What Is A Strength & Conditioning Coach?

The answer, "what do you?" get brought up all the damn time when you meet new people. Some talk about the marketing job they have. Or their job as a nurse, laborer, teacher, ______________ (fill in the blank). When it comes to me, it is always a difficult one. Am I personal trainer? Kind of. Am I a teacher? Sort of. Do I help people get stronger and in better condition? The answer is Hell Yea! 

Working with young athletes often times put you in a tough spot. For some kids, you only get 3 or 4 weeks to work with them. So how do you handle this? You get them a little stronger, a little better conditioned, and then send them off to their sport coach. After a few months of the season, they come back in for a few more weeks before they start the next sport. So what do you do now? You get them a little stronger and get them in a little better condition. It sounds simple but it definitely is not easy.

There are a ton of great training programs out there that only seem to work in a perfect world. I hate to surprise you all but we don't live in a perfect world. You can have everything planned out for months but then a surprise vacation comes up. Or an illness. Or a blizzard (hopefully we don't see this again). Or how about those days you are supposed to "max out" but the athlete only slept 4 hours the previous day and didn't have a chance to eat breakfast or lunch. Do you still max out that day? For me the answer is no way! The risk and potential for a letdown is too high in a situation like this. Which brings me back to my point...

Planning and preparing is always a must. But outside circumstances always come up. You may work with some kids for 6-8 months and you get a better idea on how they are feeling, what works for them, etc. But for those kids where you get them for only 2-3 weeks before a sport season begins, you can only do one thing: Get them a little stronger and get them in a little better condition. Afterall, your title is Strength & Conditioning Coach.

Have a great week and weekend
Chris Fluck

WEEKEND CHALLENGE: Do Something You Have Never Done Before. 
I don't care what it is. Lift five more pounds, do one more rep, run one-tenth of a mile further, you get the idea. Give yourself a reason to celebrate and feel good about what you just accomplished!