What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Athletic Development Coach- Academy position at Nashville Soccer Club?
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Athletic Development Coach for the Nashville SC Academy will play a key role in leading the Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) program for Academy players, aligning with the High Performance Department’s philosophy.
This position will collaborate closely with High Performance staff across Nashville SC (NSC) and Huntsville City FC (HCFC) to design and implement team- and player-specific programs, both in the gym and on the field, to optimize the development of youth athletes within the Academy.
The ideal candidate will have prior coaching (sport or S&C) experience and a strong ability to deliver soccer-centric athletic development programs. Additionally, they should possess a formal educational background in exercise physiology or a related field, along with expertise in load management across various metrics relevant to youth soccer development.
This role reports directly to the Director of High Performance and the Head of Athletic Development for the First Team. It will also work closely with the Academy Director, Academy Athletic Trainers, and other key coaching and performance staff to create a cutting-edge, collaborative approach to player development.
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the growth of elite youth soccer athletes within a high-performance environment!
RESPONSIBILITIES
This position will direct and/or assist in the following areas:
- Lead and oversee on-field warm-ups, cool-downs, strength training, and prehabilitation sessions, as well as individualized training for targeted or rehabilitating players in collaboration with medical staff.
- Design and implement individual and team off-season training programs.
- Foster strong relationships with players and staff to effectively deliver performance programs.
- Develop educational materials to promote best practices in athletic development and sport performance, aligning with the High Performance department’s initiatives.
- Organize and maintain field and gym equipment.
- Travel with the team to games and events as needed.
- Stay current with the latest research and best practices for future program implementation.
- Contribute to and enhance LTAD programming, including data collection, testing, analytics, and reporting to optimize youth player performance.
- Manage player performance data, including distributing devices, processing and inputting data, wellness monitoring, testing administration, RPE collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Utilize performance monitoring tools and technologies to track player performance and support injury prevention strategies.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
- Undergraduate (Bachelor’s) Degree from a 4-year accredited University in related field of study such as Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Sport Science, Biomechanics, Strength & Conditioning, and/or similar
- NSCA-CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist)
- CPR Certification
PREFERRED
- Graduate (Master’s) Degree from an accredited University in related field of study
- 2-3 years experience working with youth soccer within the United States
- NSCA-CPSS (Certified Performance and Sport Scientist)
- Functional Movement Screening (FMS) and Selectvie Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) Level 1
- Bilingual in English and Spanish
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.
