Why LA Rams last hired coach may be the most important

Future-looking hire

So it falls upon the Rams to do more than find a veteran in the field from the past 50 years. To be honest, the most exciting studies and breakthroughs in Strength and Conditioning have happened in the last ten years.  And even more, breakthroughs will happen in the future.

Sports Medicine dictates when an athlete cannot compete due to injury. But Strength and Conditioning are the disciplines designed to ensure that the athlete does not fall to injury.  Over 75 percent of football injuries are soft-tissue by nature. Overextension or forcing a joint to move in a direction it is not designed to move.

The next wave of breakthroughs in the field will involve genetics. While that is likely down the road, the science connecting athletic performance and genetics is advancing. Genetic mapping is one of the fastest-growing areas of science and medicine. As the database grows, our understanding of athletics will grow as well.  Nutrition, hydration, sleep, Behavioral medicine, exercise, and more will all be connected to genes.

With the Rams debuting at the $5 billion sports complex SoFi Stadium in 2020, the organization is obligated to infuse the future whenever and wherever possible.  That is why the Director of Strength and Conditioning role is so very important to the team.  It will be their responsibility to help each and every positional coach to develop all athletes to the best of their ability.  But the job is not done then.  It will also be their responsibility to keep them there. That means staying healthy, motivated, and injury-free.