Published On: October 29, 2024Categories: Interviews

Nicole Smart has over 15 years of coaching experience.  She is an active member of the Canadian Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCA) as part of the Advisory Team and she is also a member of the Ontario Weightlifting Association. She has worked with high-performance athletes from many sporting backgrounds for strength training, sprint development and agility techniques.

CSCA: What was it that first interested you about being in the S&C field?

NS: In 2016, I was coaching youth sports and realized that I was more interested in developing athletic qualities than athletic skill. I knew then that I wanted to be a strength and conditioning coach.

CSCA: What will be your main area of focus as a coach in the next two to three years?

NS: In the next two to three years, I intend on diving deeper into the collegiate strength and conditioning world and helping the teams I work with reach their goals. I spent the last 15 years working with youth athletes.  Dealing with student-athletes is a different world that challenges me in different ways each day.

CSCA: If you were forced to select only one, what is your top key to learning and developing as a coach?

NS: My key to learning as a coach is to spend time with people I admire; we learn so much from just listening and being in the right rooms with the right people.

CSCA: Why did you join the CSCA Advisory Team?

NS: I joined the CSCA Advisory Team because working in S&C can often feel like working in a silo. The CSCA is a community that allows information to be found in one place and that is something I want to be a part of.

CSCA: Thank you for your time Nicole, all the best as you develop yourself and the athletes you work with.

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