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What does a Strength and Conditioning Coach do?

Nick Mann
Nick Mann

A strength and conditioning coach often plays an integral role in the success of both individual athletes and entire teams. Many sports make use of this type of coach including football, baseball, basketball and lacrosse. Some of his basic duties include creating efficient workout/exercise programs, teaching athletes preventative safety measures, helping athletes work through injuries, creating effective diet plans, and maintaining records of workouts.

The primary duty of a strength and conditioning coach is to develop quality exercise routines. He will sometimes work with athletes on a one-on-one basis to ensure that the athlete receives adequate training for optimum performance. An example would be working on ball wind-up and delivery with the quarterback of a football team. Other times the coach will work with multiple players at once, and will design drills to better prepare them for upcoming games. For example, the coach might work on running patterns for a football team's wide receivers and running-backs.

Lacrosse is one sport that uses a strength and conditioning coach.
Lacrosse is one sport that uses a strength and conditioning coach.

Teaching athletes how to remain safe during workouts and game time is another main duty of a strength and conditioning coach. It's up to him to demonstrate the proper techniques that maximize safety in exercise and actual games. This is more important in some sports than others, but nearly all sports have some safety risks that need addressing.

Another responsibility of a strength and conditioning coach is to help athletes cope with injuries and speed up recovery time. Often he will work alongside other rehabilitation staff if he is apart of a larger program. At other times, he will be solely responsible for the recovery of athletes. He should be knowledgeable in all areas of physical rehabilitation and be able to help players deal with issues like sprains, cramps and muscle tears.

Many baseball teams employ a strength and conditioning coach.
Many baseball teams employ a strength and conditioning coach.

Creating diet plans for athletes is also part of the coach's job. He will typically assess the dietary needs of each athlete and outline an appropriate meal plan. These are usually designed to provide the best possible nutrition to keep each athlete at peak condition. Additionally, proper nutrition helps to speed up muscle recovery time and provide the necessary energy for competition.

A coach will design diets to keep athetes at peak condition.
A coach will design diets to keep athetes at peak condition.

Maintaining accurate workout records for all athletes is an often overlooked but still important aspect of the job. Proper record keeping helps to ensure that individuals and teams accomplish the training they need on the right schedule. The right training increases the team's odds of success in games over the course of the season.

Discussion Comments

anon274346

I am a strength and conditioning coach. I have only a few athletes and spend a lot of time with them.

I pass on this advice. For an athlete, look at qualifications but also look at results. The trainer getting significant results with minimal injury is the one you want.

Advice for trainers: ask other trainers for input and tell an athlete when you don't know. There is always someone better than you and your client will respect it. They won't leave you because you don't know something. They will leave you for lack of results and for you spouting bullcrap.

jonrss

When you are looking to begin training with a strength and conditioning coach it is important to pick one that is trained, qualified and accredited. There are lots of people who will offer to provide these kinds of services or other personal training services that have no qualifications at all.

This can be a serious problem because a good strength coach will design a workout that maximizes effectiveness while minimizing the potential for injury. And when you are training hard there is a lot of potential for injury. If you go with someone inexperienced they could easily endanger your health. At a minimum they will provide ineffective services.

Don't just trust anyone who is fit to help you train. You need a true professional.

tigers88

I will always remember the strength coach at my college. I was not an athlete but I went to the gym to use the elliptical on occasion and I always saw this guy. Really he was impossible to miss.

The thing about his was that even though he sent all day in the gym and was supposed to be the strength coach he was morbidly obese. I'm taking like 400 pounds here. He also had the strange habit of wearing brightly colored sweat suits in really weird colors like cerulean or fuchsia. I'm not sure were you buy that kind of stuff but he must have had a connection because that's all he ever wore.

So imagine a huge man in a bright pink sweatsuit telling young fit 20 year olds how to workout. It was kind of like getting bossed around by a huge skittle. He was sort of a campus joke but I guess he knew what he was talking about. He obviously never worked out himself but he got a few of my athlete friends into incredible shape.

summing

Anyone that has played sports at a high level is likely familiar with a strength and conditioning coach. These are the guys that haunt the weight room and bark out orders as they put you through increasingly bizarre workout routines.

But I have to give credit where credit is due. I played college football and when I started I was a talented but scrawny kid trying to get a spot at receiver. I went in before my first season and worked everyday with the strength coach. By the end of the summer I had packed on 15 pounds of muscle and was in the best shape of my life. I don;t know how he did it, but my body grew like a weed.

I made the team and had a pretty successful college career. I never made it to the NFL but I think I could have if things had been a little different. I give a lot of credit for my success to that strength coach. He got me in the shape I needed to be in to play at a high level.

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    • Lacrosse is one sport that uses a strength and conditioning coach.
      By: Warren Rosenberg
      Lacrosse is one sport that uses a strength and conditioning coach.
    • Many baseball teams employ a strength and conditioning coach.
      By: llandrea
      Many baseball teams employ a strength and conditioning coach.
    • A coach will design diets to keep athetes at peak condition.
      By: corepics
      A coach will design diets to keep athetes at peak condition.
    • Strength and conditioning coaches help athletes prepare for participation in sports.
      By: cfarmer
      Strength and conditioning coaches help athletes prepare for participation in sports.
    • Strength and conditioning coaches can help junior athletes prepare for play in travel leagues.
      By: Vladimir Mucibabic
      Strength and conditioning coaches can help junior athletes prepare for play in travel leagues.
    • A strength and conditioning coach should be able to help an athlete treat and prevent muscle cramps and injuries.
      By: Maridav
      A strength and conditioning coach should be able to help an athlete treat and prevent muscle cramps and injuries.
    • Some strength and conditioning coaches may be trained in sports massage.
      By: wellphoto
      Some strength and conditioning coaches may be trained in sports massage.
    • Some strength and conditioning coaches are specially trained to work with young athletes.
      By: Dusan Kostic
      Some strength and conditioning coaches are specially trained to work with young athletes.