The St George Illawarra Dragons are pleased to congratulate Nathan Spencer and Kelly Penfold who were recognised by the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) over the weekend.
Spencer received Master Coach Award whilst Penfold was invited to make a presentation on off feet conditioning at ASCA's conference in Brisbane.
Spencer spent time working with the Orlando Magic, Illawarra Hawks, Wests Tigers and New South Wales Institute of Sport before becoming the club's Strength and Power Coach 12 months ago.
Penfold meanwhile joined the club's Strength and Conditioning department this offseason having plied her trade across a variety of clubs and sports with the likes of the Queensland Firebirds, the Maroons Women's State of Origin squad, and the Queensland Academy of Sport.
"It's a topic I know heaps about and could honestly talk for the longest time, so it was quite hard to just target it for just a 40-minute presentation," Penfold said.
"My presentation was on off feet conditioning and the concept was around when we're programming, are we truly programming for the athlete and the individual for what they need to do when they've got off-feet prescribed or are we just entertaining them?"
Penfold is several weeks into her role with the club and says the experience thus far has proven a rewarding one.
"It's been really good. I'm having a great time," she said.
"The support team's great. A big part of why I took the job was the people that I could work with and learn from within the performance unit. Everybody really makes you feel like you're a part of something... I was really excited to work with Flano. Having watched a bit from afar and on TV, I saw the upward trajectory of the Dragons as an opportunity."
Penfold is also excited at the opportunity to act as a role model for young women hoping to forge a career in the strength and conditioning space.
"The numbers would suggest that there's not a lot of us in this space, so hopefully I can maybe open up some opportunities for others to get their foot in the door," she said.
"We're all just coaches and I'm here because I've got a specific skill set, not because I'm a female... I just love footy, and I love working with the teams and being around the overall sort of culture."
