At smaller colleges, strength and conditioning coaches are often asked to lead big with limited staff. Whitney Leyva-Camberos, Director of Sports Performance at Fresno Pacific University and NSCA Southwest Regional Coordinator, shares how she supports a growing program while building a career through service. Leyva-Camberos talks through small-department challenges coaches know well, from crowded training windows and shared weight room space to constant communication with sport coaches. She uses timing gates and velocity-based training to raise intent, spark athlete competition, and keep data useful for a small staff. As a parent and department leader, Leyva-Camberos reflects on the support that helps coaches stay in the field for the long term. She also shares how saying yes and showing up at NSCA events helped turn local introductions into lasting connections. Listen for strategies to lead with limited resources, choose technology with purpose, and get connected through NSCA opportunities in your region.

Connect with Whitney on Instagram: @bigassmuscles or by email: whitney.leyva@fresno.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

Connect Locally: Find your NSCA region, local leaders, and regional LinkedIn group.
Check upcoming State/Provincial & Regional Events for chances to learn, network, and earn CEUs near you.
Review NSCA Volunteer Leadership Opportunities for ways to get involved and application windows.
Explore the Foundations of Coaching Lifts (FCL) Course for coaching compound lifts with progressions, regressions, and cues.

Show Notes

“I didn't really hear of a lot of women and moms who were head strength and conditioning coaches. So, I kind of had to lean on other industries, like our head athletic trainer at the time. She's a mom, and she kind of was in the same boat. But then slowly but surely, I've made connections over the years now and seeing that there are a lot more moms in this position. But I think the biggest thing for me is like the village I have.” 8:40

“I'm using technology in my way of adding more content to my list, making sure that they're actually getting what we need out of the list to get the adaptations we need. So, you know, even if we're doing like a quick ten yard sprint, like even putting the gates on, it makes them want to do that competition game with each other [...] Especially when you have female athletes who don't lift as heavy as they should. They're stronger than they think. And we know that and we try to push them. I think the VBT gives them more objective information of like, am I lifting in the range I need to? And so I've used it more for the intent piece.” 13:20

“How did you get involved? What are you doing to volunteer? Because I want to see what that's like. I actually reached out to the Southern California director at the time, and it was actually going to be held at San Diego. And I just said, hey, do you need any student volunteers? I'm willing to drive down and help out. And so I'm pretty sure I drove down by myself. I didn't really have I didn't really know anyone at the time I had started grad school, my husband came down with me, booked a hotel, and I was there, the whole Southern California conference. But I told myself my goal that day was, I'm going to talk to every single speaker at that event. I'm going to connect with every single speaker. Like, this is where my connections begin.” 17:10