NSCA’s Coaching Podcast

This episode of the NSCA’s Coaching Podcast features the 2024 NSCA College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, Brijesh Patel. Patel shares decades of wisdom and experience with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, including valuable lessons to support a fulfilling strength and conditioning career and avoid coach burnout. Learn about the journey of the 2023 Quinnipiac University National Champions Men’s Ice Hockey Team from the strength and conditioning coach’s perspective. Patel explains how program resources and support from administration can make or break the success of a program. From lessons on mentorship to putting in the work in support of professional development, this is an episode you will not want to miss. Connect with Brijesh online at coachbpatel.com or by email: brijesh.patel@qu.edu| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs    Also, here is the link to nominate a colleague or mentor for an NSCA Coach of the Year Award!Show Notes“In reality, I think, what makes you a really good coach is learning how to coach lots of different athletes and learning how to coach different sports. So when it comes time to earn the right to be able to specialize within one sport, you are going to know how to deal with different personalities and different athletes. And your problem solving ability is going to be that much more expensive because you've been able-- you've been exposed to so much more.” 9:25 “That’s something I brought to Quinnipiac and with my staff, too, is getting people to understand that you aren't a coach 24/7, right? You have to be able to have some family aspects of your life. You've got to have some work-life balance, to not only avoid burnout, but to help you become your best self when you're actually with the athletes that you're around.” 17:05 “Also, developing some coaching strategies where you empower the people that you're around and the people that you get to work with to do the things on their own, right? I tell recruits flat out – I am not a hand holder. I am not going to hold your hand through every single day. I will teach you and I will be a guide along your journey, but at the end of the day, it is your journey. So, if you want to get better, I'm here for you.” 24:48 “It's not just about trying to push them to the next level, but also, getting them to understand how to be an adult, how to take care of themselves in the arena, in the gym, and away. Teaching them how to go grocery shopping. Teaching them about nutrition. Teaching about stress management. Teaching about how to sleep. Teaching them all these tools so they can be healthy, not only while they're here, but also, for the rest of their lives, too.” 28:32

In today's National Football League (NFL) world, teams are always on the lookout for the best talent. That is why strength and conditioning coaches are crucial in optimizing a prospect's value.  This special episode of the NSCA Coaching Podcast features NFL Combine expert, Bryan McCall, sharing details of coaching process leading up to the event. The conversation includes co-hosts Eric McMahon, the NSCA Coaching Program Manager, and Gatorade Team Sports Manager, Jon Jost. You will hear Coach McCall credit Coach Jost as an early career mentor and emphasize the importance of mentorship for all coaches. Learn how to make a successful year-round business of strength and conditioning and advance your coaching career with an entrepreneurial mindset.  You can reach Coach McCall on Instagram: @justbmac_ or Twitter: @just_BryanM | Email Jon at: jonathan.jost@pepsico.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs    To learn more and join the Gatorade Performance Partner Community, visit GatoradePerformancePartner.com.Show Notes"My father told me really early on, man, find something in your life that you love to do. Don't just go into a job where you just dread being there, and you don't want to do it, and you're forced to do it because you need to get a paycheck week to week. He said, find a passion." 1:55 "Physically, a lot of them are all the same. They're all really big. They're fast. They can have the same 5-10-5. The linear speed is there. But it's that "it factor", which we've kind of looked at three different areas. When we talk about mentality, what type of drive do you have? What type of attitude do you have? What's your confidence level? We feel like those three areas is sometimes what separates athletes from being just physical specimens to being, a complete sort of player." 19:52 "You've got the alphabet certification, you've got everything. But then when you're on the floor, can you do it? And so you've got to get real world, practical experience getting in front of people, coaching people. It's hard training athletes. They don't necessarily want to do squats all the time, and sprinting, and 300-yard shuttle. They need motivation. So you've got to get some practical experience and get that really quickly so you can learn if this is something you want to do or not, because it's not an easy road." 32:40 "An issue I'm seeing with the younger generation, is they just want to get to the top really quick. You've got to slow cook it a little bit. Put it in the oven on 200 and let it just bake. Slow cook your career a little bit. It's going to get there, but it takes time to build your reputation. It takes time to get results. Just be patient with it. You're not going to come out here and just start working with Combine athletes as a new graduate. You're going to have to watch for a little bit and learn. And then you'll get your chance." 33:40

This episode of the NSCA Coaching Podcast presents drug testing and anti-doping initiatives in elite sport. Team USA 2008 Olympian, Carissa Gump, discusses how her journey as an international level weightlifter led to her becoming an ambassador for fair competition. Gump shares lessons from overcoming a career-threatening injury prior to the 2008 Olympics, with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, and how a passion for supporting athletes has fueled her career as a sport business executive. Learn about opportunities that the NSCA Foundation has for aspiring strength and conditioning professionals, and how the NSCA Foundation serves to promote the philanthropy of the coaching profession.     Learn more about clean sport and anti-doping by taking the USADA Coach’s Advantage Course for 0.2 NSCA CEUs.   Check out NSCA Foundation resources to discover grants and scholarships available for strength and conditioning professionals. More episode links: USADA – U.S. Anti-Doping Agency   TrueSport – Education for Coaches, Athletes, and Parents   NSF for Sport – NSF Certified Nutritional Products Listing Global DRO – Drug Reference Online  Drug Free Sport – Anti-Doping Services and Education Email Carissa at carissa.gump@nsca.com| Connect with Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscsShow Notes“I am a very big advocate for anti-doping in sport. Clean sport is really, really important to me, just for a fair playing field but also integrity of the sport and integrity of the athlete and personally.” 10:05 “I was lifting, but if it weren't for having those folks in my life and helping me get there, I would never have made it. So me being an Olympian is, yes, it's me, but it is also my family, my coaches, my teammates. Everybody was really a huge part of that.” 30:16 “The Foundation is really to me the philanthropic heart of the NSCA. We support students all the way, high school students all the way on up through senior-level investigators. And it's just really special for me to be part of the NSCA and the Foundation because everything comes full circle. What we do comes back to the athletes. And so I'm not coaching. I'm not directly involved with athletes, but I know what I am doing is still-- it's helping athletes in many, many sports.” 33:55 “When I started with the Foundation, we were very heavily research-focused. Over the last seven years, we have continued to add grants and scholarships that are focused on those other areas of membership that we have.” 36:00

Hear from University of Connecticut (UCONN) Director of Football Strength and Conditioning, Matt King, as he reflects on milestones and mentors along his decade-plus coaching journey with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon. King discusses how his early exposure to strength and conditioning as a high school athlete informs the training-age and level-based training approach of UCONN’s football team. Episode highlights include a look into UCONN’s highly collaborative sports performance department, tips for navigating marriage and children in a career with long-hours, and discussion about the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Transfer Portal. Connect with Matt on Instagram: @coach_mking, Twitter: @Coach_MKing, or by email: matthew.2.king@uconn.edu| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscsShow Notes“I would say the biggest thing that we've done during the four or five years that I've been here now is be able to have a levels-based system in terms of our training. When they come in, it's based off their training age, we assess them and evaluate them, and then we have four different levels, and each one of my assistants takes a level. So, it also creates ownership in the program with my assistants.” 12:40 “We have an environment here where we kind of police each other in terms of making sure that we cover each other, and you're spending time with your family first and foremost, because jobs come and go. Your family's always going to be there for you, and they're going to need you in good times and bad times.” 21:03 “Don't try to be like your mentors. Make sure that you have your own personality, and you're authentic with that because if you try to be somebody that you're not, your athletes will see right through it. Let's be honest, nobody wants to be coached by somebody that comes in the room and is fake. They want authenticity, and they want realness.” 25:55 “I'd rather have someone that's more of a go-getter and is going to go try and get something done on their own, than have somebody who's going to sit on their hands and wait, because they're not making my job easier if I have to go and tell you to do something every time. Those would be some of my tidbits and my gems for young coaches looking to get in the field.” 28:20

In this episode, Lilly Bernardi, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Hofstra University, talks to Eric McMahon, the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, about her journey from being an athlete to becoming a coach. Bernardi shares sentiments over losing her senior lacrosse season as a college athlete during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it has fueled her motivational approach in coaching. The episode highlights the importance of building confidence as a young professional and adopting a growth mindset for career development. Additionally, the conversation delves into social media etiquette for coaches in the age of information sharing. Connect with Lilly on Instagram: @lilly_bernardi1 or by email: lilly.a.bernardi@hofstra.edu| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscsShow Notes“That’s kind of how I found my love for strength and conditioning because the weight room, I think, was the first place for me where maybe I wasn't getting stats on the field. I saw in the weight room, myself getting stronger and that really just translated into a new level of confidence for me and really allowed for me to embrace my role as a leader and, more specifically, a leader by example in the sport of lacrosse.” 3:05 “My athletes are very aware of the fact that, on any given day, if they're doing conditioning, if they're having the hardest lift, they're getting yelled at practice, that I would do anything to take the jersey off their back and get out there one more time. I think if I have athletes who are kind of just going through the motions, I really try to explain to them, it might be hard, but you're going to look back, and you'll miss these four years. And maybe you don't want to go outside and do conditioning every day, but there's a day that you'll look back and wish you could be a part of it.” 5:20 “My best piece of advice that I received in this career is just, you're never ready for your next step. And so, while, like I said, I had no idea what I was going to present on, I knew I wanted to because I wanted to challenge myself in a different way and prove to myself that I can.” 18:10 “Another thing I love about social media is all the books that people post on their stories and adding it to my list. I think sharing information, but also showing your athletes and other coaches and sharing ideas, creating a community of encouraging each other, whether it's in professional accomplishments, and the PRs are fun too.” 25:45

In this episode, we learn from Emily Schilling, an Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini Volleyball team. She shares her needs analysis for the growing sport of volleyball with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, including thoughts for training team sports, different positions on the court, and the progression from first-year students through graduation. Another important topic covered is the professional pathways strength and conditioning coaches take to gain meaningful early-career coaching experiences and pursue higher-level director roles. Hear about beyond the weightroom demands placed on college student-athletes today, and how National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) “Name, Image, Likeness” (NIL) policies are a topic that strength and conditioning coaches should learn about. You can connect with Emily via email at esselman@illinois.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscsShow Notes“Again, getting paid a stipend, not a whole heck of a lot, living in a busy, very expensive city, but I was like, if I keep at this, if I keep my nose to the grindstone and I keep asking questions and I show up every day and I’m consistent with what I do, this is just a one-year gig, and it's going to lead me to something bigger.” 13:00 “Stay persistent about it. I think those are the best places to end up at is the places that give you coaching opportunities, and that actually take the time to mentor you. They actually take the time to sit down, answer your questions. They review you. They ask you questions. They challenge you, and as frustrating as it is and maybe scary as it is sometimes, to sit there with your mentor and have them challenge you and really get you to think. If you’re willing to be open minded and have a growth mindset, it always leads you to something better.” 13:47 “When they’re allowed to just take a step back and they understand and they know they’re not going to play, it’s almost like a weight off their shoulders. There’s no expectation for them in already a hard transition to college. In a hard transition already to a faster, more physical game, it just allows them to take a back seat and just watch, just to absorb everything, to be mentored.” 23:05 “As much as we say, embrace the grind, no days off, that’s not really how the human mind and body works. We’re not robots. We’re humans at the end of the day.” 31:40

Kevin Neeld, Head Performance Coach of the Boston Bruins National Hockey League (NHL) team, joins the NSCA Coaching Podcast to share about strength and conditioning practices in the NHL. Neeld connects with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, on his path to working in professional hockey, the involvement of strength and conditioning at the annual NHL Draft Combine, and the partnership between the Strength and Conditioning Association of Professional Hockey (SCAPH) and the NSCA. The discussion includes perspectives for aspiring coaches about working in professional hockey, on-ice and off-ice training, and the recent growth of performance staffs. Connect with Kevin on Instagram: @kevinneeld or Twitter: @KevinNeeld| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscsShow Notes“The shift on off-ice development and preparing for a potential combine battery takes a back seat to making sure that you’re ready to play the next game, as it should. In contrast, we have players that maybe have not played a game in three months. So there’s a lot of context that needs to be considered when interpreting the test results of the players that are at the combine.” 9:08 “What we see in some of these conversations that come up regularly is that a player might be really fast on the ice and really underdeveloped in their speed and power qualities off the ice. To me, that may be a player that you really want to take a strong look at because if they have a four-cylinder engine, and they’re beating eight-cylinder engines in races, then you increase the size of the engine. It’s likely that they’re going to continue to scale up in a positive direction.” 15:35 “It’s more of a three-pronged approach of marrying what literature and research-based evidence says along with the coach’s experience along with the values and preferences of the athlete.” 33:10

This episode of the NSCA Coaching Podcast features Nicole Fowler, the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Phillips Exeter Academy. Fowler connects with the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Staff, Eric McMahon and Kevin Gregory, about transitioning from collegiate coaching, at Merrimack University and the University of Denver, to now working in a high school. Learn what it means to be “unembarassable” in your coaching and how that helps your strength and conditioning program. The impact of the high school strength and conditioning coach extends far beyond weight room in this episode. Tune in to learn more about programming for high school student-athletes and training insights for youth during the pre-college formative years. Connect with Nicole on Instagram at @nicolesampson104 and @phillips_exeter_strength | Reach out to Eric and Kevin on Instagram at @ericmcmahoncscs and @coachgregorystrengthShow Notes“There's about 1,200 students that are on campus here with us. We have grades 9 through 12, but then students can come and join us as a post-graduate as well. The cool thing about Exeter is that it's an extremely diverse campus. We represent about 33 countries and the school itself offers over 450 courses.” 2:25 “I've tried to narrow it down to two things, but the athletes want to have control or elements of control, and they want to enjoy the process.” 10:20 “He said to be successful in this world you have to be unembarrassable, which is funny, because I didn't put that into perspective. And sometimes the kids are dancing and having a good time or whatever it is. And you have to kind be on board with it to a certain extent. Obviously you have your standards. But you have to enjoy it, because otherwise you're going to pull your hair out trying to get all these kids to do exactly what you want them to do.” 10:55 “But role within the community I think is something that I've really enjoyed in my two years that I've been here. I love to see the other side of whatever the campus is working on.” 23:05 “I was able to create systems at Merrimack and create systems at Denver, and I'm able to use those systems, but just figure out a creative way to make it work in my setting that I'm in. And I can honestly say that I'm having the most fun that I've ever had coaching, being in the setting that I'm in. And I feel like I'm making a really big impact.” 27:30

Legendary strength and conditioning coach Jeff “Maddog” Madden sits down with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, and Gatorade Team Sports Manager, Jon Jost, to share stories and lessons from an over four-decade collegiate coaching career. This Gatorade Performance Partner collaboration episode of the NSCA Coaching Podcast emphasizes the vital role of the strength and conditioning coach as a team builder, leadership developer, and master motivator for student-athletes. Coach Madden takes us on his journey from the early days of being a strength and conditioning coach to today, discussing some major influencers in the profession and training principles that support long-term career success in college athletics. Listen in and be better equipped to face the challenges we experience in our jobs as coaches. You can reach Coach Madden by email at jmaddog59@gmail.com| Email Jon at: jonathan.jost@pepsico.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs  To learn more and join the Gatorade Performance Partner Community, visit GatoradePerformancePartner.com.Show Notes“I know you’re the strength and conditioning coach. But you want to work to become an assistant athletic director, or an associate athletic director. You want to be of value to the whole department, not just the football staff. That was money in the bank.” 3:17 “That’s a pretty intense amount of time. That’s several months of training that the coaches don’t even get a chance to see them.” 10:45 “When you have communication, you can work things out. I had communication with our doctors, because I wanted to understand what the doctors were doing and how they did what they did, so I could better do my job.” 14:39 “I had a whole semester where I could go and travel and meet people; go to different clinics, go to the Gatorade clinics or whatever was out there at the given time, and spend time with people. And those people helped build my career, because they gave me solid, sound advice.” 20:20 “You see, because I wanted to let them understand it takes a lot to be a champion, but you got to do the work to be a champion. You don’t just walk out there and become a champion. You know? It’s not easy. Anybody can wear the uniform, but can you perform in that uniform? And will you defend the honor of the name on the front and the name on the back of that uniform?” 31:54

Hear from the widely-respected, Rob Glass, Assistant AD for Athletic Performance at Oklahoma State University (OSU), an influential figure in the success of the OSU and University of Florida athletics programs over his four decades in the strength and conditioning profession. Coach Glass connects with the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, on the importance of professionalism among strength and conditioning coaches, and specific qualities he looks for in strength and conditioning coaches joining the OSU staff. This episode highlights the importance of history and experience in developing effective training programs for your coaching environment, and how the student-athletes of today benefit more from our improved coaching practices. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear impactful lessons of character and leadership that can help push your career forward. You can connect with Coach Glass by email at rob.glass@okstate.edu| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscsShow Notes“It's the ability to teach and communicate, effective lifting techniques, program design, and… you try to do your best.” 6:04 “The professionalism piece speaks to all that. From the time you first start as a graduate assistant or even an intern, if the professionalism piece is there, you're going to get looked at in a much favorable light with people that are decision-makers for your career moving forward.” 12:38 “Write programs backwards. What does the head coach-- where do I need to be when this training cycle ends? And then I'm going to start writing. I actually write it backwards depending on the duration of the training cycle.” 26:40 “It’s still about networking and developing relationships where you can have good dialogue, training dialogue, where you can ask some questions. But you've got to develop that network.” 28:00 “Don’t be afraid to network. Don't be afraid to reach out. Be a sponge, learn as much as you can. Don't think you have all the answers. I mean, probably the biggest turnoff for some guys is when you sit down with somebody and they act like they've got it figured out and everybody else is a ways wrong. There are so many ways to enhance an athlete's performance.” 30:05