Best Continuing Education Resources for Strength Coaches

Why Continuing Education Matters More Than Your Certification

Your CSCS gets you in the door. What keeps you at the top of your field is what you do after you get hired. The coaches we’ve seen grow fastest in this profession are the ones who treat their own development like they treat their athletes’ training — intentional, progressive, and never finished. Here’s where to invest your CEU hours and professional development budget.

Certifications: What’s Worth Holding

Certification	Organization	Best For	CEUs Required
CSCS	NSCA	All S&C coaches — the baseline credential	6 per 3 years
SCCC	CSCCa	Collegiate strength coaches specifically	Varies
USAW Sport Performance Coach	USA Weightlifting	Programs with Olympic lifting component	Varies
FMS Certified	Functional Movement Systems	Movement screening integration	N/A — one-time
CPSS	NSCA	High-performance sport science	6 per 3 years

Conferences Worth Attending

NSCA National Conference

The largest S&C-specific conference in the country. Best for breadth — you’ll get exposure to research, new methods, and vendors all in one place. Worth attending every 2–3 years if budget is tight. The pre-conference workshops are often more valuable than the main sessions.

CSCCa National Conference

The conference for collegiate strength coaches specifically. More practically focused than NSCA National — the hallway conversations and networking are the real value. If you’re in the college space, this is the one to prioritize.

NSCA State Clinics

Underrated and affordable. State clinics often feature the same quality of presenter as national events at a fraction of the cost and travel. Great for high school coaches working with limited PD budgets.

Online Learning Worth Your Time

• NSCA.com Education Portal — webinars and recorded sessions that qualify for CEUs
• Cal Strength / USAW educational content — for Olympic lifting skill development
• Simplifaster articles and webinars — consistently high-quality applied sport science
• ALTIS Education — elite track and field methodology with strong crossover to S&C
• Dan Baker’s published research and seminars — required reading for serious coaches