Do your weightroom supervisors in the state of New Jersey have to be certified in strength and conditioning? As far as I know, there is no law that says a weightroom supervisor at the high school level has to be certified in strength and conditioning. So the simple answer to that question may be "No."

At the high school level, coaches usually teach classes, and as such would be certified teachers or working under the direct supervision of a certified teacher. Further, many sport coaches at the high school level (especially at smaller schools) also administer and supervisor all the strength and conditioning programs for their athletes. At larger schools, there are some coaches who handle the strength and conditioning of all athletes, but this is rare.

At the college level, as far as I know there are no laws governing the educational requirements of strength coaches. As long as a strength coach can produce results, he or she can gain employment. (BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss was a strength coach for the US Air Force Academy for eight years, and at the time his college degree was in journalism, not physical education.) Although most college coaches delegate strength and conditioning to their strength coaches, often they will have some influence on the training protocol.

Why get certified? First, let me refer you to a video clip that we have online at www.maxcast.com/BFScertification. Dr. Rabinoff is a full professor at Metro State College in Denver, Colorado, who has served as an expert witness in over 300 lawsuits. In this video clip he discusses the reasons why he believes certification is important.

Our position at BFS is that certification provides evidence that an individual was qualified to perform what he or she says they are qualified to do, and that their instruction follows the standards of care in the industry. And one way that we ensure this is by having our certification clinics provide hands-on instruction, plus an assessment of the coach in which they not only have to be able to properly demonstrate key exercises, but also that they can coach them. It’s not simply a multiple-choice or true/false exam as you’ll find with many certifications. Says Dr. Rabinoff: "I would prefer that any certifications involving strength and conditioning have a practical portion to ensure that coaches know how to teach these activities. I haven’t seen any of the certifications being questioned in a court of law as to their validity, but lawyers are becoming very sophisticated. So although it hasn’t happened, it doesn’t mean that it won’t in the future."

Being certified will not guarantee that you will never be sued, as people are always going to blame other people for their problems. But, with a BFS certification you will minimize the chances of being involved in a lawsuit, and we believe it will improve your chances of winning if you get sued.