Coach with purpose
Develop exercise instruction, communication and progressions for strength, speed and change of direction.
LEARN WITH LJ PERFORMANCE · COLUMBUS, OHIO
Associate Coach
Fellowship Program
at LJ Performance
Develop your coaching.
Study the science.
Connect the work.
An athlete is in front of you. You have the test results, the training history and a goal.
What comes next?
Learn to connect that information to the plan—and the coaching that brings it to life—with Luis Jeronimo and the LJP team.
- Where
- Columbus, Ohio · On-site
- Pathway
- 12-month minimum commitment
- Availability
- Tuesday & Thursday priority
- Format
- Educational fellowship
Academic credit requires advance university approval and is not guaranteed. Participation does not guarantee future employment.
THE WORK YOU WILL LEARN TO DO
Collect. Interpret. Coach. Adapt.
Connect data to the plan
Use testing, athlete feedback and training response to inform exercise selection, training blocks and annual periodization.
Explain your decisions
Evaluate research, recognize measurement limits and build a portfolio that shows how you observe, reason and adapt.
Tools in context: force plates, timing gates, velocity-based training, athlete management systems and reporting dashboards—used to answer training questions.
DIRECT MENTORSHIP
Learn alongside the coaching team.
Founded by Luis Jeronimo, MS, CSCS, former MLS High Performance Coach, LJP connects experience in pro sport with the daily work of developing athletes.
Observe, practice, receive feedback and revise. Progress into supervised coaching, testing and analytical responsibilities as you demonstrate competency.
A STRUCTURED LEARNING PATHWAY
Build competency, one project at a time.
PHASE 1 · WEEKS 1–26
Build the foundation
Six projects connect coaching, assessment, speed development and annual planning. A midpoint progress review identifies strengths and priorities for the next phase; it is not a separate completion point.
PHASE 2 · WEEKS 27–52
Apply and refine
Build on the foundation through athlete monitoring, cross-sport comparison and supervised applied inquiry. Both phases form one fellowship requiring a minimum 12-month commitment.
Explore the full syllabus 8 projects · weeks, practical work & deliverables
Projects 2–5 connect measurement, programming and reassessment through a continuous athlete case. Weekly practice includes observation, coaching, feedback and revision.
Phase 1 · Foundations · Weeks 1–26 · Projects 1–6
PROJECT 01 · Weeks 1–6
Coach and train
- Topics
- Connection, lifting mechanics and physiology foundations.
- Practical work
- Develop a four-week personal strength plan, practice movement instruction and reflect on your coaching.
- What you produce
- Approved strength plan, coached teach-back and reflection.
PROJECT 02 · Weeks 7–10
Measure and interpret
- Topics
- Velocity-based training, force plates, jump assessment and data quality.
- Practical work
- Weeks 7–8: velocity laboratory and measurement uncertainty. Weeks 9–10: jump testing, basic analysis and explaining findings.
- What you produce
- Velocity lab checkpoint, assessment portfolio and coach briefing.
PROJECT 03 · Weeks 11–14
Speed and change of direction
- Topics
- Acceleration, upright sprinting, deceleration and change of direction.
- Practical work
- Weeks 11–12: sprint mechanics, power and transfer. Weeks 13–14: braking, force acceptance and coaching progressions.
- What you produce
- Sprint practical, four-week progression and observed teach-back.
PROJECT 04 · Weeks 15–18
Annual soccer planning
- Topics
- Annual planning, soccer periodization and conditioning.
- Practical work
- Connect the annual framework to a four-week block and match-week plans that account for team practice and playing minutes.
- What you produce
- Annual outline, four-week block and match-week comparison.
PROJECT 05 · Weeks 19–22
Integrated scenario examination
- Topics
- Integrated athlete scenario and oral/practical examination.
- Practical work
- Defend your plan, deliver selected segments and adapt when athlete needs, competition demands or data quality change.
- What you produce
- Integrated case, practical demonstration and revised planning decisions.
PROJECT 06 · Weeks 23–26
Development and midpoint review
- Topics
- Growth, maturation, reassessment and midpoint progress review.
- Practical work
- Weeks 23–24: adapt the work to developmental needs. Weeks 25–26: revise your portfolio, review progress and identify priorities for advanced application.
- What you produce
- Three developmental cases, parent explanation and midpoint portfolio review.
Phase 2 · Advanced application · Weeks 27–52 · Projects 7–8
PROJECT 07 · Weeks 27–38
Monitor and compare
- Topics
- Repeatability, monitoring and cross-sport comparison.
- Practical work
- Weeks 27–30: audit protocols and define the analysis. Weeks 31–38: complete eight monitoring updates and compare two sport contexts.
- What you produce
- Protocol audit, analysis plan, data dictionary and comparative decision report.
PROJECT 08 · Weeks 39–52
Inquiry and annual refinement
- Topics
- Research appraisal, applied inquiry and annual refinement.
- Practical work
- Weeks 39–42: appraise research and develop a scoped proposal. Weeks 43–50: complete the inquiry and refine the annual plan, including a twenty-minute peer workshop, feedback and revision. Weeks 51–52: synthesize the portfolio and present the final defense.
- What you produce
- Three-study brief, approved proposal, eight inquiry logs, workshop and final defense.
Project work is supervised and uses approved, deidentified athlete information under LJP’s confidentiality and data-handling requirements.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Bring curiosity.
Be ready to apply it.
For students in exercise science, kinesiology, strength and conditioning, sport science and related fields. We value preparation, dependability and a willingness to learn from feedback.
Tell us about your studies, availability and what you want to develop.
Apply to the fellowshipFor students & university advisors Placement planning, supervision & assessment
Learning objectives, hours, dates, supervision and university requirements are agreed before participation. Tuesday and Thursday availability is a priority.
Observed coaching, project revisions, presentations and portfolio review guide progression. The full 52-week pathway requires a minimum 12-month commitment and can be reviewed against academic requirements. The week-26 review is a progress checkpoint, not fellowship completion.
This is an unpaid educational fellowship. Academic credit requires advance university approval and is not guaranteed. Participation does not guarantee future employment.
Discuss a university placementApply to the Fellowship
Tell us about your academic background, availability and the coaching or sport science skills you want to develop.
Prefer email? Email your application and résumé. Include your university/program, availability, earliest start, learning interests and confirmation that you can commit to a minimum of 12 months.