SC’s Brian Thompson Honored by Chinese Sports Bureau

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College Director of Strength and Conditioning Brian Thompson recently received an official appointment as an expert technical consultant to the Chinese National Fitness Trainers Assoc. by the Chinese Sports Bureau. Thompson is the only non-Chinese citizen ever to receive this status.

“It’s a huge honor to receive this appointment, and it is the culmination of many years of collaboration between Springfield College and the Chinese Sports Bureau,” said Thompson, who has given more than 50 international presentations. “Over the years, Springfield College has established very strong relationships in China.”

Throughout his tenure, Thompson has made multiple visits to China to help educate coaches on proper strength and conditioning programming and methods, and to assist in the growth of strength and conditioning through coaching development.

During the summer of 2015, Thompson conducted a five-day workshop titled “Keys to Increasing Athletic Performance” at the Shandong Training Center in Jinan, China. During Thompson’s visit, he worked with 25 former Chinese national champion athletes who are making the transition into coaching at the national level.

“The strength and conditioning field is a relatively new field to coaches and athletes in China,” said Thompson. “On many occasions, it’s the coaches of the teams who are helping with strength training in China. Where we have been able to help is providing these individuals with proper training and methods to assist their athletes.”

Along with the five-day workshop, Thompson has also recently presented at the Beijing Sport University International Training Summit, focusing on developing strength, power, and speed methods for basketball athletes. He also recently hosted a seminar on “Developing a Strength and Conditioning Philosophy” to coaches and athletes from the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan.

On top of his strength and conditioning duties at Springfield College, Thompson is a professor of Exercise Science and the graduate coordinator for the strength and conditioning program. He began working in strength and conditioning in 1987 and has trained athletes at the elementary-school, middle-school, high-school, collegiate, professional, Paralympic, and Olympic levels. He has presented and conducted strength- and conditioning-related workshops in Australia, China, Mexico, Taiwan, and throughout the U.S.