The LTAD Network Podcast

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Sascha Hartel is the Head of Performance at TSG Hoffenheim He is responsible for Performance Diagnostics in the Professional Teams, Youth Teams (Male & Female), also Adler Mannheim (Ice-hockey) and Rhein-Neckar-Löwen (Handball). He also leads the team of S&C coaches as well as sharing responsibility for dat strategy and innovation. He is a consultant within the TSG ResearchLab a non-profit-organisation "bringing Science and Research from Sports to Society”.

Ludwig Ruf is a strength and conditioning coach at TSG Hoffenheim academy and research assistant at the TSG ResearchLab. He completed a PhD on monitoring load and fatigue in elite youth soccer at Saarland University, Germany. Prior to this he completed an MSc in Strength and Conditioning at Cardiff Metropolitan University and did an annual internship with Adelaide United, Australia. The main aim of his PhD was to enhance our understanding of applied practice by investigating the usefulness of measurement instruments to assess acute responses to load in elite youth soccer players throughout adolescence. Special consideration is given to growth and biological maturation within the framework of monitoring the youth athlete.

In this podcast the pair discuss:

What caused Hoffenheim to become interested in monitoring maturation in their players.
The methods they were previously using.
How they have integrated the BAUSport device into the organisation.
The efficacy an influence of the device within Hoffenheim.
The effect of the new information on decision making processes.
Future research projects taking place within the club .

You can follow Ludwig’s work via his Instagram page: @rufludwig or via his Researchgate profile here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ludwig-Ruf

Follow Sascha's work vis his research gate profile here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sascha-Haertel

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Kevin Shattock is currently working towards his professional doctorate (DProf) at Leeds Beckett University, exploring a biopsychosocial approach to athlete development. He is the Head of Athletic Development at The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) and possesses over twenty five years’ experience of sports coaching, sports science support, strength & conditioning, and athlete performance.

In this episode Kevin discusses:

His wide and varied experiences of coaching and teaching.
The Grammar School Leeds program and how it's grown since his time there.
What athletes will remember after their time with us.
Why we should consider our "fingerprints" as coaches.
How the Sagrada Familia provides an excellent example of long term thinking.

You can keep up to date with Kevin via his Twitter: @TheFiveWsPod and his ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kevin-Shattock .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Sam Boylett-Long has been an accredited S&C coach with the UKSCA since 2012. Since completing his MSc in Human Performance in 2015, Sam has worked with a number of Women's Football internationals during his 4 year spell with Reading Women.In January 2020 Sam began working with the GB Rowing team providing S&C and sport science support, leading various projects including warm up strategies - maximising physical readiness & developing objective diagnostics for Fmax assessment.

In this episode Sam discusses:

His winding road into full-time S&C Coaching.

His time at Reading FC Women's team at the start of the Super League.

A baptism of fire in Namibia with British Rowing during Covid.

The various components that make up elite rowing performance.

You can keep up to date with Sam via his Twitter: Sam Boylett_Long and his Instagram: @Sam_boylettlong .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Glenn is a specialist in research and innovation in Sport related health, and winner of the International Federation of Sports Physiotherapy HvU Award for outstanding achievement in this field.

He is a chartered physiotherapist and the former Head of Science and Medicine and Performance Innovation in athlete health at UK Sport, and the senior consultant in Performance Innovation at the English Institute of Sport, where he managed the health research and innovation program related to ~ 1400 athletes across 40 core Olympic and Paralympic sports. Glenn also facilitated the 'top secret' development and delivery of new and novel ideas, approaches and equipment related to athlete health, which have had a performance impact over the last 5 summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic games.

Glenn has a Master of Science degree with distinction in Sport Medicine and a Master of Arts degree with distinction in Innovation and behaviour change and is driven by translating research and evidence into real world practice and evidencing that benefit.

In this episode, Glenn discusses:

His previous roles as a Physiotherapist and Lecturer.
The hunger to get back into performance sport.
His time at UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport for multiple olympic cycles.
How you make the best in the world even better.
How he ended up at Podium Analytics.
Why the SportSmart program is such an important initiative.
How schools and sports organisations can get involved.

You can find out more about the SportSmart program via the Instagram account: @mysportsmart or via the website: www.podiumanalytics.org

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Ray Zingler is a Strength Coach, Entrepreneur, Consultant, and Author. He is the Owner of Zingler Strength & Conditioning, LLC., an Industry Leader in Performance Training for athletes, busy professionals, and military personnel.

Ray is recognized as a Certified Physical Preparation Specialist and has been serving the Metro Atlanta, Georgia area since 2009. His blue collar, consistency and hard work approach to research based training has allowed him to serve thousands of clients.

In addition to operating his training facility, Ray consults current and perspective gym owners on business structure and implementation. Beyond mentoring strength professionals, Ray consults high school sport and strength coaches, aiding in the development of program structure and design. Ray also does contract work within local high schools and club sport organizations, implementing S&C programs within the team settings of a variety of sports.

In this episode Ray discusses:

Growing up in a family of coaches.
Taking an unconventional route into S&C Coaching.
Why for him impact is more important than income.
The meaning of "Hammers Only".
Why the value of S&C Coaching can go far beyond the physical.

You can keep up to date with Ray's work via his Instagram: @zingler_strength and via the website: www.zinglerstrength.com

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Kate Shilland and Fran Taylor are Registered Sports and Public Health Nutritionists (AfN). Kate is a Performance Nutritionist with over 10 years' experience working with athletes, of all levels across various sports. She has helped a number of athletes, including teens, achieve National & World Champion status in a variety of sports. She has been working at Crystal Palace Football Club Academy for 6 seasons and works with a number of tennis academies, sports clubs and schools. Fran has over 13 years' experience as a Public Health Nutritionist. She works with schools, youth and community organisations promoting fad free, no nonsense nutrition advice. She also works with young athletes & sports clubs including elite junior taekwondo, rugby, netball, gymnastics and athletics.

Together under the banner of "Performance Canteen", they work with elite young athletes, parents and coaches in academies, sports clubs and schools. They also have teenage athletes of our own and see first hand the lack of good nutrition advice out there, and the challenges that come with this.

In this episode they discuss:

The high energy needs of youth athletes compared to there siblings or peers.
The dangers of taking nutrition advice from Tik Tok or Instagram.
The simple nudges a parent or coach can make to improve a youth athletes nutrition.
Supporting youth athletes on plant based diets.

You can follow their work via the Performance Canteen Instagram account: @performance_canteen and via their website www.performancecanteen.co.uk .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Dr Sinead Holden is an Assistant Professor in Sport and Exercise Science in UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science. Her research interests are in optimizing musculoskeletal health and development during adolescent growth, with a view to understanding and preventing overuse and loading - related injuries and their consequences on health and performance in youth. Her track record includes over 60 peer reviewed publications and >10 invited presentations.

In this episode she discusses:

The differences between Osgood-Schlatters and Patellofemoral pain.
A simple rule of thumb for helping reduce the likelihood of Osgood-Schlatters.
Why being physically prepared for the chosen sport is critical.
What type of sports Osgood-Schlatters presents in.
The risk factors for developing Osgood-Schlatters and why Severs may be an early warning sign.
Why removing kids from sport is a bad idea and how treatment should focus on continued participation in sport.
The Long term consequences of Osgood-Schlatters on physical performance and participation.
The excellent rehab guide that Aalborg University group put together on Osgood-Schlatters.

You can keep up to date with Sinead's work via her ResearchGate profile here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sinead-Holden and via Twitter here: @Sinead_Holden .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Dr Philip Graham-Smith has a long and established career as a biomechanist working in academia, professional sport and industry. He is currently Head of Biomechanics & Innovation at Aspire Academy in Qatar and was formerly Head of Department and Associate Head of School for Business and Engagement at the University of Salford. Phil is a Fellow and accredited member of BASES, a Chartered Scientist, an ISPAS Level 5 Accredited Performance Analyst, and a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (NSCA). He provided biomechanical support to UK Athletics for 21 years prior to leaving for Qatar in 2013. In the 4 years leading to the London Olympics Phil was consultant Head of Biomechanics at the English Institute of Sport. Phil was a consultant to the footwear company FitFlops from 2006 to 2013 where he helped translate biomechanical data into product design and marketing material. He is also the co-founder of ForceDecks, a technology which has been adopted by over 600 high performances sport institutes and professional sports teams worldwide.In this episode Phil discusses: How his exploration of maths and physics lead to a career in biomechanics. The founding of ForceDecks. How a simple question from Alex Natera lead to investigating Single Leg training. Why Single Leg training is underestimated in terms of force and load. How these results can inform coaches in their progressions and exercise selections. You can follow Phil’s work via his LinkedIn page, or via his Twitter @PhilipGraham-Sm2 or his Instagram: @philipgrahamsmith . Check out the work he and Alex Natera did here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CdDbEXulqNU/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Toby Edwards is currently a Strength & power scientist for Australian Track Sprint & BMX Race athletes as well as a Strength and conditioning coach and researcher interested in all things strength, speed, and power development. He had key involvements in podium performances at the 2022 World Championships and Commonwealth Games. He has experience providing strength and conditioning support to National, International, and Olympic athletes in Australia and the United States across several sports including Australian football, college basketball, college football, and track cycling.

In this episode Toby discusses:

His sporting background as an athlete/S&C coach in Australian rules Football.
His time in the US with Purdue University.
Completing his PhD studies investigating speed and it's influence in Junior AFL athlete success.
His role at Cycling Australia and the upcoming World Championships and Olympic Games.

You can follow Toby's work via his Twitter: @tobyedwards_phd and Instagram: @tobyedwards_phd .

Join us in Edinburgh, Scotland for the LTAD Workshop on February 25th & 26th, where Rob Anderson and Jared Deacon will be covering all things adolescent training including the development of strength, power, speed and agility. Get your tickets now here:https://bookwhen.com/ltadnetwork/e/ev-sbt0-20230225000000 .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Simon Brearley is the Head of Athlete Development & Rehabilitation at Cranleigh School and a consultant strength & conditioning coach with England Golf, and the European Tour Health & Performance Institute (official providers of science and medicine services on the DP World Tour).In this episode Simon discusses: The evolution of the program at Cranleigh School. How his role has had a more rehabilitation focussed element. The most common injuries he sees on a regular basis in school based athletes. The relationship many of these injuries have to training load and growth. Why he thinks youth S&C coaches should have a better understanding of common injuries.You can follow Simon's work via his Twitter: @resolveperf .Join us in Edinburgh, Scotland for the LTAD Workshop on February 25th & 26th, where Rob Anderson and Jared Deacon will be covering all things adolescent training including the development of strength, power, speed and agility. Get your tickets now here:https://bookwhen.com/ltadnetwork/e/ev-sbt0-20230225000000To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Tom Green is the Head of Athletic Development at St Peters RC High School and holds an undergraduate and postgraduate degree in Strength and Conditioning (S&C) as well as being a qualified teacher. Outside of his role at the school, Tom works with the UKSCA to support the delivery of S&C within schools and for Catapult as the Youth Research Reviewer for Science for Sport. Tom has an extensive background in delivering quality S&C with over ten years of practice at elite, University and school levels.

In this episode Tom discusses:

His role at St Peters RC High School.
Some of the limitations in his role at the School.
How he influenced the delivery of PE/Sport at the School.
Why he decided to undertake teacher training.
How teacher training opened his eyes to some weaknesses in his coaching.
What he believes S&C Coaches can learn from teachers.

You can follow Tom's work via his Twitter account: @ThomasGreen1 .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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In this episode we provide a preview of our upcoming LTAD Network workshop with Rob Anderson & Jared Deacon on the 25th & 26th February at the Engage Sports Centre, Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland.

We cover:

Who the workshop is aimed at and how it will benefit their coaching of young athletes.
Who will be leading the workshop, their experience and qualifications
What theoretical and practical content will be covered in Day 1 & 2.
The fantastic facilities we'll be using during the workshop.

Join us in Edinburgh, Scotland for the LTAD Workshop on February 25th & 26th, where Rob Anderson and Jared Deacon will be covering all things adolescent training including the development of strength, power, speed and agility. To secure your spot on the Scotland workshop, head to https://education.ltadnetwork.com/httpseducationltadnetworkcomworkshop-scotland-2023 to book your place now!

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Tom Clough has spent the past 20 years negotiating the trials and tribulations of working in professional Rugby League & Rugby Union. Learning from mistakes he made as a coach, as well as the adversity of clubs going through administrations and relegations through to the highs of promotion. Tom now works as the Head of Athletic Performance at Ulster Rugby, where he has spent the past 4 seasons. Tom has learnt that whilst you can make quick progress going it alone as a practitioner, you can also make big mistakes. Now he fully invests in trying to facilitate a co-created training environment where players and staff can consistently develop and perform.

In this episode Tom discusses:

His time at Bradford Bulls, Hull KR and a stint at Mike Boyle's facility.
Facing tough times in Rugby League with relegation and administration.
How these challenges also brought opportunities.
The importance of coaching systems and processes.
Guiding people rather than issuing directives.
Meeting people where they are at and recruiting for knowledge/skills gaps
The importance of recruiting slow and firing fast.
The importance of collective CPD and productive discussions in a coaching team.

You can connect with Tom via his Twitter @TCloughie or his LinkedIn page.

Join us in Edinburgh, Scotland for the LTAD Network Workshop on February 25th & 26th, where Rob Anderson and Jared Deacon will be covering the LTAD Network pathway and all things adolescent training including the development of strength, power, speed and agility. Get your tickets now here!

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Kay Kay Keung has a Kinesiology background including coaching, fitness testing, clinical skills and research in the United States (North Carolina) and Hong Kong. She is experienced in coaching a wide range of clients from hospital outpatients to competitive athletes and is passionate about working with individuals and teams to become the fittest, strongest, fastest and healthiest version of themselves. Her training specialties include calisthenics, Olympic weightlifting, running, athletic performance and prehabilitation/rehabilitation. Her athletic career in both the United States and Hong Kong involved competing in long distance running and lacrosse. Highlights include national championships in both sports and representing Hong Kong on the national lacrosse team.

In this episode Kay Kay discusses a unique case study including:

A military boot camp combined with training for powerlifting.
How she structured pre planned training around the surprises and randomness of a military boot camp.
Training for the max strength demands of powerlifting combined with the endurance requirements at the end of the bootcamp.

You can follow Kay Kay's work via her Instagram: @strengthtosize .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork . You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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For over 16 years, Richard Husseiny worked as a performance coach in high performance sport, with some of the best organisations and athletes in the world - from Great Britain and China. This included supporting teams in preparation for two Summer Olympic Games – London 2012 and Rio 2016 – and the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.In 2015 he gave end of life care to his mother. This experience changed his life and inspired him to pursue a new career. He now helps performance support staff who are burnt out from improving their athletes at the expense of themselves & constantly having to take on and achieve more to prove their worth because they are worried about losing their job. He helps them move to a place of calm, clarity and freedom to live authentically to their values of balancing their personal needs with the demands of their career, put themselves first and giving their time and energy to the people they love.In this episode Richard discusses: How he used his roles in sport to support his own self esteem and ego. How the experience caring for his mother provided a space for reflection and change. Why our values are so important for guiding our career choices. The 4 male archetypes and his adaptations to fit the sporting world. His initiative to help those working behind the scenes in sport.You can find out more about Richard's work by visiting his Instagram: @menbehindsport or his Twitter: @richardhusseiny and the website: www.theconsciouscollective.com .

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Jessica Spendlove is one of Australia's most respected and experienced Sports Dietitians. She has accumulated more than 30 seasons working with various professional team sports, world record holders, Olympic athletes and many corporate organisations, schools and active adolescent athletes. Over the last decade, Jess has worked with many professional sports teams in Australia including the GWS Giants, Cronulla Sharks, Giants Netball, Sydney Kings, Western Sydney Wanderers, GWS Giants AFLW and NSW Waratahs. She has also consulted with Olympic athletes, Australian Defence Force School of Operations (special forces), high-profile personalities, large corporations, and respected brands.

In this episode Jess discusses:

Her own history as an under-fuelling athlete.

Some of the basic habits even high profile athletes lacked.

The 'elements' we should consider in youth nutrition.

What she considers to be the top 3 habits youth athletes need to form.

How to get her free fuelling guide and join her "Eat like the Elite" program.

You can see some of the amazing infographics Jess shares via her Instagram here: @jess_spendlove_dietician and download the free fuelling guide at her website: www.jessicaspendlove.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Joe Eisenmann hosts this roundtable discussion with Rich Clarke and Lee Taft on Agility.

They discuss:

What is agility?

How to train perceptual and decision making skills.

Training change of direction and agility with closed and open drills.

How and when to implement and program using various methods.

Testing and evaluations agility.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Julie has been a UKSCA accredited coach since 2009 and has led successful programmes within schools and universities for over 10 years. Julie frequently consults on the initiation of many schools S+C programmes, and advises on content, infrastructure and viability. Julie is a member of the UKSCA board of directors and is a lecturer at Uni of Chichester.

In this episode, Julie discusses:

The humble beginnings of the Queenswood with no equipment and basic facilities.

How Julie recognised opportunities to add value to the school community.

Why it's important to continually demonstrate value to justify investment and expenditure.

How the program grew to justify an investment in a 1 million pound facility.

Why Universities don't prepare coaches for working with youth athletes.

Her new role as a Director on the UKSCA Board as well as influencing the University sector.

You can follow Julie’s work via her Instagram: @juliegooderick and her Twitter: @juliegooderick . To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Crofton Alexander has been an Accredited S&C coach with UKSCA since 2008 and L2 BWLA coach since 2006. He started his career at London Wasps Rugby Cub in 2006 and was responsible for the physical development of a number of the squad's up and coming talent such as Christian Wade, Sam Jones, Eliot Daley and Joe launchbury as well as leading the recovery protocols of the whole squad. Since then he has worked in tennis, cricket, motorsport and superbikes before turning his hand to academia. He also sat on the board as a director for the UKSCA between 2013 and 2019. He is also a workshop tutor and CPD panel member ensuring that accredited members maintain their ASCC status. He obtained a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and an MSc in Strength and Conditioning from St Mary's University in Twickenham.

In this episode Crofton discusses:

What it's like being an early career coach.

How to approach continue profession development and reflection.

How and why line managers should be protecting young coaches from burnout and over commitment.

The key skills and conversations young coaches should be developing in their organisations.

You can follow Crofton's work via his Twitter account: @croftonsport and Instagram: @croftonalexander .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Angela Jackson is a Chartered Physiotherapist who has spent the last 35 years seeking to understand why some young athletes get injured, yet others don’t. Her determination to educate young athletes on reducing their injury risk, has fuelled a career that has taken her from Canada, to working with national teams, clubs and schools across many sports becoming an expert in understanding all aspects of youth athlete development. She is the physio to the Cheshire Cricket Board and has a particular interest in low back stress fractures. She is a passionate educator through her online and in person courses and lectures to health and exercise professionals both in the UK and internationally.

In this episode she discusses:

Why it's wrong to apply adult diagnoses to children.

The increase of stress fractures seen after Covid Lockdowns.

Why any child with Lower Back Pain on the opposite side to their throwing arm should be treated as a stress fracture.

Her simple test for lower body stress fractures.

The important of managing Training Volume, Nutrition and Sleep in preventing stress fractures.

Her mobile phone analogy for kids to explain how stress fractures occur .

You can keep up to date with Angela via her Twitter: @angiejphysio and via Instagram @angiejphysio as well as her website www.angelajacksonphysio.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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In this episode Tulshi Varsani is joined by James Baker as they discuss the Youth Physical Development Model.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Rob Anderson created Athletic Evolution to provide best practice in the athletic development and coaching of young athletes. He is dedicated to improving the quality of athletic development training delivered to young athletes. Rob previously lead the Youth Athletic Development for the Scottish Rugby Academy in both the Caledonia and the Borders & East Lothian Regions, as well as the U16, U17 and U18 National Squads. Rob is the Founder of The Athlete Academy which helps youth athletes improve Movement, Nutrition and Mindset to dominate in Sport & Life.

In this episode Rob discusses:

An overview of The Athlete Academy.

The Habit Curriculum The Athlete Academy uses.

How they integrate the curriculum into day to day coaching at the academy.

How The Athlete Academy rewards the behaviour they want to see.

To learn more about The Athlete Academy visit: @athleticevoacademy

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Ali Jawad is a 4x Paralympian, 2016 Paralympic silver medallist, 2014 World Champion, 2 time Commonwealth Games Bronze Medallist at 2014/18, PhD candidate and Co-founder of Accessercise.

In this episode Ali discusses:

Growing up as a double limb amputee.
How "getting dragged to the gym" started his career in Paralympic powerlifting.
His meteoric rise to international competition.
The impact of Crohn's disease on his body, mind and athletic career.

How he and his support team learned to outsmart Crohn's disease.
The pinnacle of his career at Rio 2016 Games.
His PhD research in antidumping in Paralympic sports.
Why he founded the Accessorcise app specifically targeting the disable population.

You can learn more about Ali via his Instagram account: @alijawadpowerlifter and more about Accessercise via @accessercise of download the app here: https://join.accessercise.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Lee Taft, known to most simply as “The Speed Guy”, is highly respected as one of the top athletic movement specialists in the world. In the last 30 years he has devoted the majority of his time training multi-directional speed to all ages and abilities. He has spent much of this time teaching his multi-directional speed methods to top performance coaches and fitness professionals all over the world. Lee has also dedicated countless hours mentoring up and coming sports performance trainers, many who have gone into the profession and made a big impact themselves.

In this episode Lee discusses:

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Noorin Gulam took part in her first weightlifting competition just six weeks after starting the sport - and she hasn't looked back since. Gulam began lifting in her GCSE PE lessons and soon developed a talent and love for the sport. She was crowned 2022 British Champion in the 49kg weight class and holds the British Records with a 73 Snatch, 89 Clean & Jerk and 161 Total in the 49kg class. This summer she represented England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 26-year-old has faced numerous ups and downs in her career through injury but never fails to bounce back. Outside of her own sporting achievements, Gulam is a weightlifting coach and content creator.

In this episode Noorin discusses:

The start of her Commonwealth Games journey back in 2014.
Why not being funded has been beneficial for her.
Her battle with injuries over the last few years.
The constant challenge of weighing in at 49kg.
How her qualification came down to 1 final opportunity in front of her family and friends.
The experience of a home games and the athlete village.

You can keep up to date with Nooring via her Instagram: @noorinn .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Shannon Archer made her senior Commonwealth Games debut at Gold Coast in 2018 which saw her finish 10th in the Individual All-Around event. She also achieved 5th in the Vault final and competed in the Team Event helping the team secure a 5th place finish. At the 2022 Birmingham Games, Shannon claimed Scotland's first ever individual women's Commonwealth Games artistic gymnastics medal by claiming bronze.

In this episode Shannon discusses:

Her performance at the 2018 Games and her decision to retire.
Coming out of retirement for the 2022 Games.
The qualification process for team selection for the games.
Relocating from Scotland to London to train with her coach.
What it felt like to win Scotland's 1st ever medal in Artistic Gymnastics.
Life after gymnastics.

You can keep up today with Shannon via Instagram here: @shannonarcher29 .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Beach volleyball was the hardest sport that Jess Grimson ever tried and that struggle for mastery has driven her to a second Commonwealth Games. Initially bound for a college soccer scholarship in the USA, the Leeds star spiked for the first time aged 13 at the behest of her pioneering P.E teacher. The four-time British champion reached the quarter-finals at Gold Coast 2018 with Victoria Palmer and will competed on home sand with a new partner in Daisy Mumby.

In this episode Jess discusses:

Being introduced to Volleyball by her PE Teacher.
The challenge of being involved in an emerging sport in the UK.
The injuries and challenges she's faced over the course of her career.
Having to self fund or attract sponsors where possible to fund travel and tournaments.
Dealing with a hard injury in the lead up to the 2022 Games.
Her experiences at the 2018 Games in the Gold Coast vs the 2022 Games in Birmingham.
Being a pioneer in the sport to clear the way for future generations.
What she will take away from the sport.
Life beyond volleyball.

You can keep up to date with jess via Instagram: @jgrim02 .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Jake Henry is a professional rugby player, recently representing Scotland in Rugby 7’s at the HSBC World Series and the 2022 Commonweath Games in Birmingham.

In this episode Jake discusses:

The challenge of being a student athlete.
The Highs and Lows in his career so far.
How he dealt with being injured and going from "the bunker to the gym and back" during the covid restrictions.
How a nasty achilles rupture resulted in an unforeseen opportunity in Rugby 7's.
Making his debut in the HSBS World Series against South Africa.
Being selected to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
What he took away from his time at the Commonwealth Games.
His ambitions for the upcoming rugby season and beyond.
Contemplating life after rugby.

You can learn more about Jake by following him on Instagram at: @jakehenryy_ .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Kelly Fillingham is a Performance Coach and Coach Developer. She is currently employed by Scottish Hockey as the West Regional Development Manager and the Head of Scottish Hockey Girls Emerging Talent Squad, as well as leading on the BRAVE Academy Program. She is also the Director of 360 Hockey.

In this episode Kelly discusses:

Her hockey career, playing in the UK and USA and being a "student of coaches".
Embracing new challenges coaching in England's talent system, as well as Scottish Masters League.
How Scottish Hockey entered a "Reset phase" and the opportunity to do things differently.
How this lead to the Brave Academy and the idea of Emerging & Aspiring Squads.
The player numbers, regional centres, education plan and future expansion.

You can follow Kelly on Twitter via: @Twiddle81 and the Brave Academy via @ScottishHockey and the website www.scotttish-hockey.org.uk .

Get your discounted early bird ticket to LTAD Network Conference here! The 2022 Conference runs from 9-10th July at Hartpury University with a selection of world class speakers! Don’t miss out! Get more details and secure your place here!

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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This episode is a recording of the LTAD Chat on Training the Adolescent Female, hosted by Joe Eisenmann with guests Erica Suter and Elisabeth Oehler. Erica Suter is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and has a Masters in Exercise Science and Sport Performance Enhancement. As an athlete, she pcaptained the soccer team at Johns Hopkins University and was a 2x Academic All American, 2 x Scholar All American and National Player of the Year. She holds the record of being the 2nd highest goal scorer for John Hopkins University and was selected in the John Hopkins 25th Anniversary All star team.

Elisabeth Oehler is a strength coach who worked for the German Weightlifting Federation from 2017-2020 as manager of the youth department and later Head of Talent Identification. She's a licensed weightlifting coach (high performance) by the German Olympic Sports Confederation and holds several qualifications in youth development and strength & conditioning. In 2021 she started her own business consulting and coaching in National Governing Bodies of different sports. She helps organizations implementing talent development programs and improving coaching education.

In this episode, the pair discuss:

Physical considerations in training the female athlete.

Important psychological and social considerations in training teenage females.

Creating buy in to the training process.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Professor Mark De Set Croix has published over 100 articles and presented at over 100 conferences across the globe. He works predominantly in football, identifying injury risk via screening and implementing prevention programmes. A key focus of his work is to help coaches develop their understanding of prevention strategies.

After undertaking his teacher training degree he knew he had an interest both in children’s sport and physical activity and a growing interest in science. He completed a PhD exploring how children’s muscle strength changes with growth and maturation and is now using that knowledge to explore how to reduce injury risk in youth sport. This has provided him with opportunities to work with some of the world’s leading football clubs.

Mark has just led an Erasmus+ European-funded project with partners in Spain and the Czech Republic to explore the knowledge and understanding of grass root coaches in terms of youth injury prevention. He has also obtained funding from FIFA, UEFA and the English FA to explore injury risk in female youth football, and works with organisations such as the England and Wales Cricket Board, Athletic Club Bilbao Football Club and Bristol City Football Club.

In this episode Mark discusses:

The many factors that should be considered in an injury risk reduction program.
The importance of Training Quality as well as Training Age.
Why Coach Education programs need to be more accessible for grassroots coaches.
Is asymmetry as detrimental as people suggest?
What does neuromuscular control really mean?
Are kids affected by fatigue the same way as adults?
Is there any truth to the concept of "Windows of Trainability"?

You can keep up to date with Mark's research via the University of Gloucestershire Repository, his Research Gate page here, as well as via his Twitter account: @destecroixmark .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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This episode is a recording of the LTAD Chat on Speed Development, hosted by Joe Eisenmann with guests Tony Holler and John Garrish.

Tony Holler is the track coach at Plainfield North High School outside of Chicago, Illinois. Tony retired from teaching chemistry after 38 years in the classroom and has 40 years of coaching experience in American Football, Basketball and Track & Field. Tony is member of Illinois Track & Field Hall of Fame and Co-director of Track Football Consortium along with Chris Korfist. Tony created the revolutionary "Feed the cats" in 19999 and plans to publish his first book in 2022.

John Garrish is the Director of Athletic Development & Performance at North Broward Prep School in Florida, and also serves as the Director of Athletic Performance for the Florida Rugby Union 7s. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wagner College, where he participated in Track & Field, and a Masters in Kinesiology & Exercise Science from the University of North Texas where he was also an intern with the Strength & Conditioning Program.

In this chat they cover:

The phases of speed.
Testing and evaluation of speed.
Teaching and coaching the biomechanics of acceleration and maximal velocity sprinting.
The role of strength training and plyometrics in speed development.
Programming for speed development.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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In this episode, the LTAD Network Podcast takes a slightly different turn as I invite James Bakerto give a preview of the upcoming 2022 LTAD Network Conference, taking place on July 9-10th at Hartpury University.

In this episode we cover:

The benefits of Live events vs Online events.

What audience the LTAD Network Conference is designed for.

An overview of some of the Keynote Speakers, Topics and why they were selected.

Why we aim for an equal balance of both Theory and Practical delivery.

The daily schedule for the Conference.

An opportunity to win a Free Ticket to the 2022 Conference.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Aimee Ellen O'Keeffe is a Performance Nutritionist at Manchester United Women's team and owner of Committed Nutrition Ltd, her own private nutrition coaching company. Aimee is passionate about the female athlete, particularly breaking down barriers to fuelling and changing attitudes towards carbohydrates. Aimee has carried out a lot of research since starting in her role at Manchester United, analysing areas such as MD-1 carbohydrate intake, injury nutrition, half time carbohydrate intake to name a few.

In this episode Aimee discusses:

How working with a young female footballer with a stress fracture lead to her doing a Masters in Nutrition.
Relative Energy Deficit Syndrome or "REDS".
How underfuelling nutritionally can result in compromised bone health and stress fractures.
What a day in the life of a full-time nutritionist in a pro football club looks like.
The difference between disorder eating and an eating disorder.
How nutrition can affect the menstrual cycle and why this matters.
How social media can influence young female athletes to underfuel.

You can keep up to date with Aimee's work via Instagram: @committednutrition2020 and Twitter: @Aimeellen1 .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Dr Liz Durden-Myers is a physical education researcher and teacher educator with over 15 years' experience within education across the primary, secondary and higher education sectors. She is currently a Senior Lecturer In Physical Education at the University of Gloucestershire & Bath Spa University, Managing Director & Co-Founder at PE Scholar & Scholary and Past Chair of the International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA). Liz is a qualified teacher and holds a PhD in Physical Literacy, a MA in Education, a MSc in Psychology and a BA (Hons) in Physical Education with QTS.

Her research fields include Education, Physical Education, Philosophy, Health, Sport and Wellbeing. She has specific expertise in Physical Literacy, Teaching Pedagogy, Curriculum Design and Teacher Professional Development. Liz is an international speaker, passionate educator and physical activity advocate who champions the value of physical activity for life, for health, wellbeing and human flourishing.

In this episode she discusses:

The concept of human flourishing and the key principles.

The relationship between Physical Activity and our Environment.

What exactly is "Physical Literacy".

How do we assess Physical Literacy?

What is success in Physical Education?

Are current/future generations of teachers equipped to deliver PE effectively?

Why PE should stand for "Positive Experiences" not "Public Embarrassment".

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Dan Howells is a high performance coach, with a career spanning over 15 years of work in elite sport, both in the UK and the USA. Dan is a certified Strength & Conditioning coach and has worked with: Olympic and Paralympic Programmes, US and GB Ski Team, English Institute of Sport, Wasps Rugby Club, England Rugby 7s, Team GB Rugby 7s (2016 and 2020 Olympics) and Houston Astros MLB Club. As well as focusing on creating impact and success within performance sport organisations, Dan is passionate about creating real world learning opportunities for developing coaches and practitioners. Coaching coaches is something he is heavily invested in.

In this episode Dan discusses:

His career in Premiership Rugby, the HSBS 7's World Series, the Olympics and Major League Baseball.
How Collaborate Sports was born out of his own adaptability during covid.
How Collaborate Sports is helping practitioners gain exposure to real world scenarios.
The difference between Coaching vs Facilitating and Negligence vs Mistakes.
Why mentoring can help speed up the time reaching successful resolutions.
Why mentoring should be a deliberate decision to raise awareness of developmental gaps.
What good mentoring should look/feel like.

To learn more about Dan's work with Collaborate Sports you can check out his accounts on Twitter: @howellsdan , Instagram: @collaborate_sports and the website www.collaboratesports.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Ashley Jones is a rugby strength and conditioning coach who has worked at the highest levels of the game for the last 30 years across 4 continents. He was involved with the physical preparation of the Crusaders (Super XV competition), New Zealand All Blacks, Australian Wallabies, Panasonic Rugby in Japan, Edinburgh Rugby in Scotland and the Samoan Rugby Union, prior to joining the Houston Saber cats. He was awarded the NSCA's Professional Coach of the Year in 2016. Ashley holds his CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) since 1988. He is also a columnist at www.elitefts.com and is a sought after speaker and writer for organisations around the world.

In this episode Ashley discuss:

how he accidentally ended up playing rugby union instead of rugby league.
A formative interaction with a team captain.
How he went from teaching to coaching.
How his coaching career developed and took him around the world.
What traits he’s noticed in great coaches and athletes in the teams he’s coached.
His approach to athletic development.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Dr Sean Cumming is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Bath, as well as a consultant for the Premier League, Football Association, Lawn Tennis Association and Bath Rugby. In this podcast Sean discusses: The differences between Growth, Maturation, PHV PWV. How these differ between males and females. The effect maturation has on physical attributes like speed, strength and power. The difference between Biobanding and Relative Age. How Biobanding is being used in different organisations. You can follow Sean's work via his Research Gateway profile page. Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Dan Noble is the Director of Hockey at Upper Canada College and Former Director of Athlete Performance & Development at The Hill Academy. He is also the Director of Performance at Oshawa Generals and Halifax Thunderbirds as well as the owner of Noble Sports & Performance. He is an Athletic Development Coach, Speaker & Consultant who works with athletes and organizations from the minor, international & professional level. In this episode Dan discusses: His time at the Hill Academy. How volunteering frequently lead to working with the Chinese National Women’s Hockey Team. Why connecting with the person within the athlete is vital. Working with the Canadian Women’s team in lockdown for 600+ days in the lead up to their Gold Medal at the Winter Olympics. Why collaboration with the athlete is important. You can keep up to date with Dan via Instagram: @coachnoble45 and Twitter: @coachnoble45. To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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David Johnson is an Academy Sports Scientist at West Ham United and previously Academy S&C coach at AFC Bournemouth. He is a PhD candidate at the University of Bath investigating Training Load in Academy Footballers. He holds an MRes in Health and Wellbeing at The University of Bath and a BSc Exercise and Sports Science graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University.

In this episode David discusses:

How his MRes research investigated the time lost to injuries during the period of 88-95% Predicted Adult Height.

How this set the stage for a PhD investigating this issue in greater detail.

Identifying the issue of increased injury rates in periods of growth and presenting back to the multi-disciplinary team.

Why the overall training load including activities outside of the primary sporting context are important to understand the variety in training load.

His intervention seeking to reduce the impact of Growth Related Injuries and the massive 76% reduction they achieved.

Why a greater strength training stimulus may be necessary during periods before Growth Related Injuries present.

The concept of the "Activity Ladder" and some of the training modification made for players with Growth Related Injuries.

You can keep up to date with David's work via his Research Gate profile, as well as his Twitter account: @david_johnson11 .

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Dr Sean Cumming is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Bath, as well as a consultant for the Premier League, Football Association, Lawn Tennis Association and Bath Rugby. He previously provided "An idiot's guide to Growth, Maturation and Biobanding" in Season 1, Episode 11 of the podcast.

In this episode Sean discusses:

Some of the interesting research projects that have happened in the Growth & Maturation space since our last chat in 2019.
The research by Megan Hill showing the influence of peak height velocity on match grades in Academy Footballers.
The research by David Johnson showing that the impact of Growth related injuries can be attenuated in Academy Footballers.
The continued confusion of people wrongly using Relative Age Effect and Maturation interchangeably.
Why the Maturity Offset method has a large error and shouldn't be a primary tool for monitoring maturation status.
Where the research is heading in the future, including the on pitch visual screening behaviours of late vs early maturers.

You can follow Sean's work via his Research Gateway profile page.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Pratik Patel is the former Director of Performance Nutrition and Assistant S&C with the New York Giants in the NFL for 4 years. Prior to that, Pratik was the Director of Sports Nutrition at University of Oregon, Sports Dietician at Michigan State and interned at the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals.

In this episode Pratik discusses:

His own eating and exercise behaviours as a youth.
Some of the nutrition challenges that face College and NFL athletes.
The fundamental principles that young athletes and their coaches should master before progressing to the complex ideas.
Some key principles to help youth athletes gain lean mass.
The frame size profile as a limiting factor for muscle gain.
Why he no longer works in the NFL and what projects he has coming up.

You can keep up to date with Pratel via his Instagram account: @pratikxpatel and via his Twitter account: @pratikxpatel .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Joel Brannigan is an experienced coach and manager, having worked in strength and conditioning since his retirement from professional rugby in 2004, with a career that say him playing for Edinburgh, London Welsh RFC and Newcastle Falcons RFC and representing Scotland at international level. Accredited in 2007, Joel has worked with success across a diverse range of organisations and has a depth of experience in elite and professional sport, NGBs, education settings and the private sector. He has been delivering workshops for the UKSCA since 2012 as a tutor and is also a practising assessor on the current accreditation process. In addition, he has been involved in several UKSCA working groups on the subject of early years practitioner development; he is also part of the team who has taken the new UKSCA Trainer Award from its infancy to product launch.

In this episode Joel discusses:

The big impact a PE teacher had on him in his youth as a "big" kid.
How being "consistently average" helped him become a professional rugby player.
The influences key mentors played in his development as a coach.
The various changes in the Northumbria program over the years in relation to funding at the university.
The challenges encountered when working with student athletes.
The trends he has noticed emerging with student athletes arriving at university.

You can keep up to date with Joel via Twitter: @joelbrannigan03 .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk ..

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Sophie is the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Brisbane Boys’ College in Australia. She has spent many years working in the youth athletic development space and also has experience in a professional sporting capacity. Her current role at Brisbane Boys’ College sees her responsible for the implementation and continued improvement of sport specific S&C as well as general long-term athletic development programs across the school. Sophie’s philosophy as it pertains to youth S&C , is to deliver an all-encompassing approach to sport and general wellbeing which includes the inter-related aspects of training, resilience, nutrition and injury management.

In this episode Sophie discusses:

Why the development space is such a rewarding context.
An Overview of the staffing structure and logistics of the BBC program.
How the program has expanded from a 1st XV and 1st 8 rowing program to service more students.
The Green, White, Black program they use.
Why it's important to encourage young boys to make more sensible decisions in the weight room.
The future of the BBC program.

You can keep up to date with Sophie’s work via Instagram: @s_pidcock and Twitter: @soph_pidcock .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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John Noonan is a performance coach, lecturer and business owner, he has over 15 years experience working with youth, senior and international athletes across various professional sports including Olympic medalists and National champions. In 2018 John founded his business Noonan Performance were he now works as a performance coach consultant to elite athletes and corporate clients, as well as running a coach mentorship programme. John is also a regular speaker at national and international conferences and a guest lecturer in strength and conditioning at Liverpool John Moores University.

In this episode John discusses:

What key life values & priorities influenced his decision to walk away from a Premier League role.
How the pandemic has increased the number of coaches looking for more autonomy over their life/career.
His Family, Fulfillment and Finance framework for decision making around career opportunities/progression.
How whether you are a Breaker, Survivior, Thriver or Redefiner will influence your values and decisions.
The importance of identifying your values and making decisions in line with them.
Why the conventional wisdom of degree, internships, fulltime role may not be suitable for everyone.

You can follow John's work via his Instagram account: @johnnoonancoach , Twitter account: @johnnoonancoach and website: www.noonanperformance.com , where you can buy a copy of the "Family, Fulfillment and Finance model".

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Michael Boyle is the co-owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, and the co-founder of Certified Functional Strength Coach. Boyle is also one of the worlds’ foremost educators in the areas of performance training, personal training and athletic rehabilitation. Boyle has been involved in training and rehabilitation with a wide range of athletes, including stars in every major professional sport. Mike has also served as a consultant to some of the top teams in the NFL, NHL, as well as numerous division one athletic programs. In addition, Boyle has been involved in Olympic Gold Medal efforts in women’s soccer, women’s ice hockey, gymnastics and judo. In 2012 and 2013 Boyle was a Strength and Conditioning Consultant to the Boston Red Sox, winners of the 2013 World Series and, from 1991-1999 Boyle served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Bruins. Boyle served as strength and conditioning coach at Boston University from 1983-2012. Also an author and video seminar producer, Boyle recently released New Functional Training for Sports, his fourth book.

In this episode Mike discusses:

Why his Tweet of a "bad program" had such an uptake.

What program High school athletes should really be following.

Whether you should teach Olympic lifting or not.

How Equipment and Facility layout dictates programming.

Why It’s not about what you like.

Simple and logical strategies to increase load in beginner trainees.

Why it's important to consider the influence of drug users in popular programs.

His simplistic periodisation.

The concept of "orthopedic cost" in programming.

You can follow Mike's work via his Instagram account: @michael_boyle1959 , his Twitter account: @mboyle1959 and via his site www.strengthcoach.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Matt McInnes Watson is a performance coach and specialist in track and field, speed, power and plyometrics. Matt is the owner of Plus Plyos, a coaching business that provides plyometric programs and education. He is studying for a PhD in Plyometrics whilst teaching in the United Arab Emirates and coaching athletes from the U.K. and U.S.

In this episode Matt discusses:

His initial interest in plyometrics coming through basketball and athletics.

The influence of a significant mentor in his coaching methodology.

Some of the misleading research on plyometrics.

A solid definition to decide if an activity is plyometric or not.

Some of the volumes and doses required to elicit a training response.

His tier system of categorising plyometric exercises.

Some unique metrics he and a colleague have calculated.

You can follow Matt's work via his Instagram account: @plusplyos and via the website: www.plusplyos.com .

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Derek Evely has taken a career path unique in Olympic sport. As an athletics coach, he has coached professionally at all levels along the developmental continuum and is widely regarded as a foremost expert in both youth development training / programming and elite training methodology. As a coach he has produced three World Junior Championship medalists, of which two went on to become Olympic Medalists. He was the development coach for Gary Reed (IAAF World Championships 800m Silver Medalist), Dylan Armstrong (Beijing Olympic Shot Put Bronze Medalist) and Sophie Hitchon (2016 Olympic Hammer Throw Bronze Medalist). He has coached numerous national age class, junior and senior record holders, including Sultana Frizell, the current Canadian Record Holder in the women’s hammer throw. From 1998 - 2012 has was a national team coach for both Britain and Canada to every major championship on the global calendar including the Olympic Games, IAAF World Championships, European Championships, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games. He was the Loughborough High Performance Training Centre Director for British Athletics leading into the 2012 Olympic Games where he coached the youngest athlete on the British Athletics Team (Hitchon) to her first Olympic final. From 2005 to 2009 he was the Sport Science Manager for the Canadian Athletics Coaching Center. Currently, he consults and coaches with federations and individuals worldwide on all aspects of developmental and high-performance programming and is the owner / operator of EveltrakSport.com, a sport training and information resource for coaches, trainers, teachers and parents. He is also the host of EvelChat, the EveltrakSport.com coaching podcast.

In this episode Derek discusses:

His time at the GB athletic training centre.

The Bondarchuk classification system.

Why a common language is important to ensure clear communication among coaches.

Why the process of writing down your training framework is vital.

You can follow Derek's work via his Instagram account: @eveltrak , Twitter @eveltrak and his website: www.eveltraksport.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Des Ryan works for Setanta College as Director of Coaching & Performance. Des is one of the leading youth coaches and performance managers in sport and a world-renowned practitioner and speaker in the field of youth athletic development. At Setanta College, Des will contribute to the Colleges mission to be recognized in Ireland and Abroad as a leading provider of human performance and sport science research, training and education. Des joined Setanta from his position as Head of Sport Medicine & Athletic Development at Arsenal Football Club Academy, which he held for over 8 years and where he has re-shaped the concept of player development within the world of football. He has previously served as Head of S&C at Connacht Rugby, S&C to Ireland and as Fitness Education Manager within the IRFU, where he spent over 13 years developing the IRFU’s coach and player development system. Over the years Des has presented at the UKSCA, ASCA and the NSCA conferences as well as many other conferences around the world. He also has worked as a consultant to World Rugby and the National Cricket academy in India. Des has a Masters in Strength and Conditioning and is also an Accredited Strength and Conditioning coach with the UKSCA. He also has achieved the High Performance Sports Accreditation from the British Association of Sports and Exercise Science and is a chartered scientist.

In this episode Des discusses:

How organisations can recruit top coaching talent.#

What they should offer as a package to hold on to good coaches.

Why the performance review meeting is the most important meeting of the year.

The importance of a multidisciplinary mission and vision.

Some of the opportunities early career coaches overlook to their detriment.

You can follow Des's work via his Instagram account: @desryan75 , Twitter: @DeasunO and the Setanta College website: www.setantacollege.com . To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork . You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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In this episode Elisabeth discusses:

The differences in the German Sport System vs other countries.

How not every child is drawn to participating in Team Sports.

How she structures youth weightlifting sessions, incorporating other sporting activities.

Giving children a voice in designing the program.

Her colour coded system for encouraging children to master technique rather than intensity.

You can follow Elisabeth's work via her Instagram account: @eo.performance , Twitter @eo_performance and her website: www.eo-performance.com .

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Jeremy Frisch is the owner and director of Achieve Performance Training in Clinton, Mass. He is the former assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Holy Cross athletic department. While there, he worked directly with the Crusader men's basketball team, in addition to serving as the strength coach for Holy Cross' men's soccer, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball, softball, field hockey, tennis and women's track & field squads. Prior to joining Holy Cross, Frisch served as the sports performance director at Teamworks Sports Center.. He also served as a speed and strength coach for Athletes Edge Sports Training, and did a strength and conditioning internship at Stanford University. Frisch is a 2007 graduate of Worcester State College with a bachelor's degree in health science and physical education. He was a member of the football and track teams during his days at Worcester State and Assumption College. In this episode Jeremy discusses:

Why spotting missing developmental skills fuelled his choice to leave a collegiate role to work with kids.

A typical day at Achieve Performance in terms of groups, activities and programs.

The importance of tumbling/rolling skills in risk management. His priorities when coaching athletes in different age groups.

What he monitors and measures in his programs. Balancing chaos and safety.

Hiding your coaching objectives in engaging activities.

You can follow Jeremy's work via Instagram: @achieve_performance and Twitter: @jeremyfrisch and via www.achieveperformance.training .

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Paudie Roche is the Head Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach for Arsenal Football Club. Prior to this he was the Lead U9-U.6 coach and was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Physical Development Framework for the Academy. Currently he leads the physical development programme for the U18 and U23 squads and works alongside 3 Strength & Conditioning coaches to implement an industry leading programme. Prior to working at Arsenal Paudie gained considerable experience in a number of sports and in 2008 began work for the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) as the Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach for Munster Rugby. During his time at Munster he held the position of Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for the National Team and prepared players for the 2011 6 Nations andRugby World Cup. In his last season with the IRFU he was awarded the title of Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Irish U.20 Squad whom competed in the 2013 6 Nations and Junior World Cup Competitions. Paudie holds a Master’s Degree from Edith Cowan University, as well as accreditations from the National Strength and Conditioning Association of America (NSCA), the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) and the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA). He is currently a Director on the Board for the UKSCA. In 2015 for his work in Youth Sport, Paudie was awarded the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year for Youth Sport by the UKSCA.

In this episode Paudie discusses:

An insight into their the Arsenal Academy staffing structure and locations.

An in depth overview of the delivery of physical development within the Arsenal FC Academy from U9 - U23 squads.

Why assessing maturation forms an integral part of the Arsenal academy program.

How they use their traffic light system to manage different stages of maturation.

How they utilise biobanding fixtures and the importance of increasing the number of biobanding opportunities.

How involving parents is important in load management of young athletes.

You can keep up to date with Paudie via Twitter: @coach_roche_ .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Nicolai Morris is a strength and conditioning coach with Men and Women's Hockey at the New South Wales Institute of Sport. Nicolai also works with Tokyo Olympic Silver Medalist High Jumper Nicola McDermott. Previously, Nicolai worked as an S&C specialist with High Performance Sport New Zealand as the lead of the New Zealand women's hockey team, and with the New Zealand Rowing in the elite and U23/Junior pathways. She also worked as the Head strength and conditioning coach for the Australian Beach Handball team, Sydney Uni and the NSW Women’s State of Origin team. Nicolai is a ASCA Level 2, Pro-Scheme Elite coach, and holds a Masters in Strength and Conditioning with over a decade of coaching experience.

In this episode Nicolai discusses:

Her entry into swimming due to severe asthma and her first experience of S&C.

Exposure to different activities and coaching men's gymnastics.

How this skillset has helped her coaching with different sports from Rugby to High Jump.

Some useful starting points for those wanting to integrate gymnastic activities.

Red Flags to look out for with athletes.

A unique case study using gymnastics with Tokyo Silver Medallist in High Jump, Nicola McDermott

You can follow Nicolai's work via Instagram: @nicolai_morris and Twitter: @nicolai_morris .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Jake is a strength and conditioning coach and applied sports scientist. He has extensive experience within academy, team and individual sport settings and has worked with athletes, male and female, both developing and elite. Jake has enjoyed a varied career which has afforded him opportunities to live and work interstate and internationally, having benefitted in learning from a range of people, across cultures and disciplines in sport. Jake moved to Bendigo, VIC in 2019 to undertake an industry PhD role with the Bendigo Pioneers NAB League sides and La Trobe University where he is investigating the match-play demands of elite-junior and senior Australian Rules football, and characteristics associated with draft success. Jake has held youth development roles that he believes either suit, or challenge traditional LTAD models, providing him with a unique ability to blend an approach and drive performance.

In this episode Jake discusses:

An overview of AFL for the uninitiated.

His data collection across AFL and Junior competition and some novel metrics he is investigating.

How the training and match demands between Junior and Senior AFL compare.

How these metrics may relate to success in the AFL draft.

How much training volume is really necessary?

Should we spend more time on skill development vs physical development?

Breaking down GPS data to identify the what, where and when peak running demands occur.

Prescribing training drills and activities based on peak demands.

You can follow Jake's work on Twitter via: @jake_jennings1 and via his LinkedIn page.

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Lachlan Wilmot has been working in the fitness industry going on 17 years, working with both the general population and elite level athletes. After completing a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science, Lachlan continued his education, completing his Honours thesis in Sports Science. Lachlan spent 8 years as the Senior Athletic Performance Coach specialising in strength and power at the GWS Giants AFL Club based in Sydney, after previous involvement with the AIS-AFL Academy and NSW/ACT AFL Academy. Lachlan then moved across to the Parramatta Eels NRL Club to take on the role of High-Performance Manager. After 2 seasons at the club he made the decision to transition into his private company Athletes Authority. Lachlan is currently the Director of Coaching and Performance at Athletes Authority in Sydney, a company that specialises in athlete development and coach education. Lachlan also currently sits on the board of directors for the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association.

In this episode Lachlan discusses:

His very unique job interview for the GWS Giants role.

His Presuasion, Persuasion and Prosuasion model for networking and building your career.

How they built Athlete's Authority.

An overview of the oustanding facility and services they offer.

Why individualised programming may not be as beneficial as we think.

How connection and community is at the heart of what they do.

Why the discriminate on an athlete's attitude rather than performance level.

You can follow Athletes Authority via their website: www.athletesauthority.com.au and via their Instagram: @athletesauthority . You can follow Lachlan on Instagram: @performancecoach_wilmot and Twitter: @lachlan_wilmot.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Josh Fletcher is 'The Practitioner Wellness Guy'. He currently works for Hintsa with an F2 racing driver, previously EXOS with the Special Forces, Elite sport in India, English Institute of Sport and in Professional Rugby. Recently he has dedicated his core business "Career Blueprint" to supporting performance practitioners in taking control of their well-being. He believes that as coaches we are pretty poor at looking after ourselves, putting our time and energy into our athletes and other people, impacting our happiness, health and wealth. He believes it's time for your personal well-being to stop being an afterthought because you are more than just a performance practitioner.

In this episode Josh discusses:

How he ended burning out as a coach.

How an unusual contract with Exos ended up leading to him living in France and working in F2.

How anyone in the S&C industry long term encounters burnout in some form.

Why we as coaches need to take control of our own happiness, health and wealth and not leave it to our employers.

Why/How he is curating conversations around practitioner wellness.

How you can get involved in the conversation.

You can Josh's work via Instagram: @careerblueprint and Twitter: @coachblueprint1 .

You can join the Facebook community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/practitionerwellbeing and check out Josh Website here: www.yourcareer-blueprint.com . To enter a competition to win 1 of 5 free journals enter here: https://tinyurl.com/athletic-evolution-competition . To get a 15% off discount use the code: athleticevo (all lower case).

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Clive Brewer is the Performance Director for the Center for Coaching Excellence / Assistant Professor of Sports Science at ETSU. He consults internationally, supporting Olympic Athletes such as Galen Rupp in his preparation for 2021 Olympics. Clive also leads on coach development education programs internationally - for example, the restructure of the UKSCA coach development pathway and is also an Adjunct Professor for the School of Coaching & Sports Science at West Virginia University. Clive was the Performance Director for Columbus Crew in 2020, and prior to this was the Assistant Director of High Performance for the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball Team. Clive has consulted with organizations such as Manchester United FC, USA Football, Wimbledon tennis championships, WTA, Scotland National Rugby League, Liverpool Ladies, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), SportsMed Global, Cirque du Soleil and IMG Academy. In August 2015, he was awarded the fellowship of the UKSCA in recognition of his contribution to the industry. His latest book “Developing athletic movement skills” was published by Human Kinetics in 2017. A regular speaker at International conferences, Clive has published 2 other books, 8 book chapters and more than 15 papers on training methods, coaching & performance in peer-reviewed journals.

In this episode, Clive discusses:

The rise of opportunities away from the professional clubs and institutes of sport.

Why the youth setting is a great place to learn the skills required for coaching.

How coaches are starting to recognise the youth setting as an legitimate career.

The simplest advice to becoming a better coach.

The valuable lessons he took from coaching primary school children.

His varied roles and what motivates him in accepting a new opportunity.

You can follow Clive on Twitter via: @Clivesportsandc and on LinkedIn.

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David Joyce is an internationally recognized leader in human performance, strategy and decision making. He holds Masters degrees in both Sports Physiotherapy and Strength & Conditioning, as well as an MBA. He has worked with hundreds of elite athletes, including multiple world and Olympic champions and in multiple sports around the world. Nowadays, Dave’s focus has shifted much more towards enabling major sporting organisations, corporates, start-ups and emerging leaders navigate through the choppy seas of complexity, and set themselves up to thrive in an increasingly uncertain future. He has written and co-edited with Daniel Lewindon 2 internationally best-selling textbooks on high-performance and rehabilitation, and the new edition of High Performance Training For Sports has just been released to critical acclaim around the world.

In this episode David discusses:

His varied career in both team and olympic sports in Australia, UK, Europe and China.
How an interesting move to Galatasaray came about.
His time at Western Force and combatting being the most travelled team in the world.
The similarities that exist in coaching both sport and executives.
Why coaches should write their own eulogy.
Why clarity on your values and mission are vital for congruence as a coach.
How he and Dan Lewindon had no idea when they embarked on the 1st edition of High Performance Training for Sports.
How the 2nd edition isn't just a revamp of the 1st, but an entirely different book in it's own right.

You can follow David on Twitter via: @DavidGJoyce or via LinkedIn. You can purchase the latest edition of High Performance Training for Sports here.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Grant Jenkins is the Director of Propel Perform, as well as a Strength & Conditioning Coach & an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. Grant specialises in coaching developmental athletes with a long list of demonstrated success:

2 Athletes selected as Queensland State Junior Sports Stars of the Year;
a Wimbledon Junior Champion;
State Powerlifting Champion;
age-group BMX World Champions;
age-group Triathlon World Champion;
over 20 National Tennis Champions.

In 2017 he received the distinguished recognition of being awarded ‘Master Coach’ by the Australian Strength & Conditioning Association - the highest level of qualification in Australia. Additionally he holds:

Bachelor of Science (Hons) with Sport Science & Rehabilitation.
Level 3 Strength & Conditioning Coach (Australian Strength & Conditioning Association).
Accredited Exercise Physiologist (Exercise & Sport Science Association)
State Level Sports Power Coach (Australian Weightlifting Federation)..

You can often hear him on the Australian ABC Radio giving his insight to the world of high performance and health. He has appeared on ESPN’s series ‘Search for Hurt’ , as well as contributed interviews in Men’s Health magazine.

In this episode Grant discusses:

The influence his father had in driving his entrepreneurship.
The various "lucky" breaks he had in his developing career.
The red ocean vs blue ocean strategy applied in S&C.
Some of the opportunities S&C Coaches are overlooking when they set sights on the "pros".
How he teaches his interns to "get lucky" in their interactions and careers.
The skills required to set up a successful coaching business.
The disconnect between LTAD theory and real world application.

You can follow Grant on Twitter via: @grant_jenkins and on Instagram via: @grant_jenkins . You can sign up to Grant's newsletter here: www.grantjenkins.info . You can learn more about Propel Perform here: www.propelperform.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Marina Carrier is a Tokyo 2020 Olympian who represented Australia in the Modern Pentathlon. She has been involved in Pentathlon since the age of 12. At the senior level, her highest world ranking was #39, whilst her she finished her U18 Youth career at #7 in the World. She has had several international podium finishes, including beating the World #2. She has also previously been the Australian National Champion in 2017 & 2018.

In this episode she discusses:

The impact Covid lockdowns had on her training and preparation for the Olympic Games.
How she had to adapt her training environments and scheduling to achieve a "Best Possible" performance.
How she could barely walk just 8 weeks prior to competing.
The additional requirements of travel, testing, processing, quarantines and strict departures required for the athletes in order to compete.
Why she decided to listen to her body and change her practice schedule just days before competing.
How the joy of sport can be lost at the elite level and the importance of preserving it.
Why her primary aim was to be present in the moment and to enjoy her Olympic Games experience.

You can read more about Marina on the Australian Olympic Team Website .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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In this episode, Clive discusses:

Why sport is a “people business”.
The evolution of the industry along with various job titles.
Differences between the industry in the UK and US.
Why being new to a sport as a coach can give you a unique position to question the way things are done.
Making the most of staff/expertise around you.
His road trip analogy for working in an interdisciplinary team.
Why technology can’t trump trade craft.
The importance of reflective practices in progressing your coaching skill.
The importance of working with new individuals/sports/environments to progress your coaching.

You can follow Clive on Twitter via: @Clivesportsandc and on LinkedIn. To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk

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Ash’s academic foundations include 3 undergraduate degrees: in Strength and Conditioning, Sports and Exercise Science and Exercise Rehabilitation. Additionally He has post graduate qualifications in Sports and Exercise Medicine and Nutrition, whilst working towards a PhD in Sports and Exercise Science.

Throughout his career he has lectured and worked at various academic institutions and presented at some of the leading educational resources including Chester University and TRA Performance. He has worked with a broad range of sports men and women at elite and amateur level including Tennis, MMA, Rugby, Olympic winter sports, Boxing and Horse racing. He has also presented to premiership football academies on athlete optimisation, specifically strength development to optimise performance and minimize injury. Ash also has a keen interest in supporting the general population and sits as a member of the Faculty of Public Health.

In this episode Ash discusses:

How his own experience as a youngster shaped his emphasis on resistance training.
Why resistance training is a more accurate representation of post-school physical activity habits for adult life, rather than team sport.
How we are failing to capitalise on the school experience as the ideal scenario to equip adolescents in resistance training.
The significant barriers to engaging in effective training programs in school settings.
Why PE teachers need greater upskilling and support to deliver effective resistance training.
How this change could help improve societal habits and relieve the burden on the National Health Service.

You can follow Ash on Twitter via: @ashcox16 and on Instagram via: @ash_cox . You can can check out Redwood Performance here: www.redwoodperformanceinstitute.co.uk and keep up to date with Ash's research via his Research Gate profile.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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James Baker is a coach, educator and researcher that is passionate about helping people achieve their potential as athletes and coaches. He is one of the co-founders of the LTAD Network, previously known as Proformance Strength & Conditioning, and brings a unique blend of skills and experience as a S&C coach, PE teacher, sport scientist and researcher. He is currently a Strength & Conditioning coach and Performance Support Lead at the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar.

Alongside his coaching responsibilities he is leading a research project on the impact of growth and maturation in youth track and field. In 2020, he received the Australian Strength & Conditioning Association’s Senior Research Award on behalf of the Aspire Academy research team. Prior to arriving at Aspire, James established a number of school based LTAD programmes in the UK, including St. Peter’s R.C. High School in Gloucester.

He created and integrated a 7-year LTAD pathway into the state school Physical Education curriculum, redefining what could be offered by state secondary schools in terms of support for “Gifted and Talented” pupils. In 2017, James was awarded the United Kingdom Strength & Conditioning Associations’ S&C Coach of the Year Award for Youth Sport for his work at the school.

In this episode James discusses:

• The aim to make the application of LTAD coaching easy to understand and apply in a simple and practical way.

• How the model has been tested in a variety of environments including the private, education and academy sectors.

• Why training age/competency trumps chronological or biological age.

• Differences between the female and male models.

• How the model maps across to schools and sport academies.

• How the model can benefit both individual coaches and organisations.

• How to access the model for free here: https://education.ltadnetwork.com/course/free-resources

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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David Jackson is an Advanced Oxygen Advantage breathwork coach, a former professional rugby player, Accredited UKSCA Strength & Conditioning coach, NASM performance enhancement & corrective exercise specialist and co-founder of the School of Calisthenics that combines movement and breathwork to develop freedom in our bodies and minds.

Having worked with professional & recreational athletes to enhance performance through better breathing as well as clients seeking better stress management through breathwork He is passionate about helping everyone fulfil their true potential through enhancing their breathing whatever their goals.

In this episode Jacko discusses:

How an initial curiosity sparked a deep dive into breath work.
The importance of nasal breathing rather than mouth breathing.
Some biochemistry of breathing/respiration and the benefits and adaptations of breathwork.
How breathwork can improve recovery within and between training sessions.
Basics to focus on to get started improving breathing mechanics.
His key resources to learn more about breathwork.

You can check out Jacko's FREE Better Breathing Ebook here, his Youtube channel here and his Online Breathwork Basics Course here. You can can check out his site www.rootedlife.co.uk and keep up to date with him via the Instagram account: @jackohumanflag .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Ranell Hobson is the founder of the Academy of Sport Speed Australia (ASSA). She is an S&C Coach with a specialty in Speed. Through her private coaching, Ranell has helped hundreds of athletes modify their physical qualities and biomechanics to maximise speed performance. Ranell is in her 6th year as S&C Coach GWS Fury Premier League (Netball) and 3rd year as the Speed Specialist for NSW Baseball. In 2019 Ranell was awarded the ‘ASCA Performance Development Coach of the Year’ for her work as S&C Coach of the Premiership winning GWS Fury Premier League U23’s Netball team. Ranell is a regular presenter at Strength & Conditioning and Fitness Conventions and has delivered her Explosive Speed Development courses and Athlete clinics across Australia, the UK and Asia. An elite masters athlete in her own right, Ranell has won 6 World Championship Medals, holds multiple State, National and Oceania titles in the Sprint events and is a previous World Record holder in the 4 x 100m.

In this episode Ranell discusses:

The importance of increasing strength through peak weight velocity in female athletes.
How she integrates strength training on the track, pitch and court.
When to focus on strength/power and when to back off during the menstrual cycle.
How she organises her training programs within a squad of female athletes according to their cycles.
The opportunities to get better at the individual details within a team context.

You can check out Ranell's work at www.academyofsportspeed.com and keep up to date with her via the Instagram account: @academyofsportspeed .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Ivi Casagrande was a scholarship athlete playing for the soccer team at Bowling Green State University where she got her Bachelor's degree in Pre-Medicine. After graduating, she played semi-profesionally at Toledo Villa before pursuing a master's degree in Kinesiology at Bowling Green State University and serving as the Sports Performance coach for the soccer team there. Before becoming the sports performance coach with the Division I soccer team. In 2018, she joined US Soccer as a Network Sport Scientist providing support for the girls youth national teams. Additionally she was the Director of Sports Performance at the Redline Athletics youth athletic training center. In 2019, she became the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Orlando Pride before taking the post of Women’s & Girls Sports Scientist at an FA WSL club.

In this episode Ivi discusses:

Fulfilling a dream of working with world class player Marta.
The complicated nature of injury.
The importance of taking a holistic approach to injury prevention.
The importance of casual conversations in building rapport with athletes.
Empowering female athletes to manage their cycle with positive behaviours.
Her toolkit to help female athlete manage symptoms.
Why there is no one size fits all approach.

You can check out Ivi's work at www.ivicasagrande.com and keep up to date with her via the Instagram account: @ivicasagrande and via @ivicasagrande on Twitter.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Dr Sylvia Moeskops is a lecturer in Strength and Conditioning at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She has recently completed her PhD which investigated the effects of growth, maturation and training on strength and power development in young female artistic gymnasts. Her interest in the topic was inspired from her experiences as a young gymnast and her time coaching artistic gymnasts. Sylvia works as a strength and conditioning coach in the Youth Physical Development Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She currently leads the programming and delivery for the young artistic female gymnasts. She has also recently started strength and conditioning provision in local gymnastics clubs & delivering S&C CPD workshops for Welsh Gymnastics.

In this episode Sylvia discusses:

How her 8 week Master's study set the scene for her PhD Research.
The resource intensive nature of running a 10 month long term training study for her PhD.
The importance of having a control, gymnastics only and a combined training group to demonstrate training effect.
The extensive testing battery they used to determine if S&C improved performance in youth female gymnasts.
Why she spent 8 weeks focussing on movement competency even with gymnasts.
The importance of cognitive maturity in determining young athlete's programs.
The results, benefits and applications of her PhD research in training young female athletes.

You can check out Sylvia work via her Research Gate profile here and keep up to date with her via the Instagram account: @project_spring_gymnasts and via @sylviamoeskops on Twitter.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Nathan Parnham is an Athletic Development Coach based in Australia. He has worked in various roles throughout his career in the development and professional space across both genders for close to two decades. He has recently taken up a role as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Brisbane Grammar School. Nathan has played role in the development of a range of state, national, and professional athletes currently plying their trade in the Australian Netball League, A/W-league's, NRL, Super Rugby, Rugby7s, and the ITF Tennis Circuit. He has recently transitioned from professional sport back into the development realm and is passionate about sharing content and highlighting aspects that Coaches and Parents may find useful.

In this episode Nathan discusses:

His recent switch to Brisbane Grammar School and ow the S&C delivery works at the school.
Being aware of the variety of demands and realising that we can't have adult expectations.
His aim to write a guide to answer the FAQs of parents and coaches.
The journey from pipe dream to publication.
The range of content included such as scheduling, supplements, sport sampling and maturation.
Additional contributions from coaches and athletes.

You can pick up a copy of The Sporting Parent" at www.nathanparnham.com and keep up to date with Nathan via the Instagram account: @thesportingparent and via @nathan_parnham .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Dr Mike Young is a nationally recognized researcher, coach, and educator. His depth of knowledge and experience in the field of athletic development is evidenced by his stays at all three U.S. Olympic Training Centers as an athlete (Lake Placid), sport scientist (Colorado Springs & Chula Vista), and coach (Colorado Springs). Mike has an undergraduate degree in Exercise Physiology, an MS in Athletic Administration and a PhD in Biomechanics. Mike has earned NSCA’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, is recognized by USA Weightlifting as a Club and Advanced Sport Performance Coach, a Crossfit Level 1 Certified Trainer, is one of less than 20 USA Track & Field (USATF) Level 3 coaches in the country and has a USATF Level 2 certification in 3 event areas.

Mike has served as the primary coach for national/international team qualifiers in Athletics, as well as Bobsleigh, Skeleton and Weightlifting. InTrack & Field, he has coached or assisted multiple Olympians, National Champions, Masters National and World Champions and Collegiate National Champions. Additionally, he has served as the S&C coach for professionals in the NFL, MLB and MLS. He served as the Fitness Coach for the Vancouver Whitecaps and Carolina Railhawks. Previously, Mike coached Athletics at the NCAA level at 4 Universities, most notably coaching 4 years at LSU where the team won 6 National Championships. Mike is equally qualified as a sport scientist and coach educator. His research on sprinting, stretching, balance and throwing activities have been published and presented in Regional, National and International journals and conferences and he is an invited editor for the Journal of Sports Sciences and Sports Biomechanics.

In this episode Mike discusses:

Progression from beginner to advanced/ pre session to competition.
Why teamsports require a high eccentric force generating capacity.
The importance of building basic concentric strength before progressing to more specific strength qualities.
His thresholds for focussing on more specific strength qualities.
A practical rule of thumb for stimulating eccentric strength.
Some of the tools and methods he uses in training programs to monitor these qualities.
Ensure the training signal to the body is as clear as possible.
Practical examples of a training week with his T&F athletes.

You can keep up to date with Mike via the Instagram account: @mikeyoungphd and via the @athleticlab .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Dr. John P. Wagle is the Director, Performance Science / Player Development for the Kansas City Royals. Before joining the Royals, he provided support in strength and conditioning and sport science to university and U.S Olympic Training Site athletes while a doctoral fellow in the Sport Physiology & Performance program at East Tennessee State University. Prior joining ETSU, Wagle was the Director of Sports Performance at DePaul University, overseeing all aspects of the department while working with men’s basketball, women’s softball, and men’s tennis. He has been a published author, invited speaker, and consultant on several topics, including training theory, athlete monitoring, and accentuated eccentric loading. Wagle received his M.S. in exercise science from Western Illinois University and completed his undergraduate work at Augustana College (IL), majoring in physics and business management. He also holds two graduate degrees in business administration from Loyola University (MBA) and North Park University (MNA). As an athlete, Wagle was an All-American infielder at Augustana College and played two seasons of minor league baseball following his collegiate career.

In this episode John discusses:

Defining what Accentuated Eccentric Loading (AEL) is.
The 3 criteria needed to satisfy AEL.
The adaptations stimulated by AEL.
How AEL compares to other eccentric methods such as Tempo and Flywheel training.
How/When/Where AEL can be applied in practice.
His Action, Management, Care model for athlete monitoring.
The idea of "Potential Restraint Factors" that can limit athlete performance.

You can keep up to date with John via the Twitter account: @DrJohnPWagle .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Irving “Boo” Schexnayder is regarded internationally as one of the leading authorities in training design, bringing 39 years of experience in coaching and consulting. He recently returned to the LSU Track and Field coaching staff for a second stint, adding to his previous 12 year term on the LSU Staff. Regarded as one of the world’s premier field event coaches, he was the mastermind behind 19 NCAA Champions during his collegiate coaching career. He was a part of 12 NCAA Championship teams and a pair of Juco National titles, as well as developing a host of conference champions and All-Americans. He returned to the LSU staff in 2017.

Schexnayder has also been a prominent figure on the international scene, having coached triple jumper Walter Davis to multiple World Championships, and long jumper John Moffitt to a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He has coached 11 Olympians, and has served on coaching staffs for Team USA to the 2003 Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo, the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, and was the Jumps Coach for Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

In this episode Boo discusses:

His method of categorising plyometrics according to their purpose in the program.
Why young athletes may be more prepared for speed development than we think.
How he integrates plyometrics early in the rehab process.
How he adjusts plyometrics for Track vs Team Sports and Heavier vs Lighter athletes.
Key coaching points in horizontal and vertical plyometrics.
His go to jump tests to evaluate plyometric ability.

You can keep up to date with Boo via the Twitter account: @BooSchex and via his website www.sacspeed.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Dan Baker has PhD in sports science from Edith Cowan University. He was the Brisbane Broncos NRL Strength and Conditioning for 19 years and has coached elite, international and national league athletes in rugby union (QLD Reds, Wallabies), diving (AIS/Olympic), netball (National League), soccer (National League), power lifting, MMA and athletics. Dan is an Accredited ASCA Level 3 S&C Coach and Accredited Master Coach , the highest level, within the ASCA Professional Coach Accreditation Scheme. His area of specialty is the periodisation of strength and power training methods, using velocity measures in resistance training, Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) training and Long-Term Athlete Development.

In this episode Dan discusses:

Programming strength training for different ages and stages from youth to Pro.
Why it’s stupid to load an athlete who moves poorly.
Why chasing loading early could be considered “lazy” coaching.
How to determine if a young athlete is ready for barbell training.
His research on Strength/Power as a differentiator in levels of performance.
Strategies for creating an effective training environment.

You can keep up to date with Dan via the Instagram account: @danbakerstrength_ and via his website www.danbakerstrength.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Coaching is Nick’s calling. Almost 35 years on from starting as a coach Nick is active and helping people achieve their goals and improve their lifestyle - whether for the outdoors, on the sports field or the Olympic podium. As the Altis Programs Director Nick builds education and training resources that share experiences and extend processes. Altis is an elite training environment for athletes, and a global leader in the provision of education for sport performance. The complexity of managing both the Performance and health of athletes is at the heart of the Altis approach.

In this episode Nick discusses:

His extensive experience working across universities, clubs, organisations sports and countries.
What category a new project/environment fits into.
His tips for what to consider when starting in a new project/environment.
What makes a great youth coach.
His evolution of “behavioural milestones”.
Why we need to educate athlete to train well, eat well and recover well.
Creating alignment across departments within an organisation.

You can keep up to date with Nick's via the Instagram account: @nickward_coach and via the Altis account: @altis .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Stu Martin is Head of Performance Strategy for British Weightlifting. He was the Team leader for one of England Weightlifting’s most successful commonwealth games of all time in Birmingham 2018 and is the Team leader for Tokyo 2021 through one of GB’s most successful Olympic cycles in weightlifting history. He is a Coach for a number of Britain’s leading weightlifters and is responsible for implementing British Weightlifting’s strategy to develop lifters & coaches and grow the number of talented athletes involved in weightlifting in the UK.

In this episode Stu covers:

The profile of promising athletes within weightlifting.
The expected journey from beginner to elite.
His 3 simple questions.
The fundamentals, good practice, specific and individual factors they consider.
The difference between the preparation and performance mindset.
The different types of pressure experience in competitive weightlifting.
Why and how they recreate pressure within training sessions.

You can keep up to date with Stu via his Instagram account: @strengthcoachsm or via his LinkedIn profile.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Jon Goodwin is currently Academy Head of Sport Science at Fulham FC. He was previously S&C National Lead for the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee. He led the creation of the BSc and Distance Learning MSc in S&C at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. He has over 20 years of coaching, teaching and researching across athletics, weightlifting, S&C and biomechanics.

In this episode Jon discusses:

Changing the culture at Fulham to focus on personal bests and individual progress.
Updating their multi sport sampling model within the academy.
Developing game changing qualities in speed and change of direction.
What gets covered by the game and what needs specific attention to develop.
Why he changed their model of pre season training.

You can keep up to date with Jon via his twitter account: @jonnie_mechanic.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Sean is the lead S&C Coach at Eton College. He has been working in gyms since 1993, initially in the Health & Fitness sector, before discovering the joy of working with young people in schools. His number one aim is to help kids leave school with a better understanding of physical fitness and more importantly, the self-motivation to find ways to stay active long into their future.

Whilst understanding the value of LTAD models, Sean’s only metric of interest is participation. And from experience he has found that once boys take an interest, that many good things will follow.

Sean discusses:

How his unique sporting background influenced his philosophy.
The Importance of Longevity in engagement in physical activity.
Do we have too much of a performance focus when we discuss LTAD?
What his role at Eton looks like.
How his personal philosophy impacts his role at Eton.
How he creates sessions/programs to encourage greater voluntary participation.
His advice for making the most of school based coaching opportunities.

You can keep up to date with Sean via his LinkedIn profile.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Jake Tuura is a former collegiate strength and conditioning coach, now running Jacked Athlete fulltime. He has a Masters in Exercise Science and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning coach with the NSCA, as well as holding qualifications from USA Weightlifting, Titleist Performance Institute, Be Activated and Reflexive Performance Reset.

In this episode Jake discusses:

How his desire to increase jump height, muscle mass and strength lead him into coaching.
Why critical thinking is an important skill for coaches.
Why training like a bodybuilder is a bad idea for athleticism.
Why he uses cluster training rather than traditional hypertrophy training.
How personal injury lead to his interest in patellar tendinopathy.
Why rest is a bad idea for tendons and how basic strength training exercises can help with patellar tendinopathy.
Why there is not set prescription of reintroducing jumping after patellar tendinopathy.

You can keep up to date with Jake via Instagram: @jaketuura and his website www.jackedathlete.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Erica Suter is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and has a Masters in Exercise Science and Sport Performance Enhancement. As an athlete, she pcaptained the soccer team at Johns Hopkins University and was a 2x Academic All American, 2 x Scholar All American and National Player of the Year. She holds the record of being the 2nd highest goal scorer for John Hopkins University and was selected in the John Hopkins 25th Anniversary All star team.

In this episode, Erica discusses:

Why she is glad she didn't play/train seriously until age 13.
Her experience coaching and playing in Brazil.
The important influence a quiet and calm coach had on her as an athlete.
The importance of building healthy habits in young athletes.
Repetition without repetition.
Building resilience for life not just sport.
The changing perception of female athletes.

You can keep up to date with Erica via Instagram: @fitsoccerqueen and her website www.ericasuter.com .

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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In this episode I sit down the LTAD Network founders James Baker and Mike Young.

James and Mike discuss:

Their own athletic journeys as children/adolescents.
How their initial connection on Twitter flourished into a long term business partnership.
The evolution in awareness of youth strength & conditioning.
The reason behind the rebrand from Proformance to LTAD Network.
The aim of building a community of coaches to share ideas, practice and opportunities.
Redefining the LTAD space from youth specific to a cradle to grave focus.
What’s on offer at the LTAD Network. Membership structure/pricing.
What’s coming in the pipeline. How you can connect with the LTAD Network.

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

You can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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This episode is a slightly different to the usual. I wanted to update you, the listener on some exciting developments with the Athletic Evolution Podcast.

In this episode I cover:

The future direction that the podcast will be taking.
Being approached by James Baker about a collaborative opportunity.
Why I am excited about joining forces with the LTAD Network
What the LTAD Network is all about.
Why I think it solves the problem I get asked about most frequently.
Why joining the LTAD Network will help us reach even more coaches around the world.
How you can join us for peanuts!

To learn more about the LTAD Network check out www.ltadnetwork.com or follow them on Instagram: @ltadnetwork or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltadnetwork .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our www.athleticevolution.co.uk , Instagram: @athleticevouk and Twitter: @athleticevouk .

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Jamie Bowie is a former 400m GB and Team Scotland athlete, Jamie was part of the team that won silver at the World Indoor Championships in the 4x400m relay. Now turning his hand to coaching, the former internationalist has worked with athletes at pathway level in both athletics and rugby and now works for Scottish Gymnastics as a Performance Manager for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018 and towards the Birmingham 2022 Games. Continuing, to progress his coaching he currently coaches Double World Champion and Paralympic sprinter Maria Lyle ahead of the postponed Tokyo Paralympic Games.

In this episode Jamie discusses:

Not being a "talented" youngster and how the 400m found him.
Not getting carried away by physical abilities in adolescence.
The personal characteristics he looks for in athletes.
The challenge of selecting athletes for development vs performance at youth level.
The similarities between the 4x400m relay and Artistic Gymnastics.
The importance of investing in both coaches and athletes.
Long term coach-athlete relationships.

You can keep up to date with Jamie via his Instagram account: @jkb400 and @coach.bowie as well as via his Twitter account: @Bowie2Bowie .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Dan Jefferson is currently working with the Sports Authority of India as the Head of Strength and Conditioning with the boxing federation, specifically supporting the Male and Female Olympic teams for Tokyo 2021. Prior to this Dan was the Senior Strength & Conditioning coach at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), India, where he led the IIS Boxing programme. Prior to making the international move, Dan worked as a Strength & Conditioning Coach at the Sport Scotland Institute of Sport where he was the national lead for their boxing & badminton programmes, alongside multi-sport delivery in a variety of sports including golf, cricket, swimming, snowboarding & freestyle skiing. Dan is an accredited coach with the United Kingdom Strength & Conditioning Association (UKSCA) and a graduate of Sport & Exercise Science from Abertay University Dundee, Scotland.

In this episode Dan discusses:

How starting as a boxing coach helped him develop his coaching skills.
The transferable lessons he learnt from working on a building site into a multidisciplinary support department.
The culture shock he experienced moving from Scotland to India and his initial doubts.
How coaching in a different language challenges your coaching skills.
The importance and significance of trying to learn the language.
The similarities and differences between coaching in India vs Scotland.
Tokyo Olympics and beyond.

You can keep up to date with Dan via Instagram: @jeffersonperformance and LinkedIn .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Jason Avelar has been a PE teacher for the last 8 years at Prescott Junior High School, considered one of the best physical education schools in America. Prescott was featured in the popular documentary “The Motivation Factor” which stresses the importance of being physically active and explores the unique PE program founded at La Sierra High School in the 1960's. Jason holds Bachelor's in Science in Physical Education from the University of Mary, as well as a Masters in Best Practices from National University. He has been a Physical Education Teacher for 12 years, High School Football Coach for 12 years, as well a Junior High School Basketball and Track coach 8 years. He is also a Blue Belt in Jiu Jitsu.

In this episode Jason discusses:

How he found his own escape in sport and exercise in his youth.
The Fitness based model of PE Curriculum delivered at Prescott.
The unique system of coloured shorts or "trunks" to identify physical achievements.
How the program was altered for younger age groups and those who don't "level up"
How recording personal records and progress across 20 fitness tests is motivating for adolescents.
How this personal improvement translates into other academic areas.

You can keep up to date with Jason via Instagram: @coach_ave34 and Prescott Pride via @prescottpride . You can read Jason's article on Strong First here and learn more about the Motivation Factor Documentary here.

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Oliver Morgan holds a BSc Sport & Exercise Sciences from University of Birmingham, an MRes in Talent Identification from Coventry University and is currently completing a Professional Doctorate at Liverpool John Moores investigating CODs match demands. He spent 8 seasons at Liverpool FC holding a variety of roles across a variety of squads. From U12s-16s squads and from General Sports Scientist to Rehabilitation Fitness Coach. In January 2019 he moved onto to take the role of Head of Academy Sport Science at Celtic FC.

In this episode Oliver discusses:

The difference between philosophy and strategy.
His process of Diagnosis, Guiding Policy and Coherent Action.
Keeping the best interests of the player at the centre of decision making.
Celtic's aim of creating Champions League standard players and the extreme demands required.
The 4 component parts of a Champions League player.
Giving athletes choice and why autonomy plays such a large part at the academy.

You can keep up to date with Oliver via Twitter: @oliverjohnm .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Dan Lonsdale is an S&C coach from the UK with 9 years' experience working at university level preparing some of the country's top student performance sport athletes. In 2018 Dan Lonsdale Gymnastics Strength & Conditioning was founded with the vision of creating an encouraging environment in which young gymnasts can thrive in, whilst applying the latest research in the simplest manner in order to enhance performance and protect them from injury. Since then, Dan is now the go to S&C consultant for gymnastics clubs across the UK.

In this episode Dan discusses:

How a rugby lad ended up working in gymnastics.
His concept of "layering" for differentiation in sessions.
Why this can take years to accumulate the experience to know what progressions/regressions work best.
The difference between working in a traditional environment like gymnastics vs teamsports.
The importance of proper landing mechanics in gymnastics.
What S&C could bring to Gymnastics.
What gymnastics can bring to S&C programs of other sports.

You can keep up to date with Dan via his website www.danlonsdale.com or via Instagram: @danlonsdalesc .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Dr Andrew Pichardo is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Tyler Legacy High School, located in East Texas. After coaching stops with the University of Florida, IMG Academy, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Olympic Training Center, Andrew obtained his PhD from Auckland University of Technology, where he worked to implement and research the effects of a resistance training program into secondary school curriculum.

In this episode Andrew discusses:

How his coaching is driven by a wider desire to help others.
His role at Tyler Legacy High School, coaching sessions for up to 80 athletes at a time.
How a PhD opportunity with AUT Millenium lead to him moving across the world to New Zealand.
An overview of his PhD research.
How he tried to ensure his research articles gave practical applications for youth S&C Coaches.

You can learn more about Andrew's work by visiting his Research Gate profile or by following him on Instagram: @andrew.pichardo and Twitter: @andrewpichardo6 .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Gordon MacLelland set up ‘Working with Parents in Sport’ after 20 years as a teacher and as a coach to all age levels from 7 year olds to adults. He has a BA/Hons degree in Sports Science from University College Chester and a PGCE from Lancaster University. He is a qualified teacher and has been Director of Sport at an independent prep school in the UK for the last 13 years. He has worked in schools in both the UK and New Zealand for the last 16 years. He is the author of three books, ‘Two Hats’ – a book for parent coaches who are coaching or thinking of coaching their own children, ‘Great Sports Parenting’ – A pocket guide for parents of children in sport and ‘Engage’ – A coaches guide to building positive relationships with parents. In recent times he has become a parent to two children and the early sporting experiences of his own children prompted him to set up the company as well as write the three books above. As a speaker he brings a wealth of experience to working with organisations, coaches and parents gathered through 20 years as a teacher and coach as well as a parent currently involved in children’s sport.

In this episode Gordon discusses:

His own conflicting emotions as a sport parent early in his son's life.
Making information accessible and applicable for sport parents.
No one trains coaches to engage with parents.
Why parents should inform themselves on child development.
Parental doubts and the fear of missing out (FOMO).
The dual roles of a Parent who is also Coaching.
Managing the Coach/Parent relationship.

You can learn more about the Gordon's work by visiting www.parentsinsport.co.uk or by following Working with Parents in Sport on Facebook and Twitter via @wwpis .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Dr Jeff Cullen has been heavily involved in providing medical support in rugby for many years, both at club and international level. He recently contributed to an article on Concussion management on the British Journal of Sports Medicine Blog. I was privileged to work alongside him in this previous Scotland U16 and U17 Age grade programs.

In this episode Jeff discusses:

How we should view concussion as a traumatic brain injury.
The Symptoms and Signs of concussion to look out for.
How concussions can develop over minutes, hours or even days.
Why scrum caps and helmets don't necessarily reduce concussion risk.
How concussed athletes become susceptible to future concussions.
Why the Graded Return to Play (GRTP) is dependant on symptoms and not just time elapsed.
The importance of knowing the correct guidelines and "If in doubt, sit them out."

You can access the Sport Scotland Concussion guidelines here: https://sportscotland.org.uk/media/3382/concussionreport2018.pdf .

You can keep up to date with Jeff by following him on Twitter: @jeffcullen0 .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Ruben Nieves is the Director of Training for Positive Coaching Alliance, responsible for overseeing the training and support of PCA trainers around the US. Ruben earned his Masters Degree in Education from Stanford University in 1982. He coached collegiate volleyball for 18 years including stints as the Head Men's Coach at Stanford and the Head Women's Coach at Fresno State. Ruben was twice named NCAA Men's Volleyball Coach of the Year, in 1992 and 1997. He guided Stanford to the Cardinal's first men's volleyball NCAA championship in 1997. Ruben also has extensive experience and success in international volleyball. He spent the summer of 2001 as Head Coach of the USA Men's Volleyball World University Games Team which captured the Gold Medal in Beijing, China, thus becoming the first and only American squad in history to accomplish this feat.

In addition, Ruben has seven years of physical education teaching experience at all levels K-12. As a parent, coach or official, he has been involved in many youth sports including track and field, soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, swimming, water polo, football, tennis and cross-country.

Ruben has worked with Positive Coaching Alliance since 2001 and has presented over 500 PCA workshops.

In this episode Ruben discusses:

His fortunate opportunity to break into coaching at Stanford as an interim Head Coach.
Winning NCAA coach of the year and taking the reigns at the World University Games in Beijing.
How he got involved with the PCA
How the PCA focusses on coaches, administrators, parents and athletes to change the culture of youth sport.
The importance of Double Goal Coaches and Triple Impact Competitors.
Some of the guiding principles including ELM, E-tank and ROOTS.
How positive coaching isn't just for recreational or youth sports.
The role of legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson as a spokesperson for PCA.

You can learn more about the Positive Coaching Alliance work by visiting www.positivecoach.org as well as access resources at www.pcadevzone.org or by following Positive Coaching Alliance on Instagram: @positivecoachus .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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For the past 40 years, the sport of Judo has consumed Stephen's life in one way or another; as a successful competitive player, infamous national development coach and for a number of years a key member of the Education Development Team for the Scottish Governing Body of Judo, JudoScotland. Stephen is very proud of his reputation as one of Scotland’s most innovative program developers which he developed during his time at JudoScotland.

Now on a journey of leadership and conscious social understanding, Stephen is determined to make a difference to society with the charity Movement Park. The SCIO formed in April 2015 and the vision is to create a culture where the wealth of the community is judged on the health of the community.

With a passion for Long Term People Development and Movement Competencies, Stephen is seeking to bring this to a community within Glasgow helping individuals understand and realise the importance of staying active for life and moving well. With his experience and knowledge, Stephen has no doubt that this can be achieved and is determined to do so in his own rather unconventional and quirky way.

In this episode Stephen discusses:

How an engaging and inspiring role model helped him fall in love with Judo.
His career as a Performance and Development coach.
How his interest in Physical Literacy and Fundamental movements grew over time.
Stepping off the Mat as a fulltime Judo Coach.
The catalyst for starting "Movement Park".
The importance of building competence and confidence in young children.
Giving children the opportunities to experience different movements and sports at the same venue.
The daily schedule at Movement Park as well as the groups and coaches involved.

You can learn more about Movement Park work by visiting www.movementpark.org or by following Movement Park on Instagram: @movement_park .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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VJ Stanley is the founder and President of Balanced Excellence. VJ was a 3 sport varsity athlete. He then went on to play junior hockey for the Rochester Monarchs and pursued his passion at Clarkson University. Unfortunately, he sustained two concussions in one week which ended his career after only one game. After the injury, at age 23, he became a high school coach at Fairport High School in Rochester, NY. He was the youngest high school hockey coach in Monroe County history. At Fairport, he set 13 records. VJ went on to become the head coach at the University of Rochester, coaching for 21 years. VJ founded Balanced Excellence as an answer to his family's and friends constant questions about the stress associated with their children's participation in youth sports. He became an author and public speaker with over 30 years of experience with youth and high school sports injury prevention, as well as providing leadership, insights and consulting for long-term athletic development. Mental health and the pure enjoyment of playing youth sports for fun are a huge part of Balanced Excellence.

In this episode VJ discusses:

His own athletic and coaching journey.
The difference between trust and respect.
Why it's about the journey of helping others get better.
Why Balanced Excellence is a microcosm of life.
Why we should be giving kids equal playing time at the developmental level.
Why no one knows how to win.
Teaching children to own and value the journey.

You can learn more about VJ's work by visiting www.balancedexcellence.com .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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David Dunne is a Performance Nutritionist with an array of experience working in elite sport with Harlequins, Queens Park Rangers FC, Bradford Bulls, British Fencing, British Canoeing and Professional Golfers. He is also the CEO of Hexis Performance and is currently completing a PhD in Digital Health and Behaviour Change.

In this episode David discusses:

The numerous Consultant Nutritionist roles he's had to date.
How the breadth of experiences has taught him to think better.
How we are dealing with human beings, not numbers or athletes.
The importance of building empathy and trust.
The problem of motivation vs capability in behaviour change.
Why more knowledge may not be the answer.
His PhD Research combining social media and nutrition interventions.
The development of the Hexis App to provide individualised nutrition support to athletes.

You can learn more about David's work by visiting www.hexisapp.com or by following Hexis on Instagram: @hexis_performance and David on Twitter: @thenutrionisr .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Dr Nico Kolokythas has over 15 years experience in the athletic development of the adolescent in elite performance in a variety of sports (Judo, Netball, Basketball, Football, Taekwondo, Tennis). He is also currently the strength and conditioning coach for professional martial artists in Mixed Martial Arts. Based at Elmhurst Ballet School, U.K. he completed a PhD in injuries and the adolescent ballet dancer and also works as a consultant for Birmingham Royal Ballet. As part of his studies, he led randomised controlled trials in injury prevention in dance and has now developed an injury prevention intervention called “11+Dance”. He is regular presenter at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science conference and a regular writer/contributor for One Dance UK’s magazine. Since, 2014, Nico has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton, and recently became a visiting lecturer at Bern University. His focus in teaching is on coaching and training methods as well as Motor Learning & Control.

In this episode Nico discusses:

His interesting journey into coaching via a business degree and psychology degree.
His initial perspective seeing weak bodies and injuries mount up in the ballet environment.
The excessive workloads experienced in ballet from a young age.
His initial mistake and overestimating the training capacity of young ballet dancers.
How his first pilot study was a dramatic failure and let to him adapting his approach.
The results of his research and the development of the 11+ Dance protocol.
How mistakes have guided him to better decisions and better understanding.

You can learn more about Niko's work by visiting www.strengthmotionmind.com or by following him on Instagram: @strengthmotionmind .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Steffan Jones is the last dual professional sportsman in the United Kingdom having played 3 years professional rugby and 20 years professional cricket. Currently, he is Director of Sport Performance at a Wellington School in England and a global fast bowling consultant. He is the fast bowling development coach for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL as well as consulting for individual fast bowlers, javelin throwers and pitchers around the world. Steffan is in a unique position having played the sport, is a qualified sports scientist, a UKSCA qualified strength and conditioning coach and also as a level 3 qualified technical coach.

In this episode Steffan discusses:

His schoolboy rugby career representing Wales.
Why he choose Somerset Cricket over Bristol Rugby.
Why schools need to separate PE from Sport.
Creating a PE curriculum that caters for the 99.5% not the 0.5%
The differences between an elite program and being elitist.
The attractors of fast bowling performance.
His dream of a fast bowling performance centre in the UK.

You can learn more about Steffan's work by visiting www.pacelab.co.uk or by following him on Instagram: @steffanjones105 .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Jan Willem Teunissen has B. in PE and a MSc. in talent development & exercise physiology from VU University Amsterdam. In the past he worked for elite soccer club Ajax Amsterdam and implemented an all-round development program and maturity related individual training program within the youth academy. Furthermore, Jan Willem was head of the performance staff at elite soccer club FC Twente. Currently he is working at two educational institutes; HAN-University and Ghent University.

In this episode Jan Willem discusses:

His own experience of burnout in Tennis and injury in the Marines.
His experiences at Ajax and FC Twente.
The tension between theoretical models and real world application.
His research on the unique profiles of different sports.
Applying alternative exercises to the profile of football.
How mastering a variety of skills leads to greater opportunities in competition.
Similarities and differences between different sports.
The implications for talent development and talent transfer.

You can visit the video resource Jan Willem mentions here at www.sportsinspirator.com and follow his work via his Research Gate profile and his LinkedIn page.

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Tom Farrow is a Physical Performance Specialist and is the Founder & Co-Director of Areté Performance, He was the Head of Physical Performance for England & Team GB 7s Men’s teams Until August, when the programme was unfortunately cut due to losing funding during Coronavirus. Tom was also a Contact Skills Specialist with the Men’s 7s programme and has worked in this capacity with the 2016 Team GB Women’s 7s team, Tokyo Toshiba Brave, Fulham FC Academy and Richmond Rugby Club. He has previously worked as a strength and conditioning coach with the English Institute of Sport, GB Canoe, & Speedworks. Until Sept 2014, Tom was a Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach with Wasps Rugby and co-led their First XV programme. After starting his own business Tom also spent time working with the Wasps Academy programme as both a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Contact Skills Specialist.

In this episode he covers:

How the skill of coaching, mastery and potential drives him.
How Bruce Lee was a big influence.
Some unorthodox coaching influences.
"Developing heroes".
Chaos and order and antifragility in coaching.
Learning from great coaches.

You can keep up to date with Tom's work via the Areté Performance Instagram: @areteperform_hq or via their website www.arete-performance.com .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Andy is an Athletic Development and Physical Well-being coach at Merchant Taylors' school and leads the UKSCA Special interest group for Strength and conditioning in schools. Steven studied maths at oxford and computer science at UCL and has a background coaching and competing in long-distance triathlon. After many races, and many hours of talking (mainly nonsense), eventually they came up with an idea, and that idea was Statera. Through his work as a Strength and Conditioning coach, Andy often remarked on how difficult it was to accurately track the training of the youth and team athletes he was working with. He thought how great it would be to get all the information he needed on his athletes, all in one place, in a time efficient way. As luck would have it, through a blend of personal interests and software development skills, Steven had spent considerable time developing his own training diary. So, after some more talking, and a few more races, Steven began to develop a web application to solve Andy’s puzzle. And so Statera was born.

In this episode, Andy discusses:

Why there's a need to manage workload in youth athletes.
The challenges of managing youth athletes who are involved in multiple activities.
Why he didn't just use one of systems designed for senior professional sport.
Why Statera was created to solve his problem and how it can help other coaches.
The features and functionality of Statera for coaches and parents. How you can get involved in helping Statera innovate and improve.

You can keep up to date with Andy & Steven's work with Statera via their Facebook page Statera TSB , Twitter: @StateraTSB and their website www.statera.uk .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Lana Skeldon is a current International Rugby Player recently earning her 40th Cap for Scotland against France in the Women’s Six Nations.

In this episode Lana discusses:

Overcoming limited opportunities locally to play rugby.
The psychological challenge of changing position.
Being inspired by coaches and fellow players.
Her take on training with "the boys".
Balancing work/study with being a full time rugby players.
How getting her first contract allowed for drastic changes in her day to day schedule.

You can keep up to date with Lana via her Instagram: @skelpers6 as well as her Twitter: @skeldonlana.

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our website, Instagram and Twitter.

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Ben Pullenis a PhD student in the Youth Physical Development Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University. His research focuses on the impact of strength and conditioning on the athletic motor skill competencies and the psychological attributes of youths. His PhD is a joint project with the Welsh Institute of Performance Science, Sport Wales and Swansea University.

In this episode Ben discusses:

Taking performance out of the athletic development equation.
How S&C can be an activity that benefits children in a way sport doesn't
The misconception that talented youth athletes already possess movement competency.
An overview of his PhD research investigating the effect of S&C on both physical and psychological factors.
Understanding the constraints led approach to coaching.
The grey area of competition in children and how to manage it to get desired coaching outcomes.

You can keep up with Ben's work via his Research Gate profile, Twitter: @Ben_Pullen and Instagram: @bpullen_coach .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Facebook and Instagram.

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Trevor Ragan is the founder of The Learner Lab - an educational website designed to unpack and share the science of learning and development. He spends his time with thought leaders and researchers from the worlds of psychology and developmental science, consumes their research, connects the dots, and shares it with anyone that will listen. He's worked with professional, college, and olympic sports teams, Fortune 500 companies, prisons, and in hundreds of schools across the country. These workshops are designed to help people understand and apply important principles of development, in order to become better, more resilient learners.

In this episode Trevor discusses:

The pain of missing out on a basketball spot at Duke University fuelling hunger to learn about learning!
How research gets misinterpreted and misdirected in practice.
How we often practice in the zoo but compete in the jungle.
Why research is crystal clear that we can all improve.
What we can learn from stand up comedy.
Running small "experiments" in our practice and training of athletes.

You can keep up to date with Trevor's work via www.learnerlab.com .

As always you can keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Facebook and Instagram.

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Dr John Radnor is a Lecturer and researcher in Strength and Conditioning at Cardiff Metropolitan University. His research interests surround youth S&C, and he has recently completed his PhD in Paediatric Exercise Science. John has previously worked with Welsh Rowing and the GB Start Programme, as well as previously being an academy S&C coach at Exeter Chiefs and Exeter City. Taking a step back from coaching at the moment, one of John’s main roles at the University is as the work-based learning lead for the SCRAM UG programme, developing links with NGB’s, pro teams, and local clubs for placement students. Within this role, John looks to develop research links ensuring that research is helping to answer “performance problems” for the clubs.

In this episode John discusses:

His difficult decision to leave Exeter Chiefs Academy to take up a PhD position.
Why all coaches should Educate, Enthuse and Enhance.
How his research his helping understand whether performance improvements are down to Maturation or Training.
Some of the main findings of his PhD research.
What this means for coaches in evaluating their programs.

You can keep up to date with John via his Research Gate profile, or via Twitter: @John_Radnor .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram.

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Amanda Johnson has worked as a physiotherapist in several sports at a high level including Great Britain Aquatic teams particularly swimming, synchro swimming and 10 years with the GB diving team. She has also travelled with the England Athletics Team to international camps and competitions. Mandy served for 5 years as the England Women’s Football team physio and as a senior lecturer for the Football Association. She spent 10 years as the senior physiotherapist at the Academy of Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson before becoming the lead physiotherapist at Aspire Academy for 8 years. Amanda's PhD and research interests a are related to issues and injuries suffered by developing youth athletes in all sports. She has lectured at many international conferences on youth development, maturity and injury.

In this episode Amanda discusses:

Being specifically hired by Sir Alex Ferguson to discover why young athletes were getting injured.
The forward thinking approach of the Manchester United Academy using biological assessment 20 years ago.
The wide span of biological ages she found within each age group team at the Academy.
Why some injuries are specific to young athletes.
What exactly is happening during Sever's, Osgood-Schlatter's and Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease.
What sort of ages these injuries present and how they are often treated.

You can follow Amanda's work more closely via her Research Gate Profile here.

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Brett Klika, founder of SPIDERfit Kids is regarded as an international expert in the field of inspiring kids to be active for life, He is also an IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year award winner, author, and international motivational speaker inspiring men, women, and children around the world to create a culture of wellness in their home and live the best version of their life.

In this episode Brett discusses:

How his fitness journey got started earning a pair of Nike Air trainers.
His journey from development to the US Olympic training centre, then back to development.
How the birth of his daughter was a catalyst for SPIDERfit kids.
How exercise is a gateway for personal growth and identity.
His focus on "Powerful Play"
Why movement is so important in holistic human development.
His approach manipulating "movement variables".
The impact and future of SPIDERfit kids program.

You can keep up to date with Brett via the SPIDERfit Facebook page , Instagram: @spiderfitkids and SPIDERfit Kids Youtube Channel and on the website: www.spiderfitkids.com .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Jamie Salter has worked in professional football and rugby league with both youth and adult athletes in a physical preparation role at Barnsley FC, Middlesbrough FC and York Knights RLFC whilst working with various athletes on an ad-hoc basis for many years. Alongside applied experience, he has spent most of my career in education as a lecturer in further and higher education environments. He is currently a Lecturer at York St John University delivering to under- and post-graduate students in areas of injury prevention, rehabilitation and strength and conditioning. He has presented at several major international conferences and is a current PhD candidate researching the associations between biological maturation and training loads in youth football.

In this episode Jamie discusses:

His unique method of getting work experience in professional football.
An influential experience coaching for Everton FC's disability group.
His strength of building rapport and relationships with students and athletes.
His research on training load and maturation monitoring at professional football academies.
His research on the perceptions of training load in athletes of different maturity status.
His current thought on the relationship between accelerations, decelerations and change of direction on growth related injuries.

You can keep up to date with Jamie via his Twitter: @jay_salter and @AthleteDiscov , via Instagram: @athletediscovery and via the website www.athletediscovery.co.uk .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Helen Collins is a Sport & Exercise Scientist at the Institute of Sport and Exercise, University of Dundee. She is currently undertaking a PhD through the University of Edinburgh, investigating resistance training as a strategy to encourage less active and/or overweight children to become more active and healthier. During her 17 years at the University of Dundee she has lectured extensively on the University’s Sports Biomedicine degree, and more recently has become module co-ordinator for a student selected module on Exercise Deficit Disorder within the Medical Curriculum. As a BASES Accredited Sport & Exercise Scientist (physiology) and a UKSCA Accredited S&C Coach, she has delivered applied sports science in performance sport for a variety of sports and athletes. In more recent years, Helen’s interest and work programme has though re-focussed on health, specifically on the benefits of resistance training and this has led her to her current research topic.

In this episode Helen discusses:

How Avery Faigenbaum was key influence in her moving from performance sport to health.
The incredible retention rate of her afterschool S&C program for inactive/overweight children.
How the feeling of success and growing confidence drives participation in her group of children.
Her PhD research on the benefits of resistance training on psychology, movement skills and body fat in children.
The powerful feedback from both children and parents that reinforce the benefits of resistance training in children.

You can keep up to date with Helen via her ResearchGate profile , or via Twitter @helen_collins1 .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Andy Taylor was a professional footballer for nearly 10 years starting at Manchester United and then moving on to Exeter City. He completed a Foundation Degree in Sports Performance at the University of Bath in Sports Performance and a First Class honours degree in Strength and Conditioning at the University of Plymouth St Mark & St John. This combined with his practical work with young athletes over the last 6 years based at Ivybridge Community College has allowed him to put this knowledge in to action.

In this episode Andy discusses:

Signing for Manchester United during their famous treble season and being in the environment with David Beckham, Peter Schmeichel and Ryan Gigg.
The high training standards set by Sir Alex Ferguson & Eric Harrison.
The introduction of a coach specifically responsible for strength & conditioning in Mick Clegg.
Getting advice from Roy Keane about injury.
Moving to Exeter CIty and a famous FA Cup draw.
Transitioning into S&C coaching. and his role at Ivybridge College coaching both secondary and primary students.
The holistic benefits of strength & conditioning for students.

You can follow Andy's work via his website www.taylormaderehab.com/ and via his Twitter @taylormaderehab , and follow Ivybridge S&C on @ivybridgeSaC .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Andy Kirkland has been working professionally in sport for the last 10 years, initially as a sports scientist at the Scottish Institute of Sport, then British Cycling and now as a Lecturer in Sports Coaching at the University of Stirling. He’s been involved at every level, ranging from teaching young children to swim, working with development and performance athletes, through to providing high-performance support to international level coaches and athletes.

As well as having a Ph.D. in Sport Science, Andy is a British Association of Exercise Sciences accredited sport and exercise scientist with chartered scientist status. His academic background, exploring mental health and wellbeing, influences the way he think’s and attempts to solve problems. However, his experiences at the ‘coal-face’ are important to what he does. His developing expertise in behavioural change science helps him make sense of highly complex coaching environments.

In this episode Andy discusses:

How his experiences on council estates and in techno clubs influenced his coaching philosophy.
Why health, mental health and performance should all be the same thing.
Why wellbeing should not be sacrificed for performance.
How High Performance sport is ruthless.
Why parents are more important than coaches in the athlete's sporting journey.
His 3 rules for dealing with the world of High Performance.
How to decide if a training/competition environment is right or not.

You can read Andy's article "A warts and all guide to being an athlete in a "High Performance" environment here. You can keep up to date with Andy via his Twitter account: @andykirkland71 .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Niall MacSweeney completed his MSc at St Mary’s University. Whilst studying, he secured a position as an S&C coach at White Lodge, which houses The Royal Ballet School students aged 11-16. Niall has previously worked with a variety of sports including the University of Liverpool sports teams, London Broncos, and GB Sitting Volleyball. Niall also has a private coaching business called Energia Performance. Matt Lamarque is an S&C working with The Royal Ballet School for the last three and a half years. He completed a Masters by Research in quantifying training loads in elite adolescent ballet in a collaboration between The Royal Ballet School and St Mary’s University. He has previously worked within both male and female rugby at Richmond Rugby and male football at Leyton Orient FC, as well as a short stint in academy level cricket.

In this episode they discuss:

Their context delivering S&C to ballet students aged 11-19 and their normal weekly training load.
The evolution of ballet performance from a delicate to a more explosive endurance performance.
The extreme number of jumps dancers complete on a daily basis and the typical injuries reported in ballet dancers.
How S&C can provide the capacity to underpin the artistry in ballet.
The barriers they had to overcome to implement S&C in a ballet setting. and the gradual change in culture.

You can find keep up to date with Niall via his Twitter: @NiallMacSweeney and via his Instagram: @energia_performance .

You can keep up to date with Matt via his Twitter: @mlamarqueSC and Instagram: @matt_lamarqueperformance .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Wendy Glover is a Health and Physical Education Teacher and Coach. She has dedicated her 22+ year career to approaching teen athletes as future contributors to sport through education, community involvement, and mentorship. She has written Health and Wellness, and Sport Management courses for the Ontario Ministry of Education, and many programs to support the holistic development of the athlete.

Wendy wanted to improve the sport community experience all, this led to her creating an innovative #AthLeadership program to recruit and train teen athletes to be future coaches in the province of Ontario. Through this program AthLeaders gain many industry certifications (e.g. coaching, ethics, sport management), and dozens of volunteer community service hours in areas of sport, individualized for them. Over 400+ athletes have been through this program and have been empowered to contribute to sport in Canada.

In this episode Wendy discusses:

How the lack of age appropriate sporting experiences for her own children inspired her to action.
Why the Win/Loss record isn't a good tool for measuring coaches.
The idea and creation of the Athleadership program.
What the Athleadership program entails for those involved.
Giving youth a taste of different experiences to find their aptitudes and enthusiasm.
Why we should be encouraging young athletes to "pay it forward" to the community and Why "You're not special"
Why negative or positive perceptions of youth can become a self fulfilling prophecy.
Being an "Athleader for life" and the importance of developing an identity outside of being an athlete.

You can find keep up to date with Wendy via her Twitter account: @developathletes .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Stuart Edwards or “Eddo” is the Head of Rugby at Stewarts Melville College recently winning the Scottish Schools Cup in 2019. He is also the Backs coach for the Scotland U18 National Team, as well as a current player for Heriots in the Super 6 league in Scotland.

In this episode He discusses:

His experiences in the National Age Grade system in Scotland at U18, 19 and 20 National Squads.
How some of the negative experiences shaped his approach as a coach.
Defining "success" at School and National level of the game.
Why fun is the underpinning component of player progress.
Why relationships supercede everything else.
Teaching athletes about the on/off switch.

You can keep up to date with Stuart via his Twitter account: @stuarted10 .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Sam's coaching background includes multiple coaching roles for AFL New Zealand, however, he has primarily been a skills coach in Rugby Union and League, specialising in kicking and high ball catching. He has worked across the youth, community and professional ranks, including the Auckland Rugby Academy and the New Zealand Warriors NRL team.

Sam completed a Masters of Sport & Exercise at AUT University researching 1st XV rugby players’ perceptions of their coaching environment. He also worked for Auckland Rugby and was influential in changing their structure of youth sport, shifting the focus to the player experience rather than performance. In March 2020, he relocated to Melbourne becoming Coaching Content & Learning Lead for the AFL, leading the design and delivery of the coach learning content across Australia.

Sam is passionate about the humanistic approach to sport and coaching, spending the last decade in national and regional sporting organisations across both player and coach development. As a coach, coach developer, and researcher, he brings academic research on coaching pedagogy to practitioners through adult learning strategies.

In this episode Sam discusses:

How negative experiences in sport shaped his own sporting journey.
Remembering who you're there for.
“Thereason adults should look as though they are having fun, is to give kids a reason to want to grow up."
The bias of coaching pathways towards senior level coaching as a measure of success.
The rising professionalism in NZ Schoolboy Rugby and it's impact on the player experience.
His research on the perceptions of 1st XV schoolboy rugby players in terms of environment, culture and coaching.
The demands and pressure this places on the on kids' time, schooling and other commitments.

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Nathan Parnham is an Athletic Development Coach based in Sydney Australia. He has worked in various roles throughout his career in the development and professional space across both genders for close to two decades. He has recently taken up a role as head of athletic development for St Augustine’s College. He has played role in the development of a range of state, national, and professional athletes currently plying their trade in the Australian Netball League, A/W-league's, NRL, Super Rugby, Rugby7s, and the ITF Tennis Circuit.

In this episode Nathan discusses:

His career at the Australian Women's Rugby 7's, Paramatta Eels and 3 different schools.
His mindset shift from building the physical to having an impact on individuals for life.
How you will learn the most skills from the most uncomfortable environments.
His new role delivering an Athleic Development framework from year 5 - 12 at St Augustine's College.
The need for long term stability in Coaching staff for effective LTAD programs.
Creating "The Sporting Parent" to provide a credible resource to educate and empower parents.
The difference between coaching a 10 year veteran and a aspiring athlete.

You can keep up to date with Nathan via his personal Instagram: @nathan_parnham as well as The Sporting Parent on @thesportingparent and via the website www.thesportingparent.com .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Shayne qualified with a first- class honours degree in Sports and Exercise Sciences from University of Limerick in 2010, completing his MSc in Sport Science in 2012, certifying as a Strength and Conditioning Coach in 2013. Shayne has been working in elite football for over 11 years across first team and academy squads in the Premier League, including Manchester City, Liverpool FC, Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City. He also spent several years with the Wales National Squads during international campaigns at U21 level. As the founder and director of SDM Performance, Shayne currently works with sports people independently as well as remaining a consultant for City Football Group, which is a global football organisation. As part of his role with City Football Group, he recently led the sport science department at New York City FC in the US for their pre-season. He also works with the Scottish FA as a Football Scientist and Setanta College as a Masters Lecturer.

In this episode Shane discusses:

His career at Cardiff City, Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool and Manchester City
The importance of running based movement skills in football.
The rise of athletes having their own personal performance staff.
Being selective over what CPD resources you use and when.

You can keep up to date with Shayne via his Instagram: @sdmperformance .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Robin is currently the Men’s Pathways Athletic Performance Manager at England Rugby, having worked with the Under-20s team for 6 seasons now. Having previously held roles in the Academies at both Gloucester Rugby and Leicester Tigers, Robin has good experience working with the developing Rugby Player.

In this episode Robin discusses:

His involvement with England's Senior squad at the 2015 World Cup and 2016 6 Nations Grand Slam.
His unique situation to experience the 14 Premiership Academies.
Using the simplest method to get the biggest output with the smallest input.
His philosophy of How well, How much and How fast.
The importance of understanding the athlete's why, background and family situation.
Bringing all the stakeholders together through clarity and transparency.
Why "What you see isn't what you get" with young athletes.
How every training session is a complex social interaction.

You can keep up to date with Robin via his Twitter: @psrve and email him via robineager@rfu.com .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Amy Spencer is an Accredited Sports Psychologist at Southampton FC. She has worked at the club for the last eight years ranging from 1st team players to U9’s, covering various aspects of performance to well-being. She is also currently completing a PhD in mindfulness in football. Megan Hill is a final year PhD Student at the University of Bath in collaboration with Southampton Football Club, studying age group coaches perceptions, experiences and management of male adolescent football players.

In this episode they discuss:

The player centred and holistic approach at Southampton.

How the club focusses on the Psychological factors of Cohesion, Resilience and Flow.

The initial bias for Relative Age and Maturation state at the club.

The influence of the maturation process on match grades and coach perception of Academy football players

The psychological demands and experiences of playing by maturation bands.

How the club utilises Maturation monitoring to inform the timing of selection decisions.

Integrating mindfulness practice into the Academy.

You can keep up to date with Amy via her Twitter: @AmySportPsych and Megan via her Twitter: @Meg_Hill13 .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Mark Robertson is a former International Rugby Sevens player and Olympian, amassing 56 tournaments for Scotland Sevens, securing their first ever HSBC World Series win in London, as well as winning a silver medal for Great Britain at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Since retiring he has worked as a Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Scottish Rugby Academy before moving on to ASM Clermont Auvergne.

In this episode Mark discusses:

Growing up in the 7's hotspot of Melrose.
How goalsetting became a big driver in his development and performance.
Acheiving the "Dream" of a Melrose 7's final and his journey to the Pro game.
The lows of injury and deselection in his career.
The highs of the first World Series win at Twickenham, going back to back, and the Rio Olympics.
The importance of players building interests and identity outside of their sport.
The challenges of moving to France and coaching in a different language.

You can keep up to date with Mark via his Instagram: @markyrobertson and learn about the School of 7's via their website www.schoolofsevens.com and Instagram: @schoolof7s .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Dr Martina Navarro is a Senior lecturer in the School of Sport, Health and Exercise Science, University of Portsmouth. She is an Experimental Psychologist, with a range of interests in the area of skill learning, expertise and performance under pressure. Martina is particularly interested in how practice design and psychophysiological processes mediate motor development and decision-making performance. She holds a BSc in Sport Science and a PhD in Human Physiology (Neuropsychology) from the University of Sao Paulo , Brazil. Her PhD focussed on the effects of training strategies and high levels of stress and anxiety in human cognition (eg. attention and decision making) and motor control. During her PhD she joined a Sandwich program at the MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam at the VU University Amsterdam under the supervision of Prof. Geert Savelsbergh who along with Rene Wormhoudt, created the Athletic Skills Model (ASM), which Dr. Navarro is currently working on its implementation in the UK and Brazil.

In this episode she discusses:

Her childhood in Brazil playing a multitude of sports.
How curiosity has driven her range of research interests and global travel.
How the Athletic Skills Model provides a different way of thinking about movement.
The aim of ASM to create Good Movers, Athletes and then Specialists.
The transfers of learning across sports and activities. The 3 Building blocks of ASM.
How ASM may help performance under pressure.
How to join the ASM community of practice in the UK.

You can keep up to date with Martina's work via Twitter @UoPSportScience , if you want to join the ASM community of practice you can do so by sending Martina an email: martina.navarro@port.ac.uk .

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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Over the last 19 years Owen has worked with youth, senior, international and professional athletes as well as working in the entertainment and corporate health industries, spending time working in London, Australia, and New Zealand. He also has a history, as an athlete, in rugby, CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting.

In this episode Owen discusses:

Helping people become better versions of themselves.
What it takes to coach a human being.
Why mistakes and frustrations are actually net positives in the long run.
His 10 years at Hartpury College and University.
Why you must take into consideration the other aspects of athletes' lives.
How Student Athletes often have basic life skills missing and how these can limit performance.
How he overcame some of these absent life skills in his athletes.
His new role contracting for Hintsa Performance and working with Mercedes.

You can keep up to date with Owen via his Instagram: @betterhumanperformance .

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Kelvin Giles is a legend in Strength and Conditioning. A former UK National and Olympic Track and Field Coach, he spent 30 years in Australia’s High Performance Sport environment across organisations including the Australian Institute of Sport, Queensland Academy of Sport, the Canberra Raiders and the Brisbane Broncos. He also led the Australian Rugby Union Elite Player Development program. He’s coached 14 Olympic and World Champions athletes over a 40 year career in coaching. He is the CEO of Movement Dynamics UK Ltd and consults for a range of National Governing Bodies and Federations. He also authored the Physical Competency Assessment resources.

In this episode, Kelvin discusses:

His incredible 40 year career in coaching in the UK/Australia and the influence of mentors.
Why training should be athlete-appropriate before sport-appropriate.
Quality vs Quantity and "Flirting" with the progression ceiling.
Why we should train the physical, technical, tactical in that order.
Why coach development is the limitation to athlete development.
Why coach mentoring should start the day you get your coaching award.
Explicit and Implicit coaching
Why patience is so important in coaching.

You can follow Kelvin on Twitter via: @kbgiles and via the Movement Dynamics site: www.movementdynamics.com .

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I first came across Annika when she was presenting a series of webinars in collaboration with Black Box on: Developing Mental Fitness, Building self awareness and Finding and Enhancing Resilience Annika work with athletes, coaches and personal trainers to help them train and compete with confidence. Her approach focuses on optimizing self-beliefs, mindset and confidence to create success without the roller-coaster of negative emotions, self doubt and burnout. She has a BA in Psychology from the University of Victoria and an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology. She is also an Equine Canada Competition Coach. She specializes in building new beliefs, mindsets and habits that form the foundation of confidence and consistent performance.

In this episode Annika discusses:

Her realisation of the 2nd world of sport.

Why the brain perceives all change as a threat.

How the Corona Virus pandemic can be reframed as an opportunity to start new behaviours.

How important it is to develop a Growth Mindset and Why.

The Let Be, Let Go, Let In model she uses for managing anxiety.

The false idea that motivation precedes action.

Why identity can become such a huge influence in behaviours and habits.

Why coaches should be using an "Ask" rather than "Tell" approach with their athletes.

You can keep up to date with Annika via her Instagram account: @map_performancepsych and via her website www.annikamcgivern.com .

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Jared Deacon is a former international 400m athlete. He has worked for UK Athletics, English Institute of Sport and is currently Lead Academy S&C Coach for Scottish Rugby in Edinburgh. Alongside S&C coaching, Jared has also coached international sprinters and hurdlers as a track coach including European, World and Olympic medallists.

In this episode Jared discusses:

Growing up as the youngest of 8 kids in South Shields.
Being coached by his brother.
Being a late developer in Athletics.
Qualifying for and competing at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Watching Jonathan Edwards, Michael Johnson and Cathy Freeman competing.
His transition from athlete to coach.
His "Shotgun to Rifle" approach.
Common mistakes and non-negotiables in coaching speed to young athletes.
The importance of teaching movement skill to developing athletes.
Why it's so important to keep the bigger picture in mind coaching youth athletes.

You can keep up to date with Jared via Twitter: @jaredmdeacon .

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Dr Craig Harrison loves to show young people how to tap into their inner drive, take control of their learning & pursue their dreams with purpose & passion. An expert in youth athlete development, Craig specialises in the physical and mental sides of sport. He is a coach, a researcher, host of the popular podcast The Athlete Development Show, the husband of former Silver Fern and FIVB international beach volleyball player Anna Harrison & father of 3. With a unique ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple way that inspires action, Craig supports youth athletes and their parents to unlock personal performance & fulfil sporting potential.

In this episode Craig discusses:

The importance of starting with a foundation of relationships.
The transferability of what we do into the context that drives the athlete.
What his motivation was to move from "High Performance" to the developmental level.
His new initiatives: The Athlete Development Project and the Athlete Environment.
Operating on the edge of Chaos. The importance of creating adaptability and variability in our athlete.
Creating a bigger movement library to help build the ability to solve new problems. Who's asking the athlete what they want?

You can follow Craig work via his Instagram: @drcraigharrison , Twitter: @drcraigharrison and Facebook: Dr Craig Harrison . I would also strongly recommend checking out The Athlete Development Show podcast.

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Dave is director of the Coalition Performance training facility in the West Midlands. He has worked for over a decade as an S&C coach, including championship-winning seasons in professional rugby union at the premiership level, and across a dozen sports with youth, amateur, elite level and world champion athletes, as well as the general public.

In this podcast Dave discusses:

His start at Moseley RFC with nothing but balls, cones and space.
His 6 seasons at spent Leicester Tigers working with Senior and Junior athletes.
The inspiration for moving from pro sport to private practice.
Balancing autonomy and structure when coaching kids.
Why it's easy to train kids without a solid rationale.
The business skills he had to seek out opportunities to develop.
Why running your own business isn't for everyone.

You can follow Coalition Performance on Instagram via: @coalitionperformance or visit the website: www.coalitionperformance.co.uk , you can also follow Dave on Instagram via: @dave_coperformance or Twitter via @CrippsDave .

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Katie is a Coach Education Development Manager at British Gymnastics, as well as a BASES Accredited Sport Scientist andformer Senior Sport Psychology & Coaching Science Lecturer at St Mary’s University for many years. Katie has been a leading figure within the UK gymnastics scene for several years, offering sport psychology support to a number of clubs and coaches.

In this episodes Katie discusses:

Her journey from failed ballerina to World level Gymnast.
Her concept of "The Dash".
Having a combination of a Humanistic and Cognitive behaviourist approach.
The unrealistic expectations of going "clean" at competition.
Challenging belief systems and cultures.
The importance of Self-awareness, Acceptance, Realistic Evaluation and Focus.
How all coaching is just working with humans with varying degrees of perception, ability and emotional intelligence.
Prehab vs Rehab in Psychology.

You can find out more about Katie via her Instagram account: @katie_richards_csci and via her website www.katierichardspcs.co.uk .

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Jake has recently completed a five year stint working with Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing in Formula 1. Jake’s role had been to provide performance management through physical conditioning, mentoring and ensuring optimal energy for lifestyle and race performance. Working closely with race engineers, team managers, physiologists and doctors, Jake helped to positively coordinate and implement strategies that allowed Max to perform in the car and thrive as a professional. The success of this team enabled Max to challenge competitors in faster cars relentlessly, evident throughout the 2019 season, he was rewarded with the recognition as "Driver of the Year". More recently, Jake has been devoted to growing his performance coaching company, Force and Grace Ltd.

In this podcast, Jake discusses:

His time with Max Verstappen.
The balance of striving for high standards vs being present and enjoying the moment.
His growing interest in development coaching and psychology.
The importance of "Creating an environment where athletes come to feel different and express themselves".
Why "The element in any system with the most flexibility will exercise the most influence."
Asking "How" is more important than "Why".
Cultivating the mental ability to switch off/on at will.
Letting the performer lead the way.

You can find out more about Jake via his Instagram account: @jake_forceandgrace and via his website www.forceandgrace.com .

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Rhodri is a Reader in Paediatric Strength and Conditioning and Chair of the Youth Physical Development Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University. He also holds a research associate position with Auckland University of Technology and is a research fellow for Waikato Institute of Technology. His research interests surround the impact of growth and maturation on long-term athletic development and the neuromuscular mechanisms underpinning training adaptations in youth. He is a senior associate editor for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and as associate editor for the Strength and Conditioning Journal. In 2016, he received the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year award for Research and Education from the UKSCA and in 2017 was awarded the Terry J. Housh Outstanding Young Investigator of the Year award from the NSCA. He is the current Chair of the NSCA Long-term Athletic Development Special Interest Group, and between 2011-2015 served as a Board Director for the UKSCA. In this episode, Rhodri discusses:

How his original aim of being a medical doctor specialising in paediatrics has evolved into his research in paediatric exercise science.
The inspiration to write "Strength & Conditioning for Young Athletes".
The additions to the updated second version of the book.
The limitations of the widely used LTAD model and the 10,000 hour rule.
Dispelling the myth of resistance training stunting growth.
His role in the Youth Physical Development Centre and it's aims and objectives.
Balancing Energy, Fun and Inspirations with Control in coaching young athletes.
The value of being able to "judge the room" in coaching.

You can find out more about Rhodri's work via his Twitter account @DrRSLloyd, as well as the YPD account: @YPC_CardiffMet . You can also find his books "Strength and Conditioning for Young Athletes" here, as well as "The Essentials of Youth Fitness" here.

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Richard is the Course Leader for the MSc in Strength and Conditioning at Loughborough University, previously working at St Mary’s University for 8 years as Programme Director for the BSc Strength and Conditioning Science, and was Lead S&C Coach for Sport and Health Services. Richard is an Accredited S&C Coach and previous Director of the UKSCA. He has provided coaching to numerous athletes including several Olympic/Paralympic athletes. In 2015 he wrote "Strength and Conditioning for Endurance Running".

Richards extensive work with endurance runners provided the inspiration for his doctoral research investigating the use of strength training in post-pubertal adolescent middle- and long-distance runners.

In this podcast he discusses:

His unusual transition from running to rowing and GB Talent Development Squad.
His early self-education in Strength & Conditioning.
Why you should use an adaptation-led approach to training the KPI's in your chosen sport.
The importance of time efficiency and micro-dosing training when needed.
Getting comfortable asking other practitioners for help.
The inspiration for writing "Strength and Conditioning for Endurance Running".
The common misconceptions around strength training for running.
His research into strength training for young runners.
The surprising benefits of micro-dosing plyometrics in a warm up for runners.

You can find out more about Richard and his work via Twitter: @rich_blagrove . You can pick up a copy of his book here: "Strength and Conditioning for Endurance Running".

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Strength and Conditioning for Endurance Running

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Marina Carrier is as 24 Year Pentathlete, who qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with the Australian Olympic Team. She has been involved in Pentathlon since the age of 12. At the senior level, her highest world ranking was #39, whilst her she finished her U18 Youth career at #7 in the World. She has had several international podium finishes, including beating the World #2. She has also previously been the Australian National Champion in 2017 & 2018.

In this podcast Marina discusses:

How she was introduced to Modern Pentathlon.
The 5 disciplines involved in the sport.
What her 7 day training schedule looks like.
Managing relationships with 5 different coaches.
Injury issues and Learning to listen to your body as an athlete.
Going from crutches to Olympic Qualification in just 4 weeks.
Her personal reaction to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics being postponed due to the Corona Virus.
How "something always goes wrong" in modern pentathlon and how this has trained her to adapt to unforeseen events.
Why longevity, dropout and fostering a love of sport should be the major concerns for coaches of young athletes.

You can watch the Youtube video Marina mentions here and read more about her on the Australian Olympic Team Website .

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Neil Parsley is a co-founder and director of the unique and highly successful UTS gym in Wirral. He is one the most sought after and experienced S&C coaches in the UK consulting for the English National FA as well as the English Rugby Football Union. He has coached Olympic Champions (Beijing & London Olympics), multiple World and European medalists and National champions across several sports including Taekwondo, Athletics, Rugby, Swimming, Cycling, Wrestling and Disability swimming. He regularly presents on his work at national and international conferences.

In this podcast Neil discusses:

His unique and non-conventional road to a professional playing career in Rugby league for Warrington.

How advice from his dad shaped his choice of career.

His experiences coaching athletes at the the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

Being part of the England Rugby Coaching team for the 2015 World Cup.

His motivation to establish the Underground Training Station. The array of tiers and classes the UTS provides for kids.

The importance of trust and empathy in the coach-athlete relationship.

You can follow Neil's work with the Underground Training Station at www.theuts.co.uk and on Instagram at @utsgym . You can also follow his new family project Family Fitness TV on Instagram: @familyfitnesstv and their Youtube Channel: FamilyfitnessTV .

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Harry Weatherstone is the owner of the Youth Athletic Development Academy, on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. In this podcast,

Harry discusses:

His background as a tennis athlete and coach.
How he transitioned into athletic development.
The value of working independently in your own coaching business.
The importance of keeping it simple in both communication and programming.
Earning the right to progress in the program.
A day in the life of Harry, including his mid day trip to the beach!
How school children are often doing a crazy amount of sport training. The importance of teaching kids basic recovery methods like sleep, nutrition and hydration.

You can follow Harry's work via the YAD website: www.yadacademy.com and via Instagram at @yadacademy as well as his personal account @coach_harryw .

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James McCann is the Head of PE (Practical) at Whitgift School. He is also the founder of The Animal Lab.

In this podcast James discusses:

Driving change in an independent school.
Establishing an integrated movement and games PE curriculum.
His opinion on the Joe Wicks daily "PE" sessions during Corona Virus.
Why he created The Animal Lab.
The importance of reflection in coaching practice.

You can follow James on Twitter via @theanimallab or the website: www.theanimallab.com .

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James Mealing is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Harlequins Rugby Academy.

In this episode James discusses:

His big influences in his coaching journey.
Why no one is above the basics.
The importance of educating the athlete.
The weekly schedule of an Academy player.
How Harlequins Academy have adapted to the Corona Virus.
The key characteristics of players who go on to senior performance.
How feedback is critical to success.

You can follow James on Twitter via: @MealingJames .

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Andy Woodward is the Head of Performance Sport and Strength & Conditioning Coach at Barnard Castle School.

In this episode Andy discusses:

His background in the Royal Air Force.
What his role looks like day to day in the school
How coaching multiple sports has made him a better coach.
The importance of being holistic in your coaching approach.
The importance of Listening and Empathy in coaching.
Evolving from an Autocratic coach to a more Democratic style.
Adapting to the Corona Virus.

You can follow Andy's work via the School Twitter account: @barneysport as well as his own account: @SandC_CoachAndy .

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James Marshall is the Owner of Excelsior Athletic Training and Director of Excelsior Athletic Development Club, as well as a coach educator and mentor, business owner and director. He is also the author of "Training Young Athletes", "Get Stronger", "Run Faster" and "Jump Higher".

In this podcast, James discusses:

Coming into gymnastics "cold" as an adult coach.
Why all coaches need to understand movement.
Understanding that you are coaching people and not research subjects.
The importance of fun.
Why social interaction is more important with age.
How learning is not linear.

You can find out more about James' work with Excelsior via the website www.excelsiorgroup.co.uk and via his Twitter: @CoachExcelsior and on the Youtube Channel: Excelsior Athletic Training.

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Paul is a Coach Developer and Creator of The CARVER Framework. He helps people build their Coaching World. He consult with Sporting Organisations and Clubs as well as Corporate Entities in relation to creating Learning and Performance Environments.

In this podcast Paul discusses:

How values and character development are a key component of his coaching.
An overview of the CARVER coaching model.
Weapons and Work Ons.
Working on your coaching craft.
Working on his new book.

You can find out more about Pauls work via his website www.carvercoachingframework.com and follow him on Twitter: @carver_coaching .

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Tom Coughlin is currently the Lead Nutritionist for the Male Pathway within Scottish Rugby, working from the U16's National Age Grade Squads, right up to the Senior National Team players.

In this podcast, Tom discusses:

Why he uses and athlete-led approach in his practice.
The fundamental nutrition habits youth athlete should be focussing on.
Why a meal plan isn't the answer.
Why youth athletes should avoid supplements and focus on improving their diet instead.
Recommendations for nutrition during the Coronavirus.
Some of the opportunities Coronavirus presents to work on off field skills.

To keep up to date with Tom's work you can find him on Twitter @TECNutrition .

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Kevin Mannion is the Academy Head of Performance at Gloucester Rugby.

In this episode Kevin discusses:

His Rugby League career.
How academy success is built of longevity of staff.
Making yourself redundant as a coach.
Being vulnerable enough to ask others for their expertise.
Involving parents in the academy journey.
Positively affecting parent/athlete conversations.
How Gloucester Rugby Academy is adapting to the Corona virus.
5 pieces of coaching wisdom.

You can find out more about Darren's work by following him on Twitter via: @Minion_Kev1 .

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Darren Ritchie is the Event Group Lead for Jumps and Combined Events at England Athletics. He previously spent 11 years at Scottish Athletics in variety of roles including National Jumps and Combined Events Manager, Performance Manager, National Coach Development Manager and Head of Coach Development.

In this podcast, Darren discusses:

His career as an athlete at International level.
How his injury experiences shaped his philosophy of creating robust, resilient athletes.
The notable influences in his coaching journey.
The various forms coach development and mentoring can take.
The importance of communication, empathy and reflection.
The importance of understanding the basics and sticking to them.

You can find out more about Darren's work by following him on Twitter via: @langleap .

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Andy Blyth is a Sport and Performance Psychologist, based in Edinburgh, specialising in one-to-one coaching to help people get better at what they care about. Andy is also the owner of Simplyperform, as well as the Academy Sport Psychologist Hearts Football Club.

In this podcast Andy discusses:

How a Roman Emperor has influenced his practice.
Building a collaborative rather than authoritarian coaching approach with athletes.
Some of the myths that surround sport psychology.
How coaches can incorporate sport psychology into their practice sessions.
Some valuable resources for coaches wanting to improve their sport psychology skills.

You can find out more about Andy's work via his website www.simplyperform.com you can also follow him on Twitter via: @simplyperform .

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Olie Trotman is the Strength & Conditioning Coordinator at the United World College, South East Asia, which is an international school with over 5,000 students across two campuses, serving students aged 5 – 18.

In this podcast, Olie discusses:

His background as a Welsh representative athlete in basketball.
His varied journey pursuing coaching experience around the world.
His 4 C's model of Confidence, Competence, Capacity and Choice.
Establishing a S&C program within a very large international school.
Differences and similarities between provision in a Welsh vs Singaporean school

You can find out more about Olie via his Instagram account: @olietrotman and on LinkedIn: Olie Trotman.

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John Hall or 'Hedge' discovered Parkour in late 2004 after watching a Parkour video in school. After a short career in academia, he founded Access Parkour in 2013. Hedge delivers most of Access Parkour’s conditioning and movement programs taking a special interest in creating spaces that build better people both mentally and physically. He splits his time between managing the company, teaching as much as he can and researching Parkour.

In this podcast John discusses:

His relationship with competitive sport and his path into Parkour.
Why competitive sport might not be for everyone.
His focus on creating community.
His on non-linear pedagogy and internal vs external cueing.
The use of Parkour as a donor sport for other sporting activities.
The upcoming Coach Education workshop in Edinburgh.

The "Parkour for Sport Coaches" Workshop is is happening on Saturday 18th April, at Room to Move, Edinburgh. You can purchase tickets here.

You can find out more about John's via his Instagram account: @accesshedgehog . You can also check out Access Parkour via their website www.accessparkour.com as well as their Instagram: @accessparkour and Facebook: Access Parkour. You can access some of the blog articles John mentions here.

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Dave Hembrough is a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Sports Science Officer at Sheffield Hallam University, as well as the Head Coach of Hallam Barbell and a Coach Educator for British Weightlifting. He has started numerous community based initiatives including Mindfully Strong and Strength For Life.

In this Episode, Dave discusses:

His personal mission statement.
His time in performance sport, including professional Boxing, Volleyball and Diving.
Why his focus shifted toward making a social impact.
Some of the areas S&C Coaches could make an impact outside of performance sport.
The various initiatives he has started at youth, adult and elderly ages.

You can find out more about Dave's via his Twitter account: @dwhembro Instagram: @davehembrough . You can also follow You can keep up to date with some his projects including Strength for Life: @Strength4_Life @strengthforlifecampaign and Hallam Barbell: @HallamBarbell @hallambarbell .

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Allistair McCaw is a world leader in human performance, team culture and leadership. For over 25 years, he has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies, Olympians, Grand Slam Champions, NCAA Colleges and Professional Sports Teams. He is also the author of 7 Keys to Being a Great Coach, Champion Minded and Becoming a Great Team Player.

In this episode, Allistair discusses:

Key influences in his philosophy.
His purpose and vision for his work.
The 7 keys to being a great coach.
Why it's important to define success for yourself.
His personal 10 rules for success.
The importance of authenticity.
His new book and is upcoming workshops.

You can find the review Allistair mentions which contains the 10 traits of Champion Minded leaders here.

You can find out more about Allistair's work via his Twitter: @AllistairMcCaw Instagram: @bechampionminded and Facebook: Allistair McCaw Page as well as listen to his own Champion Minded Podcast. You can also visit his website www.allistairmccaw.com

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Dr Mike Hislop is a a researcher within the Technical Services Department at World Rugby, the global governing body for Rugby Union. His research was used to create the Activate program, which reduced soft tissue injuries by up to 40% and concussions by up to 60%.

In this podcast Mike discusses:

His PhD research studies which culminated in the Activate program
The surprising outcomes in injury reduction using the Activate program
Why the Activate program could be considered more than just an injury prevention program
The progressive nature of the programs across levels and age
The 8 cue that are vital to delivering the program effectively

You can find out more about the World Rugby Activate program here. You can keep up to date with Mike via his twitter account: @Hislop_Mike

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Guy Pitchers is a PhD researchers in Female Athletic populations, as well as a Instructor in Sport Science at Canterbury Christ Church University. He is also a Strength & Conditioning Coach for Charlton FC Ladies.

In this podcast Guy discusses:

The primary biological differences between male and female athletes
A basic overview of menstrual function
Individual variability in menstrual cycles and symptoms
Why menstrual dysfunction has long term implications for health
Relative Energy Deficit Syndrome or "REDS"
A framework for monitoring menstrual function in female athletes

You can keep up to date with Guy via his twitter account: @GuyPitchers.

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Dr. Joe Eisenmann isa scholar-practitioner with 25 years of experience as a professor, researcher, sport scientist, coach educator, strength & conditioning coach, and youth sports coach. Currently, he is a consultant and serves as the Head of Sport Science for Volt Athletics, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association along with being a visiting professor at Leeds Beckett University Carnegie School of Sport.

In this episode Joe discusses:

His early coaching and research influences
The misconception of Long term athletic development as modern invention
Previous examples of LTAD models
The state of LTAD in the modern world

You can find the ICoachKids resource mentioned here and the Proformance Child to Champion USA event here. You can keep up to date with Joe's work via his twitter account @Joe_Eisenmann

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Tim Stevenson (Head of Exercise Science & Handstands) and David "Jacko" Jackson (Head of Human Flags) are both Strength and Conditioning coaches and Founders of the "School of Calisthenics".

In this episode they discuss;

Their accidental route into calisthenics in their own training and coaching.
Why Fun and Experimentation are a key element for them in training and coaching.
The multiple potential benefits physically and mentally in implementing calisthenics with youth athletes.
Why simply adding load might just be "Lazy" coaching.
How calisthenics ability might differ with later vs early maturers.
How alternative forms of training are often neglected in S&C degree programs.

You can follow the work of School of Calisthenics on Instagram: @schoolofcalisthenics Facebook: School of Calisthenics Twitter: @SchoolOfCali and the website: www.schoolofcalisthenics.com

Be sure to check out their FREE beginners course here: https://classroom.schoolofcalisthenics.com/course?courseid=free-beginners-calisthenics-programme as well as their Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKIPOflZbfGRM8-IehI775w

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Howard Green is the Director of HGreen Tennis Fit, as well as the Head of Sports Science at Bolton Tennis Arena.

In this episode Howard discusses

How his background in the high performance environment of the Royal Marines has shaped him as a coach.
His time "in the box" with Ana Ivanovic and Naomi Broady on the World Tour.
The importance of establishing ownership and life skills in young athletes.
His use of acronyms and mnemonics in coaching.
His collaboration with Simon Brundish on the new "Supermovers" program

You can follow the work of Howard via his Instagram: @hgreentennisfit Facebook: HGreen Tennis Fit Twitter: @HGreenTennisFit and the website: www.hgreentennisfit.com

Remember to keep an eye out for the next RacketEdge conference via the website www.racketedge.com/conference-2020

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Louise Hastie is one of the Directors at Movement Evolution.

In this episode Louise discusses:

Her unique childhood background.
Her background in recreational and competition skiing.
The balance of winning medals and fostering intrinsic motivation.
Inclusive and exclusive methods of long term athletic development.

You can follow the work of Louise and Movement Evolution Scotland via their Instagram: @movement_evolution_scotland Facebook: Movement Evolution Scotland and their website: www.movementevolution.org

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Matt Goodman is the Group Managing Director at Active Future, as well as a PhD candidate by publication at Northumbria University.

In this podcast Matt discusses:

How longevity is his main score of success.
The unexpected success of "Fortnite" style activity classes in terms of uptake and individual activity.
The decline of ability for free play in youth/children.
His theory on whether the popularity of digital games in our youth is due to adult interference in organised sport.
Some tidbits of his research so far.

You can follow the work of Active Future via their Facebook page and get in contact with Matt via his Facebook page.

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John Scriven is the Head of Services at the Jersey Sport Foundation.

In this podcast, he discusses:

His frustration in athletics forming the foundation for a curiosity in coaching.
His long list of coaching influences.
A brief overview of Russian talent development systems in the communist era.
The journey of creating and establishing a talent support structure in Jersey.
Some fantastic reading resources for those interested in talent development.

You can follow the work of the JSF on Instagram: @jerseysportfoundation Facebook: @JerseySportFd and via their website: https://jerseysportfoundation.org.je/

You can get in contact with John via his Facebook page, or via his email: john.scriven@jerseysportfoundation.org.je

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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In this episode Steve Curnyn, Head of Academy Football Medicine and Science at Hibernian FC discusses:

His journey into coaching, including his 5 minutes of fame!
Why ownership is the ultimate success in a youth physical development program.
Why bringing the energy or being the "magic man" is so important.
Why Hibernian FC assesses Growth & Maturation in their players.
What they do with this Maturation information.
Managing growth related injury in young players.

You can follow Steve's work Twitter: @SteveCurnyn and on Instagram: @stevecurnyn

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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In this episode Simon Brundish, Founder of StrengthLab and creator Superheroes discusses:

How many coaches have come from a PE teaching background.
His unique purpose for coaching kids. The problems with modern day PE curriculum.
How he came to create the Superheroes program and it's success in both schools and sports academies.
The challenges with integrating physical literacy curriculum into the school setting.

You can follow Simon's work on Instagram: @strengthlabsuperheroes Twitter: @UK_StrengthLab and Facebook: @Strengthlabonline and via his website: https://strengthlab.co.uk

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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In this episode Andy Bruce discusses:

His unusual journey to becoming a Youth Strength & Conditioning Coach.
What "success" looks like to him as a Youth coach. The challenges of implementing S&C in an independent school setting.
A new app he is involved in developing to help monitor the various activities of school pupils.
His love of learning and recommendations for CPD.

You can follow Andy on Instagram at @acbcoaching Facebook ACB Coaching and Twitter @acbcoaching as well as his website www.acbcoaching.com

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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In this episode Grant Mcleod, Head of Performance Projects at Buriram United FDP discusses:

The challenges of coaching in a foreign language and culture in Thailand.

Creating a common coaching vocabulary and syllabus.

Using small sided games to develop technical skill and conditioning.

Why different age groups require specialist coaches.

You can follow Grant on Instagram at @gmcl.sc and Facebook at Grant Mcleod or email him directly on grant.mcleod@brutd.com

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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In this episode Sam Guy and Rob Smaldon, Founders of Cornwall High Performance (CHP) discuss:

Their varied sporting backgrounds.
How Cornwall High Performance began.
The challenges they face coaching youth athletes.
The autonomy of running your own business vs being an employed coach.
Advice for those running a youth coaching business.

You can follow CHP on Instagram at @cornwallhighperformance and Facebook at Cornwall High Performance and via their website www.cornwallhighperformance.co.uk

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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In this episode Shane discusses:

The influences behind his entry into Martial Arts.
His dual career in Martial Arts Instructing and Strength & Conditioning Coaching.
His "Why" for coaching kids in particular, with one of the best coaches a compliment can receive!
The 4 chores he makes all his students/clients complete.
Why "3rd party power" is an important component in coaching.
Why holistic development of the child/athlete is so important in his coaching.
The worrying trends he sees in 26 years of coaching kids.

Links to resources he mentions: Spiderfit Kids, Kelvin Giles work.

You can follow Shane's work in Tae Kwon Do via the website Connacht Tae Kwon Do and Facebook page. You can keep up to date with his S&C work via his Coaching Facebook page.

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. If you want to leave us some feedback or a question for future episodes you can do so here.

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This podcast was originally recorded in January 2018

In this episode Fergus discusses:

Growing up in South Africa playing cricket, rugby, squash and hockey.
How he got into coaching as a young student.
Differences coaching younger athletes.
Why love of the game is important.
The fundamental values in order to be successful in his programs.
Support vs Challenge in a developmental environment.
What is success for him.
Being deliberate in setting training culture.

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. You can leave us feedback or submit a question for future episodes here.

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This episode was originally recorded in February 2018.

In this episode we discuss:

Ben's journey from discovering volleyball as a schoolboy, to playing at a Home Olympic Games in front of 15,000 fans.
Sharing a bubble bath with Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs in the process!
Failing into volleyball and it’s importance in his progression.
Hearing your getting dropped…from your mum!
The standards required to get to Olympic level.
Why time management is a critical skill for young athletes.
Building the habit of overcoming barriers.
Making choices not sacrifices.

You can follow Ben on social media on Twitter: @Ben_Pipes and Instagram: @pipes_ben

Keep up to date with Athletic Evolution via our Website, Twitter and Instagram. If you want to leave us some feedback or a question for future episodes you can do so here.

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A brief introduction to the Athletic Evolution Podcast!

The LTAD Network Podcast: Recent Episodes

Rob Anderson