As I transition out of the Army and try to figure out what I'm going to do with my life, I've been spending a couple of days a week over the last few months shadowing under a local public school district's strength and conditioning coach. As I've said in previous articles, I'm not credentialed or certified and have no background in this field, so I came in eager to learn.
I'd like to share some of my observations and realizations based on this experience. These notes will not be surprising to those who already work in this environment. However, I hope there might be some value here for young athletes, their parents, and others like myself who have a desire to dive into the industry.
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The industry is undoubtedly growing. The International Sports Sciences Association's blog writes, "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, coaching, personal trainer, and fitness trainer jobs should grow 12 percent through 2029. This includes strength and conditioning coaching. This rate of growth is much faster than average."
In Texas, and I presume in other states, several public school districts are adding full-time strength and conditioning coaches to their payrolls for the first time. Additionally, high teacher attrition rates across the nation will likely open doors for those interested in making coaching (whether S&C or a sport) a part-time gig.
In any case, here are five things I've learned as an outside-looking-in volunteer.
1. Time is not your friend.
To say this coach that I shadowed has a full plate would be putting it lightly. Being responsible for the strength training programs for EVERY team at a high school AND the junior high kids that are in pre-athletics is a massive project with a ton of moving parts. Many times, sessions can be limited to 20 or 30 minutes due to competing priorities. It is important to put systems into place early in a season (or off-season) so that athletes aren't wasting time standing around and wondering what they are supposed to be doing. Streamlining warm-ups to cover all the necessary bases in a short amount of time is paramount in guaranteeing athletes a sufficient amount of time under a bar or on a field. Racks, bars, bands, etc., need to be set up before the session begins. Using a percentage-based program, weights for main movements need to be printed and posted. Without an assistant or volunteer, which is pretty rare at this level, these tasks all fall on the coach.
2. Structure is your friend.
In order to avoid the standing-around-wondering-what's-going-on I just alluded to, there needs to be an effective foundational period at the beginning of a season. Beyond that, it's prudent to avoid making big changes to programming when possible. Rather than changing an entire movement (i.e., trap bar deadlift to front squat), use progressions/regressions (i.e., hang clean to power clean) or the triphasic approach to changing main lifts.
An interesting approach that the coach I shadow is trying to implement for in-season athletes is a 3-day lifting split consisting of a max or submaximal effort day, a triphasic day, and a volume day. The other two school days of the week can be devoted to speed and/or conditioning work.
Of course, structure can be hard to maintain when the school/coach/kids have frequently-changing schedules, so your mileage may vary. Try and find a motivated and reliable coach (a young assistant coach is usually a good bet) on each team you work with that can lead their athletes through a workout or session without the strength coach.
Getting buy-in from the team coaches is the best way to ensure strength remains a priority, which in turn will keep you from having to rework things in the midseason when a coach might decide he wants to drop down from three to two sessions a week.
3. It's not about numbers on a board.
It's about making better athletes equipped for their sport and life. Squatting 500 pounds with terrible form is not (or should not be) the end all be all. Being able to run, jump, tackle, and just move in general without getting hurt is the name of the game.
The coach I follow is extremely methodical and diligent in maintaining harmony between strength, speed, and mobility for all of the athletes across a dozen sports.
One of my favorite things about the programming was the implementation of some ATG methodology to strengthen through a wide range of motion and stimulate muscle groups that are often ignored to help prevent injury. ATG split squats and lateral squats are a staple for many of the teams, which truly makes a difference for those young athletes with poor hip mobility. Hanging knee raise holds and tibialis raises are done weekly for running sports to strengthen hip flexors and prevent shin splints.
4. The "cool" sports aren't necessarily the most enjoyable to work with.
Out of all the teams I watched train, it was not football or basketball that I took the most interest in. The group that both a) moved the best and b) worked the hardest was the boy's soccer team, followed by girl's soccer, volleyball, and track.
Based on what I saw, the highest correlating variable with quality sessions was the training group's sports coach(es) being present and holding their athletes accountable while putting faith in the strength coach's program instead of trying to do their own thing. Sports like those mentioned above, along with wrestling and softball, might not draw huge crowds, but they tend to have a high concentration of working-class kids and coaches who care about getting better at their craft.
5. It's not a glamorous or easy job, but it is definitely rewarding.
There are certainly a lot of frustrations that come with the job, including the bureaucracy of the education world, coaches and athletes that don't want to be there, and lack of resources, among other things. It would be easy to get wrapped around the axle over such things on any given day. However, witnessing the young athletes who want to be there and better themselves become stronger and more confident is an absolute treat. Even as a part-time volunteer, spending time in the weight room was an awesome experience.
References
- Boyer, Alex. "Texas Teacher Turnover Rate Remains Low Despite Pandemic Challenges, New Data Shows." FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, 1 Feb. 2022, https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-teacher-turnover-rate-remains-low-despite-pandemic-challenges-new-data-shows.
- "Strength & Conditioning: How to Earn the Highest Salary." ISSA Online, International Sports Sciences Association, 5 Oct. 2021, https://www.issaonline.com/blog/post/strength-conditioning-how-to-earn-the-highest-salary.
Hunter Richardson serves as an infantry officer in the United States Army. He trains in a variety of ways and loves his garage gym dearly. Hunter currently volunteers as an assistant strength coach for local middle and high school athletes. You can find Hunter's training on Instagram @squatters_rites.
