In a recent webinar, Setanta’s PJ Wilson and Ernst Joubert of Stellenbosch Academy of Sport, shared insights on how these two disciplines of coaching and S&C should interact, common challenges, and the best ways to align coaching and physical preparation for team success. 

Why Coaching and S&C Must Be Integrated 

A key theme throughout the discussion was the necessity of collaboration between coaches and S&C staff to ensure that training develops both technical/tactical skills and physical capabilities. 

“It’s not rugby and strength and conditioning separately anymore – it’s unity. Your physio, S&C and sports coach all need to work closely together.” 

Often, a disconnect between the two disciplines leads to suboptimal results: 

  • S&C staff focus on physical development but may not fully understand tactical demands. 
  • Coaches prioritise technical and tactical execution but may not account for physical readiness or fatigue. 

“As the strength and conditioning coach, in the support position we play, we are there to raise the platform physically. Working together with the sports coaches, we can raise the platform holistically for the athlete.” 

The Key Areas of Collaboration 

  1. Shared Planning for Workload Management

One of the biggest mistakes in sports preparation is poor workload distribution, which can lead to either undertraining or overtraining. 

“For me as a coach, I want to go and sit with the S&C, and get the background of what we need to do from a physical perspective and we can fill in, as coaches, the skill component.” 

The solution is structured planning, where both coaches and S&C staff align on: 

  • High-intensity vs. low-intensity days 
  • Speed, strength, and endurance development alongside tactical training 
  • Peak performance timing for match days 

“In session planning, you cannot do this as a coach without the input of your S&C coach.” 

  1. Designing Sessions That Serve Both Purposes

Instead of separating technical/tactical sessions from S&C sessions, the best teams blend the two. 

“As the S&C coach, I can ask the coaches – ‘What type of game do we want to play? What’s best for the team and how do I support the physical development of the players in playing the game you want to play?’” 

For example: 

  • Small-sided games can target both tactical execution and high-speed running exposure. 
  • Drills with built-in physical constraints (e.g., reduced recovery times) can simulate game-like fatigue conditions. 
  • Max velocity sprinting can be naturally incorporated into breakaway plays and counterattack drills. 

“We’re not just building strong players – we’re building athletes who can execute skills under fatigue.” 

  1. Monitoring Fatigue and Recovery

Athletes don’t improve by just training harder alone—they improve by training smart, hard, and recovering well. 

“We need to track readiness. If a player is fatigued, loading them up with more work isn’t productive = it’s destructive.” 

S&C teams can use: 

  • Wellness questionnaires to gauge sleep, soreness, and mental readiness. 
  • GPS & force plate data to track workloads and force production over time. 
  • Subjective coach feedback on how players are moving and performing in drills. 

“It’s important to educate players about RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), get them to believe in it and understand why it is important. If we have players that do not want to provide an accurate RPE for fear of being seen as unfit, this can lead to injuries over time.” 

  1. Communication and Role Clarity

One of the biggest challenges in the intersection of coaching and S&C is unclear roles. 

“Coaches don’t need to be S&C experts, and S&C staff don’t need to coach tactics. But they do need to understand each other’s roles and communicate effectively.” 

Successful environments: 

  • Have regular coach-S&C meetings to align training objectives. 
  • Ensure that S&C staff understand the game model, so they can tailor physical prep to match needs. 
  • Planning and reflective practice plays a pivotal role in moving forward.  

“When you get everyone around the table in advance, you get the best plan. Reflection is hugely important. Honing the skill of reflecting on what you’re doing to try and recognise patterns that help with your planning.” 

Common Mistakes in the Coach-S&C Relationship 

Treating S&C as Separate from Skill Development 

  • Flawed approach: Treating strength & conditioning as separate from skill development, running isolated fitness drills with no connection to the game. 
  • Better approach: Design training sessions that combine physical and technical development, aligned with the coaches’ vision and game plan. While there are times when isolated S&C work is necessary (e.g. rehab, off-season, pre-season phases), in-season training should prioritise integrated, collaborative session design. This ensures every session delivers a tactical, technical, physical, and psychological return — making the most of every minute on the pitch. 

Lack of Periodization Planning 

  • Flawed approach: Overloading players with random high-intensity sessions. 
  • Better approach: Running random, unplanned sessions leading to a team that is underprepared both physically and tactically. This approach can result in players lacking the physical readiness needed to perform at competition level — or, conversely, being overtrained, increasing the risk of unnecessary fatigue and poor performance. 

Ignoring Fatigue and Recovery 

  • Flawed approach: Assuming players should “push through” exhaustion. 
  • Better approach: Monitoring recovery metrics and adjusting workloads accordingly and educating players on the importance of accurate and honest feedback.  

Poor Communication Between Staff 

  • Flawed approach: Coaches and S&C teams working in isolation. 
  • Better approach: Holding joint planning meetings to align goals. 

“Success comes when we align every aspect of preparation toward a common goal. It’s not ‘S&C vs. coaching’—it’s one system working together.” 

A Unified Approach 

The best teams integrate coaching and S&C seamlessly. Players don’t need separate fitness sessions—they need holistic training that blends strength, speed, endurance, skill, and tactical execution. 

“At the highest level, there’s no division between physical and technical preparation. It’s all one system.” 

By breaking down the barriers between coaching and S&C, teams can maximise player performance, minimise injury risk, and build a truly high-performance culture.