NATCON22

What's behind enduring success at the highest level of college athletics? Kate Smith, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Michigan, shares insights from nearly 14 years of experience coaching multiple sports in a competitive collegiate environment. Smith emphasizes sustained excellence through adaptability, genuine curiosity, and openness to opportunities — even outside of athletics. Drawing on her private-sector experiences, she explains how diverse roles helped shape her flexible, athlete-centered philosophy. Smith candidly addresses current collegiate challenges, including navigating Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) distractions and adjusting motivational strategies across team cultures and generations. As a Certified Performance and Sport Scientist® (CPSS®), Smith highlights how integrating data-driven insights helps her create a more effective training environment. This expertise uniquely positions her to bridge athletics with academics, deepening collaboration on campus-wide performance initiatives. Learn how to implement practical strategies for keeping athletes engaged amidst external pressures, leverage performance data meaningfully, and continually refresh your coaching approach. Connect with Kate via email at kannehay@umich.edu and on Instagram: @katehaycock | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

In-Season Strength Programming

In-Season Strength Programming: Multi Faceted Approach

Respected strength coaches Mike Stone and Meg Stone spoke about periodization and programming for strength power sports at the 2012 NSCA Coaches Conference.

Bridge the Gap Lecture: The Experience of Programming: The Why, The How & The Now

Jason Masek talks about how to implement and properly execute push, pull, and propulsion movement patterns and variations into athlete programming.

Programming for the Novice Athlete

CC 2022

Bridge the Gap Practical: Programming Tactics for Speed/Power Athletes Training Toward the 2018 Games