A successful athlete is built not just on the field, but in the weight room.

WSU offers an elite strength and conditioning program that is endorsed by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The program is the only one with that recognition in the Pacific Northwest.

The program is a minor through the university and does require classes, but the main portion of the program is a 120-hour internship requirement. Students spend 120 hours per semester working in the weight room with one of WSU’s NCAA Division I athletics programs.

“We’ll have people from the University of Idaho come in and work in the weight room because they can’t get the same experience at Idaho,” said head strength and conditioning intern Brian Carlson.

The interns lead the student athletes through all aspects of a strength and conditioning program. This includes pre-workout stretching, team and individual lifts, modified workouts to work with injuries, foam rolling and other recovery exercises, and even off-season conditioning.

Their main job is to help direct the athletes through the pre-planned workout. The head strength coach has prepared a workout, but often cannot observe all the athletes at once. The interns are able to help ensure everyone does the correct exercise and has correct form.

Interns are usually assigned to one team and stay with that team until they are needed elsewhere. This provides a great opportunity for students to gain experience working in a relatively stable environment with a high-level athletic program.

The interns are a combination of students pursuing the minor offered by the university and volunteers that are passionate about the subject.

For both interns and volunteers, there is a requirement of 10 observation hours in the weight room. This allows new applicants to see what happens during training sessions and ask questions if necessary.

After completing the observation hours and two prerequisite kinesiology courses, students interested in the minor complete the formal application.

Students that complete the minor can find a world of opportunity after graduation.

Carlson explained that almost everyone who completes the minor is able to go out and work directly with athletes, either with a gym or with a team anywhere in the country.

The ability for students to successfully go out and work in the field relies on a strong knowledge of both the field and their abilities. WSU’s strength and conditioning program offers abundant opportunities for both.

Carlson’s own experience showcases just what kind of opportunity the program provides.

“I started working with men’s basketball this summer,” said Carlson. “They’ve never had interns before, because football and basketball make the money that the rest of the teams use and they usually do their own thing. I’ve now been running basketball’s workouts for the past couple weeks because the strength coach we had here took a job in California.”

He continued to explain that his experience leading the basketball team’s workouts not only looks fantastic on a resume, but it was a learning opportunity that allowed for growth in areas other than academics.

Information about joining this program can be found on the WSU College of Education’s website.