Three Cardiff Metropolitan University students are celebrating after being awarded coveted scholarships from The National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation (NSCA) in Colorado.
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Megan Wong has been named a recipient of the NSCA’s Women’s Scholarship. This $1,500 scholarship is designed to support women, ages 17 and older, to enter the field of strength and conditioning.
Megan is currently attending Cardiff Met for her Ph.D, where she focuses on youth athletic development. She is also a strength and conditioning coach for youth athletes at Glamorgan Cricket County.
Ian Dobbs has been named a recipient of the NSCA’s Challenge Scholarship. This program awards $1,500 to NSCA members seeking either an undergraduate or graduate degree in a strength and conditioning-related field.
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Ian is currently a Ph.D. student researcher at Cardiff Met. His dissertation surrounds how resistance and plyometric training affects the growth and maturation of youth cricket athletes. He also has been a strength and conditioning coach for Glamorgan Cricket and Cricket Wales since November 2017.
Saldiam Barillas has been named a recipient of the NSCA’s Minority Scholarship. This programme awards $1,500 and is designed to support minorities, ages 17 and older, to enter the field of strength and conditioning.
Saldiam is currently a Ph.D. student researcher at Cardiff Met investigating the use of external cues to enhance force-velocity performance with youth athletes. Currently, he is a weightlifting coach for PB Performance and Cardiff Met Weightlifting Club and a strength and conditioning coach for DanceFITT and Cardiff Met Football U14-15 Boys.
Directing Megan and Ian’s studies is Dr Rhodri Lloyd, Reader in Paediatric Strength and Conditioning in the Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences. Dr Lloyd has been an active member of the NSCA for 10 years and currently serves on the NSCA Research Committee and is Chair of the Long-term Athletic Development Special Interest Group.
Directing Saldiam’s study is Dr Jon Oliver, Reader in Applied Paediatric Exercise Science in the Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences. Dr Oliver’s research has been influential over the past 10 years in informing both academics and practitioners on factors related to the development of physical fitness in youth and is a co-author of the NSCA and British Journal of Sports Medicine position statements for training youths.
Dr Alun Hardman, Associate Dean for Internationalisation, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, said:
“We’re very proud of Megan, Ian and Saldiam for all they have achieved so far and for the waves they are clearly making in their field.
“For three of our students to receive such coveted scholarships highlights the calibre of students we have here at the University and is testament to the dedication they have shown to the strength and conditioning field.”
Dr. Matt Stock, NSCA Foundation Board President, said: “Congratulations to Megan, Ian and Saldiam for this well-deserved honour,”
“They are all outstanding students with extremely bright futures. We are proud to support them in their studies to be future leaders of the strength and conditioning industry.”
Carissa Gump, NSCA Foundation Executive Director, said: “The scholarship applicant pool was strong this year, making the process very competitive. All three recipients should be very proud of this accomplishment. I look forward to seeing them grow within the profession.”
