The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) has approved Hastings College for its Education Recognition Program (ERP) based on criteria met by the College’s undergraduate exercise science major and strength and conditioning program.
Hastings College and its current and incoming students gain several benefits through the ERP endorsement.
Most significantly, the NSCA recognition allows Hastings College to offer courses that will better prepare students for certification exams and careers in the field. A certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) certification offered by the NSCA enhances a student’s credentials, which expands employment opportunities in coaching and physical education. A CSCS certification is held as the “gold standard” of the field.
“If a student wants to be a coach or teacher, especially at the high school level, they usually have a role in the strength and conditioning program. With this certification, they will be well prepared to take on that role,” said Nicholas Dinan, Hastings College assistant professor of exercise science.
Other benefits as an ERP institution include discounts on NSCA certification exams, student membership and conference registration. Students will also receive premier access to NSCA scholarships, internships and assistantships.
NSCA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning profession around the world. It offers industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services and continuing education opportunities to and from over 45,000 members worldwide.
Hastings College is currently the only Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) school in Nebraska with the recognition, and just three other Nebraska institutions have received acceptance into the ERP (Chadron State College, the University of Nebraska Omaha and Wayne State College).
“This is a good direction for the Physical Education and Human Performance Department at Hastings College. We have a lot student-athletes in the College’s student population, so it’s meeting student needs, as well as preparing students for a career they are interested in,” Dinan said. “It also puts us in a central location to attract students, graduate assistants and coaches to Hastings, all of whom will benefit from our program.”
The College will retain its NSCA recognition until Oct. 31, 2019, at which point it can reapply for another three-year endorsement.
Hastings College is a private, four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. With 64 majors and 15 pre-professional programs, Hastings College has been named among “Great Schools, Great Prices” by U.S. News & World Report and a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.
