2026 NHSSCA Colorado State Clinic

8:30-9:00 am – CHECK-IN/REGISTRATION

9:00-9:10 am – WELCOME
Overview of Day’s Activities & Presentations

9:15-10:10 am – DUAL (HANDS-ON/LECTURE)
The Role of Mental Performance in Strength Coaching by Brian Bishop

OVERVIEW: Mental performance is a critical piece in the foundation of sustainable, optimal performance. In this session, Brian Bishop will introduce the Cycle of Performance within strength coaching and provide a clear understanding of how it applies to today’s training environments. You’ll learn how this framework can help mitigate the risks of over-training versus under-recovering in youth athletes, while enhancing overall readiness and resilience. The session will also equip you with practical ways to open and continue meaningful conversations around mental performance with fellow coaches moving forward.

10:20-11:05 am – LECTURE
Stronger After Surgery: Performance-Based ACL Rehabilitation by Megan Jaeckel

OVERVIEW: ACL surgery shouldn’t sideline an athlete’s development—it should supercharge it. In this high-energy, practical session, sports physical therapist Megan Jaeckel shows high school strength coaches exactly how to turn ACL rehab into one of the most powerful training windows of an athlete’s career. You’ll learn what’s really happening inside the knee after injury and surgery, what’s safe (and what’s not) at each stage, and how to keep athletes lifting, progressing, and competing in the weight room without overstepping your scope.

Megan will break down a clear, performance-based roadmap that lets PTs and strength coaches work as a true team—so athletes don’t just “get cleared,” they come back faster, stronger, and more confident than before. Rehab stops being a shutdown phase and becomes a strategic training phase.

What you’ll walk away with:

• • • A simple stage-by-stage framework for training ACL athletes in the high school weight room.
    • Clear do-this / don’t-do-this guidelines you can use on Monday.
    • Communication scripts to get on the same page with PTs, ATs, and sport coaches.

If a high school athlete tears an ACL in your program, this is the session that will change what happens next.

12:05 am-1:05 pm – DUAL LECTURE
Building Administrative Buy-in: How Strength Coaches Can Gain Support From Athletic Directors by Ernie Derrera & Mike Felice

OVERVIEW: Strength and conditioning programs play a critical role in improving athletic performance, reducing injuries, and developing a culture of discipline and accountability within athletic departments. However, the long-term success of these programs often depends on the level of support they receive from school administration.

In this panel discussion, two experienced athletic directors will share their perspectives on how strength and conditioning programs fit within the broader goals of an athletic department. Coaches will gain insight into what athletic directors look for in a strength coach, how programs can align with departmental priorities, and practical steps coaches can take to build trust and support from school leadership.

Attendees Will Learn:

• • • What athletic directors look for in a high school strength and conditioning program.
    • How strength coaches can build trust and credibility with school administration.
    • Strategies for communicating the value of a strength program to athletic directors and sport coaches.
    • Common mistakes that can prevent strength coaches from gaining administrative support.
    • Practical ways to align a strength and conditioning program with the goals of an athletic department.
    • How strong S&C programs can positively influence the culture and success of an entire athletic department

11:05 am-12:05 pm – ROUNDTABLE LUNCHEON

OVERVIEW: This interactive roundtable brings together high school strength coaches to discuss the real challenges and opportunities of building effective strength and conditioning programs. Attendees will help shape the conversation by ranking discussion topics upon arrival, allowing the session to focus on the issues most important to those in the room. Topics may include athlete development, coach buy-in, weight room management, programming strategies, and building a culture of strength within the athletic department.

1:05-2:05 pm – LECTURE
Speed is the Vaccine: Why High-Frequency Sprint Exposure Reduces Injuries in Sport by Travis Larson

OVERVIEW: This presentation explores how frequent exposure to high-speed movement can reduce injury risk and build more resilient athletes. The session focuses primarily on field/court-based training environments where athletes regularly experience competitive, chaotic, and high-intensity movement throughout gameplay. Coaches will learn how to organize linear sprinting, lateral movement, change-of-direction, and reactive agility drills to develop speed, coordination, and braking capacity. The lecture portion will explain the principles behind speed exposure, including how intensity, volume, and frequency are the most important variables in dosing appropriately. A practical component will demonstrate competitive warm-up environments and drill courses that vary in size and spatial constraints to emphasize acceleration, top speed, and braking demands. Coaches will also learn how to manipulate drill distance, number of cuts, and reactive elements to influence training outcomes and better prepare athletes for the demands of their sport.

2:05-2:20 pm – CLOSING REMARKS
Sweep The Shed