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.

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Emily Nolan shares insights into the integrated rehabilitation processes within Australia and New Zealand high performance sport systems in this session from the NSCA’s 2018 Coaches Conference.

This excerpt from the Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning outlines what training typically looks like in the preparatory period, or off-season.

Osteoporosis and low bone mineral density (BMD) are conditions that affect millions of people, and the amount of people afflicted is on the rise. To potentially reverse this trend, personal trainers can provide group sessions of high-intensity progressive resistance training to increase BMD and prevent osteoporosis.

Ankle injuries are very common and their incidence potentially can be reduced or prevented if the person has a better sense of foot position if proper footwear is worn while exercising.

This article in NSCA Coach shares exercise science comparisons between photobiomodulation therapy and cryotherapy. Visit us online to learn more on muscle recovery and red light therapy.

This article presents two football-specific speed drills in detail—the single-leg box explosion and the mountain climber.

NSCA Coach 11.3 is an exercise research article providing strength coaches, considerations to design effective sports performance programs for collegiate soccer.

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