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

Vernon Griffith teaches how to identify compensation patterns associated with tactical populations and how to design proactive movement protocols for tactical athletes, in this session from the NSCA’s 2018 TSAC Annual Training.

In this session from the NSCA’s 2016 TSAC Annual Training, Ryan Massimo demonstrates foundational movement techniques that engage the body as a single coordinated system, complement the movements the body performs on the job and in life, and help to build optimal and usable strength, power, mobility, and durability.

The purpose of this article is to discuss the different opinions regarding the validity of early sport specialization as opposed to diversification, specifically the effect these two methods have on injuries, motor development, skill acquisition, and social and psychological aspects.

With over 20 years of experience in the field, former co-founder of EXOS, Brandon Marcello, discusses general sleep knowledge as it pertains to overall health, wellness, and performance in this session from the 2019 NSCA Tactical Annual Training.

This NSCA Coach article provides a framework for strength and conditioning professionals to support athletes in accessing appropriate mental health services. Visit NSCA online to read more on mental health and sport performance.

Dr. Whitney Moore and Val Smith from Wayne State University use this session, from the 2019 NSCA National Conference, to provide evidence-based motivational strategies and leadership behaviors, strength coach tested relationship-building strategies, and explain different levels of informal leadership training opportunities.

Interest is growing in warm-up procedures that involve dynamic activities and sport-specific movements that maximize active ranges of motion at different movement-specific speeds while preparing the body for the demands of sport training and competition.

Learn how to design programs with maximal effect within the tactical population. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 TSAC Annual Training, Cal Dietz explain differences between tactical and conventional athletes and identifies the six performance qualities needed by tactical athletes. CEUs available.

Bo Sandoval, Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute, shares his journey into strength and conditioning, future developments in the UFC program, and training principles around fighters.