Sophia Kennedy serves as the Director of Sports Performance at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she oversees the strength and conditioning programs for women's soccer and softball. Since joining the Roadrunners in 2021, Kennedy has progressed from Sports Performance Intern to Assistant Sports Performance Coach and now Director of Sports Performance, playing a key role in the development of student-athletes and the growth of the department.
In her current role, Kennedy directs all aspects of performance programming for her assigned teams, utilizing evidence-based training methods and sports science technology to enhance athletic performance and reduce injury risk. She also leads a staff of strength and conditioning coaches and interns, collaborates closely with sports medicine to develop return-to-play protocols, and integrates athlete monitoring systems to inform training decisions.
Prior to returning to UTSA as a full-time coach, Kennedy served as Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at West Texas A&M University, where she designed and implemented training programs for men's soccer and men’s and women’s golf while assisting with football, baseball, and track and field. She also gained valuable coaching experience as a strength and conditioning intern at Southwestern University, working with more than 500 student-athletes across 20 varsity sports, and in the private sector at a local gym working with collegiate and youth athletes.
Kennedy earned a Master of Science in Sports Management from West Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Southwestern University.
She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA and holds certifications through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (SCCC-CSCCa), USA Weightlifting (USAW-L1), and the American Heart Association in First Aid/CPR/AED.