Welcome to Strength in Leadership, a Strength & Conditioning Coach Development Program delivered in partnership with Athlete Assessments and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) designed specifically for NSCA Members.  

While technical mastery and program design are essential, the true differentiator of effective Strength and Conditioning coaches lies in their ability to understand, connect with, and influence people. Athletes don’t just follow programs, they follow coaches they trust.

Research from the Center for Sport Research (Foulds et al., 2019) highlights that athlete perceptions of a Strength and Conditioning coach’s leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills are more strongly correlated with motivation and performance outcomes than training expertise alone. In other words, the best S&C coaches don’t just build stronger athletes, they build stronger relationships.

No matter what stage of your coaching career you are at, the foundation of leadership development is the same: strong self-awareness.

Why DISC Matters for Strength & Conditioning Coaches

DISC Profiling is a practical, evidence-based tool that helps you develop a deeper understanding of:

• Your natural leadership and coaching style.
• How you communicate, motivate, and influence others.
• How your behaviour is experienced by athletes, peers, and support staff.
• Where your strengths lie, and where blind spots or limiting behaviours may exist under pressure.

By completing your DISC Profile, you’ll gain insight into how you lead, not just what you coach. This awareness allows you to adapt your leadership approach across different athletes, environments, and performance contexts, a critical capability in modern high-performance settings.

The goal of Strength in Leadership is to build a strong foundation for applying DISC Profiling to your coaching practice and leadership development. 

Through this program, you will be supported to:

• Increase self-awareness as a coach and leader
• Build adaptability in your communication and leadership approach
• Strengthen relationships with athletes and colleagues
• Identify behaviors that enhance trust, engagement, and performance
• Apply behavioral insights directly to real-world coaching environments

This program is designed to help you lead with greater intention, clarity, and impact; on the gym floor, in the weight room, and beyond.

To prepare you for what’s ahead, we’ll cover 

• Why we’re doing this (watch the video below)

• Completing your CoachDISC Profile, supported by short introduction and preparation videos
• Understanding your personalised CoachDISC results and key leadership themes
• Participating in four live workshops, supported by online modules aligned to the LEAD Model
• Applying DISC insights to communication, leadership, and coaching behaviours in Strength & Conditioning environments
• Taking part in two live networking sessions to connect, share experiences, and learn from other coaches in your cohort
• Turning insight into action by applying your learning directly in your coaching practice