Becoming a Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach

Strength and conditioning at the collegiate level is a job choice that many people do not even know exists. I have the joy of being a strength and conditioning coach and I had never heard of it until I transferred to Liberty University in 1999 and met Coach Dave Williams. Coach Williams Is the man who inspired me to become a strength and conditioning coach. Before this I was studying physical education and planning on being a PE teacher at the high school level. I watched and learned and asked many questions to help me in the process of becoming a collegiate strength and conditioning coach. What follows are ideas on how to become a college strength and conditioning coach.

1. Play a sport at the collegiate level. While playing a sport is not necessary it does do a couple of things for you. The main thing it allows you yo do is understand what the life of a student athlete is like. You know how to handle practice, classes, study halls, mandatory meeting, and everything else that comes from having played a sport at the collegiate level. It also gives you a slightly better understanding of how to train for that particular sport. Playing a sport at a higher level also gives you an advantage in getting a job later because people automatically assume that if you were successful at a sport you know how to make other successful. Sometimes this is true but many times it is not the case, but do not be surprised when you are passed up for a job by a former SEC athlete when you are a knowledgeable Division 3 athlete.
2. Get a degree in exercise science, kinesiology, bio-mechanics, physical education or a related major. This is another point that will not hurt you if you know the right people. One of the smartest trainers I have ever heard talk about the field was a music major in college and now works with the football team at a school that is usually in the top twenty-five every year. Unfortunately most schools gear these majors towards a hospital setting and not towards athletes, but if you use your imagination you can use the knowledge learned in these classes and apply them to a sports setting. Most of the time when you get to choose the topic for a project, choose something sport related. These classes will help you understand the science behind what you do and potentially help you train more effectively.
3. Make sure you train yourself. You can take this comment one of two ways. You can physically train and make sure you are in some sort of shape, most people like being trained by someone who at least looks the part. Train for strength or power, or aesthetic purposes but get under the bar and train. When your athletes know and see you training they will not be able to make an excuse about you not knowing what you are talking about. Many times it motivates them to work a little harder if they see you training hard. The other way you could take this is to sit down and write your own workouts and try them out. Using yourself as a guinea pig is a great way to experiment and see how you feel, see if things work and make the appropriate adjustments so when you do a similar type workout with your athletes you know exactly whats going on with their bodies.
4. Volunteer, get an internship, and/or get a graduate assistantship. These options will help you get the practical experience you need to be successful. The first things they do is help you see the life of a collegiate strength coach. This alone may help you make the long term decision to pursue this career choice. You will be mentored by someone who knows whats going on. I was lucky enough to have a mentor that gave me a couple of lower level teams and let me do what I wanted to do. he would just correct it if I was potentially putting the athlete at risk. This is also your time to ask questions. If the school is participating in an internship or graduate assistantship program they should expect and be willing to answer any questions that you may have as a newbie. When you are done with your time you will have experience, a degree if you have done a graduate assistantship, and maybe a few contacts that could help you land a new job when you are done.
5. Get certified to be a strength coach. This tip is probably the only "must". Every job you look at will require some sort of certification. There are a few that are strongly recommended at the collegiate level. The oldest is the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) offered by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. These guys are probably the most recognizable name in this world so it is considered the most prestigious of the three I will mention. The next is the Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) offered by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association(CSCCA). This one is great as a college strength coach because all of their information is geared toward the college setting. the other two are also commonly used by personal trainers so much of their information can vary. The SCCC is a good choice because they make sure you have an education and part of the requirements is to do a year long internship under one of their Master Strength Coaches. The last common certification is the USA Weightlifting Club Coach certification. This is only useful if you really enjoy using the Olympic lifts in your program. This certification basically teaches you how to teach and use these lifts properly.
6. Read, research, and read some more. While this is mentioned last it may be the most important thing to do. Research your job, know its pay scale, know different training methods and when to use them. Just learn as much as you can about collegiate strength and conditioning and the training methods that are out there. Trust me when I tell you that most schools out their are severely deficient in teaching proper training techniques for athletes and there are multiple resources available that can help you along your way to becoming a successful trainer.

Hopefully this list was helpful in educating you about the process of becoming a collegiate strength and conditioning coach. It is a fun and rewarding job but you may have to work very hard to get a decent paying job in the beginning. As you work up the ladder it will become more stressful but also potentially more rewarding as a coach. Do your homework about this job but have fun.