The role of a strength and conditioning coach requires the combination of many different components including leadership, knowledge, coach-athlete relationships, motivation and education; thus, highlighting the complexity of the role. Professional knowledge is extremely important.  For example, being able to understand the demands of competition and then to plan and program components such as strength, power or endurance into a periodised plan to elicit maximum adaptations is very important.  This may be as a result of combining both academic research and practical experience.  Additionally, I think that the strength and conditioning coach must also have the interpersonal skills to effectively interact with not only athletes, but technical coaches, parents and any other stakeholders within an organisation.  Finally, intrapersonal skills required to critically reflect on experiences in order to translate experience into knowledge is essential to ensure ongoing development.

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Throughout my experience within professional team sport in the field of Strength & Conditioning/Sport Science, I have applied structured, individualised programs to develop a variety of goals including fat-loss, increasing lean muscle mass, maximal strength and explosive power. This has also seen me design and carry out testing batteries in order to assess physical capacities of athletes as well as performing daily monitoring assessments including psychometric questionnaires to measure player wellness, individual session intensity scores (RPE), GPS metrics, body composition and heart rate variability values. My accreditation with ISAK (International Society for Advanced Kinanthropometry) has enabled me to accurately measure body composition which, along with my ISSN diploma in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and CSCS with the NSCA has strengthened my ability and competence in implementing nutritional and strength and conditioning interventions with the athletes and clients I have worked with. These assessments and monitoring techniques would require careful planning in order ensure the collection of valid and reliable data which was facilitated through my attention to detail and meticulous approach to data collection. 

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My experience within professional football has required me to work closely as part of an interdisciplinary team, working with physiotherapists, sports therapists, doctors, professional athletes and technical coaches. This has not only improved my soft skills such as communicating and relationship building, but also helped me to develop knowledge of different disciplines within the sporting environment. I have been actively involved in the return to play of injured players, providing the transition from physiotherapy treatment into gym and pitch-based strength and conditioning. Starting a reflective blog on my website has helped me to reflect on some of my experiences as well as enhance my self-awareness in an attempt to progress my own professional development. I also use my website to publish articles that I have authored relating training and nutritional advice and recommendations. This has developed my writing skills and ability to convey (sometimes complicated) information in an easy to interpret manner.