Today I get the pleasure to announce our fifth presenter for The 2019 Edition of The Seminar, Mark Stephenson. Mark is currently the Director of Player Performance with the Detroit Lions. Prior to his move to Michigan Mark worked with multiple Special Force Operators, including being involved in the assessment and selection of Navy SEALs. Mark unique track record and his work with pushing the profession forward though his time at The NSCA and the building of the TSAC program make him an exceptional addition the The Seminar, and one that I hope all the strength and conditioning professionals are as excited about having on board as I am, but for now, let’s meet Mark Stephenson…

JD: If you could, please give our readers a little background information about you, what your niche in the world of athletics is, accomplishments, how you got there, education, any products you have available and/or notable publications.

MS: Currently I am the Director of Player Performance for the NFL’s Detroit Lions where I am responsible for the coordination within disciplines of strength & conditioning, rehabilitation, nutrition, and coaching, along with overseeing the sports science and recovery program for the club.

Prior to joining the Detroit Lions, I had the privilege of holding the position of Human Performance Program manager for Naval Special Warfare Development Group. While at DEVGRU I worked with the operators on multiple performance enhancement methods as it relates to the physical and mental integration for optimal performance. This including being heavily involved in the Selection & Assessment of Navy SEALs and their abilities to perform under stressful conditions. Through physiological load monitoring, we developed training and recovery strategies that dramatically improved performance sustainment, sleep quality while mitigating the effects of chronic overtraining and chronic pain/fatigue. Our team also developed specific protocols to optimize performance and longevity among Navy SEALs. Physiological assessments, such as HRV, DC potential, and TMG have proven to be successful in profiling elite performers as well as aiding in the manipulation of training loads in order to sustain high performance over long periods.

Prior to working at DEVGRU, served as the Director of the Human Performance Center at the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) (2004 – 2009) where I over saw the resident strength and conditioning programs, physiological testing and assessments, and program development. This included serving as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Colorado College Men’s Ice Hockey team (2004 – 2009), High Performance coach for the Broadmoor Skating Club, and the Tactical Physiologist for the Colorado Springs Police SWAT team. While at the NSCA he developed the Tactical Strength and Conditioning (TSAC) program.

I’ve also been able to present at both national and international professional conferences on topics related to the state of physical and psychological readiness, recovery, and performance. I’ve also worked, trained, and developed athletes at the high school, NCAA Div. I, professional, and Olympic levels. He continues to consult with various professional sports teams in the NFL, MLB, and NBA.

As far as education, certification, and awards:

Education:
BS in Exercise Science – Rhode Island College
MS in Health Science – Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (UT)
PsyD in Sport and Performance Psychology (candidate) – University of the Rockies (CO)

Certifications:
Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) – National Athletic Trainers Association
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) – National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F) – National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Certified Sports Psychology Coach (CSPC) – Spencer Institute

Honors/Awards:
2017 TSAC Facilitator of the Year

JD: Discuss with us the mistakes you see made by strength and conditioning coaches in the United States and around the world, and what you feel should be done differently/how to correct these issues.

MS: With over 30 years in strength and conditioning, I have seen a transformation in philosophies from strength & power to more preventative. As physical therapists and athletic trainers became more involved in strength and conditioning, especially in the continuing education, there has been more of an emphasis on “prehabilitation”. As strength & conditioning coaches ventured into the commercial training field focusing more on “sport specific” training. Both have gotten away from training overall athleticism.

Where I believe the biggest mistake has been is the focus on monitoring loads for the purpose of not “overtraining” or working the players too hard to “prevent” injuries and optimize performance. The mistake is not using the load monitoring to understand what the demands of the activity are (practice, training, games) so that the strength and conditioning coach can better prepare the athlete to handle those loads. Optimization comes when the athlete is optimal recovered, both physically and mentally, mitigating injuries and sustaining performance.

What advice would you give a coach to improve knowledge in the lines of continuing education, meaning could you point our readers in a direction to find the scientific and practical information to improve the methods they use to improve performance?

MS: Continually improving your knowledge, both through application and empirical research, is necessary to truly be a professional. Increasing your network is helpful, increasing your inner-network is critical. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of mis-information and self-promotion that can get confusing. Be critical of all information and do your own due diligence to verify the information and decide for yourself it is creditable. This includes empirical research. Read the study yourself and determine if it is what you would conclude

JD: If you could give a brief description of what our attendees can expect from you at The Seminar?

MS: Attendees can expect to gain insight into what it means to train hardiness and how recovery is a key element to achieving resiliency.

JD: Any closing thoughts?

MS: Hardiness is the result of consistent hard efforts. Success has 3 key ingredients…Dedication, Consistency, and Mindset.

Who is Mark Stephenson?

Mark is currently the Director of Player Performance for the NFL’s Detroit Lions. He is responsible for the coordination within disciplines of strength & conditioning, rehabilitation, nutrition, and coaching. Mark was asked to join the Lions based on his past experiences consulting with various NFL teams and Special Operations. Mark also oversees the sports science and recovery program for the club.

Prior to joining the Detroit Lions, Mark served as the Human Performance Program manager for Naval Special Warfare Development Group. While at DEVGRU, Mark’s area of expertise involved the application of performance enhancement methods as it relates to the physical and mental integration for optimal performance. He was heavily involved in the Selection & Assessment of Navy SEALs and their abilities to perform under stressful conditions. Through physiological load monitoring, Stephenson’s program developed training and recovery strategies that dramatically improved performance sustainment, sleep quality while mitigating the effects of chronic overtraining and chronic pain/fatigue. Stephenson and his team developed specific protocols to optimize performance and longevity among Navy SEALs. Physiological assessments, such as HRV, DC potential, and tensiomyography have proven to be successful in profiling elite performers as well as aiding in the manipulation of training loads in order to sustain high performance over long periods.

Prior to working at DEVGRU, Mark served as the Director of the Human Performance Center at the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) (2004 – 2009) where he over saw the resident strength and conditioning programs, physiological testing and assessments, and program development. His duties included serving as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Colorado College Men’s Ice Hockey team (2004 – 2009), High Performance coach for the Broadmoor Skating Club, and the Tactical Physiologist for the Colorado Springs Police SWAT team. While at the NSCA he developed the Tactical Strength and Conditioning (TSAC) program.

Mark regularly presents at both national and international professional conferences on topics related to the state of physical and psychological readiness, recovery, and performance. Mark has successfully led many national sport performance programs such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Providence College, Colorado College Men’s Ice Hockey, and US Special Operations Forces units. He has successfully worked, trained, and developed athletes at the high school, NCAA Div. I, professional, and Olympic levels. He continues to consult with various professional sports teams in the NFL, MLB, and NBA.

We are hoping to provide the best possible content for strength coaches with each of our shows. If feel this could provide value for anyone else in the strength and conditioning field please feel free to share.

Book your seat for The 2019 Seminar by clicking the link here: https://cvasps.com/the-seminar/2019-seminar/

ENJOY THE CONTENT? THEN YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT THE STRENGTH COACH NETWORK!

You can find sensational content just like this in The Strength Coach Network. As a member of The Strength Coach Networks, you can access over 200 hours of the highest-level lecture content just like this one for 48 hours for only $1. Follow the link below to sign up and use the code CVASPS at check out to get a 48 hour trial for only $1. Check out The Strength Coach Network Here! https://strengthcoachnetwork.com/cvasps/

#StrengthCoach, #StrengthAndConditioningCoach, #Podcast, #LearningAtLunch, #TheSeminar, #SportsTraining, #PhysicalPreparation, #TheManual, #SportTraining #SportPerformance, #HumanPerformance, #StrengthTraining, #SpeedTraining, #Training, #Coach, #Performance, #Sport, #HighPerformance, #VBT, #VelocityBasedTraining, #TriphasicTraining, #Plyometrics