IUSCA

IUSCA The International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association (IUSCA) is a not-for-profit, limited by Guarantee company, founded in 2019.

🚨 FREE WEBINAR | TRAINING THE TACTICAL ATHLETE: NAVIGATING RESEARCH, REALITY, AND READINESSHow can research inform the p...
06/10/2026

🚨 FREE WEBINAR | TRAINING THE TACTICAL ATHLETE: NAVIGATING RESEARCH, REALITY, AND READINESS

How can research inform the preparation of tactical athletes while accounting for the realities and demands of operational environments?

Join Dr J. Jay Dawes for this FREE IUSCA webinar exploring the relationship between research, applied practice and readiness when training tactical populations.

Jay is Professor of Applied Exercise Science at Oklahoma State University and a leader within its Tactical Fitness and Nutrition Lab. He has more than 25 years of experience across strength and conditioning, athletic performance, personal training and education, working with populations ranging from collegiate and professional athletes to law enforcement, fire and military personnel. Jay is also President-Elect of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

His research and applied work focuses extensively on tactical performance, physical readiness, fitness assessment and translating evidence into practical strategies for real-world environments. His work continues to contribute to the scientific literature around law enforcement and firefighter performance.

In this webinar, Jay will explore how practitioners can navigate the gap between what research tells us, what operational reality demands and what is required to develop physically prepared tactical athletes.

📅 3rd December
⏰ 10:00am PT | 1:00pm ET | 6:00pm GMT

💬 Comment “webinar” below and we'll send you the link to register for FREE.

This webinar is proudly supported by Hawkin Dynamics.

🌍 IUSCA.org/events

🏆 WHY NORTHWESTERN VALUES IUSCA ACCREDITATIONWhat does a leading NCAA Division I performance programme look for when ass...
05/10/2026

🏆 WHY NORTHWESTERN VALUES IUSCA ACCREDITATION

What does a leading NCAA Division I performance programme look for when assessing Strength and Conditioning professionals?

For Adam Hermann, Assistant Athletic Director for Olympic Sports Performance at Northwestern University, the IUSCA aISCP certification provides an important marker of professional standards and practitioner competence.

“The IUSCA aISCP certification is the gold standard for strength and conditioning professionals around the globe.”

The aISCP is designed to recognise practitioners who can demonstrate the combination of scientific education, substantial professional experience and applied coaching competence required for autonomous S&C practice.

Applicants are required to demonstrate:
🎓 A relevant scientific degree
🏋️ A minimum of two years' full-time equivalent professional S&C experience
📂 A comprehensive practitioner portfolio
🎥 A rigorous practical assessment of applied coaching competence

This provides employers with evidence extending beyond the completion of a course or examination. It demonstrates that the practitioner has been assessed across their education, professional experience and ability to apply knowledge effectively in practice.

For organisations such as Northwestern, this provides a meaningful benchmark when considering the professional preparation of potential performance coaches.

Learn more about why Adam Hermann at Northwestern University values IUSCA accreditation and how this influences the way they assess potential performance coaches.

🔗 iusca.org/aISCP

🤔 How do you motivate the 21st-century athlete?🎯 Athlete buy-in is one of the most important factors in effective coachi...
04/10/2026

🤔 How do you motivate the 21st-century athlete?

🎯 Athlete buy-in is one of the most important factors in effective coaching—but motivation isn’t one-size-fits-all. Understanding what drives individual athletes and adapting your approach can make a huge difference to engagement and performance.

🎤 In his session, Ron McKeefery mISCP explored how coaches can motivate the 21st-century athlete, using different approaches to build relationships, improve engagement and maximise athlete buy-in.

💡 From understanding your athletes to adapting your coaching approach, this session provides valuable insight into how coaches can create an environment where athletes are genuinely invested in the process.

🎥 Watch Ron McKeefery’s full session exclusively on IUSCA Video: IUSCA.org/iusca-video

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🆓 Access IUSCA Video for FREE by registering for any IUSCA course or certification.

👉 Find out more at IUSCA.org/courses

🚨 LATEST S&C JOBS | IUSCA JOB BOARDThis week's featured opportunities include roles in professional football, rugby, com...
03/10/2026

🚨 LATEST S&C JOBS | IUSCA JOB BOARD

This week's featured opportunities include roles in professional football, rugby, community sport and international performance programmes across the UK, Ireland and USA.

Every vacancy on the IUSCA Job Board is independently classified against the International Qualification Framework (IQF), with salary assessed against the responsibilities and professional demands of the role.

FEATURED THIS WEEK

🔴 Burnley FC in the Community | ETC S&C Coach
IQF Level 6 | £13.50/hour | Red

🟢 Scottish Rugby | NTP Athletic Performance Coach
IQF Level 6 | £40,000–£45,000 | Green
🏅 IUSCA Aligned Role

⚪ Everton Women | Lead Physical Performance Coach
IQF Level 6 | Salary undisclosed
Indicative minimum: £40,000

⚪ Leinster Rugby | Women's Pathway Athletic Development Coach
IQF Level 6 | Salary undisclosed
Indicative minimum: €55,000

⚪ Wexford FC | Lead S&C Coach
IQF Level 7 | Salary undisclosed
Indicative minimum: €65,000

⚪ U.S. Soccer Federation | Senior Performance Coach, Women's Youth National Teams
IQF Level 6 | Salary undisclosed
Indicative minimum: $95,000

Where salaries are disclosed, IUSCA assesses their alignment with the role's scope, autonomy and responsibilities. Where salaries are not disclosed, we provide an IUSCA Indicative Minimum Salary Benchmark based on the role and relevant employment context.

Swipe to explore this week's opportunities, including two roles carrying contrasting salary assessments and an IUSCA Aligned Role.

🔎 Explore vacancies and apply:
www.iusca.org/jobs

Better jobs. Fairer recruitment. Greater transparency. Higher professional standards.

🚨Published Today🚨 Comment ‘CMJ’ and we’ll DM you the full manuscript! 📥The Acute Impacts on Countermovement Jumping Metr...
02/10/2026

🚨Published Today🚨 Comment ‘CMJ’ and we’ll DM you the full manuscript! 📥

The Acute Impacts on Countermovement Jumping Metrics Following an Exhibition Soccer Match

By Eric Conchola, Avery Bass and Lauren Piper

You can also find the full article for 🆓 by heading over to the IJSC website 💪

01/10/2026

Does a programme need to be complex to be effective?

In strength and conditioning, it can be easy to overcomplicate programme design. More exercises, more variables and more complexity can sometimes feel like better coaching—but that isn’t always the case.

Sometimes, the simplest programmes can be the most effective.

When there is a clear outcome in mind, every exercise, set and repetition can have a specific purpose. The programme becomes easier to understand, easier to execute and, importantly, easier to evaluate.

For coaches, the challenge isn’t creating the most complicated programme. It’s creating a programme that effectively achieves the outcome you’re trying to produce.

At the IUSCA 2026 International Conference on Strength and Conditioning, explored why simple programming can often be the most effective, and the importance of having a clear outcome behind your programme design.

Because good programming isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters.

🎥 Watch Mark Campbell’s presentation and hear his thoughts on keeping programme design simple, purposeful and outcome-focused.

🤔💭 Do you think we overcomplicate strength and conditioning programmes?

Follow the link below for more educational content ⬇️

🎥IUSCA.org/iusca-video

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You can also access IUSCA Video for 🆓 by registering for any course or certification at IUSCA.org/courses

Recognising one of the pioneers of Strength & Conditioning research and practice.Professor John Cronin is one of the mos...
29/09/2026

Recognising one of the pioneers of Strength & Conditioning research and practice.

Professor John Cronin is one of the most internationally recognised figures in Strength and Conditioning, with a career spanning high-performance sport, applied research, innovation and the development of generations of S&C practitioners and researchers.

Professor of Strength and Conditioning at Auckland University of Technology, John has played a major role in the development of S&C and sports performance research at AUT and SPRINZ.

His work has connected scientific research directly with high-performance practice, including work benefiting elite athletes and organisations such as New Zealand Cricket and the Silver Ferns.

That commitment to translating research into better practice has extended throughout his career. John has contributed to the development of applied performance assessment methods and sports technology, including the commercialisation of the Hawkin TruStrength system, while supervising and mentoring postgraduate researchers from around the world.

It is therefore particularly fitting to recognise Professor Cronin as an IUSCA Master International Strength & Conditioning Practitioner (mISCP), the highest practitioner distinction within the IUSCA pathway.

Reflecting on the recognition, John said:
“I wake each day still passionate about education, research and the journey with my students, to create new knowledge to enhance S&C practice. If anything this is recognition of their great work also, and also AUT University for their vision and commitment to supporting sport performance research.”

The mISCP recognises individuals who have demonstrated sustained senior-level contribution, leadership and impact within Strength & Conditioning over an extensive professional career.

Congratulations, John, and thank you for your continued contribution to the development of Strength & Conditioning research, practice and education worldwide.

🔗 Learn more about the IUSCA mISCP: IUSCA.org/mISCP

🔗 Professor John Cronin at AUT: academics.aut.ac.nz/john.cronin

Does the salary match the role?Strength and Conditioning is not subject to statutory professional licensure in many majo...
28/09/2026

Does the salary match the role?

Strength and Conditioning is not subject to statutory professional licensure in many major S&C markets globally.

In the absence of a common statutory framework, considerable variation can develop in job titles, responsibilities, qualification requirements, salaries and career progression. This makes clear, transparent and internationally comparable employment standards particularly important.

The IUSCA IQF Role Classification & Salary Alignment Guide provides a consistent international framework for assessing S&C roles based on what the job actually requires.

Each role is classified across the IQF Practitioner Pathway according to factors including scope of practice, autonomy, responsibility, decision-making, qualifications, experience and leadership expectations.

Once the appropriate IQF level has been established, salary alignment can be assessed against the demands of the role:

🟢 GREEN Appropriate alignment
🟠 AMBER Some mismatch
🔴 RED Materially below the expected level
⚪ GREY Insufficient information

Where a vacancy does not disclose a salary, the IUSCA provides an indicative minimum salary based on the role classification and relevant market context. This gives practitioners a useful benchmark and encourages greater transparency from employers.

Roles demonstrating appropriate alignment across role scope, qualification expectations and salary may also receive the IUSCA Aligned Role designation, displayed prominently on the IUSCA Job Board.

The aim is simple: greater transparency, consistency and proportionality in S&C employment worldwide.

📘 Download the FREE IQF Role Classification & Salary Alignment Guide:
🔗 IUSCA.org/jobs

🤔 Are we assessing force correctly?📊 Force testing can provide valuable information about an athlete’s strength, perform...
27/09/2026

🤔 Are we assessing force correctly?

📊 Force testing can provide valuable information about an athlete’s strength, performance and readiness—but how confident are we that the way we assess force is giving us the information we actually need?

🎤 At the 2025 IUSCA International Conference on Strength & Conditioning, Paul Comfort mISCP explored the question “Are We Assessing Force Correctly?”, examining the principles behind force assessment and why the methods we use to collect and interpret force data matter.

💡 For practitioners, understanding what we are measuring, how we are measuring it and what the data actually tells us is essential when using force assessment to inform training and athlete development.

🎥 Watch Paul Comfort’s full session exclusively on IUSCA Video: IUSCA.org/iusca-video

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🆓 Access IUSCA Video for FREE by registering for any IUSCA course or certification.

👉 Find out more at IUSCA.org/courses

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