The Athlete Blueprint Podcast: Recent Episodes
Javier Miller-Estrada
The Athlete Blueprint is a podcast for coaches and practitioners who want to maximize their athletes development.Host, Javi Miller-Estrada engages in discussions with some of the absolute best sport coaches, trainers, and practitioners in the world. Coaches who are truly pushing the industry forward. Topics include movement sciences, practice design, nutrition, sports psychology and more...#findyourblueprint
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What does it actually mean to train a boxer to be adaptable when the most representative practice, hard sparring, also causes permanent damage?
Adam Haniver is a boxing coach and England Boxing DISE program lead who's spent years working through exactly that tension. He brings an ecological dynamics lens to a sport that has historically treated tradition as gospel, and the conversation goes deep on skill acquisition, affordances, and what most boxing training gets fundamentally wrong.
Topics covered:
- "Anything but the thing" — why most boxing training is unopposed, decomposed, and doesn't transfer to competition
- Perceive to act AND act to perceive — how the best boxers generate opportunities rather than wait for them
- The GAP framework (Great, Average, Poor) as a tool for athlete-directed intention before sparring
- Teaching boxers to punch versus teaching them to land — why these are two completely different things
- Naseem Hamed and Brendan Ingle as examples of what freedom in movement actually produces
- Play sparring, head trauma, and how to build representativeness without increasing injury risk
If you coach in any combat or contact sport and you're thinking through how to square representative practice with athlete safety, this conversation is worth your time.
Find Adam at www.theboxgathering.com and on the Box Gathering Podcast on all platforms. England Boxing DISE program: @dice_boxing_brighton on socials.
Don't forget to join us in Arizona for the Skill Acquisition Retreat!
If you want to go deeper on skill acquisition, check out the Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist certification over at emergentmvmt.com.
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Nine years in, and the "room" for SMSC keeps getting smarter every year. This one landed three genuinely different debates, a set of award winners worth knowing, and a founder's-eye view of what the conference has become.
Coach Jav starts us off with some quick takeaways from a busy month of June traveling across the country, presenting at various conferences and events, before turning to his main reflection on SMSC 2026. Then Shawn Myszka, founder of the Sport Movement Skill Conference, gives his own take on this year's event and what's ahead for 2027.
- Altis and the NHL: Where capacities fit in athlete development, and what a full day with 30-plus NHL and AHL coaches revealed about translating skill acquisition into a pro environment
- Questioning industry claims: Why the industry needs to audit ideas it treats as settled, using the SMSC debate stage as the case study
- SMSC 2026 debates: What came out of this year's public debates, where they landed, and where they didn't
- Award winners: This year's Lifetime Achievement, Researcher of the Year, and Practitioner of the Year recipients
- The challenge point: This year's conference theme, and what it actually means to get pushed to the edge and stay there
- Shawn Myszka's reflection: Nine years in, what's changed, and a first look at where SMSC is headed for 2027
For coaches and practitioners trying to figure out where skill acquisition actually fits inside a performance organization, not just in theory.
🎟 The next CSAS testing is November 7 in Chandler, Arizona. Learn more and apply.
Shawn Myszka | Instagram | Twitter
Resources
The Adaptable Athlete
Coach Jav on Instagram
Emergence
Free Modern Coach's Checklist
Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav
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You can't talk a fighter into confidence. And if you've been trying, Andy Grahn has been quietly building it the right way for 30 years.
Andy Grahn is a martial arts coach at The Academy MN in Minneapolis, a co-author of the 2024 ecological dynamics MMA paper in Sports Coaching Review, and one of a small group of combat sports coaches actively applying motor learning science to what happens on the mat. This conversation covers how he got there and what it actually looks like in practice.
- Competence before confidence: Why telling athletes to "just be more confident" doesn't work, and what the ecological approach says about how confidence actually develops
- Alive training in combat sports: What representative practice looks like in an MMA gym, how Andy navigates the line between safety and specificity, and why sparring is still the anchor
- The partner probability paradox: How to design practice when you don't have the right training partner, and what constraints-led coaching looks like when the pairing isn't ideal
- JKD to ecological dynamics: The philosophical thread connecting Bruce Lee's framework to Gibson's ecological psychology, and how Andy's background primed him for the shift
- Writing the paper: What it was like to co-author peer-reviewed research as a practitioner alongside Keith Davids and the rest of the team
For coaches in any sport trying to build real skill, not just clean-looking technique.
🎟 Listeners of the podcast receive 10% off the Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota) using code JAVI26 at registration.
Andy Grahn | The Academy MN
The Academy MN
Applying an Ecological Dynamics Approach to Mixed Martial Arts
Resources
The Adaptable Athlete
Coach Jav on Instagram
Emergence
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The best pass rusher in NFL history didn't break the sack record because he's fast. He broke it while being double or triple-teamed on more than half his snaps.
Shawn Myszka returns for the annual Mover of the Year episode. This year's pick: Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. But this conversation isn't about stats. It's about what Garrett's movement actually tells us about dexterity, practice design, and how athletes solve problems under pressure.
- Dexterity vs. athleticism: Why raw physical tools don't explain Garrett's dominance, and what Bernstein's framework reveals about how he actually moves
- Abundance precedes adaptability: How having a wide range of movement strategies, not one elite technique, is what separates Garrett from every other pass rusher
- Perceiving to and through: How elite performers take in multiple information sources simultaneously, with examples from football, basketball, and combat sports
- Adversity as a teacher: What Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson tell us about how constraint-rich environments shape movement skill over time
- What Movement Miyagi would do: Three specific practice design ideas for developing Garrett's perceptual and movement capabilities even further
For coaches working at any level, in any sport.
Listeners of the podcast can receive 10% off the upcoming Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota) using the code Javi26 when registering.
Shawn Myszka | Movement Miyagi
Football Beyond the Stats Blog
2025 Mover of the Year: Myles Garrett
Enhancing Skill in American Football
X | Instagram
Resources
The Adaptable Athlete
Emergence
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Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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NBA shooting coach Dave Love has spent over 15 years working at the highest level of basketball, with the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, and currently an Eastern Conference team. He's also one of the few practitioners at that level actively contributing to peer-reviewed research.
In this episode, Dave and Coach Jav dig into why the pursuit of a repeatable, perfect shot is the wrong goal entirely and what coaches should be focused on instead. They break down the sandbox analogy, the PoST framework, how to design practice that actually reflects the game, and how to meet athletes where they are when introducing evidence-based methods.
If you coach shooting at any level, this one is worth your time.
Topics covered:
- No two shots are the same — and why chasing a repeatable shot is the wrong goal
- The sandbox analogy — how Dave thinks about functional movement solutions and what it means to be in or out of the sandbox
- Positive and negative power — his framework for identifying what's actually causing a player to miss
- The PoST framework — how to periodize skill training the way you would strength or conditioning
- Practice design and the challenge point — using defenders with intention and building variability into every session
- Meeting athletes where they are — how to introduce ecological principles to players attached to traditional methods
Listeners of the podcast can receive 10% off the upcoming Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota) using the code Javi26 when registering.
Links:
- Dave's platform and newsletter
- Research paper: "Skill Adaptation in Basketball Coaching" International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 2025
- Sport Movement Skill Conference (use code JAVI26 for 10% off)
- Dave on X
- Dave on instagram
- Podcast website
- Emergence
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Use Code: Javi26 for 10% off of your SMSC registration 🎟️
In this "Ask Emergence" episode, Coach Jav answers three questions from coaches about skill acquisition, constraints, and practice design.
The conversation starts with a foundational question: What is skill?
Too often skill is viewed as repetition or the ability to reproduce the same movement over and over. But in sport, athletes must adapt to constantly changing problems. Coach Jav shares his current definition of skill and why adaptability is central to performance.
The episode then explores how coaches can use constraints to shape movement and guide athletes toward effective solutions without prescribing every action.
Finally, Coach Jav discusses how to think about complexity in training environments, why he prefers that term over “chaos,” and how coaches can scale the level of complexity to better prepare athletes for competition.
Listeners of the podcast can receive 10% off the upcoming Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota) using the code Javi26 when registering.
In This Episode
- A modern definition of skill and why repetition alone is not enough
- How constraints guide movement and decision making in sport
- How to scale complexity in training environments to better prepare athletes for competition
Episode Resources
- Sport Movement Skill Conference
- Emergence Website
- Check out The Modern Coach’s Planner
- SMSC preview episode with Sean Myszka
- The Adaptable Athlete Podcast
- Check out the pod on YouTube
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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IG: @thecoachjav
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In this episode, Coach Jav sits down with Steve Whalen to explore his journey into coaching, his shift toward ecological dynamics, and what it means to truly design learning environments that transfer to competition.
Steve shares how he entered tennis coaching from a non-traditional background, the tensions he experienced within traditional coach education, and the turning points that led him toward a constraints-led approach. The conversation unpacks why players who look sharp in practice often struggle in matches, how coaches can better understand learning and performance, and what it takes to bridge the gap between research and real-world coaching.
They also discuss Steve’s work mentoring coaches globally, his upcoming research in ecological dynamics, and the broader direction of modern coach education.
The upcoming Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6) is also discussed you can learn more and register here
If you’re looking for a practical starting point for designing more effective sessions, download the Modern Coach’s Practice Checklistand check out thecoachjav.com for more resources!
Episode Resources
- Steve's website
- Steve on Instagram
- 2026 Sport Movement Skill Conference (SMSC)
- Modern Coach’s Practice Checklist - Free coaching guide
- The Adaptable Athlete Podcast
- Emergence
Support & ContactIf you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.
You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav
or by email at javier@emergentmvmt.com
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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In this episode, Coach Jav sits down with Emergence co-founder Shawn Myszka to preview the 2026 Sport Movement Skill Conference (SMSC). They unpack this year’s theme — “Challenge Point” — and explain why the conference will feature debate-style matchups between leading voices from differing theoretical foundations.
The conversation explores why now is the right time to bring contrasting coaching philosophies back to the table, how intellectual sparring can sharpen clarity, and what attendees can expect from both the debates and hands-on practical sessions.
From matchups like Shawn Myszka vs. Tony Villani , Tyler Yearby vs. Jeff Moyer and Jav vs. Tony Holler, to practical sessions spanning MMA, baseball, team sport environments, and Olympic preparation, this year’s SMSC aims to challenge assumptions while fostering connection.
The 9th Annual Sport Movement Skill Conference takes place June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Don’t forget: The Modern Coach's Planner is now back in stock!! Get it here
Resources
- Sport Movement Skill Conference 2026
- Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist (CSAS) Information
- Podcast Website
- Ep. 110 with Shawn
Support & ContactIf you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.
You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav
or by email at javier@emergentmvmt.com
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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In this episode of The Adaptable Athlete Podcast, Coach Jav breaks down three mistakes he made while applying ecological dynamics and the constraints-led approach in his coaching.
From prioritizing drills over principles, to progressing athletes from decontextualized work instead of designing representative learning environments, to failing to give athletes ownership in the skill acquisition process, Coach Jav reflects on what changed — and why it matters for modern coaching.
If you’re a coach exploring ecological dynamics, skill acquisition, or looking to move beyond traditional drill-based training, this episode offers a practical and honest look at what applying these concepts actually requires in real-world settings.
This conversation touches on principles vs drills, contextual training design, scaling complexity, athlete feedback, and how to build adaptable performers.
Resources & Links:
- The Modern Coach Planner
- Sport Movement Skill Conference 2026
- More Pod Episodes
- Watch the show on Youtube
Support & ContactIf you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.
You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav
or by email at javier@emergentmvmt.com
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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In this episode, coach Jav breaks down the most common mistakes coaches make in agility training—and why many popular drills fail to transfer to sport.
Inspired by a recent Six of the Best contribution with Sportsmith (Emergence Co-founder Shawn, Myszka was also featured), the the episode centers on a core problem: coaches often give athletes the answers instead of setting real problems to solve.
Jav explains why repetition without context limits adaptability, why randomness alone isn’t enough, and how poor information sources—like verbal cues, lights, or inanimate objects—can disconnect training from competition. He closes with three practical shifts coaches can make immediately to design more effective, sport-relevant agility environments.
This episode is for coaches who want to move beyond scripted drills and develop truly adaptable athletes.
Don’t forget: The Modern Coach's Planner is now back in stock!! https://thecoachjav.com/products/modern-coach-planner
Support & Contact
If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.
You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav
or by email at javier@emergentmvmt.com
Resources & Links
- The podcast on YouTube
- Sportsmith
- The Adaptable Athlete Podcast:
- Emergence
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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The Modern Coach's Planner — built for coaches who think differently — Back!
Order yours today at: https://thecoachjav.com/products/modern-coach-planner
In this episode, coach Jav sits down with Rob Gray to explore what comes after the basics of ecological dynamics and the constraints-led approach.
They discuss why “fundamentals first” thinking continues to persist in sport, how constraints can lose their effectiveness over time, and the difference between developing skill and maintaining it at higher levels of performance. Rob also shares practical insights from his work across multiple sports, including how to scale difficulty, design more representative practice environments, and avoid turning data into rigid technique prescriptions.
This conversation is for coaches who are already experimenting with modern approaches and want to go deeper into how athletes actually adapt, learn, and perform.
Don’t forget: The Modern Coach's Planner is now available for pre-order at https://thecoachjav.com/products/modern-coach-planner
Support & Contact
If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.
You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav
or by email at javier@emergentmvmt.com
Resources & Links
- Rob Gray – The Advanced Ecological Approach
- Rob Gray’s website
- The Adaptable Athlete Podcast:
- Emergence
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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The Modern Coach's Planner — built for coaches who think differently — is now available for pre-order.
This is a limited run, and once these copies are gone, they’re gone.
Order yours today at: https://thecoachjav.com/products/modern-coach-planner
In this episode, Coach Jav sits down with Greg Souders, founder of Standard Jiu-Jitsu, and DeAndre Corbe, one of the top grapplers in the world — the 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials champion and a recent competitor in the Craig Jones Invitational.
They explore how an ecological and constraints-led approach is transforming the way athletes learn and perform in Jiu-Jitsu. Over the past few years, ecological dynamics has exploded — and Greg has been one of the leading voices behind that shift, challenging traditional methods and helping coaches rethink what real skill development looks like.
Together, Greg and DeAndre unpack the realities of modern coaching — from designing representative environments to building communication, trust, and autonomy between coach and athlete.
This episode is a deep look at how modern Jiu-Jitsu is evolving, and what happens when the athlete–coach relationship becomes a true collaboration.
Topics Discussed
- How Greg and DeAndre built their coach–athlete relationship
- Transitioning from traditional to ecological Jiu-Jitsu training
- Communication, trust, and autonomy in coaching
- Managing competition prep and recovery
- Why “control isn’t coaching” and how autonomy drives growth
If you’re a coach or practitioner interested in skill acquisition, practice design, and building adaptable athletes, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Don’t forget: The Modern Coach's Planner is now available for pre-order at https://thecoachjav.com/products/modern-coach-planner
Support & Contact
If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.
You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav
or by email at javier@emergentmvmt.com
.
Resources and Links
- Standard Jiu-Jitsu: https://standardjiujitsu.com
- Standard Jiu-Jitsu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standardjiujitsu?igsh=MWN5endrZTVud3RwMw==
- Greg Souders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gdsouders?igsh=N2VtcjJyMXgwcW82
- DeAndre Corbe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deandre_corbe/
- Emergence – The Movement Academy: https://emergentmvmt.com
- Emergence on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergentmvmt?igsh=Y2JuMm53c3N0bjZh
- The Adaptable Athlete Podcast Website: theadaptableathlete.com
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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IG: @thecoachjav
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*Checkout the free practice guide at the end of the show notes!
For decades, coaches and scientists have used the term skill acquisition — but what if that’s not what’s really happening?
In this short episode, we dive into the idea that athletes don’t acquire skill — they adapt it. Inspired by our recent conversation with Duarte Araújo, this concept challenges the traditional view of skill as something stored or possessed, and instead reframes it as a continuous process shaped by the relationship between athlete and environment.
We explore how this shift impacts coaching, learning, and even rehabilitation — from how an athlete adapts after injury, to how their movement evolves over time.
Have any questions form the Episode? Hit me up on social @thecoachjav or send me an email at Javier@emergentmvmt.com
Download your Free Practice Design Checklist!
Episode Resources
- Episode 113 w/ Duarte
- Download the Academic Papers from Duarte
- What Exactly Is Acquired During Skill Acquisition by Duarte Araújo & Keith Davids
- Emergence Website
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Checkout the free practice guide at the end of the show notes!
What is skill, really? And what if it’s not something athletes acquire — but something they continuously adapt*?
In this episode, Duarte Araújo joins us on the pod to unpack one of the most fundamental questions in sport: what does it truly mean to be skillful? Duarte breaks down why “acquisition” is the wrong metaphor, and how coaches can design environments that bring intelligence and creativity to the surface.
Together, we explore:
- The difference between being and becoming in sport performance
- Why skill should be viewed as potential, not possession
- How intentionality, perceptual attunement, and calibration shape learning
- What cognizant action means — and why movement itself is intelligent
- How coaches can design tasks that challenge athletes to find their own solutions
Whether you’re a coach, practitioner, or simply curious about how humans learn, this conversation reframes skill as an ongoing relationship between athlete and environment — not a product stored inside the brain.
Have any questions form the Episode? Hit me up on social @thecoachjav or send me an email at Javier@emergentmvmt.com
Download your Free Practice Design Checklist!
Episode Resources
- Download the Academic Papers from Duarte
- Duarte on Research Gate
- Duarte on X
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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*Checkout the free practice guide at the end of the show notes!
Alan Dunton is a lecturer in Coaching Science and Skill Acquisition at Munster Technological University (MTU) in Cork, Ireland. A former Taekwondo athlete and coach, Alan has spent his career exploring how people learn, adapt, and perform skill under dynamic conditions. In this conversation, we unpack metastability — what it means, how to design for it, and why adaptability is the hallmark of expert performance.
In This Episode:
- Alan’s background in Taekwondo and how it shaped his approach to coaching
- Understanding metastability: from theory to practical application
- Exploration vs. stability — what do athletes really need?
- Designing training environments for adaptability
- The launch of the new MSc in Skill Acquisition for Sport at MTU
This episode is heavy and theory AND applied information, and I know you will benefit from giving this a listen!
Download your Free Practice Design Checklist!
Referenced Links:
- Free Coaching Guide Download → Get it here
- MTU MSc in Skill Acquisition for Sport → https://www.mtu.ie
- Alan Dunton on X → https://x.com/alandunton
- Emergence → https://www.emergentmvmt.com
- The Adaptable Athlete Podcast on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@thecoachjav
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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IG: @thecoachjav
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Adam Singer is the head coach of SBG Athens, where he and his brother Rory have been developing fighters for over 25 years.
A longtime practitioner of ecological dynamics in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, Adam has coached multiple athletes to the highest levels of competition, including two world champions.
He’s also a co-author of a landmark paper on ecological dynamics in combat sports with Shawn Myszka, Tyler Yearby, Scott Sievewright, and Andy Grahn.
Known for blending sharp insight with humor (and reminding everyone he’s both handsome and funny), Adam brings a unique perspective to coaching and skill development.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why coaching is about relationships and culture first — and how SBG Athens has built that over decades
- Stories from the gym: balancing intensity with care, developing fighters responsibly, and lessons learned across 25+ years in MMA
- The role of exploration and aliveness in training, and why “sloppy” doesn’t always mean wrong
- Why there are no shortcuts in adopting an ecological approach, and the pitfalls of surface-level buzzwords
- How Adam’s philosophy challenges traditional pad-work, drill-heavy coaching, and emphasizes problem solving in context
If you’re a coach or practitioner interested in skill acquisition, practice design, and building adaptable athletes, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Referenced in this episode:
- SBG Athens
- Ecological Dynamics in Sport Combat — Paper (ResearchGate link)
- Emergence
- Watch full podcast episodes on YouTube → youtube.com/@thecoachjav
Episode Resources:
- CSAS Certification
- Adam Singer on IG
If you’re a coach or practitioner interested in skill acquisition, practice design, and building adaptable athletes, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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Shawn Myszka (the “Movement Miyagi” ) returns to the pod to discuss the theme he and his NFL athletes embraced this offseason: Wu Xin, or “no-mindedness.” It’s an idea that runs throughout skill acquisition — how athletes can free themselves from rigid intentions and better attune to the “what is” in front of them.
From there, we dig into his new book, Enhancing Skill in American Football: Revolutionizing Practice Design for Transfer to Game Day, and the golden thread of movement behavior as problem solving.
Along the way, we cover why Shawn calls it “partnering” with athletes instead of “owning” them, what Barry Sanders can teach us about adaptability, and some hot takes on the NFL Combine, traditional speed training, and preseason football.
Episode Resources
- Shawn Myszka’s Book: Enhancing Skill in American Football: Revolutionizing Practice Design for Transfer to Game Day
- Emergence: emergentmvmt.com
- Shawn Myszka Blog Post –Wu Xin: Turning Off the Mind to Solve More Problems on the Field
- Barry Sanders NFL Top 100 Segment: Barry Sanders on “just reacting” (NFL Films)
- Ep 86 w/ Shawn
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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Garrett Baker, Skill Acquisition Specialist and pitching coach with the New York Mets, returns to the Adaptable Athlete Podcast to dive deep into the realities of skill development in baseball.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why breaking free from “perfect mechanics” often unlocks better performance
- Why pitching velocity isn't everything
- How reframing pitchers as “out-getters” changes the way we think about training
- The pitcher-batter relationship and its central role in pitching success
- The impact of conviction and intention on the mound
- Why variability and “serious play” are critical to long-term development
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Resources + Mentions:
- Garrett Baker’s previous episode: Pitching Beyond the Metrics
- POST Framework Paper
- Jesus Luzardo breakdown with Dallas Braden – Slab Lab
- Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist (CSAS) Info
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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Welcome back to the Adaptable Athlete Podcast!
In this episode, we dive into another edition of the 6 Minutes of Skill series — where Coach Jav breaks down a key skill acquisition concept in under 6 minutes (or close enough).
This time, we’re tackling a big one:
How does the weight room fit within an ecological approach?
The weight room and ecological dynamics can often feel like they're pulling in different directions. But in this quick-hit episode, Coach Jav unpacks:
✅ Why the weight room isn’t the enemy
✅ How to create meaningful links between strength work and skill
✅ How variability can be a secret weapon in the weight room
✅ Why being weight room strong doesn’t necessarily mean being skillful
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode Resources
- Emergence Website
- Emergence Weight Room Course
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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In this episode of the Adaptable Athlete Podcast, I'm joined by Justin Ferguson — Director of Player Development at Minnesota United FC and a coach who’s deeply committed to modern coaching principles.
We dig into what it really means to rethink player development, why talent is not a linear process, and how coaches can better support athletes through complex, messy learning environments.
Justin shares insights from his work in professional soccer, including how Minnesota United is challenging traditional development models and creating learning environments that actually prepare players for the game.
Whether you're coaching elite players or youth athletes, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and give you new ways to think about growth, adaptation, and long-term development.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Resources + Mentions
- Minnesota United FC
- Justin's IG
- Emergence Website
- Check out our other episodes
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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This episode is a special repost of my conversation with Stu McMillan on the ALTIS Podcast, originally recorded as a lead-up to the ALTIS Speed Summit where I will be presenting.
If you’re attending the Summit this weekend, this will give you a preview of what I’ll be covering in my talk on Saturday, June 7th. The session will be titled "This is Not a Drill: Developing Speed Through Problem Solving."
We cover a wide range of topics—everything from designing adaptable athletes to unlearning rigid drill-based models. Whether you're new to ecological dynamics or deep into it, this conversation bridges theory and real-world coaching.
The ALTIS Speed Summit kicks off on Friday, June 6th, and my presentation is on Saturday, June 7th.
Key Topics Discussed:
✅ Why repeatable outcomes matter more than repeatable movements
✅ How to build learning environments that guide problem solving
✅ What coaches need to unlearn to truly develop adaptable athletes
✅ The role of perception, variability, and context in speed training
✅ Transitioning from traditional models to ecological dynamics
Resources & Mentions:
- ALTIS Speed Summit Info: altis.world
- The Adaptable Athlete Podcast: theadaptableathlete.com
- Emergence Website: emergentmvmt.com
- “How We Learn to Move” – Rob Gray: Buy on Amazon
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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This episode of the Adaptable Athlete Podcast is part of our special SMSC 25’ Speaker Spotlight Series, highlighting some of the world-class minds presenting at the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference, June 26–27 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
We're bringing back a classic: Episode 8 with Michael Zwiefel, an impactful voice in our field and a longtime influence on how we approach athlete development. Formerly the founder of Building Better Athletes, Michael now serves as Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he applies ecological principles in a team setting.
Key Topics Discussed:
✅ Making warmups representative and engaging
✅ Transitioning from coaching with instructions to guiding with environment
✅ Working with youth athletes in a way that ignites passion, not burnout
✅ Progressing from 1v1 to more complex and chaotic movement problems
✅ Why strength coaches must understand tactical demands of sport
✅ Finding “aliveness” in warmups—starting sessions with real movement problems
f you work with athletes in any context—private or team, youth or elite—this one is packed with insight.
Register for SMSC 2025
Come see Michael live at this year’s in-person Sport Movement Skill Conference:
🔗 Register here
Resources + Mentions:
- Warm-Up Course: Reconceptualizing the Warm-Up
- “Change of Direction vs. Agility” (Young et al., 2002)
- Origins Course
- Michael on X
- Emergence Website
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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In this repost episode of the podcast, we revisit one of our most favorite conversations — a deep dive into combat sport skill acquisition with Scott Sievewright, founder of Primal MMA and host of the Primal MMA Coaching Podcast.
Scott brings an athlete-centered and constraints-led approach to his work with MMA athletes. In this conversation, we discuss how to design representative practice without traditional drills, how to keep intensity high while still respecting athlete safety, and why coaches should shift from cueing movement to shaping it through context.
Scott will be one of our featured presenters at the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference happening June 26–27 in St. Paul, MN. Get your ticket at:
🔹 Key Topics Discussed:
✅ What a live, constraints-led approach looks like in MMA
✅ Why Scott eliminated drilling entirely from his practice
✅ Managing contact, safety, and intensity in striking and grappling
✅ How ecological dynamics helps simplify coaching
✅ Why Scott avoids over-coaching and embraces organized chaos
✅ What it means to train perception and action together
📌 Resources & Mentions:
- Primal MMA Coaching Podcast
- Primal MMA Website
- Scott’s Coaching Philosophy & Framework
- SMSC 2025 Tickets & Info
💡Like what you hear? Then you’ll love what Scott brings in person at this year’s conference.
Register now and join us in St. Paul, MN – June 26–27, 2025.
Stay connected at The Adaptable Athlete for more great conversations.
Want to take your coaching to the next level?...check our our courses at Emergence.
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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SMSC Speaker Spotlight: Garrett Baker
In this episode, we’re highlighting one of our featured presenters for the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference — Garrett Baker, Skill Acquisition Specialist and Pitching Coach for the New York Mets. Garrett joins us to talk about the current state of skill development in baseball and why he believes coaches must move beyond traditional notions of “perfect mechanics.”
We dig into how Garrett blends theory and practice in the bullpen, what makes his learning environments unique, and how his approach helps athletes become more adaptable and attuned to the real problems they face in competition.
You’ll also hear:
- Why skill development in baseball needs to move beyond “perfect mechanics”
- How Garrett builds constraint-based bullpens that sharpen decision-making
- Coaching intent and perception: why the why matters more than the how
- The value of creating environments where athletes compete and adapt
- Why “error” in skill learning is a gift, not something to avoid
- What it looks like to coach with the athlete, not at them
- Garrett’s approach to designing reps that mirror the complexity of real games
- What to expect from his session at SMSC 2025 — and why it’s relevant across sports
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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In this Speaker Spotlight episode, Coach Jav sits down with Dr. Rob Gray—renowned researcher, author, and podcast host—for a timely re-release of their impactful conversation on ecological dynamics, information, and movement learning.
Rob is one of the featured speakers at the upcoming 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference, taking place June 26–27 in St. Paul, MN. As the SMSC returns to its in-person roots, Rob shares a preview of the thinking that’s shaped his writing, research, and applied coaching work across sport and skill domains.
The episode explores the concepts behind Rob’s book Learning to Optimize Movement, as well as deeper takes on specifying information, variability in practice, and the athlete–environment relationship. If you’ve ever wondered how to make movement learning more meaningful—or want to go beyond drills and deepen your theoretical lens—this conversation is a must.
🔑 Key Topics Discussed:
✅ The purpose and origin of Rob's book Learning to Optimize Movement
✅ What Gibson really meant by “specifying information”
✅ The practical dangers of relying on non-specifying info (like cones or pitching machines)
✅ Why variability is the lowest-hanging fruit for most coaches
✅ The real secret sauce of coaching and when to intervene
✅ Movement efficiency, not just effectiveness
✅ Why skill lives in the relationship between athlete and environment
✅ What coaches can do to guide without over-prescribing solutions
✅ Shifting from acquiring skill to adapting skill
📚 Resources & Mentions:
- 📍 Register for the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 26–27 in MN)
- 📘 Learning to Optimize Movement by Rob Gray — Available on Amazon
- 🎧 The Perception & Action Podcast – Hosted by Rob Gray: perceptionaction.com
- 📍 Register for the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 26–27 in MN): theadaptableathlete.com
- ✅ Emergence Website: emergentmvmt.com
- 📖 Keith Davids & Duarte Araújo’s article: What is Acquired During Skill Acquisition? (Referenced in conversation)
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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In this special episode of the Adaptable Athlete Podcast powered by Emergence, Javi welcomes back movement specialist and Emergence co-founder Shawn Myszka for the official preview of the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference (SMSC).
They break down what to expect at this year’s in-person event -including immersive learning sessions, athlete-led demos, roundtable discussions, and a new certification opportunity -all designed to help coaches better understand and apply ecological dynamics in sport. Shawn also shares what it’s like coaching elite NFL players, how to identify skill gaps in All-Pro athletes, and why 2025 is the year to return to face-to-face collaboration in the coaching community.
🗓️ The 2025 SMSC will be held June 26–27 in St. Paul, MN. Early bird pricing is available now.
🔗 Register here: Sport Movement Skill Conference
🔹 Key Topics Discussed:
✅ How Sean identifies and addresses skill gaps in elite NFL athletes
✅ The value of ecological dynamics in high-performance coaching
✅ Why SMSC is returning to an all in-person format in 2025
✅ What coaches can expect from this year’s conference lineup
✅ The debut of the Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist (CSAS) program
✅ The real difference between theory and practice—live on the field
✅ Why learning in community is irreplaceable for growth
📌 Resources & Mentions:
- ✅ Register for the 2025 SMSC
- ✅ Emergence Website
- ✅ The Adaptable Athlete Podcast Website
- ✅ Article: The Value of Opposed and Unopposed Training
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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In this episode of the Adaptable Athlete Podcast, Javi sits down with performance coach Sean Smith, who shares lessons from a unique career that’s spanned elite collegiate volleyball and the high-octane world of IndyCar racing.
They dive into what it takes to support athletes across vastly different sports, why curiosity and communication are non-negotiables for great coaching, and how to create high-performance environments without losing the human element. From letting athletes have a say in their training to managing in-season fatigue, Sean offers practical strategies rooted in trust, adaptability, and an ever-evolving coaching philosophy.
🔹 Key Topics Discussed:
✅ Lessons from coaching in motorsport and NCAA Division I athletics
✅ How to support athletes when you're unfamiliar with their sport
✅ Building autonomy and joy into elite sport environments
✅ What “true integration” looks like across performance departments
✅ Why athlete wellness data must be actionable—not performative
✅ A nuanced take on early specialization vs. multi-sport development
✅ Sean’s personal shift into ecological and context-driven coaching
🔹 Resources & Mentions:
✅ Emergence Website
✅ Challenge Point Framework
✅ Drive to Survive on Netflix
✅ 100 Days to Indy
Whether you're in strength and conditioning, sport science, or skill acquisition, this episode will challenge your assumptions and help you think differently about what high performance really means.
Don't forget to reserve your spot for the IN PERSON 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference.
💡 Enjoyed this episode? Share it on social media or leave a review to help spread the word!
Stay connected at The Adaptable Athlete for more great conversations.
Want to take your coaching to the next level?...check our our courses at Emergence.
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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In this Six Minutes of Skill episode, Coach Jav explores the concept of the Challenge Point—both for athletes and coaches. He breaks down how finding the right level of difficulty in training can accelerate skill acquisition, improve decision-making, and better prepare athletes for real-game situations.
Key Topics Discussed:
✅ Understanding the Challenge Point and its role in learning
✅ Why failing too much or too little in practice can hinder development
✅ How to adjust practice complexity to match an athlete’s challenge point
✅ The misconception of equating practice performance with learning
✅ Why coaches must also challenge themselves to grow and evolve
✅ How constraints like defender numbers, time pressure, and fatigue impact skill acquisition
✅ The importance of embracing discomfort as a coach
📌 Resources & Mentions:
✅ The Challenge Point Framework – Research on optimizing learning through appropriate difficulty levels
✅ The Adaptable Athlete Podcast – Explore more episodes and topics
✅ Emergence Website – Advance your career, and learn more about a modern approach to skill acquisition.
💡 Enjoyed this episode? Share it on social media or leave a review to help spread the word!
Stay connected at The Adaptable Athlete for more great conversations.
Want to take your coaching to the next level?...check our our courses at Emergence.
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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In this episode, Javi sits down with Jim Haverstrom to explore a fresh approach to youth hockey coaching. Jim explains how his game-based, small-area practices transform the way young players develop skills and decision-making. Rather than isolating techniques, his methods use purposeful, in-game scenarios to build hockey IQ and foster creativity on the ice. He also shares strategies for communicating these innovative methods to parents, emphasizing long-term growth over immediate wins.
Key Topics Discussed:
✅ Transitioning from traditional drills to game-based, small-area practices
✅ Using incentives in practice to promote passing, neutral zone play, and overall game sense
✅ Achieving lasting behavior change even when incentives are removed
✅ Communicating coaching methods effectively with parents to build patience and long-term vision
✅ Identifying an athlete’s challenge point through observation and guided discovery
✅ Fostering autonomy and adaptability in young hockey players
✅ Leveraging analogies from Nick Winkelman’s book, The Language of Coaching, to simplify coaching concepts
Resources & Mentions:
📌 Connect with Jim Haverstrom on Twitter: @JimHaverstrom
📌 Learn more about innovative coaching techniques with USA Hockey resources
📌 Recommended Book: The Language of Coaching by Nick Winkelman
📌 Explore additional insights at The Adaptable Athlete Podcast website
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Stay connected at The Adaptable Athlete for more great conversations.
Want to take your coaching to the next level?...check our our courses at Emergence.
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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In this episode, Javi sits down with Marianne Davies to explore a fascinating blend of topics, from adventure sports and ecological coaching to the power of language and learning. They dive into how language shapes perception, the unique relationship between teaching and learning, and the role of affordance perception in high-risk environments.
Marianne shares her experiences in equestrian sports, adventure coaching, and expedition leadership, emphasizing how outdoor challenges can reshape the way we think, learn, and coach—not just in sports, but in life. They discuss the importance of exploration for both kids and adults, the evolving landscape of coach education, and why less structure in training could unlock greater potential in athletes.
Key Topics Discussed:
✅ How language serves as a constraint and shapes perception
✅ The Welsh concept of “dusky” and how it connects teaching and learning
✅ How adventure sports develop skill and decision-making under real consequences
✅ The unstructured nature of adventure sports vs. traditional coaching
✅ Why adults need adventure experiences just as much as kids
✅ The role of affordance perception and risk in skill acquisition
✅ The future of coach development and shifting from assessment-based coaching
✅ The power of movement and perception beyond traditional sports
Resources & Mentions:
📌 Marianne’s Podcast: River Tiger Podcast
📌 Marianne’s Website: Dynamics Coaching
📌 Follow Marianne on X (Twitter): @marianne_D1
📌 Follow Marianne on Instagram: @river.tiger
📌 Recommended Films: Valley Uprising (climbing culture) & Riding Giants (big wave surfing)
📌 The Cynefin Framework (for understanding complex problems)
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Stay connected at The Adaptable Athlete for more great conversations.
Want to take your coaching to the next level?...check our our courses at Emergence.
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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In this episode, we dive deep into the transcendent movement skill of Lamar Jackson with special guest Shawn Myszka!
In addition to having partnered with 139 NFL athletes and many pro bowlers, Shawn also has been deeply investigating and writing about movement on his website Football Beyond The Stats for over a decade.
Every year Shawn names "Mover of the Year", and this year it was none other than Lamar Jackson! As a two-time Mover of the Year, Jackson’s ability to adapt, create, and solve problems on the field is unmatched.
We explore what makes his movement so special, how he perceives the game at an elite level, and what coaches can learn from how he problem solves. Plus, we break down how weather, and pressure can impact performance at the highest level.
Whether you coach football, basketball, soccer, or any other sport, this conversation will reshape how you think about skill development, movement, and coaching in complex environments.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Wanna be able to analyze film through an ecological lens? Check out our Skilled Movement Analysis Course.
Episode Resources:
- 2024 Mover of the Year - Lamar
- 2019 Mover of the Year - Lamar
- Shawn's twitter
- Shawn's paper on "(Re)conceptualizing Sport Movement"
- Shawn's American Football Paper
- Twitter video of Lamar
- Episode Webpage
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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Welcome to today's show!
Today I'm joined by Brian Neff of US Ski and Snowboard!
Brian is an athletic development coach for US Ski and snowboard and specifically works with US Paralympic, Alpine and snowboard athletes.
Prior to his current position, Brian has had roles in athletic medicine, strength and conditioning, and sports science across many different universities in the collegiate sector, such as Big Ten, Pac12 and Summit League colleges such as University of Minnesota, University of Denver, University of Utah, University of Colorado, and University of Southern California.
He's also had mentorship positions under Cal Dietz, Matt Shaw, Adam Ringler, and is currently being mentored through Emergence Specific with Tyler and Shawn through his participation in the Movement Academy.
In addition to his coaching, Brian is also an avid snowboarder himself.] So he lives and breathes his practice . He's also a classically trained guitarist with a niche for Nuevo flamenco music, which is shaped by Brian's unique experiences.
Today, Brian brings his unique background and perspective to this episode. Enjoy!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode resources
- Brian on Instagram
- The Practitioner's Bundle
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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Welcome to today's show!
Today we are going to be doing another installment of our "6 Minutes of Skill" series. A series where we dive into a topic related to skill acquisition, in under 6 minutes. To catch the last installment of this series, click here.
Today, we are going to be discussing information. Specifically, what information is present in your training environments. Hope you enjoy the show!
Right now, we offering an After Christmas Sale. It ends on 1/1, so be sure to take advantage of it!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode resources
- Why we don't do drills
- How real does training need to be?
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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Welcome to today’s episode! My guest today is Brian Gilliam
Brian works in hockey and has been working in player development for 39 years. He's the owner of Brian Gillum Hockey, which specializes in player and coach development. He is a Hockey Canada skills coach, coach development coordinator with Hockey Eastern Ontario and a Hockey Canada coach developer.
n addition to that, Brian was a presenter at the most recent Sports Women's Skill Conference which is available for purchase. I really enjoyed his presentation here. I like how he had a framework for some of these concepts which can be a little complicated in ecological dynamics and applied it in a very actionable way.
So after hearing that and learning a little bit more about him, I knew I wanted to have him on the show in this conversation. As all of our conversations on this podcast, it's wide ranging, but we dive into some skill acquisition topics in hockey, some of the infrastructure that has been traditional in hockey, and what Brian is doing to change that.
Really enjoyed this conversation with Brian. Even if you don't coach hockey or work with hockey athletes, this is something that you're going to want to definitely listen to before we get to the episode.
Right now, our new course Boing Playventure is on SALE. Check it out here if to invest into your coaching.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode Resources:
- Brian on X – @briangillam66
- Brian on IG – @brianhockey66
- Brian Website: www.briangillamhockey.com
- The Coaches Site – www.thecoachessite.com
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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IG: @thecoachjav
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On this episode I'm joined by Dr. Rob Gray!
Rob is a multi-time guest on this podcast and is always a fan favorite. He is truly a giant in the movement community and one of the most knowledgable people around.
In this convo, we discuss his latest book Learning to Be an Ecological Coach and what readers can expect to get out of it.
He also answers several your questions from social media, including:
- What's the role of memory in EcoD?
- Explain the myth of "muscle memory"
and of course, much much more!..I always enjoy convos with Rob and I'm certain you will too!
Don't to catch our BLACK FRIDAY SALE going on from Friday 11/29- Sunday 12/1. We are offering 2 of our best courses, Underpinnings and The Practitioners Bundle for 50% off!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode Resources:
- Rob's new book
- Emergence Black Friday Sale
- Rob on X
- Rob on IG
Rob's Episodes mentioned in the episode
- Episode on Memory in EcoD
- Episode on Muscle Memory in EcoD
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Send us a text
Welcome to today's episode!
Today we are kicking off a brand new segment called, "6 minutes of skill" where we dive into a skill related topic in under 6 minutes. These are meant to be very practically driven
This constraint serves 2 purposes: To challenge me to be concise yet descriptive in my language, and to give you (the listener) a quick and actionable episode.
Today we are going address "Why we don't do drill" ...stay tuned and find out why
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode Resources:
- Emergence Website
- The Movement Academy: Intro
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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On this episode, I'll and we answer your skill acquisition questions!
We asked you on social media to post any burning questions you had and you delivered! Today, we answer those questions. Some of the topics we covered include:
- Affordances - Can 2 athletes need unique solutions to solve the same problem?
- What about the phrase "let the environment speak first" - How can we use this framework?
- Stealing a pass in basketball - What to look for? How to anticipate?
A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated! We really enjoy the interaction, and are always looking to create content that helps your craft!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode Resources:
- Emergence Website
- My episode w/ Andrew Wilson
- Skill Acquisition Specialist Paper
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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Welcome to today's show!
On this episode, we announce our Movement & Skill Acquisition Award Winner!
This is something, we started last year, where we get to honor the best and brightest on the skill acquisition community. We have categories: Lifetime achievement award, practitioner of the year award, and researcher of the year award. Last year Kieth Davids, Alex Sarama, and Rob Gray won the awards respectively.
This year Shawn and Tyler got the privilege of honoring the 2024 award winner!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode Resources:
- Emergence Website
- Duarte on X
- Fabian on X
- Carl on X
- Skill Acquisition Specialist Paper
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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Welcome to today's episode!...My guest today is Stuart Armstrong!
Stu is speaker, coach developer, and host of of our favorite podcast, the talent equation Stu has worked as a head of coaching for sport England and , the player development manager for rugby football union and is one of the top experts on skill acquisition.
As you could expect with Stu and I, today’s conversation is emergent and wide ranging. We discussed everything from Stu's coaching journey, which is so great to hear considering the impact he’s had on my coaching journey in the journey of so many others.
We also discuss coach education and coaching belief systems, which is a topic that is under discussed highly important to our field. We also go down the rabbit hole of ethics in coaching. Which was also very interesting.
I should also mention that what Stu will be presenting at the upcoming Sport Movement Skill Conference going down on October 4 and 5th. We give you a quick sneak peek during the episode about what he will be discussing. Stu is an absolute killer represent and worth the price of admission himself. You do not want to miss it!
If you want to learn more about this year's conference, check out this podcast episode!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode Resources:
- Stu on Twitter
- The Talent Equation Podcast
- Conference Link
- Emergence Website
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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On this episode, my guest is Shawn Myszca! Shawn has appeared on this podcast a number of times and I’ll there will be a link to some of his previous appearances so you can catch up with his work!
In my humble opinion, this episode tops all of Shawn’s other appearances! Today, we dive into a recap of Shawn’s work with his NFL athletes. Shawn has been an innovator of using an ecological dynamics framework in American football as partnered with NFL athletes for 16 seasons.
We discuss the theme that is players created this off-season, how Shawn scales complexity in his learning environments, and so much more!
One quick note before we get started, you may have seen on social media that we at Emergence have announced the dates for the 2024 Sport Movement Skill Conference. This is a hybrid online and in person event and is my favorite event of the year. You have the option of attending for the lectures, the in person coaching or both. It’s completely up to you
If you want to learn more about this year's conference, check out this podcast episode!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Episode Resources
- Conference Link
- Shawn's paper on "The Role of Skill Acquisition Specialists in Sport"
- Emergence Website
- Shawn's twitter
- Episode 68 w/ Shawn
- Episode 61 w/ Shawn
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
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Welcome to today's show!..Today, I'm joined by Shawn Myszka!
Shawn is the founder of the Sport Movement Skill Conference, which is very relevant for today's topic. Today we are previewing the 2024 SMSC and telling you why we are so excited about this year's theme "Show you work"!
Mark you calendar for October 4th and 5th and get your tickets here!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
- Conference Link
- Emergence Website
- Shawn's twitter
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Today we are going to be taking a deep dive into the importance of the athlete environment relationship and why it's so important in training!
In order to do this, we will be revisiting some clips from some of the best clips from previous podcast guests. Today, you will hear clips from the following:
- Dr. Carl Woods
- Dr. Rob Gray
- Scott Sievwright
In addition to their wisdom, Coach Jav will be adding some commentary to the set the tone. Enjoy the epsiode!
One quick note before we get started, you may have seen on social media that we at Emergence have announced the dates for the 2024 Sport Movement Skill Conference. This is a hybrid online and in person event and is my favorite event of the year. You have the option of attending for the lectures, the in person coaching or both. It’s completely up to you
Right now, we are offering our early bird pricing so I would highly suggest you mark tour calendar for October 4th and 5th and take advantage of this sale!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Ep-58 w/ Carl Woods
- Ep -46 w/ Rob Gray
- Ep- 40 w/ Scott Sievewright
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
On this week's episode, Coach Jav is joined again by Yuji Suzuki! Yuji joined us during our last episode and in this one, they dive into the topic of deceleration training!
The skill of deceleration is an important one for athletes, but it is traditionally trained in a very decontextualized way. Which is devoid of many of the elements that help skills transfer to the game.
This episode dives into how coaches can train deceleration, in a more contextual way, which can lead to greater transfer to sport.
One quick note before we get started, you may have seen on social media that we at Emergence have announced the dates for the 2024 Sport Movement Skill Conference. This is a hybrid online and in person event and is my favorite event of the year. You have the option of attending for the lectures, the in person coaching or both.
Right now, we are offering our early bird pricing so I would highly suggest you mark tour calendar for October 4th and 5th and take advantage of this sale!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Yuji's Instagram
- Yuji on X
- Episode 82 with Yuji
- 2024 SMSC
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My Guest today is Yuji Suzuki!
Yuji works as a chiropractor and a remote coach to help people of all backgrounds overcome obstacles related to their health and fitness.
Over the years, his education has shifted his views on how he can be most helpful to someone dealing with pain and injuries, particularly being informed by the updated models of pain and the ecological dynamics framework for approaching human movement. Yuji was a guest on this show in episode 69, which you can listen to here.
This time Yuji and I discuss the blog post he wrote for Emergence titled "The Ecological Dynamics of Musculoskeletal Rehab"
In this episode we unpack and expand on some of the concepts that Yuji touches in in his blog post!
One quick note before we get started, you may have seen on social media that we at Emergence have announced the dates for the 2024 Sport Movement Skill Conference. This is a hybrid online and in person event and is my favorite event of the year. You have the option of attending for the lectures, the in person coaching or both. It’s completely up to you
Right now, we are offering our early bird pricing so I would highly suggest you mark tour calendar for October 4th and 5th and take advantage of this sale!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Yuji's Instagram
- Yuji on X
- Ep 69 with Yuji
- 2024 SMSC
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Hey everyone, welcome to today's show!
On this episode, we are going to be doing a deep dive on practice design! This is a topic many of you are very interested in and passionate about so I figured we would shine a light on it.
To do this, I've compiled some clips from some of my amazing guests that will give you their insights on practice design. In addition to that, I will be giving my input on each clip to hopefully guide you towards your own takeaways.
I hope you enjoy the show!
One quick note before we get started, you may have seen on social media that we at Emergence have announced the dates for the 2024 Sport Movement Skill Conference. This is a hybrid online and in person event and is my favorite event of the year. You have the option of attending for the lectures, the in person coaching or both. It’s completely up to you
Right now, we are offering our early bird pricing so I would highly suggest you mark tour calendar for October 4th and 5th and take advantage of this sale!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Ep - "Provide Your Athletes with a License to Explore" w/ Tom Parry
- Ep -"A Masterclass on Affordances" w/ Andrew Wilson
- Ep- "Putting the Tools in the Athlete's Hands" w/ Nick Smallridge
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My guest for today’s episode is Dr. Martina Navarro. Martina is a native of Brazil and a senior lecture at the university of Portsmouth in the UK. She received her undergrad from the university of São Paulo in Brazil and her PhD from São Paulo and the university of Amsterdam in Netherlands.
Her PhD focused on effects of strategies and high levels of stress and anxiety and human cognition and motor control
She has also done post doctorate work in , Switzerland was awarded the excellence, doctoral research fellowship by the Swiss government and subsequently joined the Institute of sports science at the university of Bern
She is also the UK head of the athletic skills model a framework that offers an alternative perspective to talent development theories in the form of holistic broad-based movement education. More on this later.
Martina was also a high-level Taekwondo practitioner and competed at the Olympic level. Both her and I share a background in Taekwondo admittedly she competed at a much higher level than I did.
In this conversation, we do touch on her background and Taekwondo, but we also go into what the athletic skills model is, and how coaches can apply some of their frameworks to training and practice,
Athletes are often told to spend more and more hours training in their sport, but the athletic skills model provides a different way of looking at long-term athletic development. Emphasizing a variety of movements and movement experiences. We get into all this and so much more.
One quick note before we get started, you may have seen on social media that we had emergence have announced the dates for the 2024 Sport Movement Skill Conference. This is a hybrid online and in person event and is my favorite event of the year. You have the option of attending for the lectures, the in person coaching or both. It’s completely up to you
Right now, we are offering our early bird pricing so I would highly suggest you mark tour calendar for October 4th and 5th and take advantage of this sale!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Martina on X
- Athletic Skills Model Website
- Martina's University Profile
- Martina on Research Gate
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Hey, what’s up everybody welcome to adaptable podcast powered by emergence. I’m your host Coach Jav and thank you so much for joining me today.
My guess today is Ben Franks Ben Franks is a lecturer in applied coaching science at Oxford Brookes University in the UK. Primarily his work is focused on the visual control of movement in sport during interceptive actions. Ben has also coached in numerous settings in soccer from amateur to professional levels
Speaking of his work, Ben has appeared on this podcast two times previously and on Episode 32 where we discussed his research paper on visual gaze in goal keepers. Overall, Ben is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to soccer related or in regards to skill acquisition.
In this episode, we discuss Ben’s recent collaboration with us over emergence with the launch of his new course called the ecological dynamics of soccer. This course helps coaches link the theory to direct application of practice design and a modern approach to skill acquisition.
Having gone through much of the course myself, I can tell you that it is excellent, and I believe there is value for coaches, even if you do not work directly with soccer players.
In addition to that, Ben and I have a discussion on practice design, including how coaches can purposely manipulate constraints to influence athlete behavior
Ben’s course is now available for purchase. I will link to all of that in the show notes and I highly encourage you to check it out. Now on my conversation with Ben Franks .
Episode Resources
- The Ecological Dynamics of Soccer Course
- Ben on X
- Episode 32 with Ben
- Episode 57 with Ben and Will Roberts
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My guest today is Jason Watson . Who is Jason? Jason is the head women’s volleyball coach at the university Arkansas women’s volleyball. Prior to that he had successful head coaching stance at my alma mater Arizona State and BYU.
What’s unique about Jason is that he is a program builder. He took over a program in Arkansas. That is a major conference in the SEC and had not had a lot of historical success and since he took over the program in 2016 he has since taken them to new Heights, including making the NCAA tournament 8 times.
In his previous stops at ASU and BYU, he also took programs not known for their success and helped elevate them. Like I said Jason has a knack for building programs.
He does this not subscribing to traditional practice method where athletes do isolated drills, and then hope that they can put it together a scrimmage or live action, he instead helps put his athletes in game like situations where they could adapt their skills and become better volleyball players. You can attribute a lot of his success to his practice structure.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Jason, we talk about his coaching journey and practice design from when he started, to what it is today!
Before I let you get to the episode, I wanted to let you know that we have a brand new course called the Ecological Dynamics of Soccer, which is currently on sale and available for purchase. It’s our good friend and friend of the podcast Ben Franks. B en is a wicked smart dude and always delivers so be sure to check that out. I’ll put the in the show notes.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Jason's staff page at Arkansas
- Jason on X
- The Ecological Dynamics of Soccer Course
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My guest for today's episode is Tom Parry!
Tom is the head of the kinesiology department at Butler University and received his PhD from Indiana University.
His research interests are centered on the application of kinesiology theory and concepts to practitioner-based settings such as therapy, coaching and strength & conditioning. His expertise is in skill acquisition, sport psychology and coaching and regularly publishes research in these areas
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
In addition to that, Tom is also a youth soccer coach with the Indiana Fire Academy
Just a reminder that our 2023 and 2022 recorded Sports Movement Skill Conference videos are 50% off through 4/26. Check the out here!
In addition that we will be hosting our next Movement Meet Up on 5/11 which is free and open to the public. Send us a DM on X if you're interested.
Episode Resources
- Tom on X
- Kestrel Psych
- Tom's Butler University page
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Alex Sarama! Alex is a 2x guest on the show and appeared on the podcast way back in Episode 33!
Since that episode, Alex’s life has changed quite a bit. he found it a company called Transforming Basketball, which is seeking to change the way that basketball is coached. He is also the Director of methodology with London Lyons in England, and also works with the Rip City remix, the G league affiliate team for the Portland, Trailblazers of the NBA.
On top of all of that, Alex has a brand new book that just dropped on April 9 called Transforming Basketball, Where he takes coaches through a modern approach, to skill acquisition, and how to apply it to basketball.
In this conversation, we talk about many useful topics for coaches, including:
- How to upgrade traditional basketball drills into a live movement activities,
- How to adjust your system, or principles of play to new athletes
- How Alex’s experience is experience, coaching in different settings across the world, has shaped his coaching lens
And so many other valuable topics!
One last note on the book, my teammates at emergence Tyler , Urby, and Shawn Myszca wrote a chapter in Alex‘s new book and Alex was nice enough to put this podcast as an education resource for the readers.. so even more reason to buy the book!
Just a reminder that we have two courses on sale on the Emergence website. Origins which is our youth athlete course and includes over 30 videos of activities and Reconceptualizing the Warm Up are all on sale for a limited time.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Transforming Basketball Book
- Transforming Basketball Website
- Alex on X
- Alex on IG
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
On this episode, I'm joined by my guy Tyler Yearby and we answer your skill acquisition questions!
We asked you on social media to post any burning questions you had heading into the new year and you delivered! Today, we answer those questions. Some of the topics we covered include:
- How Important is it for a coach to have experience playing the sport that they want to coach?
- What are the best games to use for youth athletes?
- How does skill acquisition fit into a training session?
- Will there be an east coast Skill Acquisition Retreat?
and of course we dive into many more side tangents and rabbit holes!...Enjoy the show!
For the next month, we are offering 25% off our "Origins" and "Reconceptualizing The Warm Up". This is a great opportunity and only available for a limited time...check it out here!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- EcoD in MMA Paper - Open Access!!
- Link for Origins and our Warm Up Course
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My guest today is Nick Smallridge!
Nick is a teacher and soccer coach in Bentonville, Arkansas, USA.
He is he coach at Sporting AR 2007G Coach and the assistant varsity coach at Bentonville High School for the girls team.
Nick has over 18 years of coaching experience including Socorro High School Boys Asst, Grassroots in Socorro, various levels, New Mexico Tech girls(college club) Qiziltepa Mahalla boys(UZ).
He played soccer at FC Haka B1/B2 Finland and Drury University in Missouri.
In this episode, we discuss how coaches can help make their athletes more adaptable by putting the tools back in their hands. Enjoy!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Nick on X
- Nick on Instagram
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My guest today is Dr. Andrew Wilson!
Dr. Wilson an Ecological Psychologist and a researcher at Leeds Beckett University in the UK
He is an internationally recognised expert in perception, action and embodied cognition.
He gained his PhD in Psychology and Cognitive Science from Indiana University, Bloomington in 2005. His research interests are broadly in the area of perception and action, with a particular interest in learning and theories of embodied cognition.
On this episode, we dive into the world of affordances and what they mean in the both the sports world and in real life situations.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Andrew on X
- 2023 SMSC Recordings
- Andrew's Leeds- Beckett Profile
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My guest today is Rafe Kelley!
Rafe is the founder of Evolve Move Play and is one of the foremost movement practitioners on the world. He's studied and practiced everything from parkour, gymnastics, various martial arts disciplines, and much more.
Rafe absolutely crushes on this podcast and we discuss some very deep and interesting topics. If you want to learn more about Rafe and the EMP content, then I highly suggest visiting his website!
We are launching a new program called the Skill Acquisition Retreat! We will be hosting the first one in Arizona on February 17th, 2024. ..Click here to learn more!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Evolve Move Play Website
- Rafe on X
- Rafe on IG
- EMP Podcast
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My guest today is Chris McCosker!!..Chris is lecturer in the physical education, skill acquisition and motor control spaces at the Australian Catholic University with experience as a sport scientist for International, National and junior level athletes across sports including track and field, rowing, water polo, cricket, football (soccer) and baseball.
The impetus for this episode was Chris' recent article that he wrote for Sportsmith titled " Vertical Jump Tests Come Up Short Against Vertical Jumps In Sport" which is about applying an ecological dynamics approach to jump training and training general.
I hope you enjoy the show!
We are launching a new program called the Skill Acquisition Retreat! We will be hosting the first one in Arizona on February 16th, 2024. ..Click here to learn more!
Check out our new free course!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Chris on X
- Sportsmith article
- Free Emergence Course
- Skill Acquisition Retreat
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Welcome to today's show!
On this episode, I'm joined by my guy Shawn Myzka and we answer YOUR 2024 coaching questions!
We asked you on social media to post any burning questions you had heading into the new year and you delivered! Today, we answer those questions. Some of the topics we covered include:
- Game day warmups: Rote repetition vs a more variable approach to prepare athletes for competition
- What's a better term than skill acquisition?
- High representativeness vs injury prevention in boxing
- How to help athletes deal with identity issues once the consider retirement
and of course we dive into many more side tangents and rabbit holes!...Enjoy the show!
We are launching a new program called the Skill Acquisition Retreat! We will be hosting the first one in Arizona on February 16th, 2024. ..Click here to learn more!
Check out our new free course!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Ep 49- Should Skill Acquisition Really be Called Skill Adaptation?
- What Exactly is Acquired During Skill Acquisition?
- Skill Acquisition Retreat
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My Guest today is Yuji Suzuki!
Yuji works as a chiropractor and a remote coach to help people of all backgrounds overcome obstacles related to their health and fitness.
Over the years, his education has shifted his views on how he can be most helpful to someone dealing with pain and injuries, particularly being informed by the updated models of pain and the ecological dynamics framework for approaching human movement.
Yuji and I discuss many things skill acquisition, including how uses an ecological dynamics framework to help his patients explore their movement boundaries.
Before I Iet you get to the episode, I want to tell you about some exciting news with us at Emergence.
We are launching a new program called the Skill Acquisition Retreat! We will be hosting the first one in Arizona on February 16th, 2024. ..Click here to learn more!
Check out our new free course!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Yuji on Instagram
- Yuji on X
- Free Emergence Course
- Skill Acquisition Retreat
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My Guests today are Stu McMillan and Shawn Myszka!
Shawn has been on this podcast multiple times before, so you can refer this previous episodes for more info on his background.
Stu is the sprints coach and CEO at Altis, which is one of the leading companies in in the world in coach educations
Stu has over 25 years of experience in professional coaching and has personally coached over 70 olympians at 7 Olympic Games, with over 30 of those athletes winning olympic medals.
His company, Altis has a launched brand new product called Motion IQ which is a cutting edge video based tool to hope coaches better understand the kinematics of movement and apply that data to better inform their coaching
The impetus for this episode was based of my knowledge of Stu and Shawn’s friendship or “Bromance” as you might call it. Shawn and Stu and close friends and I have heard of their legendary, but unrecorded talks for years and I just had to be a part of it.
We go into deep dives into many topics including:
- Coaching through a lens of complex systems
- Ways to avoid burnout
- Questions to make you a better coach
And much more!
Before I Iet you get to the episode, I want to tell you about some exciting news with us at Emergence.
We are launching a new program called the Skill Acquisition Retreat! We will be hosting the first one in Arizona on February 16th, 2024. ..Click here to learn more!
Check out our new free course!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Altis Website
- Stu on X
- Stu on Instagram
- Shawn on Instagram
- Shawn's Previous Episodes: Ep 61, Ep 53, Ep 38, Ep 24
- Free Emergence Course
- Skill Acquisition Retreat
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My Guest today is Austin Jochum!
Austin the owner of Jochum Strength in Minneapolis Minnesota.
The inspiration for Jochum Strength came when Austin was 15 years old and was told he had herniated a disk in his back from squatting and that he wouldn't be able to move the same way again.
Through years of research, self experimentation and lots of trial and errors Austin proved alot of what he was was told wrong.
And you’ll see that not believing and following the status quo is a theme with Austin
Not only was he able ble to perform all of the movements that I was told , he became a Two-Sport Collegiate Captain, All-American and Conference Champion.
Before we Iet you get to the episode, I wanna tell you about some exciting news with us at Emergence.
We are launching a new program called the Skill Acquisition Retreat! We will be hosting the first one in Arizona on February 16th, 2024. ..Click here to learn more!
Check out our new free course!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Episode Resources
- Jochum Strength
- Austin's IG
- Austin's twitter
- Free Emergence Course
- Skill Acquisition Retreat
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's episode, we are going to discuss how a coach can guide an athlete's search!
As more and more people are starting to become aware of a modern approach to skill acquisition, there still seems to be this gap between knowledge and application.
So today, I'm going to share w/ you 3 Ways to Guide An Athletes Search!
If you're someone who's new to this approach, or even someone who has been implementing these ideas for a long time, this episode will have takeaways that you can implement into your practice design immediately!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Consider our course Emergence called the The Movement Academy to take your career to the next level!
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My guest today is Rob Nelson! Rob is the associate director of sports performance at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
He directly oversees all program design for women’s volleyball, baseball, women’s basketball, and track and field.
Prior that Rob worked at Wofford College, St Francis, and IMG academy. I was first introduced to Rob via our mutual friend and head coach of UMBC, Kasey Crider. Both Rob and Kasey wanted to introduce more of an ecological apporach to the weight room, so we all had a conversation about these concepts. Since then, Rob has been crushing and has taken these ideas and made them his own.
We talk about some of these ideas and concepts in today's episode. Enjoy!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Looking to learn more about an Ecological approach to the weight room?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career!
Episode Resources:
- Rob's Instagram
- UMBC website
- Episode 4 and 41 w/ Kasey Crider
- Ecological Approach to the Weight Room Course
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's episode, my guests are Drew Dunlop and Jacob Grossman!
Drew and Jacob are the co-founders of The ProLane, a basketball skill sdevelopment facility.
Drew directed the pre draft process of Miami Heat guard, Tyler Herro. He also coached 3 years in the Chinese Basketball Association and has served as a consultant for the Philippines basketball association.
Jacob has experience with NBA, overseas, college and HS athletes. He has directed individual and small group training for Jordanian national team player and is a skills consultant for the Chinese basketball association.
At The Prolane, they believe in getting their athletes "Game Day Results". Instead of following the blueprint of most basketball skill coaches, Jacob and Drew adopt a more modern approach to skill development. ...We dive into that during today's episode!!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Have you heard, the Sports Movement Skill Conference is BACK!?...Click here to register.
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career!
Episode Resources:
- The Prolane Website
- Prolane Instagram
- Drew's twitter
- Jacob's twitter
- Drew's Instagram
- Jacob's Instagram
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's episode, my guest is Tyler Yearby!!
Tyler has been a multi time guest on this podcast, appearing back in episode 24 and episode 1.
This time around, Tyler and I discuss his travels to England and China discussing ecological dynamics and using a CLA in practice.
One of the concepts that Tyler is presenting on is "Reconceptualizing the Role of a Sports Performance Coach", which is seeks to change the way coaches interact w/ their athletes. We dive into that in today's episode. Enjoy!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Have you heard, the Sports Movement Skill Conference is BACK!?...Click here to register.
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career!
Episode Resources:
- SMSC 2023 Registration
- Episode 24 w Tyler
- Tyler's twitter
- Tyler's Instagram
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
My guest today is Josh Peacock!
Josh is the host of the Combat Learning Podcast.
Josh is lifelong martial arts fanatic with over 20 years in the game, including 8+ years as an instructor. He currently holds 4th dan in taekwondo and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu — and has some sort of experience in most styles widely available today.
His love for teaching and learning martial arts also led me to earn a master’s degree in Teaching & Learning.
It's evident that Josh , reallyUnderstands both the practice and science of coaching
He Promotes moving away from scripted drills and embracing a more modern approach to skill development. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do as well!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Have you heard, the Sports Movement Skill Conference is BACK!?...Click here for early bird pricing!
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career!
Episode Resources:
- Combat Learning Podcast
- Josh's Twitter
- Book - Verbal Judo
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's episode, my guest is Shawn Myszka!!
Shawn has been a multi time guest on this podcast, appearing back in episode 53 and episode 38.
This time around, Shawn and I discuss his new paper he authored alongside Tyler Yearby and Keith Davids, titled "Reconceptualizing Movement Behavior in Sport as a Problem-Solving Activity".
In addition to that, Shawn and I go down many rabbit holes regarding the topics of skill acquisition and coaching...Enjoy!!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Have you heard, the Sports Movement Skill Conference is BACK!?...Click here for early bird pricing!
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career!
Episode Resources:
- Shawn and Tyler's paper
- SMSC 2023 Registration
- Shawn's twitter
- Episode Webpage
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's episode, we are going to discuss 3 ways to help make your practice design more ecological!
As more and more people are starting to become aware of a modern approach to skill acquisition, there still seems to be this gap between knowledge and application.
So today, I'm going to share w/ you 3 Ways to Make Your Practice More Ecological.
If you're someone who's new to this approach, or even someone who has been implementing these ideas for a long time, this episode will have takeaways that you can implement into your practice design immediately!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Interested in hearing more from Emergence?..For as little as $5 per month, you can join the Exchange on Patreon for exclusive content including movement "deep dives" and much more!
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career!
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Gareth is currently coaching in Step 6 of the English Non-League pyramid.
Previously he coached in the top tier of the Welsh football league pyramid - Cymru Premier - for two different teams.
Gareth has experience coaching abroad in the the USA, Honduras, Catalonia and the UK.
Gareth is also a coach educator at MBP school of coaches. An online coach development program.
The game's tactical sphere has always been what has interests him most and He believes in Developing teams that are tactically adaptable, and he does that through an ecological approach
We discuss many topics including:
- How a coaches principles of play can potentially have a positive and negative impact on their teams
- We discuss how soccer tactics have changed over time
- Practice design periodization
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Interested in hearing more from Emergence?..For as little as $5 per month, you can join the Exchange on Patreon for exclusive content including movement "deep dives" and much more!
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career.
Episode Resources:
- Gareth's twitter
- Gareth's email: flitcroftg@gmail.com
- Episode Webpage
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Welcome to today's show!...My guest today is Carl Woods!
Carl is a principal research fellow in the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University. Oriented at the intersection of sport science, ecological psychology and social anthropology, his research broadly relates to skill, knowing, and the exploration of more responsive approaches to inquiry in the sports sciences
This was a very enjoyable conversation w/ Carl. Hope you enjoy!
Interested in hearing more from Emergence?..For as little as $5 per month, you can join the Exchange on Patreon for exclusive content including movement "deep dives" and much more!
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career.
Episode Resources:
- Carl's Twitter
- Carl on Research Gate
- Episode Webpage
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Today, I'm joined by Will Roberts and Ben Franks!
Will is a senior lecturer at the University of Waikato in New Zealnd.
Will is an experienced coach, and coach educator and has worked extensively in the UK. His work includes includes organisations such as the Premier League, Sport England, UK Coaching, Southampton Football Club, Manchester United Football Club, the English Cricket Board amongst others.
Ben Franks is a lecturer in applied coaching science at Oxford Brookes University in the UK. Primarily his work is focused on the visual control of movement in sport during interceptive actions. Alongside his academic work, Ben coaches in football where he currently works for Ebbsfleet United Women, having previously held positions in the Womens National League and within non-league mens football.”
Previous guest on episode 32 - Where we discussed his paper on visual gaze strategies in Elite soccer players
Their project boing is all about physical literacy not just youth athletes but across all population.
They provide the latest research about physical literacy, as courses, and resources for coaches. Which includes a book of over 100 games.
Interested in hearing more from Emergence?..For as little as $5 per month, you can join the Exchange on Patreon for exclusive content including movement "deep dives" and much more!
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career.
Episode Resources:
- Boing Website
- Will's page
- Ben's page
- Ben's twitter
- Episode 32 w/ Ben
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's show, I'm joined by Julian Khalili!
Julian, is a USSF Licensed and ecological dynamics inspired coach. Julian's full time position is as a youth coach, and Coordinator of Zone 1 ages U6-U12 ages (recently extended to U14) at Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club in Virginia
As Zone 1 Coordinator, he is responsible for developing and overseeing a consistent player development identity across the club in collaboration with relevant age group / program directors.
He has recently earned the role of the Clubs Director of Technical Training, a program traditionally based on isolated technical repetitions which Julian has morphed into a program that embraces movement abundance and representative learning design.
Julian intends to ignite a fire of positive change in the United State's culture of soccer ranging from grassroots up to the professional game.
Julian is one of the top young up and coming coaches in the space and does a great jon implementing ecological concepts in his practice.
He also run a blog called "Makes Sense Soccer" and we discuss some of this blog posts.
We discuss many things including his journey from technical model coach to one who embraces an ecoD approach and all the things that come w/ it!
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career.
Episode Resources:
- Julian's twitter
- Julian's IG
- Julian's blog
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's show, I'm joined by my friend and now co-worker, Rich White from Emergence!
Rich is a multi time guest on the podcast and was most recently on in Episode 28. Last time, Rich was asking most of the questions and we dove deep into a blog post I did for Emergence about "Bridging the Gap" between return to play and performance.
This time we are tackling part 2 of the blog series, titles "Injury and Affordance Perception".
This is a really important topic that doesn't get discussed enough. Injuries affect much more than just the motor system, and we dive into that topic today!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career.
Episode Resources:
- My blog post
- Part 1 of the blog
- Episode 28
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Dr Alex Lascu is a skill acquisition amateur (lover of) and research assistant at the University of Canberra. She exists in the gap between research and practice in sport coaching, in the hopes of one day bringing these worlds together.
Alex also has a background as a cricket coach, which we get into during the episode.
I had heard of Alex before but really first came across her work after after reading her article “What Needs to Be Real?”
Which dives into representative learning design and how it can serve as framework for coaches to design their practice.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@emergentmvmt.com.
Looking to learn more about skill acquisition and sport movement?..Visit the Emergence website and take the next step in your coaching career.
Episode Resources:
- Alex's article
- Alex's twitter
- Alex's latest articles and pod appearances
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
We've got some got some BIG news for you today!...
I will officially be joining the team over at Emergence!
For those of you who don't know, Emergence is a leading movement skill education company who provides the highest quality educational content to coaches across the world.
This has been something that me, and the team at Emergence have been working on for awhile and I'm excited for the changes and what's to come.
One of those changes will be to the podcast! The podcast will be undergoing a rebrand, so don't be alarmed when you see a different logo in your feed in the next week.
My mission will still be to deliver the best content possible so coaches can better serve their athletes , and these changes will only make that mission stronger!
Listen to the episode today to hear more about what's to come!
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's show, I'm joined by Shawn Myszka and Tyler Yearby!
Shawn and Tyler have been on the podcast a few times, so I won't bother spending too much time on their bio.
Shawn and Tyler are the Co-director's of education at Emergence and have also come together to co-author a series of published articles, the first of which we discussed in episode 24.
This time around, we discuss their new paper, which is centered around the teaching and philosophies of Bruce Lee.
Their paper is titled Being Water: How Key Ideas from the practice of Bruce Lee align with contemporary theorizing in movement skill acquisition. It investigates how we can apply Bruce's teachings, into modern day coaching.
Whether you are a fan of Bruce Lee or not, there are SOOO many takeaways in this episode...enjoy!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Interested in taking your recovery and hydration to the next level?...Check out Ultrahuman supplements.
Ultrahuman is one of the few supplements I stand by. Their products are as clean as it gets. Our athletes have been using Amino Code for Years.
NO Gluten, NO Artificial Flavors or Sweetner. NO BS.
Click my link and enter in the code COACHJAV10 for 10% off of your order.
Episode Resources:
- The Paper on Research Gate
- Shawn's twitter
- Tyler's twitter
- Emergence Website
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Welcome to today's show!...My guests today are Martijn Lips and Paul Nelson!
Martijn is a lecturer at SOMT University of Physiotherapy and sports physical therapist from the Netherlands.
He focuses mostly on readaptation of lower extremity injuries, predominantly ACL-injuries.
He approaches human movement and readaptation from an Ecological perspective and believe this should have a more prominent place in a physical therapy setting. Because of this he co-founded The Sports Practitioners- a platform from which they give courses in applying an Ecological Dynamics perspective in physical therapy.
Paul is a physical therapist and has over 22 years of experience in outpatient orthopedic physical therapy with expertise in persistent pain, post-operative rehabilitation, conditioning, and performance.
Paul has been providing clinical instruction since 2003 and is currently an adjunct instructor at AT Still University, where he lectures on musculoskeletal conditions, mindfulness, and performance attributes.
Paul as clinical instructor of the year in 2019. His experience as an adjunct instructor and evidence-based clinical practice has led him to pursue a Ph.D. in Integrated Health Sciences at Rocky Mountain University.
Paul’s research interests lie in maximizing optimal communication between clinicians and patients, assessing and treating persistent pain states, ecological dynamics, and maximizing human performance.
In this conversation we discuss the role of a physical therapist, and how we can redefine it through the lens of ecological dynamics.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Interested in taking your recovery and hydration to the next level?...Check out Ultrahuman supplements.
Ultrahuman is one of the few supplements I stand by. Their products are as clean as it gets. Our athletes have been using Amino Code for Years.
NO Gluten, NO Artificial Flavors or Sweetner. NO BS.
Click my link and enter in the code COACHJAV10 for 10% off of your order.
Episode Resources:
- Martijn's twitter
- Paul's twitter
- Martijn's educational platform for PTs
- Paul's email: paulnelson5150@gmail.com
- Martijn's email: m.lips@somt.nl
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Welcome to today's show!
In this episode, I share the conversation I had w/ Brian Willis on his platform, The Excellence in Training Academy!
Brian is the founder of Winning Mind training - provides resources to law enformanance professional including seminars and courses
He is also the lead educator and founder of the Excellence in training academy - a professional development platform for Law enforcement and front line leaders
Brian is recognized throughout North America as a catalyst for change in the law enforcement profession and a man with many questions.
Brian was a full time police officer for 25 years and has over 30 years of law enforcement training experience.
He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution and commitment to Officer Safety in Canada, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to the law enforcement profession and the Law Officer Trainer of the Year award.
In addition to his work with law enforcement professionals Brian has served as a mental preparation coach for athletes from a variety of sports including two Olympic athletes.
Ted talk “The most dangerous weapon in law enforcement” nearly 200,000 views on Youtube.
In this conversation w/ Brian, we discuss a modern approach to training the tactical athlete. We also discuss how return to work protocols can be viewed through an ecological lens, and result in better outcomes.
This was a really cool opportunity to talk w/ Brian, and I am very grateful that he allowed me to share this episode w/ you all....Enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Interested in taking your recovery and hydration to the next level?...Check out Ultrahuman supplements.
Ultrahuman is one of the few supplements I stand by. Their products are as clean as it gets. Our athletes have been using Amino Code for Years.
NO Gluten, NO Artificial Flavors or Sweetner. NO BS.
Click my link and enter in the code COACHJAV10 for 10% off of your order.
Episode Resources:
- Brian's website
- Brian's Youtube video " The Most Dangerous Weapon in Law Enforcement"
- Research Paper -Motor Learning Methods that induce high practice variabiliyt reduce kinematic and kinetic risk factor of non-contact ACL Injury
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Today we are celebrating episode NUMBER 50 of the podcast!
One of my favorite parts of doing this podcast is being able to share the lessons that I learn and the wisdom I've gained from my guests with all of you!
Today, we are going to discuss the lesson of "Greatest Coaching Investments". I will be sharing the answers to those questions from 4 amazing guests from 3 of my favorite episodes:
- Greg Souders
- Korey Van Wyk
- Tyler Yearby
- Shawn Myszka
It's been a fun ride up to this point and a special thanks to everyone who's been there along the way!...Can't wait to see what's next!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Interested in taking your recovery and hydration to the next level?...Check out Ultrahuman supplements.
Ultrahuman is one of the few supplements I stand by. Their products are as clean as it gets. Our athletes have been using Amino Code for Years.
NO Gluten, NO Artificial Flavors or Sweetner. NO BS.
Click my link and enter in the code COACHJAV10 for 10% off of your order.
Episode Resources:
- Episode 43 w/ Greg Souders
- Episode 16 w/ Korey Van Wyk
- Episode 24 w/ Tyler Yearby and Shawn Myszka
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Welcome to the Athlete Blueprint Podcast!
Sometimes in the world of skill acquisition, the vocabulary can be bit challenging. Even worse, some of the words are even misunderstood and misused.
For today's episode, we take a closer look at one of those words...Skill acquisition (the irony!). We why the phrase skill adaptation is a more accurate phrase and how coaches can help their athletes adapt their own skill.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Interested in taking your recovery and hydration to the next level?...Check out Ultrahuman supplements.
Ultrahuman is one of the few supplements I stand by. Their products are as clean as it gets. Our athletes have been using Amino Code for Years.
NO Gluten, NO Artificial Flavors or Sweetner. NO BS.
Click my link and enter in the code COACHJAV10 for 10% off of your order.
Episode Resources:
- Episode 47 w/ Austin Einhorn
- Episode 46 w/ Rob Gray
- What Exactly is Acquired During Skill Acquisition
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today’s episode, I’m joined by Dave Laughlin!
Dave is the director of assessment and skill acquisition at Courtex performance
Courtex is a mental performance and leadership program that specializes in working with athletes.
Dave is in charge of Courtex's assessment and research operations, and provides mental training services to select clients. As a former collegiate athlete and coach, and current college professor, Dave understands the mental game in both theory and application. He has worked closely with players, coaches, and executives across the NBA, MLB, and NCAA.
Dave has provided NBA Pre-Draft consulting services to multiple organizations, including the Miami Heat, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks.
What is unique about Dave the folks over at Courtex is that they take a more athlete centered approach and more integrated approach to mental training rather than just a cookie cutter one size fits all approach.They understand that an athlete develops mental skill in the context of their sport, not just in a clinic.
This episode is my most unique to date, as Dave reads me the results of the Reiss Motivation profile, which I hear for the 1st time as we record. We also get a bit into Dave's background and some of what he does in his day to day at Courtex.
The Reiss motivation profile discovered fundamental motives for athletes…more precise than a personality test
From MJ to Kobe, the best athletes understand themselves and their motivational superpowers
My hope is that this episode will help coaches can better understand their athletes and better serve them
I'll also be including the recorded video on Youtube, which I will link in the show notes!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Interested in taking your recovery and hydration to the next level?...Check out Ultrahuman supplements.
Ultrahuman is one of the few supplements I stand by. Their products are as clean as it gets. Our athletes have been using Amino Code for Years.
NO Gluten, NO Artificial Flavors or Sweetner. NO BS.
Click my link and enter in the code COACHJAV10 for 10% off of your order.
Episode Resources:
- Youtube Video of the Episode and the big reveal
- Courtex Website
- Reiss Motivation Profile Website
- Dave's email: dave@courtexperformance.com
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's episode my guest is Austin Einhorn! (@apiros.team)
Austin is the head coach and owner of Apiros in Santa Cruz, California! Austin has had the privilege of creating a positive change in the lives of countless youth athletes, in addition to many professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, USTA, professional surfing, and professional volleyball.
Austin is also the owner of The Evolved Coach, education platform which includes courses and a soon to be book of the same name.
Austin is a very intelligent person who does not adhere to traditional dogmas. A quick trip to Austin's social media page will prove that he does things a little differently.
In this episode, we cover some of Austin's methods, what he has going on w/ The Evolved Coach, and much much more!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Austin's Instagram
- The Evolved Coach Website
- Apiros' Website
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's episode, I'm joined by Dr. Rob Gray (@ShakeyWaits)!!
Rob is an associate professor of human systems engineering at Arizona state University and is the host of the wildly popular podcast The Perception and Action Podcast. Rob also appeared on this podcast back in Episode 14!
Rob is also an accomplished researcher in the field of movement sciences and Recently released a book called "Learning How to Optimize Movement: Harnessing the Power of the Athlete-Evnrionment Relationship" .
This book is a follow up to his very popular first book, "How We Learned to Move: A Revolution in the Way We coach & Practice Sports Skills" , which has spread throughout the community and it now part of our training curriculum over at Ignite.
In addition to the book, Rob and I discuss:
- How to use varied training environments to better prepare your athletes
- What the real "secret sauce" of coaching is
- The dangers of having athletes attune to non specifying information
- How coaches can instantly "Upgrade" their practices '
- What the future holds for the sport movement community
and of course much more!...If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Rob's Book
- Rob's Podcast website
- Rob's Twitter
- Rob's Instagram
- Episode 14 w/ Rob
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's episode, I'm joined by John Mayer for part 2 of our conversation!
In this episode, John discusses the process of him switching to an ecological dynamics approach!...For part 1 of my conversation w/ John , click here.
Unlike most people who take a gradual approach, John embraced these concepts rather quickly and implemented them into his program at Loyola Marymount Beach Volleyball.
What's even more impressive is the program at LMU was successful! Not alot of people change when things are going well. Since John has implemented these changes, the program has risen to new heights.
This was a really interesting and enlightening conversation w/ John. I think any coach will find plenty of takeaways from this episode!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Part of my conversation w/ John
- Coach Your Brains Out Podcast
- CYBO Twitter
- LMU Volleyball Website
- Episode 41 w/ Kasey Crider
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today’s episode, my guest is John Mayer!
John is the head coach at Loyola Marymount beach volleyball head coach and the co host of the Coach Your Brains Out Podcast.
John has been the head coach for the last 7 years and has taken the program to new heights.
In 2017, they finished 15-14.
In 2019, they won their 1st conference title
In 2020-2021, they finished 31-8 and winning yet another conference title
John was also an accomplished player himself and made his AVP pro debut in 2003 and finsihed top 10 in all 6 events he entered in
I was introduced to John by Kasey Crider….I was told about a guy who completely and rather suddenly switched to an ecological approach…Knew I had to talk to him
This episode is part 1 of a 2 part series with Jon… I did Is this was b/c the conversation ended up segementing itself naturally
1st part we discuss everything from the real metric of success of coaching youth sports (it’s not wins and losses folks), to cultivating passion and enjoyment in your athletes through practice….John even demonstrates his curiosity and flips the script and starts asking me questions, which wasn’t scripted
Part 2 we get more into John making the switch to ecological dynamics
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Coach Your Brains Out Podcast
- CYBO Twitter
- LMU Volleyball Website
- Episode 41 w/ Kasey Crider
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's Episode, my guest is Greg Souders! (@gdsouders)
Greg is the owner and coach of Standard Jujitsu in Rockville Maryland. Greg is 3rd degree black belt under Dave Jacobs.
Greg started training jujitsu in February 2004 very quickly fell in love with the art. Initially, Greg was focused on becoming a world champion but his career was cut short due to a serious neck injury that cause spinal cord
Greg turn this unfortunate incident into a positive by dedicated his life to coaching and helping others reach their goals and has been coaching full-time since 2010
His competitors travel around the US to chasing succeed and he has produced medalist at every level from white to black out every level of competition from NAGA to the IBJJF Pan-American world championships
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
- Standard Jiujitsu Website
- Greg's Instagram
- Standard's Instagram
- Greg's email: greg@standardjiujitsu.com
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
On Today's show, I discuss 3 reasons to reduce task complexity!
Today we take a deep dive into a concept that I feel is often misunderstood in the coaching world. Today, that's concept of reducing task or practice complexity.
There seems to be this thought that practice has to either be a 10/10 and chaotic, or it has to be pre planned and look nothing like the game. Today's episode will tell you different.
This episode discusses concepts such as scaling, constraint manipulation, and other concepts that are vital to practice design. Whether you are new to EcoD or a seasoned practitioner, I believe this episode highlights some important concepts for coaching!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- My Blog Post w/ Emergence
- Episode 25 w/ Cal Jones
- Episode 28: My Thoughts on the RTP process
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
On today's episode I'm joined by Kasey Crider!! (@coachKCvb)
Kasey is a 2 time guest on the podcast , appearing way back in Episode 4!...Since then, Kasey is now in his 1st year as the head coach of UMBC Women's Volleyball, a DI program in Baltimore, Maryland.
I thought this would be a unique opportunity to talk w/ Kasey, as he is in the middle of implementing his culture and his philosophies on practice design to a new program.
As always, Kasey was honest and transparent, and this conversation goes places where few coaches are willing to go. This conversation has tons of takeaways for any coach who is trying to improve their craft!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Kasey's twitter
- Episode 4 Link
- UMBC VB Instagram
- UMBC VB Website
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
For today's episode, I'm joined by Scott Sievewright! (@mke_mma)
Scott is the owner of Primal MMA & Fitness in Milwaukee Wisconsin and is also the host of the Primal MMA Coaching Podcast where he dives into various topics regarding combat sports and skill acquisition
At Primal, their philosophy states:
"Our clear vision is to create an exceptional learning environment for developing the body and mind through the practice of Mixed Martial Arts and Exercise"
As you might have guessed it Scott is not your typical MMA coach and believes that students of all levels should face alive movement problems.
I really enjoyed this convo w/ Scott. Encourage to check out his podcast and website where he has some really cool blogs, 2 of which that stand out to me are:
- Do Drillers make killers
- At Primal we Spar on Day 1
If you wanna hear more from Scott, check him out at this years Sport Movement Skill Conference, where he will be presenting...I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Scott's Twitter
- Scott's Podcast
- Primal's Website
- Primal's IG
- Sport Movement Skill Conference 2022
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Welcome to the athlete blueprint podcast!....For todays episode, I’m joined by Korey Van Wyk (@KoreyVanWyk)
Korey Van Wyk is an educator and sports performance coach who has spent the last decade of his career bridging the gap between science and practice.
As a former professor of kinesiology and collegiate strength coach, he spent every day connecting the classroom and the weight room. Now as an acquisitions editor for Human Kinetics, he helps create world-class educational products for trainers and coaches.
In this episode, Korey and I dive deep into the world of supplements. Unfortunately, the supplement industry is extremely unregulated and as a consumer it's difficult to know how to choose one that is safe and effective.
After this episode you'll not only know why you should be careful about purchasing supplements , but you'll also have a GUIDE to help you do so.
It should be noted that neither I, nor Korey are physicians so please consult a physician if you are considering trying a new supplement....I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Korey's Twitter
- Korey's Instagram
- Korey's Website
- Korey's LinkedIn
Articles
- Tainted Supplement Review
- DMAA Cause of Death in Soldiers
- Review of Tainted Supplements 2007-2021
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Let's Chat!
Twitter: @thecoachjav
IG: @thecoachjav
Welcome to the Athlete Blueprint Podcast!!...For today's episode, I'm joined by Shawn Myszka!
Shawn is the co director of education over at Emergence. Shawn is also a personal Performance Advisor and Movement Skill Acquisition coach for NFL players and has been doing so since 2008. During that time and up to this point, he has partnered with five NFL All Pro athletes and twelve Pro Bowl team members.
Shawn is also a two time guest on this podcast. Way back in Episode 24 when he appeared alongside Tyler Yearby when we discussed their paper Applying an Ecological Approach to Practice Design in American Football.
This particular conversation with Shawn really is all about storytelling . I was always curious to really what the origin story was of the Sport Movement Skill Conference.
So for those of you who don't know what the Sport Movement Skill Conference is, it is really the keystone event for me when it comes to my education throughout the year. It really brings alongside theoreticians, practitioners, researchers, those who are practicing the science, and put some alongside those who are practicing the art of coaching, and really blended together unlike any other conference.
We get into the origins of the SMSC and touch on the theme of this years conference. In addition to that, we really get into Sean's own origin story, where he, as always, is open, authentic, transparent, and shares some of his struggles in transitioning from an ecological approach.
Obviously, Shawn was one of the early adopters of this approach and it wasn't smooth, it wasn't easy, and I was really grateful that he shared and opened up on some of those trials and tribulations for us here. I think this episode has a ton of practical applications for many coaches. We learn some ups and downs that not just Shawn experience, but all of us experience.
The SMSC takes place November 4th and 5th. I'll link to the conference and the previous episode in the show note...Please enjoy!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Link to Sport Movement Skill Conference
- Emergence Website
- Shawn's twitter
- Episode 24 w/ Shawn and Tyler
What does it actually mean to be "skilled"?
As more modern coaching research and practices are adopted, many are starting redefine what it TRULY means to be skillful in sport.
Today I share clips from some of my amazing guests or are helping redefine what it means to be skillful . I will also offer my insight and takeaways which will hopefully help you on your coaching journey!
Today's episode includes clips from previous guests:
- Rob Grey
- Cal Jones
- Shawn Myszka
- Philip O'Callaghan
I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Episode 14 (1st Clip) w/ Rob Grey
- Episode 25 (2nd Clip) w/ Cal Jones
- Episode 24 (3rd Clip) w/ Shawn Myszka
- Episode 22 (4th clip) w/ Philip O'Callaghan
Today we are switching it up and doing a deep dive in the movement behavior of Canelo Alvarez!
Before we get too far I must say that unfortunately the video that was meant to accompany this episode got taken down by goons over at Youtube (Booo!!!)...So this isn't the full experience I wanted for my audience, but I think the audio will have some value.
So here it is, my deep dive into Canelo Alvarez, and my prediction of his upcoming fight w/ GGG!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
For today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Paula Silva!
Paula is an associate professor in the Psychology department at the University of Cincinnati. A native of Brazil, Paula received her undergrad and masters from the Universidade Federal in Minas Gerais in Brazil. She graduated w/ degrees in Physical therapy and Rehabilitation Science.
She received her PHD at the University of Connecticut in Experimental Psychology. At Cincinnati, she is the Co-director of graduate training in the Psychology Department and one of the primary faculty of the Center for Cognition, Action & Perception at the University of Cincinnati.
She studies human performance, both functional and dysfunctional, from the perspectives of complexity science and ecological psychology. Paula is an accomplished researcher who’s work has been adopted by many practitioners and many in the movement community.
Her overarching goal is to promote effective cross-fertilization between theory and clinical practice in the fields of rehabilitation and sports medicine.
As I mentioned Earlier, Paula’s work has made it’s way into the coaching circles, especially her work w/ the concept of anti fragility.
Much of the focus this episode is centered on this concept of Antifragility and designing practice that's conducing for creative motor solutions. I really enjoyed this conversation. SOOO many great takeways for coaches in here!
I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Paula's Email: Paula.silva@uc.edu
- Paula's Research
- Paula's Website
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
How can you turn your darkest coaching moment, into your brightest?
Through 1 year of podcasting, I've learned a TON. I've been fortunate enough to talk w/ some of the best coaches, researchers, and move specialists in the world.
A trait that many of them have in common, is the ability to turn failure into triumph and become better coaching.
Today I share clips from my amazing guests who have done just that. I will also offer my insight and takeaways which will hopefully help you on your coaching journey!
I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Episode 4 (1st Clip) w/ Kase Crider
- Episode 23 (2nd Clip) w/ Nicholas Morrow
- Episode 17 (3rd Clip) w/ Mike Gee
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
Today Im joined by Alex Sarama (@AlexJSarama) and Adam Omiecinski (@PolkaAdam)!
Alex is a basketball coach and educator for Basketball Immersion where they deliver educational content to coaches sound the world. He is also the head coach of College Prep in Borgomanero, Italy and previously worked w/ NBA Europe in Madrid, Spain. He also teaches at basketball camps all over the world
Alex’s focus is on helping coaches stimulate their thinking by combining their personal and practical experiences with the empirical evidence which exists within the research world. Many of these evidence-informed coaching ideas that Alex shares are based upon the Constraint Led Approach (CLA).
Alex specializes in helping coaches make sense of the research, putting this into basketball-specific examples so that coaches can immediately integrate these ideas into their practices I
Adam his a previous guest on this podcast back on episode 12!..Adam is a basketball Coach from Upstate NY who focuses on Player Development.
He is currently coaching as an assistant at SUNY Adirondack and for Dags Basketball, where he gets to work with athletes from as young as the age of 7 to the occasional Professional. Prior to these positions, Adam assisted at his High School alma mater of Hudson Falls for 10 years.
I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Alex's twitter
- Adam's twitter
- Episode 12 w/ Adam
- Basketball Immersion
- Adam's Blog
- Basketball Immersion Youtube Page
- Dags Basketball Website
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
My guest today is Ben Franks! (@ben__franks1)
Ben is a lecturer in applied coaching science at Oxford Brookes University in the UK. Primarily his work is focused on the visual control of movement in sport during interceptive actions. Alongside his academic work, Ben coaches in football where he currently works for Ebbsfleet United Women, having previously held positions in the Women's National League and within non-league mens football.”
When I originally started this podcast and made a list of potential guests, Ben was right near the top. I originally came across his work from the 2020 sport moment it’s go conference where he was a press enter.
Ben recently released a paper titled “A descriptive case study of skilled football goal keepers during 1:1 Dyads: A case for adaptive variability on quiet eye “….which is what a lot of of Conversation centers on.
We get into everything from:
- What exactly is quiet eye
- To prospective control
- How gaze strategies vary amongst athletes
- And a Doobie of a question that’s I ask Ben at the end that’s been on my mind for years, so make sure you stay till the end
I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Ben's twitter
- Ben's Instagram
- Ben's Research Paper
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
My guest today is Leanne Rath! (FACP)
Leanne a is physiotherapist practicing at Physiosports, Brighton, Melbourne Australia.
She is sought after as an educator and mentor to the profession. She is a keynote in the Physiosports Education platform and is an invited speaker on Lorimer Moseley’s MasterSessions later in 2022, an online worldwide pain conference exploring “Less Pain, Better Performance”
She is currently involved in projects through the University of South Australia, Tash Stanton’s Knee Osteoarthritis & Pain Education Trial and is working in partnership with researches at Victoria University who have experience in athlete mental health and well being, as a Clinical Investigator, exploring Pain and Performance in life
She has held an Adjunct Fellow position at The University of Queensland (2016-2019) exploring the function of Adductor Magnus in gait and hip/groin rehabilitation exercises.
She is passionate about athlete-centred care and finding common ground in contemporary clinical and coaching approaches.
Leanne has worked with the Australian Ballet and the Australian Institute of Sport (1995-2005), and many of Australia’s highest performing athletes as a Sports Physiotherapist which included her time as a member of the Australian medical team at the Olympic Games (Sydney 2000) and the Commonwealth Games (Manchester 2002).
She is passionate about athlete-centered care and finding common ground in contemporary clinical and coaching approaches.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Leanne's Twitter
- Physio Sports Website
- Leeane's Website
- Less Pain Better Performance Website
- Leanne's publication on the Adductor Magnus
- Leeane's email : leanne@physiosports.com.au
Research Articles
- Embodied Predictive Pain Processing Theory of Pain
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
On Today's show, I discuss 3 More Common misconceptions for Ecological Dynamics!
This is part 2 of a series on "Common Misconceptions About Ecological Dynamics"
As Eco D continues to increase in popularity, there is an increasing amount of noise out there. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of misconceptions. So I wanted to set the record straight on a few of them (at least from my perspective)
Whether you are new to EcoD or a seasoned practitioner, I believe this episode highlights some important concepts for coaching!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Episode 27: 3 Common Misconceptions
- Movement Terminology Cheat Sheet
- Episode 25 w/ Cal Jones
On Today's show, I'm joined by Dr. Emily Splichal! (@dremilydpm)
Dr. Emily is a functional Podiatrist, Human Movement Specialist, Founder of the Evidence Based Fitness Academy (EBFA) and a Global Leader in Barefoot Science and Rehabilitation. She is also the founder of Noboso and the Author of the the book Barefoot Strong.
In this episode Dr. Emily and I discuss the role of the foot, and the importance of barefoot training in athletic performance.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Dr. Emily's Website
- Dr. Emily's Instagram
- Noboso Website
- Barefoot Strong Website
- Evidence Based Fitness Academy (EBFA) Website
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
For today's episode, we've flipped the script, and I'm the one that's going to be answering the questions. Joining me today and asking the questions is Rich White(@richwhite44) from Emergence!
Recently I posted a blog post on the Emergence website Called "Bridging The Gap Between Return to Play and Performance". This "Gap" I'm referring to, is the difference between the controlled and repetitive environment of rehab settings, to the dynamic and chaotic environment of sport.
This episode really explores this topic. Today's episode is meant to be a supplement to the blog post, so I would highly recommend you checking it out to truly appreciate the nature of the topic.
I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Blog Post
- Rich's Twitter
- Rich's Instagram
- Emergence Warmup Course
- Episode 1 w/ Rich and Tyler
On Today's show, I discuss 3 Common misconceptions for Ecological Dynamics!
As Eco D continues to increase in popularity, there is an increasing amount of noise out there. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of misconceptions. So I wanted to set the record straight on a few of them (at least from my perspective)
Whether you are new to EcoD or a seasoned practitioner, I believe this episode highlights some important concepts for coaching!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- My Blog Post w/ Emergence
- Movement Terminology Cheat Sheet
- Approaching the weight room from an Ecological Dynamics Perspective Course
Welcome to the athlete blueprint podcast for today’s episode I’m join by JD Howell!
JD is in his 10th year as a Strength Coach with the Oakland A’s of the MLB . He’s currently the minor-league Sport Performance coordinator or prior to that was the Latin American strength and conditioning coordinator and affiliate Strength Coach.
A native of Pennsylvania, JD was a student and football player at East Stroudsburg University…. He was a strength and conditioning intern at East Stroudsburg as well as Stanford, Albright college, and his first season with the A’s. JD Now currently lives in Phx w/ his wife Emily and son ronin.
JD also has a bunch of certifications and alphabet soup letters behind his name but we don’t need to get into that on the shell.
What I want to talk about though is JD’s experience as the Latin American strength and conditioning coordinator w/ the A’s. That position required JD to spend quite a bit of time over at the A’s facilities in Arizona in the Dominican republic.
One of the things that fascinates me about coaching and human interaction in general is social cultural constraints and how it impacts our coaching and communication. And as someone who had to coach and work w/ athletes of different backgrounds and languages, JD had to adapt his both his coaching style and communication.
We get into all that and more in this conversation….before I let you get to the episode, if you’re enjoying the show, don’t forget to leave us a review on the platform of your choice….now onto my conversation w/JD!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- JD's Instagram
- JD's Twitter
For today’s episode, I’m joined by Cal Jones! (@CalJonesJudo)
Cal is a Judo coach from North Wales in the UK and holds both UKCC level 4 and BJA level 5 coaching certificates. Cal also also holds a masters degree in advanced coaching practice.
His final project focused on representative learning design, and he was fortunate enough to be invited to contribute to the UK coaching Coach Learner Framework, discussing Representative Learning Design
Speaking of the topic, that is what much of our conversation centers on
I’m a huge fan of combat sports and was excited to talk with someone who’s putting Representative Learning design and ecological principles into practice.
I’ve also included some judo videos in the show notes that Cal has sent me including some that use both decontextualized and contextualized training methods to help serve as an extra resource for this episode.
I really enjoyed this conversation w/ Cal. I learned a lot about Judo and I think many of these concepts are transferable if you do you don’t work in combat sports...I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Cal's Twitter
- Judo video- Uchi-komi, (decontextualised, partial technique training)
- Judo video- Nage-komi (Executing a full throw against an unresistant partner)
- Judo video- And, a highlight video of how throws are actually scored in judo contests, in context
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
For todays show I’m joined by Tyler Yearby (@TylerYearby) and Shawn Myszka (@MovementMiyagi)
Tyler is the co-director education at Emergence and has appeared on the show before way back in episode 1.
Tyler has been been a strength coach and football position coach in multiple stops at the collegiate level. He now works as a movement skill acquisition coach for athletes from various levels and is currently pursuing is doctor at eh university of Gloucestershire in the UK.
Shawn has been served as a personal performance advisor & movement skill acquisition coach for NFL players since 2008 and up to this point has partnered w/ 5 NFL all pro and 12 pro bowl team members
He is also the co director at education at Emergence as well. and is pursing his doctorate along side Tyler
They’ve recently published a paper titled “Applying an ecological approach to practice design in American Football” which seeks to shift the paradigm on how practice is designed and athletes are trained in American football
This paper really is the first of its kind thats applied ecological dynamics to American football, so I was extremely excited to have them on.
Besides the paper, we discuss a myriad of concepts that are useful to both sport coaches and practitioners.
I hope you enjoy the conversation!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Tyler and Shawn's Paper
- Shawn Twitter
- Tyler's Twitter
- Emergence Website
- Emergence Twitter
- Emergence IG
For today’s episode, I’m joined by NFL Linebacker Nicholas Morrow!
Nick is in his 6th season in the NFL and in his first season w/ the Chicago Bears after spending the previous 5 w/ the Las Vegas Raiders
Nick is known for his versatility on the field and in 2020 was the only player in the NFL to record 3 sacks and 9 passes defensed during the 2020 season.
What really is remarkable about Nick is his story or his journey to the league…Nick went to college at Greenville University, which is a Division school and was undrafted after his senior season.
To those of you who maybe aren’t familiar w/ football and the NFL, Division 3 football is one fo the lower levels of college football and the chances that someone makes it to the league from a D3 school, let alone has a multi year career are slim to none
In fact, as of 2021 only 6 players from D3 school were on active rosters…which is only 0.35% of of the athletes in the league!
Needless to say Nick has defied some EXTREMELY long odds.
In this conversation, w/ nick we discuss:
- his Long winding journey to league
- nicks mentality when he was unknown and few people believe in him
- really get into the real psyche and daily life of a professional athlete.
- What traits besides your traditional speed, power, agility actually make a great football player,
And of course so much more!
Nick trains w/ us at Ignite and over the years I’ve gotten to know what a stand up and down to earth guy he is and this becomes clear during this episode
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Don't forget to check out today's sponsor, Xero shoes!...Xero shoes are minimalis shoes that are reasonably priced and actually look GREAT!..They are allow your feet the flexibility and comfort to actually move the way nature intended. They've been a game changer for me.
If you wanna join the revolution, visit https://xeroshoes.com/go/athleteblueprintand get yourself a pair!
Episode Resources:
- Ignite Performance Website
- Chicago Bears Website
For today’s episode, I’m joined by Philip O’Callaghan (@Mr_Tennis_Coach)
Phillip is Tennis coach and PE coach from Cork, Ireland...Philip is a graduate of University College in Cork , where he studied Sports studies ad Physical Education.
Phillip is a life long tennis athlete and over the last several years he has been involved in coaching tennis, including coaching the University of Cork Tennis Team.
Philip is truly has a passion for coaching, and in fact spends much of his free time reading the latest research in Skill acquisition. In fact, Phillip has a blog on his website Mrtenniscoach.com where he reads these research papers, and breaks them down into his takeaways ,and some practical applications that I think are useful for all coaches…he really does a great job there.
In our conversation, we discuss everything from his blog, who he thinks the Best movers in tennis are, to various topics on skill acquisition!...I hope you enjoy!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Before we get to the show I just wanted to share quick message from a product I’m very excited about and that's Xero Shoes!
Xero shoes are minimalist shoes that are reasonably priced and actually look GREAT!..They are allow your feet the flexibility and comfort to actually move the way nature intended. They've been a game changer for me.
If you wanna join the revolution, visit https://xeroshoes.com/go/athleteblueprintand get your self a pair!
Episode Resources:
- Philip's Twitter
- Philip's Instagram
- Philip's Blog
For today’s episode, I’m joined ny Tommy Flanagan! (tommy_flanagan_s2s)
Tommy is the owner of Strength to Strength fitness in Broomfield, Colorado.
Tommy’s mission at strength to strength: Transform athletes bodies and minds to they can reach their full potential.
In addition to being a performance coach and gym owner Tommy had a standout athletic career including being an all state football player in HS and a college All American in football
Tommy does a great job with his athletes…Not only does he want them to be big, strong, and fast….He also wants them to be great decision makers and this is where much of our conversation center on today.
- We discuss how to make football players better decision makers,
- Some of the pluses and minuses of 7 on 7 and how it could make it more representative
- Some of the pitfalls of High School football in the social media era
Of course we discuss so much more!
I think it’s important to understand that although many of the situations and examples Tommy and I use are from the sport of American Football…the concepts that we discuss can be applied to anyone who works w/ athletes at the end of the day, great athletes have to be great decision makers and that’s what this episode is all about!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Tommy's Twitter
- Tommy's Instagram
- Tommy's email: tommy@s2strength.com
- Strength 2 Strength Website
Today I dive into an important topic in Ecological Dynamics...Specifying information!
On a couple episodes this term has been discussed, including the recent episode w/ coach Garrett Baker.
Specifying information, is crucial element of representative practice design. Information helps guide athlete movements and decision making, which is something that is relevant to anyone who works w/ athletes in skill acquisition....I hope you enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Research Paper
- Emergence Website
- Rob Grey Website
For today’s episode, I’m joined by Garrett Baker! (@coachgbaker)
Garrett is the Director of Baseball Player development at Inspiration Academy in Bradenton Florida…Think IMG academy but with a focus on baseball on tennis.
Prior to that Garrett spent 3 season as the recruiting coordinator, pitching coach and strength coach at American International College.
He also spent 1 season as a pitching coach at and baseball strength and conditioning coach at Westfield State University
As a player Garrett was a pitcher and spent 2 years playing independent professional weds baseball
As I’m you sure you can tell so far far by his bio, Garret has a strong background in the player development side of things, especially when it comes to pitching…and thats where much of our conversation we centers today.
Pitching is often thought of as this rote, repetitious, repeatable movement train in isolation but Garrett has a different point of view that combines different theories on sport movement and skill acquisition.
We get in to all that in today’s episode…This one was an exciting one for me. Garrett is doing some really exciting things in player development and I think this episode will be super useful for anyone who works w/ baseball players or who is interested in sport movement...Enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Garrett's Twitter
- Garret's Instagram
- Garrett's email: coachgbaker@gmail.com
- Inspiration Academy Website
For today’s episode, my guest is Ben Kelto!
Ben is a physical therapist, and clinical director of Spooner Physical Therapy in Chandler, AZ
Ben is originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and has a strong background in athletics. As a former college wrestler, Ben has a unique understanding of what it takes to get an athlete from the table to back out on the field.
One of the things I like about Ben is that he employs a pragmatic approach towards therapy utilizing a wide variety of evidence inventions So he’s not married to one specific single technique.
I’ve seen him first hand, utilize methods that are outside of the box but all w/ the aim of helping his patients achieve their goals.
In today’s episode, Ben and center much of of our conversation around BFR or blood flow restriction training, which is a technique that becoming increasingly popular in the physical therapy space and even bleeding into the performance space as well. Traditionally BFR has been used for post op patients but Ben utilizes it in some unique ways, which we discuss
We also discuss topics such as:
- The gaps in return to play protocols
- Addressing patients from a holistic point of view
- Therapist to strength coach communication
- The origins of BFR
- How BFR can be implemented
- Some BFR benefits
And of course, so much more!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Spooner's Website
- Ben's Email: b.kelto@spoonerpt.com
- BFR Research paper 1
- BFR Research paper 2
- BFR Research paper 3
Welcome to Athlete Blueprint Podcast!...For today's episode, I'm joined by coach Mike Gee (@coachmikegee).
Mike is a volleyball coach and currently serves as Director of Volleyball at North Pacific Juniors VBC, a premier volleyball club based in Oregon and Washington. Prior to that, he coached on the division 1 volleyball level for several years
In 2003 he told his mother that he wouldn’t be coaching volleyball for the rest of his life. Today, he’s still at it.
These days, Mike Gee spends countless hours a week studying the research literature on skill acquisition in sport, and, unlike traditional coaches, he uses an ecological dynamics approach to coaching volleyball.
In addition to being active on social media, under the name coachmikegee ,thats mike gee he also runs a youtube channel under the same name, which I will link to in the show notes.
I really enjoyed this conversation w/ Mike. . As mentioned earlier he takes a non traditional and non linear approach to volleyball coaching, which we get into during the episode.
We get into everything from implicit vs explicit instruction in volleyball, to coaching in context, to scaling of information, to some practical applications for volleyball coaches out there. Essentially We really take a deep dive in to coach during this episode!
At Ignite, we work with a lot of volleyball players, so I really enjoyed talking w/ Mike...I hope you guys enjoy!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Mike's Twitter
- Mike's Instagram
- Mike's Youtube
- Mikes email: coachhmikegee@gmail.com
- North Pacific Juniors VBC Website
Welcome to the athlete blueprint podcast!
For todays episode, I’m joined by Korey Van Wyk (@KoreyVanWyk)
Korey is an educator and sports performance coach who has spent the last decade of his career bridging the gap between science and practice.
As a former professor of kinesiology and collegiate strength coach, he spent every day connecting the classroom and the weight room.
Now as an acquisitions editor for Human Kinetics, he helps create world-class educational products for trainers and coaches.
One unique thing about Korey is the diversity of his career, which spans from college strength coach at northwest college in Iowa, to working directly w/ Brett Bartholemew’s company The Art of Coaching, to his current position w/ Human Kinetics
Korey really has his pulse on the industry. Through this he now provides educational content for coaches. In essence Korey coaches coaches.
Korey recently released a a mini course on creatine. Which is what much of our conversation centers on today…we also discuss:
- what concepts new coaches tend to struggle with
- Creatine and it’s use for adolescent athletes
- Creatine and it’s effectiveness on sprint performance
- Creatine and it’s use for female athletes
And of course we cover so much more!
Creatine is a largely misunderstood supplement and I wanted to bring Korey on to set the record straight...Enjoy the show!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Korey's Twitter
- Korey's Instagram
- Korey's Website
- Korey's LinkedIn
- Access to Creatine Mini Course (PLAE Academy Website)
Welcome to the Athlete Blueprint Podcast!
For today’s episode, I’m joined my Zach Elder!
Zach is currently the direction of strength and conditioning, and athletic skill acquisition at Mac strength a private baseball training facility in Edina Minnesota.
As a Minnesota native, Zach played everything from basketball, baseball, basketball, football, Tae Kwon Do, and anything else he could get involved in.
Zach went on to play Division 2 baseball at Saint Leo University in Tampa, Florida, where he graduated w/ a degree in sports business..
He then went on to finish his career at Concordia University, Saint Paul, where he would obtain his MS in Exercise Science and his CSCS.
Before MacStrength, Zach was an assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Concordia, St. Paul, working with Football, Volleyball, Cross Country, and Baseball.
In addition to being an expert in baseball performance training, Zach has also consulted with ECHL, USHL, and Euro league Hockey players since 2018.
Zach works with athletes of all ages, from 8 to 28, helping them optimize and develop their bodies for high performance.
One of the reasons I wanted to have Zach on his because oh his unique approach to strength training and that we share a similar love for long term athletic development, not to mention he’s just funny dude.
In our conversation we discuss
- The effect of negative self talk for athletes
- How being a “washed up athlete” has changed Zach’s perspective for the better
- How coaches should prepare their athletes for life after sports
- How Zach Train’s the human movement system in his unique approach to strength
- Zach’s approach to join integrity for the hip and shoulder
- How an athlete being “coachable” may not always be a great thing
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Zach's Twitter
- Zach's Instagram
- Mac Strenth Website
- Mac Strength Instagram
For today's episode, I'm joined by Dr. Rob Gray (@ShakeyWaits)!!
Rob is an associate professor of human systems engineering at Arizona state University and is the host of the wild popular podcast The Perception and Action Podcast.
His podcast which he has hosted since 2015 and includes over 380 episodes focuses on taking the latest and greatest research in the field of movement sciences and distilling those high level topics down into digestible concepts so that coaches and practitioners can apply in their setting .
Rob is also an accomplished researcher in the field of movement sciences and Recently released a book called How We Learned to Move: A Revolution in the Way We coach & Practice Sports Skills, which I can attest to Is an excellent read and is actually sitting in my book shelf right now!
We discuss some of the concepts of the book but we also discuss:
- How human’s inherently crave variability
- How practice should not always be perfect and repeatable and that learning is messy
- How variability can help w/ injury prevention
- And some practical advice for coaches in setting up these principles in their own practice
For me this was an episode I was looking forward to a ton!…A wise mentor once told me to “Stand on the shoulders of Giants” and for me Rob is one of those giants.
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Rob's Podcast website
- Rob's Twitter
- Rob's Book
For this episode, I am joined by Preston Hale! (p_hale3)
Preston is a performance coach and DB coach, who also happens to be my business partner over at Ignite Performance!
Preston works w/ high level defensive backs from high school and to the elite pro level. He is one of the absolute best DB coaches in the country...I get to be w/ Preston everyday, so I'm excited to bring his vast knowledge to you guys!
Preston does an amazing job of taking game concepts and distilling them into a practice setting that way his athletes are the. most prepared on the field.
In our conversation we discuss:
- Preston's background
- What makes up a truly elite DB
- How you can make typical DB drills like the "W" drill and make them more game like
- Preston's unique way of watching film and how he incorporates his athlete's perspective while doing it
Of course, we cover so much more!
If you like today's episode, leave a review here....If you want to reach me directly, contact me on social media or shoot me @javier@igniteperformance.net
Episode Resources:
- Preston's Instagram
- Preston's Facebook
- Ignite Performance (our facility) Website
For today’s episode, I’m joined by Adam Omiecinski!
Adam is a Basketball Coach from Upstate NY who focuses on Player Development. He is currently coaching as an assistant at SUNY Adirondack and for Dags Basketball, where he gets to work with athletes from as young as the age of 7 to the occasional Professional. Prior to these positions, Adam assisted at his High School alma mater of Hudson Falls for 10 years.
Adam also has a blog centered on player development called Hardwood Dexterity , where breaks down basketball movements, in an extremely unique way
In today’s episode we discuss:
- Using a constraints led approach and differential learning to skill development in basketball
- Who some of the elite movers in the nba
- What qualities make up elite movers in basketball
- How you can effectively expand the toolbox, or the “bag” of basketball players w/out explicit instruction
- Some practical training advice for those working w/ youth basketball players
And of course so much more!
One of the reasons I wanted to have Adam on the podcast is because he brings such a unique approach to skill acquisition in basketball. As a former basketball player, don’t let the hate for you, These topics really resonated with me and Selfishly Adam and I get to geek out on some of these things… Please take a moment to check out Adams blog Hardwood dexterity which I will link in the show notes….I hope you enjoy the show!
Get in touch w/ Adam here
- Adams Twitter
- Adam’s Blog
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
- Instagram: @thecoachjav
- twitter: @thecoachjav
Welcome to the Athlete Blueprint Podcast!
For today's episode, we will be taking a deep dive into one of my favorite topics, Jump training! More specifically, we will be debunking some common jump training myths!
This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I have worked extensively w/ court sport athletes (volleyball, basketball) and I have noticed glut of misinformed or misrepresented information out there.
So I wanted to set the record straight on some common training myths that I have seen over the year.
In today's episode I cover:
- How too much more reps is not always a good thing w/ jump training
- How we must consider global load when designing a jump program
- Why Jump and Strength Specificity Matters
- The Pro's and Cons of Heavy Squatting for Jumping
- Why jumping high in practice does not necessarily mean you'll jump high in a game
- Why Training your breaks are just as important as training your gas pedal
- Why patience is key to developing a high jump over time
Of course we cover so much more!...Thanks for tuning in, I hope you enjoy the show!
Here are some of the other blog posts I've written for Ignite Performance
- 3 Proven Ways to Increase Your Vertical
- Jump Quiz: What Type of Jumper Are You?
- Why I Don't Care How High Your Box Jump is
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
- Instagram: @thecoachjav
- twitter: @thecoachjav
My guest today is Matt Caraccio!
For the last 6 years, Matt has been the Co-Owner and Co-Host of the Saturday2Sunday Football Podcast. His podcast is dedicated to year round NFL prospect analysis & discussion. During that time Matt has hosted three Summer Seminar Series on Skill Acquisition in American Football -those include The Nature of the Movement Problems in American Football", "The Player Problem-Solver Paradigm in American Football", and "Movement Marvels in American Football".
In each of these unique series Matt was fortunate enough to have an array of football coaches, skill acquisition coaches, academics, sports psychologists and former players come together from across the community to share their unique perspectives and insights on these topics.
More recently Matt has been developing a series of videos entitled "Unraveling Skill" on the Saturday2Sunday YouTube Channel. In each of these videos Matt explains and applies his Player Problem-Solver Evaluative Lens (PPSEL) to the evaluation of current NFL players and future prospects.
Matthew Caraccio has been a High School Mathematics Teacher and Sports Coach for the last 20 years. Matt has developed and taught high school courses in both Sports Analytics & Sports Management.
In addition, Matt has coached athletes across various sports including Basketball, Baseball and American Footbal..Matt’s diverse background gives a very unique look at sport movement, which comes across strongly during the episode
The impetus for this episode was a tweet from someone I know in high school coaching about how players who don’t fit certain “molds” if you will, often get overlooked…we dive into that topic and much more, including the following:
- How Matt views athletes as problem solvers
- What reframing player evaluation in American Football
- How when we evaluate film, we must look strongly at context
- How looking at athletes as a complex system , can help us understand their behavior on the field better
- How brining a “pro model” to youth sports may not be such a goo idea
- How context drives content during player evaluation
- We discuss correlation, or lack of correlation b/t combine performance and length of NFL careers
Guys this episode a lot of fun. Matt is a super smart guy and really does great job trying to bring a different lens to scouting….I encourage all of you to follow him on social media and listen to his podcast, which I will link to in the show notes
Thanks for joining us today, enjoy the show!
__________________________________
Matt's Contact Info:
- Saturday2Sunday Football Podcast Website
- Matt's Twitter
- Saturday2Sunday Twitter
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
- Instagram: @thecoachjav
- twitter: @thecoachjav
In today’s episode I speak with Kevin Longoria!
Kevin is the chief science officer of Biostrap, digital health company that has evolved from being a consumer wearable into a comprehensive health monitoring platform with a mission to improve human health on a global scale.
Kevin is very accomplished and his resume is quite long (deservedly so) so I’m going to try my best to give you the cliff notes version
As an exercise physiologist, Kevin has a passion for research and education and has led validation studies and has developed and implemented nervous system based training systems for various populations ranging from compromised health, corporate wellness and professional athletic organizations.
Prior to his position at Biostrap, Kevin was a physiological consultant four numerous high level combat athletes, including to two division UFC world champ and Olympic gold medalist, Henry Cejudo.
As I mentioned earlier, I could go on about Kevin’s accomplishments but here’s what you need to know… point-blank Kevin is one of the absolute best in the world when it comes to understanding the optimization of athletic recovery and performance.
I wanted to do this podcast with Kevin because I feel the importance of recovery and managing stress both physical and psychological is grossly under discussed for athletes. In this conversation, Kevin and I wanted to discuss many of the topics which includes the following:
- The importance of sleep and hydration for athletes
- The importance and monitoring athlete readiness for optimizing performance and how wearables might help
- Kevin’s experience working w/ high level athletes, including Henry cejudo and James the iron cowboy Lawrence who famously ran 50 Ironmans in 50 days
- What mental traits might separate elite athletes from other athletes
- How sleep routines and blue light can affect sleep and hormone levels
- How hormone levels are affected by gut health
And of course much much more! As I mentioned earlier Kevon is a super bright guy and definitely someone who I learn from constantly. I’m excited for you guys to hear what he has to say. I hope you enjoy the show!
Kevin doesn't much on social media, but here is the contact info for him and Biostrap:
- Kevin's Linkedin
- Kevin's Email: kevin@biostrap.com
- Website
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
Welcome to the Athlete Blueprint Podcast!
In today’s episode, had the pleasure of speaking w/ Michael Zwiefel! (@bbaperformance)
Michael is the owner and head of sports performance at Building Better Athletes in Dubuque Iowa.
In addition to that, Michael is also on the team at Emergence, some of whom, you’ve heard on this podcast before in Tyler Yearby and Rich White, back in episode 1.
As a coach, Michael has coached athletes all the way, from the youth levels all the way to the NFL level.
As an athlete, Michael was the all time leader in NCAA receptions w/ 463 and was the recipient of the Gagliardi award, which is essentially the D3 heisman.
In this episode we touch on:
- The importance of setting up youth athletes for success later in life
- Setting up an engaging environment for our athletes
- How Michael’s warmups have evolved over the years
- How you can create “aliveness” in the warmup
- Michael’s growth as a coach and transition to more of an ecological approach
- Why change of direction drills may not lead to improvements in agility
- Some practical applications to improving your warmup
And of course much much more…
One thing I really respect about Michael is his passion and creativity, which is evident by this episode and through his social media, which of course I’ll link to in the show notes. He does a great job of showing practical activities, that coaches can implement to follow more of an ecological approach.
As mentioned early, Michael and the team at Emergence have a new mini course called “reconceptualizing the warmup” and that’s available if you’d like to learn more about these concepts. I’ll put that in the show notes as well. I have personally taken the course and it’s fantastic
And lastly I do want mention that in this episode, there is bit of background noise which I wasn’t able to edit out. It isn't too bad, but I figured I'd mention it
Thanks for listening guys, this has been one of my favorite interview so far!...I hope you enjoy the show!
Here's Michael's Info:
- Website
- Warmup Course
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
For Todays Episode, I’m joined by Dr. Kelly Romero!
Dr. Romero (@drkellyromero) is a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor with clinic locations in Scottsdale and Chandler, Arizona. She is also a Certified Exercise Physiologist from the American College of
Sports Medicine. Her practice specializes in sports medicine, regenerative therapies, and hormone management.
Dr. Romero offers an integrative approach when combining modern medical science with natural alternative treatments. Her focus is to provide comprehensive and preventative care that meets the needs of each patient.
As an athlete herself, she has a passion for working with the athletic population and helping them achieve a higher level of sport performance. She provides individualized healthcare, so each patient can experience optimal health, longevity, and better quality of life.
In today’s episode we cover:
- Dr. Romero’s journey as a healthcare practitioner
- The importance of gut health and how It can impact athletic performance
- What are the most critical micronutrients for athletes are…including a deep dive into a couple of them
- What the different b/t food allergy and sensitivity is
- How eating seasonally can help optimize your nutrition
- What the difference in pro and prebiotics are and what you might look for when buying one
And of course, we cover so much more. I’ve worked w/ Dr. Romero in the past for some gut health issues and she has helped me tremendously.
I’m very happy that we were able to discuss some of these topics today because the areas of gut health and athlete nutrition are not understand very well.
We really only touch in the tip of the iceberg in this conversation, so a follow up podcast is definitely needed….In the meantime, I’ll link to all of Dr. Romero’s info so you can read her blogs and take a look at her content….I hope you enjoy the show!
Here is Dr. Romero's Info
- Website
- Linked In
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
Welcome to the Athlete Blueprint Podcast!...A podcast dedicated to long term athletic development and success!
For today's episode, I decided to do a something a little different...A solo episode. Just you and me!
Following my interview w/ Steph Allen on all things ACL (if you haven't listened to that one yet, here it is) I decided I wanted to do dive deep into a topic very personal to me..."My ACL Journey and Exploring Ecological Concepts in Injury Rehab"
As someone who has both personal and professional experience experience w/ ACL and rehab in general, I feel there are significant deficiencies in our current return to play model.
In my opinion, introducing Ecological concepts into our rehab programs can help "bridge the gap" and create better outcomes for our athletes. We look into all that today.
In this episode, I discuss:
- My personal ACL Journey
- Some of the inadequacies w/ current return to play programs
- The high incident of ACL re-tears
- Some Ecological Dynamics background and theory
- Some potential hurdles to an Ecological approach to rehab
- Some different KPI's to look for in rehabbing athletes
- How we can tie in perception and action into our return to play programs
- Some practical ways to introduce ecological concepts into our training sessions
And of course, we discuss so much more!
Here are the links to resources mentioned in the show:
- Emergence Website
- 2021 Sports Movement Skill Conference Recordings
- Perception and Action Podcast
- Study mentioned
- Movement Terminology Cheat Sheet (scroll down page)
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
Welcome to the Athlete Blueprint Podcast!...A podcast dedicated to long term athletic development and success!
For today's episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Steph Allen!
Steph has been a practicing physical therapist since 2014 and has been at Boston Physical Therapy & Wellness for the past 4 years. She specializes in, and absolutely loves ACL rehab in all its shapes and forms and has recently started her own virtual coaching business, ACLResolve. Which is designed specifically for individuals who are navigating through an ACL injury.
Steph is also the co-founder of CALU, a mentorship and continuing education platform for students and new graduates within the musculoskeletal rehab realm.
Steph is passionate about continuing education and demanding a higher standard of care in the musculoskeletal rehab industry.
In this episode, Steph and I discuss :
- our personal and progressional experience with ACL injuries
- We get Potential psychological impacts of an ACL injury
- We discuss how we as practitioners can empower our ACL athletes
- We discussed potential reasons for the high rate of ACL re-tears
- We go over some common ACL rehab myths
And of course, we discuss so much more!
As you'll find out, this episode is personal for both Steph and I as we both share a lot of experience with ACL injuries…Steph does a great job of sharing her knowledge and passion and we go in-depth in all things ACL. …I hope you enjoy the show!
Here are the links to Steph's info:
- ACL Resolve
- Boston PT and Wellness
- The Level Up Initiative
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
Welcome to the athlete blueprint podcast podcast dedicated to long-term athletic development and success!
For today's conversation, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kasey Crider. Kasey is the associate head coach for the University of Miami Women’s Volleyball team.
Kasey has been at Miami since 2015 and has helped lead them to resurgence as a program, including reaching the NCAA title game in 2017.
Prior to that, Kasey was an assistant coach at Stanford women’s volleyball, where he helped the them win the pac 12 championship and earn the #1 seed in the in the 2014 NCAA tournament.
As an athlete, Casey was a 2 time all American at Pepperdine and played a year professionally in Denmark
In this conversation, we discuss
- Kasey’s background as a coach and why the profression is so important
- We explore his Robert Frost moment
- How their approach at Miami effects recruiting
- Some advice for parents and coaches of young volleyball players
And of course we discuss so much more!
As you’ll notice, Kasey has a unique approach to coaching volleyball. His passion and insight clearly come through on this interview...I hope you enjoy the episode!
Kasey's Contact Info:
- Kasey's twitter
- Kasey's email: kc@miami.edu
- Miami Volleyball Website
- Miami Volleyball Instagram
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
- Instagram: @thecoachjav
- twitter: @thecoachjav
Dr. Steph Mundt is a physical therapist, running coach & strength coach in Phoenix, AZ. Her business Volante PT & Performance specializes in helping female runners return to training & racing without fear.
Steph has a special interest in helping to prevent and manage bone stress injuries in runners, particularly those with disordered eating or relative energy deficiency or RED-s as it is commonly known. She hopes to transform the management of pain, injury & training to foster a greater sense of resiliency & confidence in female runners, from adolescence through adulthood.
Guys I really enjoyed recording this episode w/ Steph. We get into a lot of topics here. We discuss:
- RED-S and potential effects on athletes and their performance
- Strength and conditioning considerations for runners or anyone working with runners
- Steph's personal journey with RED-S and how it affect her practice
Of course we get into much more than that. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did recording it....Enjoy the show!
Here's Steph's contact info:
- Website: volantept.com
As always, if you have any questions about the show, feel free to reach out to me!
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
- Instagram: @thecoachjav
- twitter: @thecoachjav
Welcome to The Athlete Blueprint!...A podcast dedicated to long term athletic development and success!
On today’s episode I had the pleasure of speaking with CJ Appenzeller of ATS strength in West Berlin, New Jersey.
CJ is a gym owner, a baseball performance coach, and high performance consultant for various Division one baseball programs…In addition CJ is an adjunct professor at Rowan University.
In my opinion guy, CJ is one of the best baseball performance coach is in the country and a go-to resource whenever I have questions about working with baseball athletes.
In our conversation we discuss:
- How to manage load in baseball athletes especially during these crazy COVID times
- We discuss what strength is and how it actually applies to the baseball field
- And how athletes can work through injuries effectively
- We even discuss who our favorite marvel superheroes are
We covered a lot of topics and I feel like it's an important episode for anyone who work with baseball athletes or parents of baseball athletes....Please enjoy the episode!
Below are the links for CJ's contact info...Reach out to him if you have questions. He'll be happy to discuss anything baseball related with you!
CJ's Contact Info:
- ATS Instagram
- Website
- Email: cj@atsstrength.com
As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
- Instagram: @thecoachjav
- twitter: @thecoachjav
Welcome to the athlete blueprint podcast podcast dedicated to long-term athletic development and success!
For today’s special episode I’ve got to get with me Tyler Yearby and Rich White from Emergence.
Tyler is the co-founder and co-director of education and Rich White is the Innovations Manager
Emergence is a movement skill education company that provides educational content and resources for skill acquisition coaches trainers sport coaches therapist and anyone interested in furthering their knowledge of sport movement
In today’s conversation we talk about a different way of viewing sport movement this varies quite a bit from some of the traditional models that we normally see in sports performance
Within this conversation we talk about a wide range of topics We discuss:
- What ecological dynamics is
- We compare and contrast a coach centered approach versus an athlete centered approach
- We discuss what exactly are constraints and what and they mean for coaches
- Why coaches should consider the environment when working with athletes
- Why we need to allow youth athletes to explore their environment
Of course we discussed so much more!
This episode does introduce some terminology that some people may be unfamiliar with so I went ahead and included some resources in the show notes, including a movement terminology cheat sheet from the team over at Emergence that should help you with some of the vocabulary if you unfamiliar with some of the terms! (see below)
I really enjoyed recording this episode and I feel like it’s an important one for anyone who works with athletes to listen to
Tyler and Rich have a wealth of knowledge and the hearts of teachers and I feel like it really comes through in this episode. ..I hope you guys enjoy the show!
Below is the links for all the stuff mentioned during the show. As always, if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to contact me:
- Email: javier@igniteperformance.net
- Instagram: @thecoachjav
- twitter: @thecoachjav
Movement terminology cheat sheet (scroll down a bit on the page)
Underpinnings course
Ecological dynamics for dummies course
Approaching the weight room from an ecological perspective
Welcome to The Athlete Blueprint Podcast!!...A podcast dedicated to long-term athletic development and success!!
For today's episode, I wanted to to take the time and introduce myself and tell you exactly what the Athlete Blueprint is. We cover:
- Who I am and my journey as a coach
- What the ABP is all about
- What makes the ABP different
- How we can embark on this journey together
If you guys have have any questions or ideas for future episodes, please feel to reach out to me on my social. It's @thecoachjav on both instagram and twitter.
You can also email me at javier@igniteperformance.net
Hope you enjoy the show!