Raising the Bar for Strength & Conditioning Internships

Before diving into the course details, I truly believe that with everything we start it’s important to ask "Why?" Why are we investing in building an internship program in the first place?

Why This Course Exists

The reason I created this course is two-fold.

First, I genuinely enjoy sharing what I’ve learned to help others become better equipped to coach. The interns we work with are beginning careers that aim to support athletes. In my opinion, sport is one of the most powerful tools to influence and inspire people. It teaches commitment, goal-setting, resilience, and growth through failure or setback.

These skills transcend the weight room and build qualities that extend into the lives of others. Coaches are often the quiet architects of athletes’ personal development, whether they realize it or not. For many athletes, their coaches may be some of the most consistent influences in their lives. There is an opportunity for coaches to leave a lasting imprint based on how they communicate, show care, and set and hold standards. That’s why intern development matters. Because great coaches don’t just happen. They are taught, mentored, and built.

If we’re in a position to host interns, I believe we carry a responsibility to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and mindset they need to succeed. Their success is not just for their own sake, but for every athlete they’ll go on to impact. 

Second, being an intern in strength and conditioning is demanding. It requires time, effort, and emotional investment, likely all while many are also completing their academic degrees. I believe those high standards are necessary to prepare future coaches for a challenging profession. But if we’re going to ask a lot from them, we owe it to them to give a lot in return.

I appreciate that this may not be financial, but a meaningful education and hands-on experience can set them up for future success. Even if your internship was setting up lifts, wiping down benches, and restocking protein shakes, I do not believe this should be the standard. That model may have been born out of tradition or necessity, but it’s not the best way to develop a coach. If we really want to elevate the field, we have to raise the bar on how we prepare those entering it.

That includes showing them how to think, not just what to do. It includes giving them context for the programming choices we make, helping them learn how to adapt to different athletes, and inviting them into real conversations around coaching, leadership, and professional development. We should model what it means to be a lifelong learner and challenge them to become the kind of coaches they wish they had.

One of the most rewarding parts of my role has been witnessing interns gain confidence. We get to take them from hesitant observers to trusted contributors. When they understand what is being asked of them and why, they start to speak up, take initiative, and start coaching with purpose. That growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because someone took the time to invest in them, to give them feedback, to challenge and encourage them.

This course is my effort to share what has worked in our own internship process. It will help you build an internship program from the bottom up in a way that allows you to reflect on your practice and provide that knowledge to your interns. I’ve included the lessons I wish I’d known earlier and the practices I now rely on to shape a quality intern experience. My hope is that it saves you time and energy, and ultimately that it helps you build something that truly serves the next generation of coaches.

Whether you're just starting to think about building an internship program or you're looking to improve one that already exists, this course is designed to meet you where you are. My goal is that through this course, you gain tangible insights to create an internship program that is both impactful and transformational for your interns, your athletes, your staff, and the field as a whole.

What You’ll Learn in This Course

Here’s what you can expect to take away from Building an Internship Program in S&C:

1. Setting the Stage with Clear Goals

We begin with goal-setting for your interns. We do this because intention drives action. Helping interns identify their “why” early on gives direction to their daily decisions, focus to their development, and purpose to their presence. When interns understand what they’re aiming for, even small tasks become meaningful steps toward professional growth. You’ll learn how to guide this discovery process, set expectations together, and revisit those goals throughout the internship to build momentum and accountability. Clear goals also make evaluation easier and more transparent for both you and your interns.

2. Developing Coaching & Leadership Skills

We’ll explore the soft skills that truly matter in coaching and leadership: communication, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and reflection. You'll get ideas for hands-on workshops, observation prompts, and exercises that help interns learn more about themselves and how they show up in professional spaces. These are the foundational skills that make great coaches. The earlier interns build these skills and behaviors, the more prepared they’ll be for the realities of coaching. This section helps you create space for those conversations and make personal growth a consistent part of your program.

3. Teaching the X’s and O’s of S&C

Yes, we’ll cover training theory, principles of adaptation, and coaching methodology. My goal here is to help you articulate your own system and share it with clarity. When interns understand why you program the way you do, they can engage with the process rather than just follow instructions. I’ll offer frameworks and discussion guides you can adapt to your own environment, plus insights into how I introduce concepts like exercise selection and training methods in the weight room. You’ll learn to teach the thinking behind your programming.

4. Creating a Feedback Loop

Feedback is a game-changer. This module gives you tools for delivering feedback that’s clear, constructive, and kind. But just as importantly, you’ll learn how to invite feedback from your interns. When feedback is a two-way street, it fosters mutual respect and continuous improvement. You’ll walk away with practical strategies for formal and informal feedback moments, reflective debriefs, and performance conversations that actually lead to growth.

Bonus Materials

Not everything fit neatly into the course modules, but there’s a bonus section packed with additional tools, resources, and insights to help you build and refine your program. These extras were created with the same intention as the rest of the course: to be as helpful and practical as possible.

A Final Thought

I truly hope this course leaves you inspired to build an internship program you’re proud of.

As I wrapped up this course, I asked myself: If I had access to something like this when I was starting out, would it have made me a better coach?

My honest answer is yes.

So I’ll leave you with this: If you design an internship experience that you would have benefited from when you were in their shoes, would you have been a better coach for it?

If your answer is also yes, then I think you’ve given a great start to their coaching careers.