NSCA’s Coaching Podcast Special Episode – The Importance of Mentorship and Mental Health with Connor Agnew and Scott Caulfield

Connor Agnew, Director of Basketball Performance at Appalachian State University, and Scott Caulfield, Director of Strength and Conditioning at Norwich University, joins the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon on this Gatorade Performance Partner Special Episode, highlighting “The Importance of Mentorship and Mental Health” in strength and conditioning. The discussion emphasizes the need for coaches to cope with adversity and rely on trusted mentors along their professional journey.

Connect with Connor on Instagram: @strengthcoachconnor or Twitter: @CoachConnorSC | Connect with Scott on Instagram: @coachcaulfield or Twitter: @scottcaulfield |  Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs | To learn more and join the Gatorade Performance Partner Community, visit GatoradePerformancePartner.com.

Find additional NSCA resources in the areas of mentorship and mental health, you can stream the NSCA Coaching Podcast and select conference sessions on NSCA.tv.

Show Notes

“And I think the people that really helped me out the most were the coaches who show me that we're supposed to be having fun as well when this is happening. It's not everyday process where you're supposed to grind and everything's supposed to be uncomfortable. You can have fun. It's a very fun profession overall.” 13:15

“And I think the biggest thing is that athletes understand when you're being genuine and when you're not being genuine. So I think don't be influenced by what you see everybody else posting.” 22:35

“It might just be reaching out to someone that you look up to and you're trying to ask them some questions and just interview them. And maybe, who knows, those conversations can sometimes lead to mentorship. And I think that's the thing I would tell younger people too, is don't be afraid to reach out to people, especially in today's day and age of social media where it really is a good opportunity to reach out.” 27:50

“Mentorship, it's truly a calling of strength and conditioning coaches to connect with your athletes deeper than just reps and sets.” 35:53

“We see them probably more than the head coach will see them, and that's a really big piece. And so we have to make sure that when we're discussing with them any life lessons or coaching them on a daily basis that we're bringing positivity and, really, a growth mindset for them as well, too. And I think sometimes, too, recruiting visits get me a little excited because you get to meet their parents, and you get to meet their family and understand that it's not all just about athletics. It's about people growing overall throughout their own lives and understanding that these parents are trusting us to take care of their kids as much as possible and help them out as much as possible, too.” 44:40