About the UK Strength and Conditioning Association
For a number of years there has been the need for an independent voice which represents the UK strength and conditioning profession.
The UKSCA is the pre-eminent professional body for strength and conditioning practitioners in the UK. Launched in May 2004 with the support of UK Sport, the UKSCA has grown to represent over 2600 members, of whom more than 800 have attained the highly respected “Accredited Coach” (ASCC) standard.
The Association has the following aims:
- To establish and maintain high professional standards for UK strength and conditioning practitioners and facilities;
- The promotion and dissemination of good practice, knowledge and research in strength and conditioning;
- To facilitate communication among UKSCA members;
- To represent the interests of the membership of the UKSCA;
- Through our members, ensure that world class coaching in strength and conditioning is available to athletes at all levels in the UK.
The UKSCA is a not-for-profit, limited by guarantee company and is managed by a voluntary Board of Directors, elected from and by the membership. For biographies of the Board, see below...
UKSCA Board
Andy Boyd, ASCC
Chair of the Board and Partnerships Director
Andy is currently head of athletic development and learning at the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), overseeing S&C and nutrition for the performance pathways. He has previously held positions of lead and S&C coach for the SRU and Edinburgh Rugby. Andy is the first director of the UKSCA with specific responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and feels 'we have the responsibility to create more opportunities and mentors for our members reflecting a modern and diverse sporting population which will drive progressive improvement in our industry'.
Will Abbott, ASCC
Director and Training and Education - Post ASCC
Will’s role sees him responsible for the science and medical provisions across men’s, women’s, boy's and girl's football programmes. He has previously held similar roles at Brighton & Hove Albion FC, and Southampton FC. With a PhD and a Master’s in sports performance, Will is currently continuing his education at Manchester Metropolitan University with a Masters in sport directorship.
Rob Ahmun, ASCC
Director for Professional Standards
Rob Ahmun has been a S&C coach for more than 15 years, working in a range of sports at national and international level. He has been involved with developing aspiring coaches in their paths towards becoming Accredited and has also worked as a mentor to coaches who are already established.
Rob is the Head of Performance Science and Medicine at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and was previously the National Lead for S&C. He has established high standards of S&C delivery in the field of cricket; currently all staff who work with county professional squads are UKSCA-Accredited, and over 90% of Academy S&C coaches are also Accredited – or in the process of becoming so.
Steve Barrett
Associate Board Member
Steve is currently the director of sports science and research innovation at Playermaker; previously, he held positions with Hull City Football Club, the Football Association and Scunthorpe United Football Club. Steve thinks 'the pathway of each member of the wider community in strength and conditioning is varied', and that through his experience of working in different roles, he can build support and guidance for the associate membership. He says: 'Not every person will be working within elite level team sports and as an Association we need to provide the relevant support to assist and provide a communication network for our members'.
Val Craft, ASCC
Director of Education and Training - Pre ASCC
Val’s work predominantly supports teaching on the MSc in S&C, whilst studying for a PhD. She brings a wealth of diverse experience to the Board with over 20 years of experience in fitness and sports coaching as well as in the social sciences. Her private coaching focuses on athletes putting their health at the core; Youth and community work, and life coaching combine her interests in the body and the mind for improving health and performance for everybody.
Debby Sargent, ASCC
Director of Market Development
After graduating with under and postgraduate degrees in sport related disciplines, Debby has pursued a career in performance sport involving S&C coaching, academic teaching and performance management. She combines coaching world class performers with supporting the S&C coaches of the future, spreading her passion and applied expertise. Specific research interests are in the trainability of female athletes for optimal performance.
Kevin Paxton, ASCC
Membership Director and Vice Chair of the Board
Kevin has been re-elected to the Board for a third term and currently works as the First Team Athletic Development Coach at Leicester City Football Club. He has previously worked for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and Sheffield United Football Club as well as consulting for numerous international organisations including Nike and the Scottish FA, whilst also delivering as an associate lecturer at Derby and Loughborough universities.
During his time on the board, Kevin launched the Annual S&C in Football Conference, was co-director for the UKSCA's Annual Conference, supported the development of Special Interest Groups and worked hard to champion UKSCA standards in sport and improve standards of coach mentorship programmes.
Julie Gooderick MSc, ASCC
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director
Julie has been a UKSCA accredited strength and conditioning coach since 2009, and has led a variety of athlete scholarship programmes within schools and universities, with a track record of producing athletes through a pathway from grassroots to elite levels. Julie is the UKSCA board director responsible for overseeing equality, diversity and inclusion across the organisation. Julie is a lecturer at Chichester University, and her current research involves investigating potential impacts of sleep variables on performance.
