The path to the top is not always linear. For Jill Costanza, it included returning to school and stops in collegiate and military performance before becoming Director of Sport Science and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the National Football League (NFL) Detroit Lions. Costanza describes today’s sport science landscape as a “Wild West,” where definitions differ by perspective. Her focus centers on assessing the athlete and program effectiveness against the demands of the game to identify holistic interventions. She outlines how intentional systems, a clear communication funnel, and data visualizations help athletes and stakeholders understand the “why,” build buy-in, and tap into competitiveness. Addressing common misconceptions, Costanza clarifies that elite athletes can still have foundational qualities that need rewiring. She emphasizes movement quality, proprioception, and breathing while adapting for individual needs and neurological fatigue. Learn how to build sport science systems, turn insights into action, and keep progressing on your professional path. Reach out to Jill by email at: jill.costanza@lions.nfl.net | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Join the NSCA Football Special Interest Group (SIG) and explore 24 other specialized communities designed to support your development on the Special Interest Groups page.

This excerpt from NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science briefly explains the force-velocity-power profile and how it can give strength and conditioning coaches a more holistic view of athletes.

This excerpt from NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science describes strength as a velocity-dependent concept.

This article seeks to provide some insight to optimal biomechanics in running technique and why normal gravitational techniques may not suit tactical athletes while load-bearing.

This article is the first of a continuing series of tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) research reviews. It is designed to bring awareness to new research findings of relevance to tactical communities.

In this session from the NSCA’s 2018 TSAC Annual Training, Karen Daigle presents the opportunities and challenges associated with various levels of strength and conditioning and medical resources embedded in operational military units.

This infographic details sprint profiling and reviews possible resistance training exercises that help along the force-velocity curve.

Instead of tactical athletes initially focusing on training programs that address specific aspects, training programs should emphasize proper movement patterns as a foundation before progressing.

The purpose of this article is to discuss relationships between current fitness testing within the United States Army and its effect on overall tactical readiness.

Tim Suchomel, Assistant Professor of Exercise Science and the Program Director for the Sport Physiology and Performance Coaching graduate program at Carroll University, discusses the literature surrounding the force-velocity curve, identifies potential periodization and programming strategies to improve these characteristics in athletes, and provides example programs to show how to implement different resistance training methods.