Charlotte FC coaches share training tips with kinesiology graduate students

Strength and conditioning coaches from Charlotte FC, the city’s professional soccer team, recently brought real-world experience into the classroom for UNC Charlotte’s first-year Master of Kinesiology students.

Jamie Blair, a performance coach with Crown Legacy, the reserve team of Charlotte FC, and UNC Charlotte alum Josh Tiller ’24, a Master of Kinesiology graduate who serves as assistant performance coach for Charlotte FC’s Academy, the team’s full-time youth development program, presented a workshop on the Principle-based Approach to Coaching Linear Running.

The hourlong workshop included classroom instruction on training topics such as assessing speed, reactivity and movement strategy along with gym instruction, which had the students applying the drills they reviewed in class.

“Receiving instruction from Charlotte FC’s strength and conditioning coaches offered a new perspective on the level of detail and intentionality that goes into training professional athletes,” said master’s student Theresa Kumazah. “Each coach brought a unique background and philosophy, showing there’s no single right way to coach. As a student and aspiring strength and conditioning professional, it was encouraging to see that embracing my own experiences and perspective can shape the kind of coach I want to become.”

On the gym floor, the students participated in technical running drills and wall marches. Kumazah volunteered for a sprint test. “Getting live feedback from the coaches in real time and experiencing both sides of the learning process made the workshop especially impactful,” she said.

“This particular class was one of the best we’ve had. They were really engaged,” Tiller said.

During most of Tiller’s two years at UNC Charlotte, he interned with Charlotte FC and was hired by the team after graduation. For the soccer team’s Academy, he develops strength and power programs for 14 and 15-year-olds. “Our goal is to develop professionals from a young age. If we can get them when they are younger and spend time with them in our system, we can develop players for our first team down the road,” he said.

Charlotte FC has partnered with the strength and conditioning concentration in the Master of Kinesiology program for the past four years. The on-site workshop also gave students the chance to speak to the coaches directly about internship opportunities with the team.

Bringing coaching professionals into the classroom galvanizes student interest. “It brings credibility to what they’re getting from textbooks and lectures,” said Lecturer Darnell Clark, Ed.D, the strength and conditioning director for the Master of Kinesiology program. “The presence of professional coaches illustrates the fundamentals for real-world execution. It’s motivating to the students to have them on campus.”