Why Great Coaches Leave Pro Sport (And Don’t Look Back) with Andy McKenzie

Strength and conditioning coaching in high-performance sport isn’t what most people think.In this episode, we break down coaching careers, burnout, player welfare, and what it really takes to survive in professional sport.This conversation is for coaches who feel stuck, frustrated, or conflicted inside the system — and want a better way forward.We cover: • The reality of strength and conditioning careers in pro sport • Why many great coaches leave professional environments • Military rehab lessons that actually transfer to sport • Burnout, identity, and long-term coaching sustainability • Why systems matter more than exercises • How to build a coaching career without compromising valuesThis is a coach-to-coach conversation about truth, longevity, and doing work that actually matters.⸻ Timestamps 00:00 – Old-school rugby culture & growing up in sport03:30 – Dental health, sleep, caffeine, and performance07:45 – Military background and early physical training12:00 – Becoming a physical training instructor16:30 – Rehab, overtraining, and broken systems20:30 – Alcohol culture in sport & coaching identity24:45 – Why toughness is misunderstood in training29:00 – UKSCA, assessments, and real-world coaching33:00 – Why many coaches leave pro sport38:30 – Systems, frameworks, and thinking under pressure44:00 – Identity, leadership, and being “the one”49:30 – Building a parallel income as a coach53:30 – What high performance really means57:00 – Advice for younger coaches58:40 – Where to connect with Andy⸻LinksField Speed Toolkithttps://speedbysportland.com/tool-kit-pageThe Sports Speed System Bookhttps://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembookLegacy Mastermindhttps://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-new7-Day Free Trial – Sports Speed Apphttps://sbs.programs.app/Main Websitehttps://www.speedbysportland.com