Jill Costanza’s interest in studying ACL injuries and passion for learning new ways to improve performance took the former basketball coach and physical education teacher on a journey from college sports to the Army, Air Force and NFL.
Now, she’s an asset to a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Costanza is in her fourth season with the Detroit Lions, serving as director of sports science and assistant strength and conditioning coach. She was one of 12 full-time coaches last year in a league that saw a 141% increase in women in football roles in the last four years.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the human body and science and the way all the different parts work together, that holistic view,” Costanza told the AP.
After earning a degree in sports marketing from the University of Houston, Costanza began teaching and coaching. When several athletes on his team suffered anterior cruciate ligament tears, Costanza began researching why this was a pattern.
“Curiosity led me down a rabbit hole of human performance, strength and conditioning. I had no idea this was a profession,” Costanza said.
She volunteered her time to serve as a sports performance coach in Houston, working with the volleyball and soccer teams. Soon she went back to school and earned a master’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science from Miami.
Costanza got her first opportunity to be an athletic performance coach in Texas, where she also gained experience as a strength and conditioning coach.
“This is where sports science starts to come into play and my curiosity in utilizing technology and data to evaluate the effectiveness of our strength and conditioning program as well as provide information to our head coach to make informed decisions about creating plans of training. and how to best prepare for the games,” said Costanza.
Costanza’s path would take her to the Army Wellness Center, where she worked with soldiers and further focused on utilizing technology. She switched to the Air Force and its Special Warfare Program.
The NFL wasn’t even on Costanza’s radar until she saw the signing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Maral Javadifar as an assistant strength and conditioning coach and physical therapist in 2019.
“That’s why representation is so important, because it never crossed my mind until I saw MJ,” Costanza said.
The NFL has made it a priority to increase opportunities for women and minorities through initiatives like the annual Women’s Forum held at the Boy Scout complex in Indianapolis. Costanza was among the speakers at the eighth edition of the event, in February.
“I didn’t believe it until I saw it,” Costanza said of working in a male-dominated industry. “Your only limitation is your own imagination. And sometimes, to think, you have to see. …Women are here now and we’re not just happy to be here. Grateful, sure, but I’m here to make my presence felt, to make a positive contribution, not just to be here to tick a box, but to bring skills, knowledge. Because I’m a woman, because of my ability to make connections with people, we’re here to make a statement. And so I think the more you see women continue to rise especially in leadership roles, it’s only going to open the doors for more women, and I hope we’re paving the way, just like MJ paved the way for me.”
Costanza worked closely with Mike Clark in the Air Force when he led the unit’s strength and conditioning program. Clark was previously head strength and conditioning coordinator at Texas A&M when Lions coach Dan Campbell played at the school. When Detroit hired Campbell, he asked Clark to join him as the team’s director of sports performance. Clark brought Costanza with him.
Costanza’s work ethic and determination made her a key part of Detroit’s coaching staff.
“She has about a thousand hats,” Campbell said. “Not only does she work in sports science, but she’s also the one who gives us all the post-workout data, what we can control, what we can’t control, where we are. But she also works in the weight room. She’s there when we’re doing cleans, we’re warming up, we’re doing dynamics, we’re doing squats, she’s training. These are just a few things it helps us with. She is a versatile trainer. When you can be a legitimate strength coach but also work in the sports science department for us, that was one of Mike Clark’s visions, we’re fortunate to have it. Her versatility would be great for us. She’s an asset.”
Lions players appreciate Costanza’s dedication to his craft.
“She has a lot of knowledge,” Lions defenseman Alim McNeill said. “She’s super, super smart. She knows a lot about the training aspect, whether it’s stretching, whether it’s trying to get your hips to move that way. She brings a lot to the table and has helped us tremendously.”
___
AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed.
___
Follow AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi in X
___
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
