And for those of us trained in that science, who’ve passed rigorous curriculum, exams, and certifications to be called a strength coach, it’s frustrating to see our work reduced to a disciplinary tool.

Conditioning isn’t just about running. It’s about energy systems. Periodization. Recovery. Hydration. Environment. It’s about preparing an athlete’s body to perform at its best in the heat of competition—and keeping them safe while doing it. That’s not something you wing out of frustration. That’s something you program with purpose.

When conditioning is treated like punishment, athletes learn to associate effort with negativity. Worse, they begin to fear or resent the very thing that could help them thrive. You want an athlete to give full effort during sprints or metabolic circuits? Don’t attach that work to failure or shame.

And let’s be clear—this isn’t about softness. It’s about safety and effectiveness. Especially during summer workouts or preseason training, when heat-related risks are real and strength coaches are on the hook for athlete well-being, misusing conditioning can be downright dangerous. We have to respect the line between physical development and recklessness.

Does discipline matter? Absolutely. Accountability is part of development. But that needs to come through the right channels—team rules, leadership councils, position standards—not through hijacking the physical training process.

Maybe it’s time to reframe the narrative. Conditioning is a performance tool, not a punishment. If we want athletes to buy in, to go hard, to train with intent—we have to stop using the tools of peak performance as a penalty box.

Let strength coaches coach. Let us use the science to do what we’re trained to do: build durable, high-performing athletes. The work is too important to be misunderstood.