A Roundtable With College Strength and Conditioning Coaches: Working With Sport Coaches

Abstract

Strength and conditioning coaches are routinely considered key members of the team working to prepare athletes for sport competitions. This has led to substantial confusion over the roles of strength and conditioning coaches and their working relationship with sport coaches. For example, when detailing their job tasks strength and conditioning coaches have described ineffective and stressful relationships with the sport coaches with whom they work. The purpose of this paper is to present information from college strength and conditioning coaches specific to their working relationship with sport coaches. Fulltime strength and conditioning coaches representing all National Collegiate Athletic Association divisions in the United States responded to a series of 10 questions. The respondents provided a variety of examples detailing their experiences working with sport coaches and provided advice both for strength and conditioning and sport coaches to improve the working relationship for the betterment of the athletes.