I would like to formally nominate Coach Haley Roberts of Sam Houston State University for the 2022 Lance Vermeil Scholarship Award. I frequently refer to our strength and conditioning department as the “Frontline Workers” responsible for developing and promoting an environment conducive to student-athletes’ development. Haley Roberts embodies the traits and values that prioritize the physical, mental, and emotional development and well-being of our student-athletes. She is cognizant of and empathic to the stresses present in student-athlete lives while balancing firm and stringent standards of hard work. With her continued growth as a strength coach, she will undoubtedly be an impactful representative of the strength community as a CSCCa member and strength professional. Coach Robert joined our staff with the goal of completing her master’s thesis in Human Performance. As with many mid-major athletic programming, the financial obstacles young coaches, like Haley, encounter makes their journey that much more challenging. However, in the short time she has worked with us, she has not only proven to be an invaluable asset to our immediate unit, but a catalyst in bridging the gap with the kinesiology department on our campus. In seven months, she coordinated research with professors on campus which has afforded our strength department access to DEXA scanning for all our athletes and provided GPS tracking technology for multiple teams. This is one example that displays Coach Haley’s ability to build meaningful relationships that benefit our studentathletes. She has also applied for a $10,000 national grant that will fund her thesis research and directly benefit our department with new technology and equipment. Her initiative and stalwart pursuit of her career goals have set her apart from any other young coach I have had the experience mentoring. On top of her educational endeavors, she is responsible for designing, implementing, and tracking the athletic development programs for four separate teams. In addition to the essential parts of their development programs, Coach Haley has also developed a Wellness and Readiness to Train survey platform that we have implemented department wide to increase our coaching effectiveness. Her ambition and diligence have strengthened her relationship with our student-athletes and sport coaches. Her ultimate career aspiration is to work with high level collegiate or professional football programs. Coach Roberts currently works as our top assistant with the SHSU football program managing multiple positions group in the weight room and on the field. With the attitude, confidence, and maturity she has exhibited thus far as a female coach in a male dominated environment, there is no doubt she will be running the room of a major football program at some point in the future. Lastly, as our internship coordinator, Coach Roberts has not only shown commitment to our student-athletes but other young aspiring strength coaches. She is responsible for vetting potential intern candidates and will spend this summer leading our staff in developing a new internship curriculum and standards. While Coach Robert deserves to be recognized for her positive influence at Sam Houston State University, this award conveys our gratitude for her commitment to the betterment of our industry. My hope is that this recognition creates opportunities in her future to grow and build upon an already impressive career in strength and conditioning. Trevor Williams, M.A, CSCCa Associate Athletic Director for Strength & Conditioning Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
