Wilmington, NC - Robert McGee, CFCC Athletic Director, has named Jeff Smith, MS, CSCS, CES, Owner/CEO of TOPS Athletics, LLC, and his professional team of Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists, Certified & Licensed Athletic Trainers, and Registered & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist the Official Strength & Conditioning Staff of CFCC Athletics.

“We are excited and proud to announce the partnership with TOPS Athletics and Synergy ONE Wellness & Performance Lab, stated McGee.  With athletic performance a critical component for our students, we feel that TOPS can provide a professional strength and conditioning program, offer preventive maintenance and provide sport specific care needed to prepare our student-athletes for the next level.”

TOPS Athletics (TOPS acronym standing for Together Optimizing Performance & Strength) is a multidisciplinary team of Team Strength & Conditioning, Sports Performance Enhancement, General Fitness & Wellness, Clinical Metabolic Testing (RMR - Resting Metabolic Rate and VO2_max), Nutrition & Weight Loss, and Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy professionals. They have a complete staff of experienced NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialists (CSCSs) with various Division 1 athletic backgrounds, most of which have obtained a BS in Exercise Science fromUNCW and interned with TOPS. They also have a comprehensive Sports Medicine Dept. with dual certified LAT/ATCs & CSCSs with certificates/licensures in Athletic Training, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialists, and Physical Therapy. Synergy ONE Wellness & Performance Lab, the clinical component of TOPS Athletics, has a staff Registered Dietitian.

The TOPS Athletics philosophy is to screen, test, & assess movement, correct identified limitations or asymmetries, develop optimal mobility & stability, THEN design & implement the optimal exercise or training program to lose weight by reducing body fat, enhance balance & wellness, increase lean muscle mass & strength, power, speed, agility, quickness, endurance, etc. as per the client's or athlete's specific personal goals, or per physician prescriptions.

TOPS models their sport-specific programing around evidence-based methods from Level 1, quantitative research studies. They follow best practice standards & guidelines established by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). They also use start-of-the-art, gold-standard technology to implement their testing & programming.

"This partnership speaks volumes to our commitment and dedication to our student-athlete in regards to professional sports medicine and general sport specific care.  With TOPS joining our  sports medicine staff, which is lead by OrthoWilmington, we are  providing the best professional care that's out there, McGee stated."