Unveiling Gaps in High School Strength and Conditioning: CSCS Certification, Coaching Leadership, and Facilities

Judge, LW, Marsh, JP, Petersen, JC, Pearson, D, and Bellar, D. Unveiling gaps in high school strength and conditioning: CSCS certification, coaching leadership and facilities. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and/or dedicated strength coaches overseeing strength and conditioning facilities (SCFs) at the high school level in a Southwestern state. An online survey, comprising 72 items based on a validated instrument, collected data on SCFs from high school athletic directors statewide. A total of 245 surveys were completed representing a 17.5% response rate. Descriptive, Pearson correlation, chi-square, and ANOVA analyses were conducted with an a priori alpha level of p < 0.05 established. The results revealed that only 9.4% of SCF supervisors held CSCS certification, 27.8% lacked certification, and 62.9% did not have a dedicated strength coach overseeing the SCF. Facilities led by CSCS coaches had several areas of greater equipment resources, including bench press stations (F [2, 244] = 5.143, p = 0.006), squat stations (F [2, 244] = 3.570, p = 0.030), and power clean stations (F [2, 244] = 4.573, p = 0.011). This study highlights the importance of prioritizing safety considerations and meeting the developmental needs of high school athletes by addressing the absence of CSCS certifications and dedicated strength coaches overseeing SCFs. The scarcity of CSCS-credentialed coaches in high schools is troubling, considering adolescent athletes' developmental needs and recently enacted National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I safety standards for strength and conditioning coaches.