NSCA Conference Presentation: My Experience
Applying to Present
Last year, while attending the the NSCA Michigan State Conference I realized I wanted to be a presenter.
The NSCA website makes it pretty easy for qualified individuals to apply. I met the criteria with a bachelor’s degree + CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist).
It’s doubtful I would have considered applying at all, except I had already had a message to pitch: Training Your Mind. Sport psychology is a topic I’m passionate about and have already written about in a ton of blog posts.
I applied in May 2023 and never heard back, assuming I wasn’t selected.
But 6 months later I very unexpectedly got an email…
Our team would like to accept your lecture presentation of "Training Your Mind: Mental Strategies from an Olympic Runner and Coach.”
I was legitimately thrilled. Elated.
With 5 months to prepare, I promptly set it on the back burner. Soon after, another unexpected email hit my inbox, this one from the COC (Canadian Olympic Committee) Game Plan program: “Enhance Your Public Speaking Skills!” It was a call for applicants for a free public speaking course to be offered online.
I applied immediately for the class, and got in.
Preparation
The class kickstarted my preparation, and after reaching out to our teacher with some additional questions, I was offered the incredible opportunity to get direct feedback by submitting a video recording of my presentation.
Of course I did it.
Night after night after my son was in bed, I would go out to my garage gym and speak to our SUV. I started with the script, then went to bullet points, then by memory.
I set up a live zoom call with some friends and family who were willing to sit through 50 minutes on a weeknight to help me out and give feedback.
I worked it and reworked it. Changed out stories. Deleted whole paragraphs. Shuffled things around. Trying to make it make sense.
My confidence wavered between “this is pretty good” and “what the heck am I doing?” And when there were no changes left to make, my biggest worry was: “Will anyone even come to my presentation?” The conference schedule was set up so that attendees had different options in some time blocks. I didn’t have a guaranteed audience.
As the conference approached, my teacher from the speaking class wrote to me after watching my video recording. She gave me some awesome tips plus the most incredible boost of confidence: she thought it was really good.
Presentation Day
On the morning of the conference, I got set up and waited. A couple people sat down a few minutes in advance, and I determined at that moment to give them my very best, even if no one else came. But many more people came, to hear about mental strategies, from me.
And I knew I could deliver.
The 50 minutes went by quickly for me. I missed a whole section, only realizing it when (later on in the speech) there was a part that called back to it. But even this I had prepared for, knowing if I forgot a bit no one would be the wiser.
In some moments, I could hear myself speaking while simultaneously trying to evaluate how it was going, and how the message was being received. The closing minutes felt like reaching the shore after swimming in deep water.
The rest of the day I was very tired but also amped up. This feeling reminded me so much of the post-race experience: exhausted but unable to wind down. I never liked that feeling and can report that I still don’t like it.
The best part was hearing from people who told me how they would apply one of the strategies I’d offered. It is rewarding to know that the skills I presented will be useful to many of the attendees.
Thank You NSCA
I wanted to write about this experience to strengthen my memory of it. It was very meaningful. I spent 20 years running and racing in public. The lifestyle involved constantly getting outside my comfort zone and challenging myself. It wasn’t easy, but I loved being a professional runner. My life is very different now.
Doing this presentation gave me an experience that felt familiar: The goal, the long preparation, and the day you actually do it, with people watching. The pressure and the energy. The investment. I feel really grateful and happy for this opportunity.
Blog Posts from the Archive (used to build my presentation)
Nicole Sifuentes is a full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. She is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Read more about her services, and schedule your free coaching consultation.