M.S. in Sport Physiology and Performance Coaching

I chose Carroll University because of the highly respected faculty. After completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Nevada, Reno, I wanted to further my education in the field of sport science and strength and conditioning. I wanted to get hands-on coaching experience, apply scientific-based training principles, and to do research and the SPPC program offered it all. Additionally, Dr. Timothy Suchomel is well known in the strength and conditioning world and I knew working under him would be an incredible experience.
 
The practicum was very hands-on and I learned a lot about myself as a coach. This environment gave me a chance to apply what I was learning in the classroom to the weight room immediately and throughout the year. Another benefit that the practicum gave me was that I was part of the Sport Performance Enhancement Group (SPEG) where the Human Performance Coaches, Athletic Trainers, and Athletic Director would come together to discuss training reports, athlete health, weight room needs and areas for improvement to allow our athletes to reach their greatest potential.
 
The SPPC program also offered a unique experience where we were part of the Carroll University Sport Performance Institute (CUSPI) … we were essentially the sport scientists for our teams and performed athlete testing and monitoring. I took advantage of as many opportunities as I could, which included working with multiple teams, coaching a diverse population of athletes, performing athlete testing and monitoring, communicating with sport coaches, performing research, presenting at the NSCA National Conference, interning with the Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education (CESSCE), and working within the Carroll University Sport Performance Institute.

Choosing Carroll was easy – all of my professors at the time pushed me to learn from the best if I was going to continue my education. In addition to a brilliant facility, Carroll offered a 15-month master’s program that allowed me to not only get my degree, but to have the same responsibilities and accountability as a full-time strength and conditioning coach. It was appealing to me because there was the research and deeper knowledge in the course work, as well as the practical coaching side.
 
The experiences that stand out most to me is the research and having your own teams to coach. The research was new and exciting for me because the science behind the exercise is what makes this field amazing, and it allowed me to grow as a professional. On the other hand, working with my assigned teams as their human performance coach and watching them grow into better athletes is what made this program stand out. These courses prepared me to leave Carroll and be ready to enter the field. The SPPC program is set up to provide as much involvement as possible, and I did just that.
 
I am currently a full time strength and conditioning coach for athlete performance, and I can honestly say I would not be where I am without Carroll’s SPPC program. At the start of the SPPC program at Carroll, I knew what my strengths and weaknesses were as a coach, and I had only 15 months to do better. Throughout the coursework I gained more knowledge, as a professional I participated in conducting research and learned to communicate with the human performance team, and as a coach I practiced what I was preaching to better understand what I was programming to my athletes.

I wanted to further my education in the sport sciences and make myself a better resource for athletes. I chose the SPPC program at Carroll because I knew the faculty and because of this I was certain I would be given the opportunity to learn a lot, whether it was in the classroom setting or in a practical setting.

Being assigned a team and writing their strength and conditioning programming gave me a lot of responsibility and freedom to learn from my mistakes and successes along the way. It was a huge confidence booster – being able to use what you learned in class practically with teams and watching them become better athletes.

I was given so many opportunities: to be a leader, an assistant, a part of research, do athlete profile testing, everyday weight room and athletic facility functions, assigned a team and made responsible for their growth as athletes, a large and very optimal set of choices for internship experience, and even be a part of staff weekly meetings. Having all of these opportunities and being able to see all facets of human performance that a strength coach can be a part of helped me not only become more knowledgeable but helped me know where I would like to be and how I am going to make the biggest positive impact on athletes.