Sheri Walters’ journey to Director of Sports Medicine at Texas A&M University reflects a career defined by innovation, collaboration, and comprehensive integration. Walters discusses the "arms race" in collegiate athletics and how Texas A&M shatters silos through unit alignment and being intentionally present. Drawing from her EXOS experience, she highlights the impact of integrating sports medicine with strength and conditioning. Walters employs research-based cross-body training to maintain strength, prioritizing long-term rehabilitation over limb symmetry index testing. She explains how her Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) and Certified Performance and Sport Scientist® (CPSS®) credentials enable her to elevate rehabilitation and speak the language of sport performance professionals. Walters underscores the importance of getting student-athletes back to team strength and conditioning as soon as tissues can tolerate it to promote physiological and psychological healing. She also shares how strength and conditioning coaches can optimize return to performance and reduce reinjury risk.
Email Sheri at swalters@athletics.tamu.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
Catch Sheri’s session on bridging the gap in the collegiate setting LIVE at the 2025 NSCA Coaches Conference! Register to watch online at NSCA.com/Coaches.
Fascinated by the intersection between strength and conditioning and sports medicine? Join other professionals in the Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Specialist Interest Group (SIG) to discover more resources and engage in discussion.
Andy Stocks, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Augustana University and recently named NSCA Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about persevering as a young coach in a tough career field. Topics under discussion include how his weightlifting and powerlifting background help him program for student-athletes and what he envisions his future as a head coach might look like someday.
Find Andy on Instagram: @stocksthestrengthcoach or @augiestrength and Twitter: @augiestrength | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
When considering applying advanced methods to affect and augment maximal power output, this excerpt from Developing Power explains three key points to consider.
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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.
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