Minato earns Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certificate

Minato earns Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certificate

[February 3, 2021 – Harmon, Guam] Fitness Coach Koharu Minato recently earned the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification after passing the course and examination with support from Guam Football Association.

“On behalf of Guam Football Association, I would like to commend Koharu on earning NSCA CSCS certification,” said Tino San Gil, GFA President. “It is not only an individual accomplishment as part of her personal development, but also a boost for Guam’s national program. As more coaches earn additional specialized certifications and apply their knowledge and experience on and off the pitch, players and teams can only get better and reap benefits sooner.”

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists (CSCS) are “professionals who apply scientific knowledge to train athletes for the primary goal of improving athletic performance. They conduct sport-specific testing sessions, design and implement safe and effective strength training and conditioning programs and provide guidance regarding nutrition and injury prevention,” according to the NSCA Web site.

Minato

Minato

Minato enrolled in the self-study course in Nov. 2019 and took the exam in Sept. 2020 after experiencing scheduling delays due to the COVID19 pandemic. She passed the exam and after renewing her CPR/AED certificate as required by the NSCA, she officially received her CSCS certificate on Jan. 19. The certification is valid for three years before recertification is required. GFA supported Minato through the course by providing study resources purchased through the NSCA.

“The whole process took a little longer than I expected, but I’m happy to finally be able to move forward and start taking on more responsibilities at GFA,” said Minato, who also currently plays for the Masakåda, Guam Women’s National Team. “Studying for the CSCS certification was really challenging for me because of the wide range of topics the NSCA requires its coaches to know. It took some time for me to really grasp the material, but what really helped me the most was being able to shadow High Performance Coach Pavel Gubenko at GFA and getting hands-on experience.

“I hope to make our athletes stronger and faster through a carefully planned and periodized strength and conditioning program. There’s no doubt that being stronger and faster will also translate to better performance on the pitch,” Minato added.

The NSCA CSCS exam consists of two sections – Scientific Foundations and Practical/Applied – the NSCA Web site states. In the Scientific Foundations section, candidates are tested on exercise science, sport psychology, and nutrition. Exercise science questions comprise more than half of the Scientific Foundation section, with questions on anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, bioenergetics and metabolism, neuroendocrine physiology, physiological adaptations, and anatomical, physiological and biomechanical differences of athletes. The Practical/Applied section “is designed to assess a candidate’s knowledge of program design, exercise techniques, testing and evaluation, and organization/administration. The entire exam takes four hours to complete and only about 63 percent of first-time candidates pass, the NSCA Web site states.

“For me, the certification is another step towards becoming a better coach,” Minato said. “There’s still so much more to learn and the studying never stops. I want to constantly be better for the players.”

Minato was one of seven coaches who earned an AFC “C” Coaching Certificate in 2017 following a course in Guam with visiting instructor S. Richard Sinapan from Malaysia. She hopes to further her coach education by also attaining Fitness Coach licenses from AFC.

Minato graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 2013.

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Fitness Coach Koharu Minato, in blue, observes Guam U20 Women’s National Team players during the warm-up portion of a recent training session, while Head Coach Ross Awa tracks the time at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. Minato officially received her NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certificate on Jan. 19 after completing the course and passing the exam.

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Fitness Coach Koharu Minato, in blue with black face mask, observes Guam U20 Women’s National Team players during the warm-up portion of a recent training session at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. Minato officially received her NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certificate on Jan. 19 after completing the course and passing the exam.