Former collegiate hockey athlete Cole Hergott thrived in the offseason, but it took a setback to accelerate his path in strength and conditioning. After losing his spot on the team, he channeled his work ethic into interning with Trinity Western University. Years later, he returned to his alma mater as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. Only 25 at the time, Hergott recounts the unique challenge of coaching athletes who were older or previous classmates. Leading over 300 athletes as the sole full-time strength and conditioning coach, he quickly learned to “write all your plans in pencil,” while building trust, optimizing logistics, and adapting through COVID-19 disruptions. Hergott emphasizes mentorship and encourages coaches to lean on those who navigated similar challenges. As part of the NSCA British Columbia Advisory Board, he encourages listeners to share their practical insights at local events. Hergott’s journey underscores the value of continual growth and embracing uncertainty. Connect with Cole via email at cole.hergott@twu.ca | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs  | Join the NSCA Canadian Community on LinkedIn! Learn more about volunteering with the NSCA at the local level at NSCA.com/Volunteer. Interested in presenting at a local or national NSCA event? Submit your application here.Show Notes“I think for young coaches starting out, a lot of it is, yeah, just being willing to make mistakes, being willing to adapt, and to continue to grow and learn. Call people, text people, send emails, ask questions. We talked about mentors. Lean on your mentors because they've been there. They've made the mistakes. I've made the mistakes and I continue to make mistakes every day, but I think that's how you learn and grow.” 11:05 “Strength and conditioning is not something that we're just going to figure out and somebody's going to have all the answers. As I talked about before, there's more than one way to skin a cat. And so it's important to learn from a bunch of people who maybe think differently than you so that you can continue to get good results.” 11:30 “I'd say if you're somebody who's looking to speak, find something that you're good at, something that you are passionate about, that you like to speak about, that you're good at. And then don't be afraid to reach out to your advisory board…” 16:15