Performance Coach, Academy

Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC); Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) Academy is seeking a Performance Coach to elevate player fitness, health, and performance in alignment with MLS and MLS NextPro policies. The role uses data-driven methods to develop programs for academy players in performance, injury prevention, and return to play, reporting to the Performance Manager.

The position involves leading strength and conditioning, on-field coaching, and data management across GPS and testing platforms, with collaboration across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science or related field; master’s preferred.
• 3 years experience with elite/pro sports or MLS Academy preferred.
• NSCA/UKSCA/ASCA or equivalent certification and CPR certification.

Responsibilities

• Lead strength and conditioning coaching for Academy players.
• Conduct on-field performance coaching and return-to-play training.
• Manage data streams from Catapult GPS and other tech.
• Collaborate with medical and performance staff on periodization.
• Travel with team to away games and tournaments.
• Maintain records of performance metrics and workloads.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication (verbal/written)

Data interpretation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Catapult GPS

FirstBeat

Vald Performance

Job description

OVERVIEW

The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is an MLS soccer club serving the greater Los Angeles area. LAFC is dedicated to building a world-class soccer club that represents the diversity of Los Angeles and is committed to delivering an unrivaled experience for fans. LAFC’s ownership group is comprised of local leaders and innovators of industry with intellectual capital, financial prowess, operations expertise, and success in the fields of entertainment, sports, technology, and media. LAFC is invested in the world’s game and Los Angeles, constructing, and developing the 22,000 seat BMO Stadium and a top-flight training center on the campus of Cal-State Los Angeles.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Performance Coach, LAFC Academy, is responsible for enhancing and supporting player fitness, health, safety, and performance on the field while complying with all MLS, MLS NextPro, and MLS Next league policies and protocols. This role utilizes research-based best practices and data tracking to maximize performance on the field and in the gym, while facilitating conversations, creating insights, and developing programming for players and academy teams in the areas of performance, injury prevention and return to play. This role reports to the Performance Manager.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Lead strength & conditioning coaching of Academy players, in alignment with the Club’s strength development curriculum
• Conduct on-field performance coaching, including position-specific speed, agility, and movement skills, and return-to-play training protocols
• Implement training session specific preparation & activation in alignment with LAFC’s Training Methodology
• Perform and oversee all match related performance aspects, including but not limited to pre-match activation, team warm up & technical preparation, substitute preparation, and post-game physical loading requirements.
• Manage all data streams including Catapult GPS, Vald Performance Testing Hub, and oversee in-training and game tracking
• Collaborate with the Performance and Medical teams in the designing and administering of individualized pre-training activation protocols
• Collaborate with Performance Manager to implement and monitoring Academy team & individual player periodization in alignment with the Club’s methodology
• Perform activation and regeneration sessions as needed
• Manage, design, and implement weight room physical testing protocols
• Evaluate player performance through performance testing, workload monitoring, and other team-specific metrics
• Utilize team-specific collected performance data to educate, counsel, and provide feedback to staff and players regarding strategies to improve performance, training, recovery, and injury prevention
• Design, modify and apply assessment protocols and methods to analyze the demands of the sport and the capabilities of the Academy athletes
• Maintain accurate records of performance metrics, training loads, and recovery data
• Stay current with sports science research and advancements to ensure best practices are applied
• Support the development of a data-driven approach to athlete management and performance enhancement
• Travel with the team to away games and tournaments, supporting the Academy staff in managing players and upholding LAFC standards
• Other duties and tasks as designated by Supervisor/Management

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited College/ University in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physical Education, or related field or National Federation’s equivalent required. Master’s Degree in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physical Education, or related field preferred
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a similar role required, at an elite/professional sports team, or MLS Academy preferred
• Must have the Certified Strength and Conditioning certification by the NSCA, UKSCA, ASCA or equivalent internationally recognized Strength and Conditioning certification
• Must be CPR certified
• Previous experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary sports medicine and sports science department is a plus
• Experience in utilizing sports science technologies, such as Catapult GPS, FirstBeat, and Vald Performance
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to quickly build trust and relationships with players and staff
• Ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information
• Ability to translate data information and communicate effectively and efficiently in English - both verbal and written
• Flexible work & travel schedule with the ability to work nights, weekends, and holidays as the event calendar requires
• Must be able to obtain or have a valid and current U.S. passport and travel with team as needed

SALARY RANGE

At LAFC, we carefully consider a wide range of factors to determine a fair and equitable compensation package. The final offer amount will consider a wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to skill sets; relevant experience and training. Pursuant to state and local pay disclosure guidelines, the compensation range for this role is $72,000 - $75,000 per year.

HIRING PRACTICES

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

LAFC strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

Applicants for employment in the U.S. must possess work authorization, which does not require sponsorship by the employer for a visa.