Two factors that determine running speed are stride cadence and stride length. Because athletes propel themselves forward only when their foot is in contact with the ground, the stance phase of the running stride should be the focus of speed enhancement programs.

From the 2020 NSCA Coaches Conference, Jim Davis, Founder of the Good Athlete Project, presents his mission for maximizing the potential of athletics as education and the many components that create the framework of a high order performance goal.

Line drills can be an excellent way for athletes to improve their footwork, speed, and coordination. This article contains examples of several easy-to-implement line drills.

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The purpose of this article is to provide strength and conditioning coaches with practical knowledge from the framework of self-determination theory to facilitate student-athlete motivation within the weight room across varying sports.

Learn how to differentiate between the three critical tactical psychological skills related to enhancing tactical athlete performance, and how each tactical psychological skill impacts performance for the tactical athlete. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 TSAC Annual Training, Peter Jensen, PhD, teaches how to apply each tactical psychological skill in a training setting to improve tactical athlete performance.

Brett Bartholomew talks about the risks posed to athletes who are partaking in randomized and unstructured training practices often supervised by non-certified professionals. This session from the NSCA’s 2017 Coaches Conference will help you identify ways in which a “skills not drills” approach towards movement training design can not only lead to enhanced transfer of training to the competitive environment, but also better retention on behalf of the athlete as they progress through future training.

Competence, autonomy, and relatedness are three keys to promoting a more intrinsically motivated athlete. These components can be combined in nearly limitless ways, which is especially important for the long basketball season.

Managing workload and optimizing athlete performance while promoting injury-free participation is simplified using the eight tips in this article.

Not all diets are appropriate for every population and this is especially true of an athlete who is expected to train and perform at a high level. Learn about the negatives of fad diets, potential pitfalls, and realistic dietary guidelines for athletes.