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Erik Hernandez | Embracing Imperfect Mentorship
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.
Coaches Professional Development
Applying Dumbbell Exercises to Football Players’ Training Programs
April 19, 2018by Allen R. Hedrick, MA, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E, FNSCA
This article describes how to use dumbbell exercises in the training programs for football athletes. It includes sample programs for skill position athletes and big skill position athletes.
Coaches Exercise Technique Program design
Practical Applications for Rotational Power Training
June 22, 2018by David Otey, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
As rotation, power, and rotational power are all common pieces of everyday life, it is important to train for efficiency in the movements. This article addresses the specific approaches rotational training can have in an individual’s strength program to address core integrity, synergistic muscular systems, and overall athletic capabilities as it relates to aging.
Personal trainers Coaches Exercise Technique Program design
Cluster Sets - Current Methods for Introducing Variations to Training Sets
May 9, 2018by G. Gregory Haff, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA
Learn about cluster sets, and how they can be used in program design for optimal athletic development. Greg Haff, President of the NSCA, shares examples of various set structures in this session from the NSCA 2016 National Conference.
Coaches Program design
Using Red Light Therapy for Fat Loss – An Evidence-Based Guide
May 30, 2025by Juan Gonzalez, PhD, CSCS, Jung-Il Oh, PhD, Sofia Alvarado-Valdez, Brianna Villarreal, Edgar De La Cruz, Daniela Barrera, and Nicole Trevino
The purpose of this article is to provide fitness professionals with best practices on creating a program that uses red light therapy to aid in weight loss and weight management.
Personal trainers Exercise Science Nutrition Program design
From Basic to Dynamic – Medicine Ball Training for the Multi-Sport High School Athlete
October 18, 2024by Josh McMillian, MS, CSCS, RSCC*D
This article provides medicine ball exercise progressions to help build athleticism in youth athletes.
Coaches Exercise Technique Program design
Developing Athleticism is the C.O.R.E. of Positive Youth Development
April 21, 2018by Rick Howard, MEd, CSCS,*D
This article breaks down youth training. To develop athleticism for youth, coaches should follow the C.O.R.E. principles: context in which to apply movement patterns, opportunities to develop proper movement, recognition of physical attributes required, and environments in which youth explore movement.
Coaches Exercise Technique Program design
Embedding Strength and Conditioning in High School JROTC – A 16-Week Model for Tactical Readiness, Safety, and Self-Efficacy
This article discusses current tactical and youth training literature into a 16-week JROTC strength and conditioning model for high school students. Visit NSCA online to learn more about athletic performance.
TSAC Facilitators Exercise Technique Program design Organization and Administration Testing and Evaluation Basic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition, Disorder, or Disease Professional Development
Firehouse Injury Prevention Strategies
August 29, 2018by John I. Hofman, MS, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D
John Hofman, CSCS, MS, spoke at the NSCA's 2013 TSAC Conference on preventing injury when providing firefighters with an in-house training program. In this hands-on presentation, John demonstrates exercises and prevention strategies.
TSAC Facilitators Exercise Technique Program design
High-Intensity Resistance and High-Impact Training and Bone Mineral Density—a Narrative Review: Part 1
March 15, 2019by Thomas Lafantaine, PHD, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, FACSM, and Shellaine Frazier, DO
High-Intensity Resistance and High-Impact Training and Bone Mineral Density—a Narrative Review: Part 1
Coaches Program design
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