Every September, as incoming students enter their first college semester, Fitness and Health Promotion (FHP) faculty often hear, \u201cI\u2019m more of a hands-on learner\u201d and \u201cI want to work with athletes.\u201d These students are in the right place. Currently, 17 Ontario colleges offer FHP, a two-year diploma program widely considered as a shorter version of the coveted Kinesiology\/Exercise Science bachelor\u2019s degree. For some, the college system may be the best vaulting point for aspiring strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches. Here are four reasons to support the college route. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Access to Kinesiology\nand Other Degree Bridges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n The typical path for an FHP graduate goes one of two ways:\ncontinuing education or direct entry into the fitness and health industry.\nEducation bridges allow diploma graduates to enter year two or three of a\ndegree program, like Guelph-Humber\u2019s Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology (B.A.\nKin). Degrees result in access to the gold standard in the S&C world\u2014the\nNational Strength and Conditioning Association\u2019s (NSCA) Certified Strength and\nConditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n So why not by-pass the diploma and enroll directly in a degree\nprogram? Jordan Tam, 2017 FHP graduate from Centennial College, answers, \u201cI\nreally wanted hands-on learning first and I knew this diploma would provide the\nopportunity to get me into university.\u201d Jordan attended Hartpury University in\nEngland, finishing an Honours Bachelor of Science in Sport-Science in just two\n\u2018top-up\u2019 semesters. He currently works as an S&C coach in Toronto. Jordan\nhas also earned his National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Level 1\nOlympic Lifting certification and is currently studying for the NSCA’s CSCS\nexam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n For some FHP alumni, the continuing education pathway extends even\nfurther. Durham College grad Tracey Patrick used the Guelph-Humber B.A.Kin\nbridge and subsequently gained entry into a Master of Science from The\nUniversity of Ontario, Institute of Technology. \u201cEight years ago, I would have\nlaughed in your face if you told me I\u2019d be earning a masters\u2019 degree,\u201d jokes\nTracey. She is currently completing her PhD applications while researching\nToronto\u2019s University Health Network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Job-Ready Graduates via\nValuable Hands-On Learning Experiences <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Canada’s college system was developed in the 1960s in response to\nthe growing need for skilled workers (Conference Board of Canada, 2019).\nDiploma programs remain guided by vocational learning outcomes that prepare\ngraduates for employment. In 2018, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and\nUniversities (MTCU) reported that 86.2% of diploma graduates in Ontario receive\nemployment within six months (MTCU, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Over 35% of curriculum hours in most FHP programs are devoted to\npractical and laboratory-based learning. Students learn about fitness\nassessment, movement and mobility screening, aerobic assessment, personal\ntraining, program design, agility and quickness, plyometrics, speed training,\nOlympic weightlifting and group exercise fundamentals. The practical learning\nexperience is even more robust in programs that offer multiple\nplacement\/internship experiences. \u201cThe practical portions of the program gave\nme the skills I value most. I loved my lab classes and we were able to\nimplement our learning on real clients in the campus gym,\u201d says Michelle\nMurphy, an FHP graduate from Centennial College. Michelle also notes that \u201cThe\npractical learning goes deeper; we had months to observe our clients\u2019 habits\nand learn to help people change their behavior. This is an imperative skill for\na good coach, whether you\u2019re working with athletes, gen pop, or older adults.\u201d\nMichelle is currently employed as a Strength Coach and Muay Thai instructor in\nScarborough. She also offers wellness coaching for all of her clients. \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n It\u2019s also worth noting the certification options available to\nstudents in FHP programs beyond the CSCS. Most Ontario colleges partner with\nthe Ontario Fitness Council (OFC) and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology\n(CSEP). Students who meet course-specific grade minimums can earn both the OFC\nPersonal Trainer and OFC Group Exercise certifications in-curriculum. After\nprogram commencement, graduates can opt to pursue the CSEP Certified Personal\nTrainer exam. Further, some FHP programs provide additional\noptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Industry Field\nPlacement Experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Humber College FHP graduate Dante Martella currently works as an\nS&C coach for Paragenix Systems, owned by Matt Nichol, the founder of\nBiosteel. Matt has long been considered among the S&C elite in the North\nAmerican hockey world. Dante was fortunate enough to earn a part-time coaching\ncontract after a 2013 field placement\/internship at Paragenix. \u201cI already had a\nuniversity degree, but was looking for a shorter program that could get me into\nthe working world.\u201d He also notes that his experiences at Humber and Paragenix\nhelped him grow as a coach because he was surrounded by amazing and experienced\npeople who believed in him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Joshua Delgado, a George Brown FHP graduate, also benefited from\nthe placement-to-employment pathway. \u201cI did my placement at the Ontario Soccer\nCentre in Vaughan, in the sports injury clinic. I was able to work with high\nperformance athletes and observe clinical treatments. I was hired for a short\nwhile to work on a research program. It was a valuable learning experience.\u201d\nJosh has certainly progressed in the S&C world. He is the Head Coach for\nCentennial College\u2019s Olympic Weightlifting and Powerlifting team and the\nFitness Services Coordinator at Centennial\u2019s Progress campus. \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Personal Connection to\nFaculty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Arguably, this is the essential core benefit of the college system. As a full-time faculty member, I can attest to the more intimate nature of diploma compared to degree programs. Academic performance is obviously important in post-secondary studies. However, FHP faculty are committed to student development beyond academic and professional practice. The best teachers invest more deeply by guiding students\u2019 emotional growth and maturation. Some may argue that this does not fit the traditional scope of a post-secondary teacher. I disagree. Undergraduate students are young adults who require time, safe spaces and trusting relationships to grow. Smaller class sizes foster these types of relationships. Michelle notes, \u201cMy program coordinator was and remains the most valuable relationship I had. He was always willing to meet with me and helped me remain objective when making decisions. I knew he was genuinely invested in me as a person. All my classmates felt the same way. We still meet regularly!\u201d These relationships also afford students access to the professional S&C networks of their faculty, advisors and\/or placement supervisors. Add academic capacity, practical experience and confidence and you have a young professional ready to thrive in the fitness and health industry. Further, as Michelle notes, FHP graduates can continue to rely on these trusted faculty for advice and guidance as they navigate their careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adam Balan is the Program Coordinator for the Fitness and Health Promotion Program at Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario <\/p>\n\n\n\n References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Conference Board of Canada\n(2019). Governing\nPost-Secondary Education and Skills in <\/em> Canada<\/em>.\nRetrieved from https:\/\/www.conferenceboard.ca\/temp\/7f0551fc-55f8-4389-8548-4e005e41a3e5\/6611-SPSE%20Governing%20PSE-RPT.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n