Editorial

Female Athletes
was fortunate to begin my involvement with the NSCA early in my
career as a graduate student and
began my involvement by presenting
research at the national conference. I
am now the Chairperson of the NSCA
womens committee. I have met
numerous researchers, practitioners,
and leaders who have taught me so
much through the NSCA and I am
forever grateful to them. I want to dedicate this special issue to all those who
have taught me anything, which is
nearly everyone I have ever met.

As an advocate for females, my goal

has been to continually encourage
other motivated and strong females
to get involved in the many opportunities NSCA provides for their members. I want to acknowledge those who
support and advocate for more female
involvement in the NSCA and the
strength and conditioning profession,
we need more of you. With that said,
there is an increasing interest in
research and its application to female
athletes. Scholars from a variety of disciplines are investigating topics such as
training programs, balance programs,

nutritional aids, female athlete triad,

football, and much more. The overwhelming interest in this special issue
reflects the importance and growing
awareness of female athletes.
My hope is that this special issue
serves as a facilitator for more research
and discussions with female athletes. It
is also my hope to encourage and
advocate for more research projects
with female athletes to provide practical information for strength and conditioning coaches who work with this
population.
I am honored to present SCJ readers
with a full journal devoted to female
athletes from a variety of perspectives.
The authors of each article have
worked tirelessly to provide interesting, innovative, and practical ideas.
What they have achieved is not an
easy task. The literature specific to
strength and conditioning with female
athletes is an important topic to
address and they have provided much
needed insight. I am appreciative for
their contributions.

Being a guest editor has been a learning

experience and I am truly grateful for
everyones role with this special issue. I
appreciate this opportunity and thank
the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Jeff Chandler,
for his patience and advice along the
way. Many thanks also to Managing
Editor, Britt Chandler, for his diligence
through this process. Finally, I would
like to thank the NSCA Board of Directors for advocating for this issue and
special thanks to my coeditor, Dr.
Brian Gearity, as his guidance is much
appreciated.
Nicole C. Dabbs, PhD

California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino, California

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