An Unconventional Blueprint for Success in Strength & Conditioning: My SCAPH Internship Experience
It was December of 2020 and my program coordinator had just finished informing my cohort that a co-op placement would be required during the final semester of our undergraduate degree, meaning I had about 4 weeks to secure an internship for the upcoming semester.
This would be difficult during normal times but in the middle of a global pandemic… this seemed like a gargantuan task. How was I supposed to find a strength and conditioning internship on such short notice when the whole province was locked down?
After a few minutes of dread, I started to explore my options and ask myself some questions...
First question: Where do you want to be after you graduate?
Easy. I love sports. I love human performance. I want to help people get better at sports through human performance.
Second question: What sport do you want to coach and what can you offer a potential employer in that setting?
Being the stereotypical Canadian I am, I knew I wanted to work in hockey but had no experience in hockey-specific S&C. Despite this, I figured that I would still have something of value to offer as a result of previous S&C experience in various sports.
Third question: Is anyone in hockey S&C open and/or willing to take on an intern on such short notice in the middle of the post-apocalyptic world that Covid had created?
Pro teams? No
Collegiate settings? Not even open in Ontario.
SCAPH? Possibly.
I popped on to the pro hockey strength website, navigated to the “contact us” section and whipped up a message explaining my current situation. A number of days later, a message from David popped up in my inbox indicating that Mike and himself would be open to bringing me on if there was a mutual fit.
After a zoom introduction, we were off to the races.
Upon starting the internship, I knew that it wouldn't be a typical strength and conditioning opportunity given that everything would be taking place online. Obviously, I didn't perceive this as an ideal situation for an industry that predominantly emphasizes face-to-face interaction, but was excited to learn nonetheless.
What I didn't foresee at the time was that the lessons learned over the course of my online internship would not only significantly improve my face-to-face coaching but also provide a blueprint for a stable career in a notoriously unstable industry.
ON WRITING WELL
During our initial interview, David suggested that I get my hands on a copy of “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser. As someone who ran in strength training circles, I was used to receiving reading recommendations on topics such as periodization models, power development and biomechanics.
This was the first time that someone in S&C had ever suggested reading a book that seemingly had absolutely nothing to do with athletic coaching or performance.
I was skeptical but put my full trust into David and began absorbing Zinsser's words over the holiday season. In early 2021, David's plan became clear during our weekly zoom meetings. He was interested in helping me become a better strength coach by teaching me how to become a better communicator.
As strength coaches, we tend to lean heavily on data and the scientific method. We feel as if everything we program, write or say has to be backed by ample evidence. While this is a great approach to developing programming or communicating scientific findings to peers, it can severely hinder our ability to communicate the method behind our madness to those who matter most… our audience.
Allow me to introduce… The Hero's Journey.
People like evidence, but they love when storytelling is able to take them through a journey of ups and downs that relate to their lived experiences. Evidence is undoubtedly a crucial component to being a good strength coach, but being able to communicate evidence in a manner that resonates with your athletes on a personal level can make you a great strength coach.
Over the first month of the internship, I learned how to dampen my desire to make evidence the focal point of conversations and shift my focus towards the story behind the data and how that story can help an athlete achieve their goals. I knew without question that this lesson would help with written and verbal communication, ultimately adding a very valuable tool to my coaching toolbox.
Unfortunately, being a good coach is not always enough to maintain a stable career in strength and conditioning. I asked David if there was any way that he thought the lessons passed down to date would push the industry forward or allow for a brighter, more stable future for the S&C industry. Unsurprisingly, he had already thought this through…
Google owns the house…
(Note from David: As much as I would like to take credit for this phrase, I stole it from my mentor, John Romaniello.)
A phrase that I have heard David utter countless times over the last 4 months. During the latter stages of the internship, we discussed the benefits of playing the long game as a coach by owning a website.
I learned how to use keywords to leverage Google algorithms, create engaging headlines and sales pages, the importance of an email list, and how to repurpose longform content into smaller chunks that can be distributed across various social media platforms.
The important take-home message was that your main focus should be Google optimization with all other social media being an adjunct. Instagram, twitter, tik tok or whatever oddly named apps that emerge in the coming years are all party goers in a house that is owned by Google.
Investing time and energy into consistently creating content that serves your target market may not provide the instant gratification that an Instagram like does, but it will pay dividends down the road.
Once something is on your website it is searchable to literally everyone until the end of time.
That article you wrote on power development in 2018 can still be pulling in traffic in 2025. When done properly, your website should become profitable over time, allowing you to chase those big jobs that you want instead of taking jobs that you have to make ends meet.
Speaking of those big jobs that all strength coaches drool over…. enter Mike Potenza.
Over the course of my time with SCAPH, Mike has taken a vested interest in my future in the industry by setting up multiple calls to walk me through the creation of an interview package.
The advice and structure that he has offered on this task is one that I do not think I could have received otherwise. Even during a crazy NHL schedule, He has taken time on game or travel days (which was essentially every day this season) to ensure that I am prepared for any interview that may pop up.
The combination of mentorship provided from both David and Mike has armed me with tools that likely would have taken years to develop by myself.
Over the last 5 months, I've had 2 major takeaways:
1. Stories matter. We all love stories and we are all storytellers (some better than others). Learning our athletes' stories is not just to make them comfortable, it's feedback for us as strength coaches. Ask yourself if the message you are communicating matches the message your athlete needs to hear.
2. It's ok to be a good person. This one might sound a bit strange, but you can't unlock your phone without seeing an “influencer” selling their top secret program for 100X what it is worth. Know that the success of these individuals is fleeting. Over the last 5 months, both David and Mike have offered their time and mentorship for free. I'm not sure how much the information gathered would have cost otherwise, but I'm sure it would not have been cheap. I am beyond grateful for their time and trust over the last number of months.
About Dan
Daniel Galati, BHSc.
Daniel is a recent graduate of Sheridan College where he served as a strength and conditioning intern from 2018-2020 and completed his dissertation on the role of advanced statistics and injury in NHL players. Throughout his undergraduate degree, he served as an intern with Haddock Sport Performance, The Athlete Matrix, Pre-Script and SCAPH. Daniel will be completing an internship with Gary Roberts High Performance Training this summer before beginning a MSc. in Strength & Conditioning at Middlesex University in September 2021.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dan_galati
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dangalati9/
Final note from David: It's been a privilege to work with Dan. He possesses all the intangible skills necessary to succeed not only in S&C, but in any industry. He's smart, well-spoken, a great student and listener, and always contributes valuable insights to every discussion. I learned as much from him hearing his experiences in a more academic setting than I hoped to have imparted on him. Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would be happy to take on future interns looking to learn how to run an online fitness business, especially as a personal brand. Here's where I should have a link to a fancy sales page, but if you're interested in a summer or fall virtual internship, just send me an Instagram DM and we'll go from there.
