired training responses are the same and ability levels vary — making versatility key. Lovett also stresses the importance of finding clean and effective training methods to accommodate wear and tear in football athletes. He compares the Rams’ hiring philosophy to gathering “infinity stones,” emphasizing character attributes, culture alignment, and staff chemistry. Lovett and NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager Eric McMahon discuss progressing into leadership and the rise of performance director roles, as well as how to seek out career and networking opportunities. Connect with Justin on Instagram: @strcoachlovett, Twitter/X: @justin_lovett, or LinkedIn: Justin Lovett | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

Jim Davis, the Director of the Good Athlete Project, identifies usable methods for effective, research-based methods to motivate a unique group of athletes. In this session from the NSCA’s 2018 Coaches Conference, Davis explains how to distinguish between effective and ineffective motivational techniques, and how to design individualized strategies to get the most out of your athletes.

In this session from the 2014 NSCA Personal Trainers Conference, Barton Bishop explains how to utilize the body’s natural way of learning movement. This will help athletes become more efficient at movement for improvements in exercise and athletic performance, and help in preventing future injuries.

This video demonstrates optimal joint kinematics at the shoulder complex for overhead lifting tasks as well as a screening process to provide coaches with a tool to assess an athlete’s suitability for overhead lifting.

Clayton Kuklick, coaching researcher at the University of Denver, talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about what it truly means to be a master coach. Topics under discussion include motor learning, practice design, mentorship in coaching, and coaching standards.

From the NSCA’s 2020 Coaches Conference, Scott Schultz and Beau Smith show hands-on drills for prehabilitation of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) to reduce the risk of injury in sport. These drills include posterior chain warm-up exercises, plyometric and balance exercises, and proper landing mechanics to reinforce proper hip and knee positions.

Supplements that claim to boost nitric oxide have not been proven to be all that effective since the actual conversion in the blood cell is rather complicated and requires oxygen, which is usually in short supply during exercise or at high altitude. So how does an athlete boost their nitric oxide production?