May 15, 2008

WASHINGTON - American University strength and conditioning coach Jason Riddell has been selected as the National Strength and Conditioning Association State/Provincial Director for the District of Columbia. Riddell, who is responsible for the development and implementation of all resistance, speed enhancement and conditioning workouts for all 16 varsity sports at American University, will serve on the NSCA board through 2010.

"I am excited to take on this new role. My first project is to plan a DC strength seminar which will take place in December," Riddell said. "I hope to get involvement from strength and conditioning coaches from many local organizations including Maryland, Georgetown, GMU, GW, Morgan State and Loyola College as well as the Washington Redskins."

The NSCA is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to strength and conditioning for improved physical performance and was founded in 1978 as the National Strength Coaches Association before later being renamed to mirror the changes being made in an increasingly diverse membership.

Riddell has many goals for his newly appointed position, among them, increasing NSCA memberships, promoting and increasing public awareness of the NSCA mission. He will serve as a liaison between the NSCA Headquarters and its members and host approved clinics.

"Being involved with NSCA will link AU to additional conditioning programs with other collegiate and professional coaches," Riddell said. "It will also provide AU athletics with a platform to network with area athletes, performance centers, universities and professional teams -- outlets that will be much more apt to look to AU for answers when it comes to improving their own athletes."

Riddell arrived at AU after serving as Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Velocity Sports Performance in Alexandria, Va., and Baltimore, Md. There Riddell coached high school, collegiate and professional athletes as well as aided in day-to-day business operations. Before VSP Riddell worked for a season with the Los Angles Angels as the strength and conditioning coach for the Provo Angels, a minor league affiliate in Mesa, Ariz., and Provo, Utah. The team went 54-22 and reached the league championship in 2003.

Prior to that Riddell served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Richmond from 2002-2003 where he worked with football, basketball, baseball, field hockey and tennis.

Riddell began his strength and conditioning career at the University of South Carolina as a graduate assistant strength coach for men and women's basketball while getting his Master of Science in Exercise Science in 2002. Riddell received his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Education from the State University of New York College at Cortland in 1999.