Being a Strength & Conditioning Coach is an incredibly demanding, high intensity, and exhausting job. But it is the best job in the world. When first trying to break into the field there are a few things that are essential for success. The big 3 that are vital if you want to make it are networking, gaining experience, and expanding your knowledge. Here are some lessons I learned along the way of my short career so far.
Who You Know, Not What You Know:
The single most important thing you can do as a young coach is network. When I was a freshman in college I spent many nights creating a list of questions and sending out emails to coaches. Today more than ever connecting with others in the profession is easier than ever. It takes all of 30 seconds to reach out to someone and it can do wonders for your development. I cannot put into words how many times a coach across the country who I have never met has mentioned something on a call that had an amazing impact on me. There are so many brilliant people in this field with infinite knowledge to share, all you have to do is ask.
Beyond just learning from other coaches they can also accelerate your career. As previously stated, there are so many smart people in this field. Why are you different? Surviving the stressful job search way more about who you know rather than what you know. Now I am not saying that if you talk to someone once you are guaranteed to get a job from them or that they are going to vouch for you, but getting your name in front of people early in your career will pay off down the line. If I am hiring someone for a job and it is between 2 people, if someone I know has said they talked to you I am much more likely to interview you compared to a complete stranger. That doesn’t mean you’ll get hired, but it’s at least a chance. Getting the interview is about who you know, getting the job is about what you know.
When you make your connections, keep them. After you talk to someone and connect with them, keep talking to them. I’m not saying text them every week. Reach out every few months to talk and learn from them. I know more right now than I did 3 months ago so I can only assume everyone else is the same way. Who knows, maybe a 10 minute phone call can be the difference between you having a good program compared to a great program. We are learning how to succeed in this profession, why not try to learn from people who have been successful in the position you are currently in?
If you don’t know where to start reaching out, start locally. Create a list of schools within 50-100 mile radius and start reaching out. Just like most coaches are willing to talk, most coaches are open to site visits as well. Take the time to spend time with other coaches and see how they run a session or how the facility is set up. Seeing other places can help shed light on what you don’t know yet.
Seek Experience:
Every single person I know in the field started out with volunteer internships. Like I said before, the field is over crowded so don’t expect to get hired as a full time coach right off the bat. My first internship was at the University of Findlay under Coach Chad Wagner. While at Findlay I played football and interned simultaneously. This was a very time consuming and difficult experience to balance, but if you really want it bad you’ll find a way.
My time at Findlay was very unconventional. I tore my ACL during the Covid spring season, I fully intended on going home to do my rehab over the Summer rather than doing it at school. The most influential moment in my career happened on the sideline during a football practice at Findlay. Coach Wags came up to me and said if I stayed at Findlay to do my rehab there I can intern with him over the Summer. That short conversation opened the door for my career to start. From that point on I interned for 2 years before I left Findlay. With it being a Division II school I was given a lot of responsibility which was stressful at the time, but looking back now it is truly the main factor on what made me the coach I am today. Having to juggle 2-3 teams in the weight room at once running all different programs really teaches you how to thrive in chaos.
Be patient and be where your feet are during your internship. Day 1 I was responsible for set up and breakdown of sessions. By the end of my time there I was leading sessions, creating programs for injured athletes, and having input in program design for the athletic teams there. The best advice I can give you for being successful not just in the internship, but in life is to do the job you want, not the job you have.
You absolutely need experience in this world if you want to be successful, seek out opportunities to work for and learn from coaches you respect. I completed 3 unpaid internships before I landed my first paid position in this field. It may seem like that time will never come, but just work to be the best version of yourself at every position you are in and the rest will take care of itself. There is truly no substitute for getting your hands dirty and coaching on the floor.
Knowledge Is Power:
In the same way that it is easier than ever to get in contact with someone, it is just as easy to learn anything. With the power of the internet we are always one click away from anything we want to know. There are truly endless resources to learn whether it’s programming, coaching technique, exercise technique, etc. Throughout this section I will share some of the books I used earlier in my career and still use today.
When my obsession with S&C first began all I asked for when it came to holidays were books. I’d say three books I have read made the biggest impact on my entire coaching career. Coach’s Strength Training Playbook by Joe Kenn, Developing Explosive Athletes: Use of Velocity Based Training in Athletes by Dr. Bryan Mann, and Charlie Francis Training System by Charlie Francis.
The Coach’s Strength Training Playbook gives a very good baseline understanding of Strength & Conditioning. It breaks down goals of programs, exercise selection, and periodization to an almost elementary level understanding. The use of the tier system as talked about in this book is a phenomenal way to learn about programming. If I had to recommend one book to someone just starting out it would without a doubt be this one.
Developing Explosive Athletes goes a into depth about the force-velocity curve. The book dives very deep into the use of velocity based training (VBT) as well. However, I am not recommending this for it’s VBT content, I am recommending it because it provides a very good explanation of how to develop explosive athletes. How to surf the force-velocity curve, how to train with dynamic effort, and how to train with “intent.”
Lastly, Charlie Francis Training System, I firmly believe every strength coach needs to read this book. This book goes on to talk about sprint technique, training principles with strength and speed training, proper periodization and much more. Now with this book it is old so all of the information should not be taken as gospel. However all the principles talked about hold true today. It is within this book that I was first introduced with much detail what vertical integration is and how to use it.
With all these books they should not be treated as the only right answer, there are a million ways to skin a cat. However, all of these books attack different parts of training that a great strength coach should understand and be able to apply. There are countless other places you can gain a knowledge and understanding of how to train and utilize periodization. These are just 3 of the books that I have continued to utilize in my programming throughout my young career as a S&C coach.
Summary:
I am still in the very beginning of my career, however the aforementioned materials are what I believe have helped me up to this point. Network like crazy, get your hands dirty, and read read read. 99% of coaches in this field are more than happy to connect and talk about training with you. I would say I can count on two hands the amount of coaches who have not responded to me. Do not take offense if someone doesn’t get back to you, this is a busy job and some coaches are better at responding than others. You will have to volunteer your time early on, and their is nothing wrong with that, everyone has to do it. While you are in your position do not look for the next best thing, be where your feet are, be the best employee you can be there and good things will come. Lastly, we live in a world where it is almost harder not to know something. Everything is one click away, whether it is finding an article or reading a book find the answer. Do not be afraid to say “I don’t know” if someone asks you a question, but go out and find the answer or dive deeper into something you want to learn more about. All of these tips do not guarantee success in the field, but they are definitely a great place to start if you do not know where to look.
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