Performance Strategies & Stumbles

In this episode of Real Coaches, Real Problems, there are no sets, no reps and no force plates. This one is about you as the practitioner. With athletes, we set the criteria before the moment, return-to-play markers, running progressions and traffic-light systems all exist so that the decision protects the athlete when the pressure is on. Yet so many coaches I mentor run themselves the opposite way, they agree a salary on the spot, say yes to extra work while the person asking is standing in front of them, and let the day decide how they feel when they walk through the front door. First is knowing your number. I explain how to work out your real hourly rate, why you should take facts rather than feelings into any pay conversation, how to negotiate the terms and not just the salary, and why you need to know your walk-away point before you walk in. Next is setting your criteria before any request lands. Before you say yes, ask three questions: what’s the deliverable, how long will it take, and how much of my role is this? I share a simple script for saying no, and explain how setting expectations early removes the guilt later. Finally, there’s deciding how your day ends. I cover the difference between replaying and reflecting, a five-step reflection you can use on your way home, and why “what happens if I do nothing until the morning?” is one of the most useful questions you can ask. They’re all linked. If you don’t know your value, you won’t set boundaries. If you don’t set boundaries, you can’t switch off. Make one of these decisions well and the others get easier. Want help building a clearer philosophy, sharper programme design or more confidence in the applied setting? Find out more about our mentorship here: https://collaboratesports.com/bespokementorship   Collaborate 360 Performance Workshops: Game Speed with Ruth Waghorn This episode is about making the right decision at the right time in your career. This workshop applies the same idea to movement. Our first regional workshop is on Wednesday 28th October, 6–9pm, at Hertfordshire Sports Village in Hatfield, led by Ruth Waghorn, Physical Performance Coach at the FA. It isn’t a night of new drills. It’s a coaching approach to game speed, built around the actions and behaviours that decide outcomes in your own sport. Only a few places are left.Book now: www.collaboratesports.com/workshops

In this episode of Real Coaches, Real Problems, it's just me again, unpacking a phrase I see written on session plans all the time: game speed. A coach I've mentored sent through a session labelled "game speed". It included cone drills, some reactive agility work and a small-sided game. When I asked which part was the game speed, he said, "all of it." The drills weren't bad, but none of them had all three things I think game speed needs: a real cue from the sport, the right movement solution, and the right moment to use it. I start by defining game speed as optimal speed, not maximal speed. Then I work through the three places I see it break down. First is the wrong stimulus: lights, numbers and coach calls that never show up in the match. I share the mistake I made with baseball pitchers, and the hands-behind-the-back defending we used in rugby sevens to give attackers a truer cue to read. Next is the wrong solution. A smaller winger kept getting caught using the same sidestep as a big, fast centre. Every athlete in a 360-degree sport needs to know whether they're exploiting space or creating it, and slower athletes will live far more in the "create" world. Finally, there's the right strategy at the wrong time. A netball centre had excellent footwork but was always a fraction late. I cover making timing the focus of feedback instead of effort, building in affordances to buy time, and using failed reps as your best coaching moment. I also explain why letting a 7v7 run is an exposure to chaos, not game speed coaching. Want help building a clearer philosophy, sharper programme design or more confidence in the applied setting? Find out more about our mentorship here: https://collaboratesports.com/bespokementorship Collaborate 360 Performance Workshops: Game Speed with Ruth WaghornIf this episode has you rethinking your sessions, this is the room to be in. Our first regional workshop is on Wednesday 28th October, 6–9pm, at Hertfordshire Sports Village in Hatfield. It's led by Ruth Waghorn, Physical Performance Coach at the FA. It isn't a night of new drills. It's a coaching approach to game speed: you'll identify the actions and behaviours that decide outcomes in your own sport, whether that's football, netball, rugby, tennis or anything else, and build your sessions around them. You learn by doing, in one room with one specialist, close to home. Places are limited. Book now: www.collaboratesports.com/workshops

In the first episode of Real Coaches, Real Problems, a new series from Performance Strategies and Stumbles, it's just me, Dan Howells. I spend much of my week mentoring S&C coaches, sports scientists and practitioners in academies, pro clubs and private practice, and the same problems keep coming up across different sports and countries. In this series I share those real stories, kept anonymous, along with what we tried and what actually helped. I'm starting with speed. First, diagnosing a sprint before you prescribe a drill. A coach I worked with spotted ten faults in a young rugby player and wanted to fix them all at once, but eight cues for eight fixes will fix nothing. I explain how to work out whether the problem is neuromuscular, coordinative, structural or cognitive, and why sticking with one priority for four to five weeks made the difference. From there I look at plyometric dosing. Good exercises often get prescribed at too low a volume or intensity to change anything, or in the wrong direction for the problem you're trying to solve. I also cover how one coach brought sprinting back after a congested fixture run: using "waterfall" starts to stop athletes racing each other, and calling it a speed "dose" rather than an "exposure" so players hear protection, not risk. Finally, I share what happened when a new plyometric block was rolled out without getting the rest of the staff on board. The programme was sound, but when niggles appeared it became the obvious thing to blame. Speed work doesn't just live on the track or in the gym. It lives in the relationships around it. Want help building a clearer philosophy, sharper programme design or more confidence in the applied setting? Find out more about our mentorship here: https://collaboratesports.com/bespokementorship Collaborate 360 Performance Workshops: now regionalAfter Collaborate 360 in London, it was clear that one day in one city wasn't enough. So we've launched regional, single-topic workshops built on the same learning model: you learn by doing. There's one specialist coach, one room of practitioners, and it's close enough to home that going deep doesn't cost you a full day of travel. Our first workshop is on Wednesday 28th October at Hertfordshire Sports Village. The focus is game speed, and it's led by Ruth Waghorn from the FA. It's the perfect next step after this episode. More regions will be announced soon. Early bird pricing is open now. Book your place: www.collaboratesports.com/workshops

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, Tom Clark is back to talk about the stumbles from his career. Last week we covered jet lag and travel fatigue. This week Tom looks at his move into self-employment, the mistakes he made along the way and what they taught him. We start with why talking about mistakes is uncomfortable, and why it matters anyway. Tom is open about the pressure that comes with working for yourself, especially the pull to say yes to every client and take on more than you can deliver well. He explains how working with experts in other fields improved the service he could offer, and why setting clear expectations with clients from the start saves a lot of problems later. From there we talk about what practitioners can learn from sports outside their own, and why understanding optimal performance means spending time in lots of different environments. Tom also talks about imposter syndrome. For him it became a reason to keep learning rather than something that held him back. Across the whole conversation, Tom keeps coming back to investing in yourself. Self-employment is full of learning opportunities, and the time you spend on your own development is what keeps you relevant and pays off over the long term. To see how Tom's company Phaze helps teams and organisations optimise travel and jet lag performance, visit www.phaze-app.com/ Collaborate 360 Performance Workshops: now regional After Collaborate 360 in London, it was clear that one day in one city wasn't enough. So we've launched regional, single-topic workshops built on the same learning model: you learn by doing. There's one specialist coach, one room of practitioners, and it's close enough to home that going deep doesn't cost you a full day of travel. Our first workshop is on Wednesday 28th October at Hertfordshire Sports Village. The focus is game speed, and it's led by Ruth Waghorn from the FA. More regions will be announced soon. Early bird pricing is open now. Book your place: www.collaboratesports.com/workshops

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Tom Clark. Tom spent 13 years as a performance coach in motorsport and Formula One, looking after the sleep, training, nutrition and recovery systems that keep a driver's output steady across a season that seems designed to wear them down. He holds a professional doctorate from Liverpool John Moores University focused on jet lag and travel fatigue in elite motorsport, and he has since founded Faze, a jet lag and travel performance platform used across Formula One, the Premier League, the NFL, World Athletics and more. We start by separating two things that usually get lumped together. Jet lag is a desynchronisation problem: the body clock is out of step with local time, and it shows up as irritability, poor sleep and impaired performance. Travel fatigue is the body's response to the stress of travelling itself, and it can build up even when no time zones are crossed. Treat one as the other and you end up solving the wrong problem. From there, Tom explains why travelling east is a much tougher physiological ask than travelling west, and covers the two biggest levers coaches actually have: light exposure and sleep pressure. We talk about why flight timing alone can decide whether athletes adjust smoothly or lose days to disrupted sleep, why pre-adjustment is so hard to deliver in a team setting, and how the first night effect can undermine even a well-managed trip. The thread running through all of it is individualisation. Athletes have different sleep patterns and chronotypes, so a single travel plan for the whole squad will suit some of them and cost others. We finish on the mistakes Tom sees teams make when they treat travel as a logistics problem rather than a performance one. Tom is back next week to share the stumbles from his career and what you can learn from his mistakes. Before then, do check out how his company Phaze is supporting teams and organisations to optimise performance in this area: www.phaze-app.com/ Collaborate 360 Performance Workshops: now regional After Collaborate 360 in London, it was clear that one day in one city wasn't enough. So we've launched regional, single-topic workshops built on the same learning model: you learn by doing. There's one specialist coach, one room of practitioners, and it's close enough to home that going deep doesn't cost you a full day of travel. Our first workshop is on Wednesday 28th October at Hertfordshire Sports Village. The focus is game speed, and it's led by Ruth Waghorn from the FA. More regions will be announced soon. Early bird pricing is open now. Book your place: www.collaboratesports.com/workshops

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Jonas Dodoo for a conversation that has less to do with method than with the thing underneath it: how a coach actually learns, and how much of that learning arrives as a mistake you didn't see coming. We start where most coaching education doesn't, with the early stumbles. Not the tidy version told in hindsight, but the decisions that cost something at the time and only made sense years later. Jonas is open about his, and the pattern that emerges is worth sitting with — the errors rarely came from not knowing enough, they came from communicating badly or committing too early. From there we get into communication as a skill in its own right rather than a soft add-on to the real work. Feedback is the clearest example: whether it's constructive has as much to do with how it lands as how it's delivered, and a coach who hasn't considered the receiver's position is essentially guessing. That runs straight into the line between directing an athlete and empowering one, and how easily practitioners drift to one side without noticing they've done it. The part I keep coming back to is his case for inquiry. Understanding methods you don't use, and being able to argue for them, is not a detour from developing your own philosophy — it is the thing that develops it. The alternative is over-commitment, where belief in a system quietly starts limiting the athlete in front of you, and Jonas is direct about how often that happens and what it costs. Context matters here too: what counts as good coaching is partly defined by the environment you're standing in, which is why adaptability travels better than loyalty to a model. We finish on the long game, what injuries and setbacks teach that a well-run block never will, and why the practitioners who develop fastest tend to be the ones who stayed somewhere long enough to live with the consequences of their own decisions. Stay up to date about our future performance workshops!Get first access to upcoming workshops built for high performance coaches and practitioners. Real-world skills, applied immediately. Click here to learn more https://collaboratesports.activehosted.com/f/79

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Jonas Dodoo, a speed specialist whose work sits at the point where multi-directional speed, deceleration and change of direction stop being a collection of drills and start being a set of principles you can actually coach from. Jonas works from four core principles, and the first does most of the heavy lifting: forces in the right direction. Not more force, not harder force, force applied where the task in front of the athlete actually needs it. A lot of what gets diagnosed as a speed problem turns out to be an orientation problem, and once you see it that way the session you write looks different. From there we get into what has to hold for any of that to transfer. Pelvic and trunk control comes up repeatedly, less as a stability buzzword than as the thing that decides whether force reaches the ground in a useful shape or leaks out sideways. Then load management and pre-tension, how you prepare tissue to accept force rather than absorb it by accident, which is where the injury conversation and the performance conversation stop being separate topics. The part I keep coming back to is his framework for diagnosis: is this a physical limitation or a co-ordinative one? Can the athlete not produce the force, or can they not organise it? Get that wrong and you spend a block in the gym on a problem that was never in the gym. Jonas is clear that most common coaching mistakes trace back to skipping that question, and he's blunt about the misconceptions that keep circulating in the deceleration and change-of-direction space. We finish on the long game, how coaching relationships and mentorship compound over years, and why the practitioners who develop fastest tend to be the ones who stayed somewhere long enough to see the consequences of their own decisions. Stay up to date about our future performance workshops!Get first access to upcoming workshops built for high performance coaches and practitioners. Real-world skills, applied immediately. Click here to learn more https://collaboratesports.activehosted.com/f/79

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Tim Roberts  Sports Medicine Manager at UFC Performance Institute, Mexico City for a conversation about the road that got him there: the countries, the systems, the athletes, and the mistakes he still thinks about years later. This one leans into the stumbles. Tim is unusually willing to name his own a diagnosis he got wrong, a rehab that didn't hold, decisions he'd make differently now that he can see the whole arc of a career rather than the week in front of him. What comes out of it isn't a list of errors so much as a way of working: he talks about loading aggressively within safe limits, and it's clear that position was earned by having once been too cautious and watching what that cost an athlete. The failures are where his practice actually got built. A big thread here is what happens when you move. Working across different international settings sounds glamorous until you land somewhere and realise the model that made you effective in the last place doesn't transfer — the medical system works differently, the club structure works differently, the expectations of what a practitioner is even for work differently. Tim's argument is that the first job in a new environment isn't to improve it, it's to understand it: how referrals actually happen, who holds the trust, what "normal" looks like locally. Cultural adaptation, in his telling, is less about language than about knowing whose system you've walked into. From there we get into leadership how he learned to give and receive feedback, how trust with coaches and athletes gets built long before an injury forces the issue, and what changes when you're responsible for a team rather than a caseload. He's candid about the parts of that transition nobody prepares you for. There's a real thread of humility running through this conversation. Tim's practice looks the way it does because of the places he's worked and the things that went wrong in them, and he's more interested in what he's still getting wrong than in defending what he's already learned. Stay up to date about our future performance workshops! Get first access to upcoming workshops built for high performance coaches and practitioners. Real-world skills, applied immediately. Click here to learn more https://collaboratesports.activehosted.com/f/79

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Tim Roberts — Sports Medicine Manager at UFC Performance Institute, Mexico City — for a conversation about rehabilitation in combat sport and what it actually takes to get a fighter back to competing. At the heart of this conversation is a deliberate shift in language: return to fight, not return to play. It sounds like semantics until you sit with what a fight actually demands — a weight cut, a date that can't move, an opponent whose job is to find the thing you've just rehabbed. Tim's argument is that if the language doesn't reflect the end point, neither will the process. Rather than starting with protocols, he starts with the impairment itself and what the athlete is actually being asked to return to. We get into the psychological side of rehab and why it isn't a bolt-on to the physical work — including how keeping an injured fighter around the gym protects the identity that injury tends to strip out. From there, Tim walks through the distinction between early and mid-stage rehab and why collapsing the two is where a lot of programmes come unstuck, how he thinks about structuring intensity and volume as the athlete progresses, the value of simulating fight situations rather than testing in clean conditions, and what a genuine set of return-to-fight criteria looks like when it accounts for physical, technical and mental readiness rather than just one of the three. He's also candid about the time pressure combat athletes carry compared to team-sport environments, where a missed camp isn't a missed weekend — and about the communication and collaboration between sports medicine staff and coaches that has to hold up under it. There's a real thread of humility running through this conversation — the sense that good rehab is less about owning a protocol than about asking better questions of the athlete in front of you, and Tim's point that mentorship in this space is worth more to a practitioner than almost anything else they can go looking for. Episode Sponsor — Absolute Performance This episode is supported by Absolute Performance — gym facilities designed to inspire, built to perform. Absolute Performance design and build performance spaces that push boundaries, set standards, and inspire greatness, maximising potential and performance for people and teams in every space they touch. Their website is HERE. Stay up to date about our future performance workshops! Get first access to upcoming workshops built for high performance coaches and practitioners. Real-world skills, applied immediately. Click here to learn more https://collaboratesports.activehosted.com/f/79

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined again by Tom Clough for a conversation about the mistakes that have shaped our careers and in particular, the ones that happen in the interview room. At the heart of this one is a reframe that runs through everything Tom says: mistakes should shape us, not define us. Interviews get treated as a test you pass by being composed and measured, when in practice they're a very short window in which energy, passion and authenticity do most of the work. Tom is candid about how often that got him early on how a demeanour he thought read as calm and considered was interpreted as disinterest, and how many opportunities went elsewhere before he understood what was actually being assessed. From there we get into the practical side of that: why preparation isn't about scripting answers but about being able to recall the right examples under pressure, and why role-playing common questions out loud, with someone else, not in your head, is the difference between having the experience and being able to convey it. Tom also turns the lens the other way and looks at the interviewer's job, which is harder than it's given credit for, especially online where building any genuine connection in forty-five minutes is a real challenge. He's not sparing about job descriptions either, and makes a strong case that the rigid, sprawling, twenty-point person specification is quietly filtering out exactly the candidates you'd want to meet. The conversation lands on feedback, giving it and asking for it and the argument that it's a gift rather than a verdict. It's the thing most likely to fast-track a change you'd otherwise take years to make on your own, and Tom's willingness to talk openly about where he got it wrong is the clearest illustration of that in the episode.   Stay up to date about our future performance workshops! Get first access to upcoming workshops built for high performance coaches and practitioners. Real-world skills, applied immediately. Click here to learn more https://collaboratesports.activehosted.com/f/79

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Tom Clough — Head of Performance at Newcastle Red Bulls — for a conversation about systems thinking and what it actually looks like in a performance sport environment. At the heart of this conversation is a simple but powerful reframe: systems thinking isn't a problem-solving technique, it's a way of seeing. Most of what we treat as problems are really symptoms of interactions we haven't mapped — and until you look at the whole system rather than its individual parts, you end up solving the wrong thing well. Rather than starting with solutions, Tom starts with the question of whether the problem has even been correctly identified — and this episode is a detailed look at what that philosophy involves in practice. We get into why identifying the actual problem is harder and more valuable than generating answers to it, and why the instinct to simplify a complex problem is so often the thing that keeps it unsolved. From there, Tom walks through feedback loops and how they shape behaviour in a department whether or not anyone is paying attention to them, the practical use of causal loop diagrams to get those interactions out of your head and onto paper where a group can interrogate them, and the role leadership plays in building a culture where this kind of thinking is possible rather than theoretical. He also makes the case for collaboration as a genuine input to better decision-making, not a nice-to-have. There's a real thread of curiosity running through this conversation — the idea that practitioners don't need better answers so much as deeper questions about the environments they work in, and that awareness of how the parts interact tends to do more for outcomes than any single intervention. Episode Sponsor — Absolute Performance This episode is supported by Absolute Performance — gym facilities designed to inspire, built to perform. Absolute Performance design and build performance spaces that push boundaries, set standards, and inspire greatness, maximising potential and performance for people and teams in every space they touch. Their website is HERE. Stay up to date about our future performance workshops! Get first access to upcoming workshops built for high performance coaches and practitioners. Real-world skills, applied immediately. Click here to learn more https://collaboratesports.activehosted.com/f/79

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined again by Peter Hughes — a rehabilitation specialist at the Gallagher Chiefs in New Zealand — this time for a conversation about the mistakes that shaped him. At the heart of it is a reframe that runs against how most practitioners are trained to operate: mistakes aren't something to be minimised or hidden, they're the primary mechanism by which you actually get better. Peter is refreshingly open about his own, and this episode is a detailed look at what he took from them. We get into the early-career trap of believing more is always better, and why that belief is so seductive for young coaches. Peter walks through the single stressor approach in rehab — why isolating one variable at a time is often the only way to know what's actually driving a problem — and how he manages expectations with coaches when athlete welfare and selection pressure pull in opposite directions. He also makes the case for mentorship as a genuine accelerator, and for self-reflection and journaling as practical defences against confirmation bias. There's a real thread of humility running through this conversation — the idea that trust with athletes is built through genuine care rather than technical credentials, and that a team culture only grows when people are willing to challenge each other respectfully and be challenged in return.

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Peter Hughes — a rehabilitation specialist at the Gallagher Chiefs in New Zealand, whose role uniquely combines physiotherapy with strength & conditioning to deliver a truly performance-driven approach to rehab. At the heart of this conversation is a simple but powerful reframe: rehabilitation isn't just about restoring what was lost — it's one of the biggest opportunities for performance gains an athlete will ever have. Rather than treating rehab as a holding pattern, Peter builds programs designed to return athletes better than they were before injury — and this episode is a detailed look at what that philosophy involves in practice. We get into why understanding the injury mechanism is the foundation of effective rehab, including assessing the movement patterns that existed before the injury ever occurred. From there, Peter walks through his approach to intensity in rehab (and why it doesn't simply mean adding load), the value of early exposure to game-like scenarios for reintegration, and how he isolates individual qualities before integrating them back into the whole. He also makes the case for why movement quality is so often sacrificed for quantity — and what a whole-system approach to rehabilitation really looks like. There's a real thread of pragmatism running through this conversation — the idea that the best rehab plan isn't the one that simply clears an athlete to return, but the one that restores, rebuilds, and enhances their capabilities so they're genuinely ready for the demands of the game. Episode Sponsor — VALD Performance This episode is supported by VALD Performance — makers of the NordBord, ForceFrame, ForceDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training. Their website is HERE. Collaborate 360 — Our First In-Person Event Collaborate 360 is coming this July. A full day built around applied practice, group thinking, and getting hands-on with technology that can genuinely change how you work. If you want to be in the room, see what we have planned and grab your ticket HERE!

What happens when a coach is willing to admit what they got wrong? In this episode, Les Spellman, founder of Spellman Performance, opens up about the mistakes that shaped his coaching — and why vulnerability, not certainty, has been the real driver of his development. Having worked with athletes across the NFL, NCAA, MLB and Olympic sport, Les has earned the right to be confident in his methods, which makes his honesty about where he's got it wrong all the more valuable. At the heart of the conversation is the danger of rigidity — how being too wedded to targets, technology and technical drills can quietly hold athletes back. Les reflects on his early mistakes in speed training and the shift towards a more holistic approach, including the role of eccentric work in keeping athletes fast and healthy. We also get into why context is everything in performance training, how feedback from teams has sharpened his coaching, and the often-overlooked challenge of hiring and managing staff in the private sector — and what it takes to build an environment where both athletes and coaches thrive. Output Sports are the sponsors of today's episode. One portable sensor, one platform — helping coaches test, track and programme athletes with velocity-based training and real-time performance assessment. They'll be at Collaborate 360 this July, so if you're coming along, you'll have the chance to get hands-on with the technology in person. If this episode got you thinking about how you reflect on and evolve your own coaching, that's exactly the territory we'll be exploring at Collaborate 360 in July.  Early bird tickets have sold out, but if you're a listener of the pod, use the code event25 at checkout before the end of the month and you'll get that early bird price. Link below. Collaborate 360 tickets: www.collaboratesports.com/360 Enjoy the episode!

In this speed episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Les Spellman — a speed coach who has built a systematic approach to speed training and physical preparation for football athletes, with a particular focus on preparing players for the realities of training camp and the season ahead. At the heart of this conversation is a simple but powerful reframe: training tolerance matters more than raw speed gains. Rather than chasing numbers on a timing gate, Les builds structured microcycles designed to prepare athletes for the actual demands they'll face — and this episode is a detailed look at what that planning process really involves. We get into microcycle design for football athletes — how Les balances volume, intensity, and recovery across the week, the specific drills and session structures he uses, and how constraints and coaching cues shape movement without over-coaching it. From there, Les walks through his approach to periodization for NFL players, what progressive overload looks like in a speed context, how sport-specific conditioning and contact prep fit into the plan, and the metabolic and endurance considerations that often get overlooked in speed-dominant programs. There's a real thread of pragmatism running through this conversation — the idea that the best training plan isn't the one that produces the biggest gains in isolation, but the one that builds athletes who can tolerate, absorb, and express their qualities when the demands of camp and season arrive. Episode Sponsor — 1080 Motion This episode is supported by 1080 Motion — the industry leader for motorised resistance in high performance sport. 1080's technology gives elite practitioners the ability to create precise and unique loading such as overspeed, eccentric overload, and isokinetics straight from a screen, with instant insights from athlete outputs and profiling. From speed to strength to return-to-play, 1080 Motion has everything you need to truly drive performance.Their website is HERE. 1080 Motion will also be running a dedicated learning zone at Collaborate 360 in July — our first in-person event. Tickets are available now, link below. Collaborate 360 — Our First In-Person Event Collaborate 360 is coming this July. A full day built around applied practice, group thinking, and getting hands-on with technology that can genuinely change how you work. If you want to be in the room, see what we have planned and grab your ticket HERE!

Tim Kettenring doesn't hold back in this episode. We go all the way back to the early days of his coaching career - the arrogance he carried in, the relationships he damaged, and a job he lost because of it. It's the kind of honest reflection that's rare in this industry, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. What makes Tim's story particularly valuable is how he traces the turning point. Not a single lightbulb moment, but a slow and sometimes painful process of looking inward — recognising that the reason he wasn't in coaching wasn't down to bad luck or circumstances, it was down to him. We talk about the absence of structured mentorship, his sensitivity to feedback and how that kept him stuck, and the moment he started seeking it deliberately - and what happened when he asked for too much of it. We also get into programming and how a support network for sense-checking ideas should always be proactive rather than reactive to avoid mistakes. The episode closes with a moment from Tim's time in professional rugby that might be the most memorable of the whole conversation. Tim describes how a single comment changed his entire approach, moving from a mindset of authority to one of collaboration, and realising that how athletes feel and the trust they place in you matter far more than any session you could design. This episode is sponsored by TeamBuildr - the platform for strength and conditioning coaches to programme, track, and communicate with their athletes. Coaches attending Collaborate 360 in July get a full month of free access. To get your tickets to our first in-person live set of workshops, visit www.collaboratesports.com/360 We'd love to see you there! Enjoying the podcast? Then please consider leaving a review or sharing on your social networks!

Multi-directional speed is one of the most talked-about qualities in performance sport - but is it one of the most misunderstood? In this episode, Tim Kettenring, President of Maverick Human Performance (https://www.instagram.com/tim_kettenring/) makes the case for why so much speed development work misses the mark, and what a more principled approach actually looks like. With over a decade of experience working across developmental and professional sport, Tim has a gift for getting to the root of what drives genuine speed improvement — and this conversation is a clear example of that. At the heart of Tim's framework is the plyo step — a linking movement that he argues underpins everything else in multi-directional speed. From there, we explore why every change of direction should be understood as a restart for acceleration, and how that reframe changes the way you coach and cue. We also get into the role of perception and action in speed development, how these principles translate to the specific demands of baseball, and why video feedback remains one of the most underused tools for coaches working in this space. Output Sports are the sponsors of today's episode. One portable sensor, one platform — helping coaches test, track and programme athletes with velocity-based training and real-time performance assessment. They'll be at Collaborate 360 this July, so if you're coming along, you'll have the chance to get hands-on with the technology in person. If this episode got you thinking about how you design sessions around speed and skill acquisition, that's exactly the territory we'll be exploring at Collaborate 360 in July. Our design section, led by Matt Sayce, will give you the chance to work through better, within-session decision-making in a room full of great coaches. Early bird tickets have sold out, but if you're a listener of the pod, use the code event25 at checkout before the end of the month and you'll get that early bird price. Link below. Collaborate 360 tickets: www.collaboratesports.com/360 Enjoy the episode!

In this stumbles episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined again by Jesse Green — a sports scientist whose career has taken him from Australian rules football academies to the NBA and NHL — to explore the mistakes and learning experiences that have shaped how he operates as a practitioner. This isn't a conversation about failure for its own sake. It's about what happens when you're willing to look honestly at the moments that didn't go to plan — and use them as a reference point for how you develop. Jesse covers three distinct stumbles across different stages of his career, each one revealing something important about programming, bias, and how we manage the people around us. The first takes us back to his early days working with the Brisbane Lions Academy, where a lack of deloading before a key fitness test meant that months of solid conditioning work didn't show up in the results. It's a story about assumptions, the pressure of performance KPIs, and the cost of not asking for help when you need it. The second moves to his time at the Sacramento Kings, where a recency bias towards heavy bilateral loading — driven by research he'd been reading — led to a significant back spasm in a player whose anatomy simply wasn't suited to that stimulus. It's a sharp reminder that what works for you, or what you've just read, isn't always what the athlete in front of you needs. The third examines the challenges of middle management — specifically, what happens when you give a practitioner genuine autonomy to develop a new testing protocol, sign off on it without enough scrutiny, and then watch it fall apart in practice. Jesse unpacks the concept of fail-safe experiments: how to give coaches real ownership within a structure that protects both them and the athletes, and what he would do differently to ensure the fail is genuinely safe before anything reaches the floor. There's an honest thread running through all of it — that mistakes are rarely the result of carelessness. They tend to happen when capable people are moving fast, trying to prove themselves, and not yet asking enough of the right questions. What matters is what you do with them. This episode is supported by TeamBuildr — strength and conditioning software built for coaches who take programme design seriously. TeamBuildr gives you the tools to build, deliver, and track training across your entire athlete group in one platform. If you're spending more time building spreadsheets than building athletes, it's worth exploring. Collaborate 360 — Our First In-Person Event Collaborate 360 is coming this July. A full day built around applied practice, group thinking, and getting hands-on with technology that can genuinely change how you work. You can get your tickets via this LINK.

In this strategy episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Jesse Green — a sports scientist who has developed a rigorous, systematic approach to athlete profiling, with a particular focus on ice hockey and the injury challenges that come with it. At the heart of this conversation is Jesse's closed-loop process — assess, profile, prescribe, and monitor — and how applying that framework with genuine depth can transform the way you understand and support athletes. Rather than accepting the tools and systems already available, Jesse identified a gap, went looking for answers, and built something better. This episode is a detailed look at what that process actually involved. We get into the groin injury problem in ice hockey — how Jesse identified it as the key issue to address, the research and collaboration that followed, and what the understanding of the sport's anatomy and biomechanics revealed about why existing profiling systems were falling short. From there, Jesse walks through how he developed a new assessment framework from the ground up, what effective prescription looks like when it's genuinely tailored to individual athlete needs, and how monitoring every two weeks using force frame data allowed him to adjust strategies and anchor expectations to the adaptation process rather than guesswork. There's a real thread of intellectual honesty running through this conversation — the idea that it sometimes takes an adverse situation to prompt the kind of investigation that should probably have happened sooner, and that the minimum effective dose approach, when applied thoughtfully, can be one of the most powerful tools a practitioner has. Episode Sponsor — 1080 Motion This episode is supported by 1080 Motion — the industry leader for motorised resistance in high performance sport. 1080's technology gives elite practitioners the ability to create precise and unique loading like overspeed, eccentric overload, and isokinetics straight from a screen, with instant insights from athlete outputs and profiling. From speed to strength to return-to-play, 1080 Motion has everything you need to truly drive performance. Their website is HERE. Collaborate 360 — Our First In-Person Event Collaborate 360 is coming this July. A full day built around applied practice, group thinking, and getting hands-on with technology that can genuinely change how you work. Early bird discount tickets are still available — link to join us HERE.

In this Stumbles episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined again by Thomas Dos'Santos to explore the mistakes and learning experiences that have shaped his approach as a practitioner and researcher in sports performance. Tom reflects on what it felt like to walk into situations badly underprepared early in his career, and the lasting impact that had on how he approaches his work now. He shares honest lessons from his time coaching in para football — an environment that challenged his assumptions about athlete needs and pushed him to think differently about engagement and communication. We also get into the cost of saying yes to too much, how spreading yourself across too many commitments can quietly compromise the quality of everything you're doing. There's a thread running through all of it about the art of coaching — and what it actually takes to bridge research and real-world practice in a way that genuinely serves the athletes in front of you. Episode Sponsor — Output Sports This episode is supported by Output Sports. Output help coaches test, track, and programme athletes using one portable sensor and one platform — built to give practitioners the tools they need to get the best out of their athletes. Through velocity-based training and real-time performance assessment, they help coaches make smarter, faster decisions — on the pitch, in the gym, wherever they work. See their product HERE Output Sports will be at Collaborate 360 this July, supporting the Decision Zone — where coaches will get hands-on with the technology and explore how to make within-session changes to programmes to ensure the goal and the stimulus for the athlete is being met at all times. Collaborate 360 — Our First In-Person Event Collaborate 360 is coming this July. A full day built around the kind of practical, collaborative thinking that moves you forward as a practitioner — with the Decision Zone, learning environments, and a room full of people who take their development seriously. Tickets are available now HERE.

Mastering Change of Direction: Technical Principles, Assessment and Training Frameworks — with Tom Dos Santos In this strategy episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined by Tom Dos Santos — a researcher and practitioner who has dedicated a significant amount of his work to understanding one of the most technically demanding qualities in sport: change of direction. This is a detailed, practical conversation that goes well beyond the surface level. Tom walks us through the core biomechanical principles that underpin effective change of direction, including the angle-velocity trade-off and the stress placed on the ACL during cutting manoeuvres — and why coaches need to understand this before they design a single drill. We get into how to approach needs analysis when entering a new sport, how to assess change of direction across multiple angles and actions rather than relying on a single test, and the role game analysis should play in shaping what we do in training. Tom also discusses how to build effective progressions and regressions, how technology is changing the way we evaluate these qualities, and why developing perceptual cues for anticipation is just as important as the physical output itself. If you work with athletes who need to move fast, change direction under pressure, and do it repeatedly without breaking down — this one is worth your full attention. Episode Sponsor — 1080 Motion This episode is supported by 1080 Motion — the industry leader for motorised resistance in high-performance sport. 1080's technology gives elite practitioners the ability to create precise and unique loading like overspeed, eccentric overload, and isokinetics straight from a screen, with instant insights from athlete outputs and profiling. From speed to strength to return-to-play, 1080 Motion has everything you need to truly drive performance. Check them out HERE. 1080 Motion will also be running a dedicated learning zone at Collaborate 360 in July — our first in-person event. Tickets are available now, link below. Collaborate 360 — Our First In-Person Event Collaborate 360 is coming this July. A full day bringing together practitioners from across high-performance sport, with 1080 Motion running a dedicated learning zone on the day. If you want to be in the room, see what we have planned and grab your ticket HERE!

In this Stumbles episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I'm joined again by James Nolan to explore the mistakes and learning experiences that have shaped his approach as a coach in high performance sport. Following on from our previous conversation around in-season strength and power development, this episode shifts the focus to the realities of professional growth — the moments where things went wrong, and what James has taken from them. James shares honest reflections from his time in Ireland and with the Welsh Rugby Union — from communication breakdowns and administrative errors to the gradual realisation of how much active listening and self-awareness matter in a coaching environment. He talks about the tension between being an energetic, engaging presence and staying true to the core principles of a programme, and why understanding how you come across to the people around you is just as important as what you know. Ultimately, this episode is about recognising that mistakes are part of the process — and that growth comes from how we reflect, adapt, and improve. If this episode has made you reflect on your own practice, our Collaborate Sports performance mentorship programmes are designed to support exactly that kind of development — you can find all the details here: https://collaboratesports.com/groupmentorship A big thanks to our sponsor once again, the IUSCA. Check out what they do HERE

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I sit down with James Nolan to explore how we should rethink in-season strength and power development, particularly in rugby. Too often, in-season training is framed as “maintenance.” In this conversation, James challenges that concept — arguing that if we’re not continuing to develop athletes, we may actually be doing them a disservice. Drawing on his experience in elite rugby environments, James shares how to approach in-season training with intent, structuring programmes around clear goals, and ensuring athletes continue to adapt despite the demands of competition. We discuss how to build training blocks across the season, how to balance intensity and volume within sessions, and why individualisation and communication across staff are essential for effective delivery. James also introduces the idea of using storytelling as a coaching tool, helping athletes better understand and buy into training, and explains how viewing the season as a series of “chapters” can help coaches plan more effectively. Ultimately, this episode is about shifting from simply maintaining performance to continually developing athletes within the constraints of competition. 🚀 Collaborate Sports Mentorship Programmes If this episode has challenged your thinking around programme design, in-season training, and athlete development, our Collaborate Sports performance mentorship programmes are designed to support that journey. 👉 Explore all mentorship programmes HERE: This episode is supported by the International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association (IUSCA). IUSCA are hosting the International Conference on Strength and Conditioning 2026 at Leeds Beckett University on Friday 5th June 2026, bringing together leading practitioners and researchers from across the world. Details HERE.

In this Stumbles episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I’m joined again by Dr Peter Tierney to explore the mistakes and learning experiences that have shaped his approach as a practitioner in sports science and coaching. Following on from our previous conversation around wearable technology, this episode shifts the focus to the realities of professional growth — the mistakes that happen in practice, and what we can learn from them. Peter shares how, early in his career, he found himself overcomplicating processes, trying to do too much rather than focusing on what truly mattered. Through experience, he learned the importance of simplicity, clarity, and effective communication, particularly when working within multidisciplinary teams and athlete environments. We also discuss the value of athlete feedback, the importance of addressing tension early within teams, and why removing emotion from professional discussions can lead to better collaboration and decision-making. Ultimately, this episode is about recognising that mistakes are part of the process - and that growth comes from how we reflect, adapt, and improve. As mentioned in the episode, if you are interested in joining the data skills mentorship with Shaun McLaren - click this link

In this strategy episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I sit down with Dr Peter Tierney to explore how wearable technology should be understood and integrated within modern performance environments. Peter is a sports scientist whose career spans elite sport, applied research, and performance technology innovation. He has previously worked within high-performance environments, including Leinster Rugby and The Football Association, supporting athlete monitoring and performance programmes. Alongside his applied work in sport, Peter holds a PhD in Sports Science, with additional research focusing on athlete monitoring, GPS analysis, and performance data interpretation. He now works within performance environments helping translate sports science insights into tools used by athletes and practitioners. This diverse background gives Peter a unique perspective on the rapid growth of wearable technology in sport—from HRV and sleep monitoring to recovery and readiness scores—and on the challenges practitioners face in interpreting these metrics meaningfully. In our conversation, we discussed why practitioners must understand what is happening under the hood of wearable metrics, rather than relying on simplified readiness scores or reacting to day-to-day fluctuations. Peter explains how wearable technology should sit within a broader monitoring ecosystem alongside tools such as GPS, load monitoring systems, and force plates, and why the key to good decision-making lies in understanding trends, context, and athlete feedback. A wukc thank you to our sponsor, the IUSCA - check out their conference in June HERE, and dont forget to sign up for our advanced data skills mentorship with Shaun McLaren if you are keen to transform wearable data into meaningful insights. We start in a few weeks. Sign up is HERE.

In this Stumbles episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I sit down with Stephanie Grubbs, Major League Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Houston Astros, to explore the early mistakes and leadership lessons that shaped her career. Steph reflects on getting overly focused on outcome goals, the challenges of transitioning into leadership roles, and the importance of emotional awareness, communication, and mentorship in high-performance environments. We discuss why listening matters, how to navigate difficult conversations, and why building a strong support network is critical for long-term development. A big thanks to our sponsor, The IUSCA, for this episode; they are also hosting the International Conference on Strength and Conditioning 2026, taking place at Leeds Beckett University on Friday, 5th June 2026. Get your tickets HERE If this episode has prompted you to think more intentionally about your development, our Collaborate Sports performance mentorship programmes are open. For the next week, you can receive 15% off any programme using the code: POD15 - check out our programs HERE Enjoy the episode!

In this strategy episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I’m joined by Stephanie Grubbs, Major League Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Houston Astros, to explore how microdosing strength training can be used effectively in elite team sport environments. Steph shares practical frameworks for dividing volume into shorter, more frequent exposures, adapting training around travel and competition demands, and applying what she calls fluid microdosing to remain agile while maintaining structure. We discuss dose-response relationships, communication with athletes, and how to align strength training with the realities of modern sport. You can also download a presentation resource she has shared with us (see the bottom of the show notes)! This episode is sponsored by the International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association (IUSCA). The IUSCA is hosting the International Conference on Strength and Conditioning 2026 at Leeds Beckett University on Friday 5th June 2026, featuring keynote presentations, practical sessions, and networking opportunities within the Carnegie School of Sport. You can join by buying tickets HERE. Our group mentorships are currently open for enrolment too - use the code 'pod15" for 15% off in the next 14days - see what we do HERE Lastly, here's that presentation from Stephanie - download HERE As always, if you enjoy the podcast, do share it in your community. Dan and the Collaborate Sports Team

In this Stumbles episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I’m joined again by Michael Gerhardy to explore the mistakes that have shaped his practice as a sports scientist working in applied performance environments. Michael reflects on early errors made in coaching, research, and sports science, including relying too heavily on statistical significance, misinterpreting data, and trying to analyse too many metrics at once. We discuss why concepts like P-values can be misleading without proper context, and why a “non-significant” finding can still provide valuable insight. We also talk about the importance of quality over quantity in both training and monitoring, how data overload can undermine good decision-making, and why coaches and sports scientists must work closely to ensure analysis actually supports performance. This episode is an honest conversation about learning through mistakes, developing better judgement, and focusing on meaningful metrics that inform real-world decisions. Check out https://runupperformance.com.au/ and also join our webinar next week by registering here if you liked what you heard!

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I’m joined by Michael Gerhardy, a sports scientist specialising in neuromuscular fatigue and applied workload monitoring. Michael holds a PhD in Applied Sport Science, where his research focused on neuromuscular fatigue and concurrent training. It was during this PhD work that a key idea emerged — the value of running-specific testing to better understand fatigue and workload, rather than relying on generic or non-specific measures. Michael is also the creator of RunUp Performance, a fatigue monitoring tool that uses raw IMU and GPS data to assess changes in running strategy associated with neuromuscular fatigue. His work helps teams move beyond simple workload totals and towards monitoring approaches that are task-specific, individualised, and practically meaningful. In our conversation, we discuss the challenges of workload monitoring in sport, why population norms can be misleading, and how metrics such as ground contact time can help inform smarter training decisions. We also explore how excessive neuromuscular demand or poorly managed high-speed running can interfere with training adaptations. This episode is about moving from data collection to better decision-making, and designing monitoring strategies that actually reflect the demands of running-based sports. Dont forget we have the webinar with Michael that you can join by registering HERE to join us on the 10th February. I am also holding 2x free mentoring sessions for anyone who hasn't experienced that type of work before, you can join us using links below: Thursday 29th January - register HERE Tuesday 3rd February - register HERE Hope to see you there Dan Howells

In this Stumbles episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I’m joined by Warren Bradley, founder of Hytro, to explore the mistakes and lessons that shaped his journey from working in professional sport to becoming an entrepreneur. Warren reflects on his early career as a performance nutritionist, where not fully understanding hierarchy and environment led to avoidable challenges. He shares how saying yes too often, consulting across multiple teams, and constant travel resulted in overextension and burnout. We then move into Warren’s transition into entrepreneurship — discussing early failures, the importance of market research, and how solving real problems in sport led to the creation of Hytro. Warren also speaks candidly about the role of self-care, delegation, and building a supportive team to create a sustainable working environment. This is an honest conversation about ambition, resilience, and learning from mistakes — offering valuable insight for practitioners in sport and anyone considering a move into entrepreneurship. Don't forget this is your last chance to apply for 6months of free mentorship. Submit your name HERE Please continue to share the pod if you like what you hear!

In this strategy-focused episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I am joined by Dr Warren Bradley, founder of Hytro and a leading specialist in Blood Flow Restriction (BFR). Warren has worked across professional sport, including roles with England teams, Munster Rugby, and football clubs such as Hull City and Derby County, and now combines applied practice with research and innovation through the company he founded, called Hytro. Together, we explore BFR as a performance strategy. The conversation breaks down how BFR can be used across preparation, training, and recovery, and why it remains an underutilised method in many high-performance environments. We dive into the physiological mechanisms underpinning BFR, including hypoxia and reactive hyperaemia, and discuss how wearable BFR technology has improved accessibility, safety, and real-world application. Warren also shares practical insights on progressive overload through pressure, effective protocols for performance and rehab, and how practitioners can apply BFR with greater intent. This episode is ideal for coaches, sport scientists, and practitioners looking to better understand what’s under the hood of BFR and how to use it responsibly and effectively. We also have a huge giveaway right now where you can win 6months mentorship on one of our Performance Group Mentorship programmes. Apply HERE if that is something you are interested in! Dan

In this Stumbles episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, Dan sits down once again with Pete McKnight, one of the most respected performance consultants and strategists in elite sport. This time, the conversation shifts from strategy to the mistakes that have shaped Pete’s leadership journey — the moments that taught him the most about people, communication, and team culture. Dan and Pete explore the often-overlooked topic of leadership stumbles, particularly around onboarding new staff and managing relationships with key stakeholders. Pete shares honest reflections on early-career missteps, including how power dynamics can unintentionally undermine new hires, why young practitioners can remain “the newbie” far too long, and the consequences of assuming alignment rather than building it. Together they break down why leaders must empower new staff from day one, communicate more deliberately, and create team environments where expectations, roles, and responsibilities are clear and shared. This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership is often learned through mistakes, and that reflective practice is essential for long-term growth. Don't forget if you're an emerging coach looking for career support, or know coaches who could benefit from our employability mentorship support. then do look to see what we offer HERE where you can apply for sponsored support from TeamBuildr (apply HERE) Enjoying the podcast? Please share across socials to help spread the word about the work we are doing!

In this strategy-focused episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, Dan sits down with Pete McKnight - one of the most respected performance consultants and strategists in elite sport. With nearly 25 years of experience across Olympic programmes, football, rugby, and motorsport, Pete is known for transforming how organisations structure their performance systems. Together, Dan and Pete explore the strategy behind developing sport science and medical teams, especially in emerging or developing club environments. They break down the auditing process, how to prioritise what’s essential versus what’s merely desirable, and how to build integrated systems that connect people, processes, and facilities. Pete introduces the principles behind his Performance Interplay framework and discusses the pivotal moments where strategic decisions shape long-term success - including cultural transitions, new ownership, major investment, and infrastructure upgrades. The conversation also touches on the realities of consultancy: understanding budgets, interviewing key staff, identifying gaps, and creating alignment across stakeholders. This episode is packed with practical insight for anyone working in performance systems, leadership, or sport science. Don't forget to apply for employability mentorship HERE if that is something you could benefit from, and our emails go out weekly offering performance advice that you are free to sign up for too, HERE!

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, we are again joined by Liam Connor, Head of Performance at Newcastle United Women’s Football Team. Together, we explore the importance of answering performance questions deliberately and accurately int his performance strategy episode. When we recorded this episode, Liam. was working with England Badminton. From his time there, he breaks down the common errors practitioners make — such as retrospectively trying to answer questions without the right data, overlooking critical variables, or jumping to conclusions that aren’t supported by evidence. We discuss why the process should always begin with the question, not the data, and how to identify exactly what information is needed to answer it properly. The conversation also highlights the importance of involving coaches and key stakeholders to ensure alignment, clarity, and practical relevance. Liam shares a powerful example from a project investigating how travel and extended periods away from the training environment influence physical markers and performance — including a noticeable drop after three weeks away. This episode is ultimately about intentionality, collaboration, and being proactive rather than reactive when tackling performance questions. Before diving in, listen to the details we share on our Future Ready Employability Mentorship, proudly sponsored by TeamBuildr — a 12-week FREE employability mentorship for 15 coaches, designed to help emerging coaches bridge the gap between education and employment through practical learning, self-awareness, and industry insights. Applications are now open by visiting: www.collaboratesports.com/sponsored We hope you are enjoying the return of the show! Are you signed up to our newsletter? If not, join us by clicking HERE - each week we send out advice for performance practitioners and share up and coming events!

Welcome back to the podcast! In this episode, Paul Talty joins us again and shares his experiences and reflections on the mistakes he has made throughout his coaching career. He emphasises the importance of balancing strength and conditioning training, the necessity of reflective practice, and the value of communication in program design. Paul discusses recent stumbles in his coaching, particularly in managing training loads for athletes, and offers advice for young practitioners to embrace their mistakes as learning opportunities. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Listen time - 29mins In this episode, Alan shares his stumbles and mistakes as a strength and conditioning coach. He discusses a hamstring strain injury and the lessons he learned from it. He reflects on the importance of preparing the nervous system and understanding that not all speed is equal. He also talks about programming mistakes, including a focus on linear periodization and force generation rather than force application. Alan shares his experience of trying to influence a program and the importance of choosing the right battles. Overall, the episode highlights the importance of continuous learning and adapting in the field of strength and conditioning. Lessons from the episode: Prepare the nervous system for high exertion and high-intensity running to prevent injuries. Not all speed is equal; consider the positions and movements that can lead to injury. Avoid focusing solely on force generation in the gym; prioritize force application in specific movement tasks. Choose your battles wisely when trying to influence a program; consider the relationships and dynamics within the team. Continuous learning and adaptation are essential in the field of strength and conditioning. If you are enjoying ht podcast, and want to benefit from additional weekly insights from Collaborate Sports, consider subscribing to our newsletter. Click the link HERE to find out how it will help you! Dan

Listen Time: 33mins In this conversation, I welcome Andrew Usher to discuss the importance of understanding oxygen utilization in sports performance. We challenge the traditional focus on VO2 max as a measure of aerobic capacity and highlight the significance of muscle extraction and utilisation of oxygen. We dig into the benefits of extracting oxygen quickly and efficiently and it being more important than the volume of oxygen consumed. Andrew shares his research findings on the impact of supermaximal training on mitochondrial function and oxygen utilization. We also discuss the implications of these findings for injury recovery and team sports performance. Takeaways VO2 max is not the sole determinant of aerobic capacity; muscle extraction and utilization of oxygen are equally important. The ability to extract oxygen quickly and efficiently is crucial for sports performance. Supermaximal training can significantly improve mitochondrial function and oxygen utilization. Understanding oxygen utilization can have implications for injury recovery and team sports performance. If this episode challenged you to rethink conditioning work in any way, consider checking out the "Clarity in Conditioning" mentorship we have just launched. Visit www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships As always, don't hesitate to reach out and hope you are enjoying the show! Dan

Listen Time 28mins Richard Husseiny shares his journey from the UK Sports Institute to working with Chinese diving teams in this Performance Strategies and Stumbles podcast episode. He reflects on the cultural differences, initial mistakes, and the importance of building relationships over making immediate impacts. Richard discusses the pressures of performance, the challenges of communication in a new environment, and the significance of self-awareness and personal fulfilment in coaching. He emphasises the need to overcome imposter syndrome and the importance of work-life balance, ultimately advocating for a collaborative coaching and career development approach. Some key talking points we cover: Transitioning to a new environment can reveal unexpected challenges. Cultural differences can significantly impact communication and collaboration. Building relationships is more important than making immediate impacts. Self-imposed pressure can hinder performance and decision-making. Imposter syndrome is common among coaches and practitioners. It's important to ask questions and seek clarity in your role. If you enjoyed the podcast, do like and share on your networks, and if you'd like to see more about the Group Mentorship work we do at Collaborate Sports, please visit www.collaboratesports.com Tune in again next week! Dan

Listen Time - 30mins In this episode, I interview Paul Talty about strength and power development for swimming. Paul was Head of Performance for Swim Ireland leading into Paris 2024 where they delivered medal-winning performances. We discuss Strength & Power development in swimmers and Paul emphasises that swimming is different from other sports due to the unique environment it takes place in.  Throughout this interesting episode you will experience the following takeaways from Pauls insight:  Swimming is different from other sports due to the unique environment it takes place in. Increasing mass and force production in swimming requires careful consideration, as excessive mass can hinder performance in the water.Identify specific areas for improvement, such as starts, turns, or free swimming speed, and tailor the training program accordingly. Focus on basic strength and conditioning principles and use a tier system to structure sessions. Consider the trade-off between emphasizing weaknesses and emphasizing strengths in the training program. Use swim-specific isometric strength training and exercises that mimic block starts to enhance transfer to the pool. Be mindful of the limited energy available to swimmers and avoid excessive fatigue from the strength and conditioning program. As mentioned in the episode, please take a look at both the group mentorships we are now enrolling practitioners for, on a first come first serve basis (www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships) and the great block article from Jordan Welsh (www.collaboratesports.com/blog/jordanwelsh) If you enjoyed the episode, feel free to like and share with those in your network! Dan

Listen Time - 27mins In this episode, I welcome Liam Connor to the podcast. Liam has a background in S&C and professional football, as well as his most recent roles at the UK Sports Institute.  Liam shares his experience of letting his ego get in the way and clashing with others, leading to conflicts and disputes. We also discuss the importance of respect, listening, and learning in resolving conflicts. Liam explores the relationship between strength and conditioning coaches and technical coaches, highlighting the need for mutual understanding and collaboration. We reflect on the importance of seeking external feedback and support in your personal development too! As mentioned in the outro, if you'd like to learn more about the Collaborate Sports Group Mentorship programmes, now open for enrollment please visit https://collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships to find out more I hope you enjoy the show! Dan

Listen time 29mins I welcome Alan Murdoch to the podcast to discuss his strategies towards rehab called Fast to Fit, which focuses on the underpinning physical qualities and coordination required for high-intensity actions in team sports. I have been a huge advocate of Alan's work for some time so it was great to finally get some time to hone in on his core principles! Some key takeaways from the show are: Takeaways Fast to Fit is a rehab approach that focuses on the physical qualities and coordination required for high-intensity actions in team sports. The development and tolerance of speed are prioritized in the rehab process.The 10-30 protocol is used to gradually build speed through upright running drills. Non-negotiables, such as no pain, no response, technical threshold of exectution, and physical outputs all guide decision-making in the rehab process. Game simulation is used to create conditioning sessions tailored to the athlete's strengths and weaknesses. Take a listen and do let us know what you think across social media! Alans online course "Fast to Fit" built in conjunction with Sportsmith can be found here: https://www.sportsmith.co/courses/fast-fit-a-speed-based-approach-to-lower-limb-rehab-and-training/ I hope you enjoy the show Dan

Listen time 54mins Welcome back to another episode of the podcast. A huge thanks to Gemini Sports who have sponsored this episode. Please check out www.geminisports.ai to see more about how they can help your organisation. In this conversation, Paul shares his journey from athlete to academic and coach, discussing the importance of individualisation in training and the lessons learned from his coaching mistakes. He emphasises the significance of understanding the physiological responses to high-intensity training and the concept of lactate spillover. The discussion also covers the evolution of HIIT Science and the introduction of Athletica, a tool designed to help athletes and coaches optimize training through data analysis and feedback. We cover:  Takeaways Individualization is crucial in coaching to avoid injuries. Understanding the athlete's background is essential for effective training. High-intensity training can lead to significant performance improvements if applied correctly. Mistakes in coaching can lead to valuable lessons and growth. Lactate spillover is linked to central nervous system stress and recovery needs. Technology can enhance coaching but should not replace the human element. Effective coaching requires a balance of prescription and communication. Please check out www.hiitscience.com and www.athletica.ai to see more of what we discuss in the pod. I hope you enjoy the episode and let me know what you think! Dan

This week we welcome back Shaun McLaren for his episode reflecting on mistakes and lessons learned in his career! In this conversation, Shaun shares two pivotal coaching mistakes. The first mistake was testing a player on day one of preseason with a repeated sprint test, which resulted in a severe hamstring injury. The second mistake was using high-speed running and sprinting exposure as risk factors for injury without considering the limitations of the data. Both mistakes taught Shaun the importance of being flexible and reactive in coaching, as well as the need to prioritise skill development and performance problem-solving over data-driven approaches. I hope you enjoy the episode, please share to your networks if you do! Dan

This week we welcome back Ivi for her strategy segment of the podcast. Our conversation discusses the importance of high-performance reflection processes for practitioners. Ivi shares her experience of using journaling and reflection to enhance her coaching effectiveness. She emphasises the need for practitioners to be present and aware of what is happening in their environment. She explains how she uses journal logs and Excel sheets to capture insights, player feedback, and common trends. Ivi also highlights the value of collaboration and communication among the coaching staff to connect the dots and take action based on reflections. She acknowledges the challenges of implementing reflection processes and the need for leaders to create a supportive environment for practitioners. We hope you enjoy the listen - and don't forget to check out our mentorships starting in under a month: www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships Dan

In this conversation, Ivi shares her experiences and lessons learned in her career as a strength and conditioning coach. She discusses the mistakes she made and the challenges she faced, including perfectionism, lack of confidence, and overanalysing everything. Ivi emphasises the importance of being authentic, listening to players, and finding a balance between meeting their needs and asserting what needs to be done. She also highlights the need for collaboration and communication among different departments in a performance environment. Overall, Ivi's journey showcases the importance of self-reflection, growth, and adaptability in the field of sports performance. A big thank you to FKpro for sponsoring this episode! FKpro is a versatile suspension training kit and is a training tool I have used for over 10 years. The company have forged great partnerships with several professional clubs and has become renowned for being the most versatile suspension training equipment out there, because of their unique attachments that can be used with the equipment. Please do check out their website here (www.fkpro.co.uk) to see the equipment. You can purchase using the collaborate sports discount 'CS20' to receive 20% off your purchase! Please don't forget our mentorship programmes are only on sale till the end of this week - check them out here - www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships  I hope you enjoy the listen! Dan

Listen Time -31mins In this episode, Sponsored by Gemini Sports Analytics, Dr Shaun McLaren joins us to talk about data skills. Shaun is an S&C coach and sports scientist at Newcastle Falcons, and mentors on the Collaborate Sports Data Skills Group Mentorships! Knowing how phenomenal he is with this work, I had to get him on the pod! Shaun emphasises the importance of data in measuring and improving performance, but also highlights the need for coaches to rely on their intuition and experiential knowledge. We discuss the challenges of collecting and analysing data, and the importance of effective communication in conveying insights to coaches and athletes. Shaun also provides an overview of different data analysis tools, from spreadsheets to code-based solutions. A big thanks to Gemini Sports Analytics for sponsoring today's episode. Gemini is a sports-specific AI Cloud and automated machine learning application that is already being used by professional and collegiate sports teams and organisations across the NFL, European football, the NCAA, and more, Gemini allows you to transform data and insights to optimize squad management, tactics and player performance.  If you'd like to see more, visit geminisports.ai If you enjoyed our talk on data, you may be interested in our Data Skills Group Mentorships – check out the pathway content here: www.collabortaesports.com/data We hope you enjoy the listen!

Listen Time: 29mins In this episode, we welcome back Craig Turner to share two key reflections on mistakes made in his career and how they helped him to develop. The first lesson is about the importance of authentic communication, honesty, and punctuality. Craig recalls a time when he was late for practice and didn't communicate properly with his coach....listen to the outcome of that event! The second lesson is about the dangers of collecting too much data without a clear purpose. Craig discusses how his team at Nike Academy had access to various sports performance monitoring technologies but struggled to make sense of the data. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of effective communication and purposeful data collection in the field of sports science. A big thanks to LTAD network for their sponsorship of the episode AND their generous discount code for listeners to use to book tickets to their fantastic conference on June 1st and 2nd. Book here using the discount code 'collabpodcast' for 15% off tickets! Do also visit www.collaboratesports.com to see our free "Data Decoded" webinar next week and what our other personal development opportunities involve! Enjoy the listen! Dan

Listen Time: 30mins - Sponsored by FK Pro (www.fkpro.co.uk) This week's episode features Dr Craig Turner who is the current Head of Basketball Performance at the University of Pennsylvania. Before this, he worked with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers as a Sports Science/Strength & Conditioning Associate. Craig has also held additional roles as the Director of Sport Science and Associate Strength & Conditioning Coach at N.C. State University, Sport Science Researcher in conjunction with the Nike Sports Research Laboratory, a Sport Science Consultant with NK Istra 1961 Football Club in Croatia, and an Applied Sports Scientist/Strength & Conditioning Coach with The Nike Academy.  Craig shares with me, his insights on performance hacks. He discusses enhancing warm-up and session flow using the 1x20 principle, standardising testing processes, and training male and female athletes differently. Craig emphasises the importance of streamlining processes without cutting corners and highlights the use of AMRAP sets for females to optimise training intensity. He also suggests integrating testing into training sessions to get a true performance outcome. Craig can be found via: Instagram @ctsportscience Twitter / X @ctsportsci LinkedIn @ctsportsci Website www.ctsportscience.com Today's episode is sponsored by FK Pro, the most versatile suspension training equipment I have ever used. They enable several exercise set up hacks and the independent strap system means they can be used in unison or isolation, and as a result of their success, they have partnered with World Rugby on several Education Projects. As a product, they fly under the radar in my opinion and should be looked at as one of the simplest, but most effective additions to your traditional equipment and resistance methods. Visit their website at www.fkpro.co.uk and use the exclusive discount code CS20 for 20% off at checkout! Reach out if you'd like to know more about how I have used FK Pro too. Enjoy the episode! Dan

Listen Time: 30mins Andrew Lockwood rejoins me this week for his stumbles episode and how his mistakes have helped him in his work. Check back to last weeks episode to hear more about Andy's background in the military. In this episode, one of his major mistakes was believing that leaders needed to maintain a certain distance from their team, which he later realised was not authentic to him. Another mistake he made was not showing empathy towards a team member who was going through a personal issue, which affected their performance. Andrew emphasises the importance of authenticity and empathy in leadership and suggests that everyone has the potential to be a leader with the right training and development. He also discusses the significance of shared experiences and the need for leaders to create a space for open communication and understanding within their teams. We hope you enjoy the episode. Andrew can be reached on via social media (@greywolfteams or @sandcvacancies) or email (andy@greywolfteams.com) if you'd like to ask him some questions. Please do check out the group mentorships that start in July too with Collaborate Sports via this link: www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships - the early bird prices go up at the end of today!

Listen Time: 30mins This week I welcome Andrew Lockwood to the Podcast. With 20 years of experience in the British Army, Andy has Leadership development experience within the military and with civilian organisations (Sacramento Kings, Inter Miami, professional coaches). Andrew also runs a rugby/S&C-related charity delivering to teams around the world from international to grassroots. He is also the man behind S&C Vacancies and Grey Wolf Teams. In this episode, Andrew discusses the three pillars of effective leadership in elite environments: shared experience, mutual understanding, and empathy. He explains that high levels of these three elements lead to effective leadership and culture. Andrew emphasises the importance of developing these pillars organically and continuously throughout the year. Takeaways Effective leadership in elite environments is built on three pillars: shared experience, mutual understanding, and empathy. Shared experience involves the micro and macro events that people in a team share, fostering trust and cohesion. Mutual understanding includes understanding individual roles, expectations, and standards within the team. Empathy is the ability to connect with others, understand their perspectives, and create a supportive environment. Developing these pillars organically and continuously throughout the year is crucial for effective leadership and culture. You can reach Andrew via social media (@greywolfteams or @sandcvacancies) or email (andy@greywolfteams.com) Enjoy the Listen! Collaborate Sports is also providing a number of unique personal development opportunities currently. Visit www.collaboratesports.com to see more!

Listen Time: 29mins Ben joins us this week for part 2 of his Strategies and Stumbles appearance on the podcast! In this conversation, Ben shares some of the stumbles, mistakes, and lessons he has learned in his career. He discusses his willingness to make mistakes and take risks, as well as the importance of taking ownership and learning from negative impacts on others. Ben reflects on his experience as the Head of Sport Science at Birmingham City Football Club, where he made mistakes in understanding the physical training needs of the players. He also shares a significant stumble with the hockey team, where he realised the importance of motivation, connection to goals, and mastery in the training program. Ben emphasises the need for building support, galvanizing allies, and adapting to different contexts.   Key aspects you'll take from this listen are: Takeaways Don't be afraid to make mistakes and take risks in your career. Take ownership and learn from negative impacts on others. Understand the context and environment you are stepping into. Build support and galvanize allies to achieve shared objectives. Consider motivation, connection to goals, and mastery in training programs. Adapt and flex your approach based on individual needs and contexts. Thanks again to Ben, and if you haven't do check out his website www.292performance.com - if you liked this episode, please share to your networks! Lastly - don't forget all the opportunities Collaborate Sports provides in addition to this podcast. We have a great webinar with Paul Laursen coming up on High-Intensity Interval Training. Check out the options at www.collaboratesports.com See you next week Dan

Listen Time 30mins - Sponsored by Remaker (www.remaker.co.uk) This week we welcome Dr Ben Rosenblatt to the podcast. Bens career spans time spent in the English Institute of Sport, Birmingham City FC, the Intensive Rehab Unit, a Gold Medal with GB Womens Hockey and multiple European and World Cups with the England Football Team!!   Ben now focuses his time on elite support services to professional athletes through the company he founded and is now director of, called 292 Performance (www.292performance.com)   In this episode, we delve into the concept of performance planning. Ben shares his experience of working with high-performing athletes and the importance of understanding their goals, limitations, and enabling factors. Ben emphasises the need for clarity in the desired outcome and the importance of open communication and collaboration within the team.   He also refers to the critical need of being a master craftsman, having self-awareness, and practising empathy. Overall, the conversation provides insights into the performance planning process and the skills required to optimise it.   Thanks again to Remaker for sponsoring this episode. Remaker is a versatile and highly portable technology that can provide strength diagnostics in several unique ways  Please check out their website - www.remaker.co.uk and instagram: @remaker.uk Lastly - enrolment is now OPEN for the next group mentorships with Collaborate Sports, in LTAD, Rehab, S&C Principles or Data Skills, starting in July. Check out www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships for more info!

Listen time 27mins In this episode, we welcome back Rob for part 2 of his series, where he delves into his various mistakes in his career path and how they have brought the best out of him. Rob shares his interesting career path which has exposed him to a wide array of different populations, from personal training to youth coaching, to gen pop and teaching in schools, before specialising in elite sport. He refers to how this has been the catalyst for his growth. Overall, we discuss: Finding his voice and speaking up Leaving his coaching on the table by not saying what he thought Observing and learning from others at every opportunity Respecting his personality and knowing when he needed to adapt his style The notion of not wasting any opportunity and recognising there is an experience to be gained in more places than we think! As mentioned in the show, our group mentorships go live next week. You can see all that Collaborate Sports has to offer here: http://www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships Dont forget to express interest if you want to have the information as its released over the weekend. Fill out the form on the site! We hope you enjoy the episode! Dan   -

Listen Time 29mins - Sponsored by Remaker (www.remaker.co.uk) In this conversation, Rob Fowkes, the lead strength and conditioning coach at the Western Force Super Rugby team, discusses his strategy for developing physical performance in rugby players. He shares a unique approach of linking 2 key metrics in a quadrant manner, to make athletes understand their strengths and weaknesses in a simple and meaningful manner. He emphasises the importance of creating a shared journey with the players and providing context for their physical development. Rob explains his model of physical performance, which focuses on impact, repeatability, and robustness. He also discusses the process of intervention, player involvement, and program design.  Robs previous experience is impressive. As a coach who has worked in rugby union at all levels from grassroots junior teams to professional and international levels as well as completing extensive work within schools, academies and other establishments within the long term athlete development space, Rob flies relatively under the radar, so I was pleased to have him join me for this discssion. You can reach Rob at rob.fowkes@westernforce.rugby if you have any questions! Thanks again to Remaker for sponsoring this episode.  The Remaker tech unlocks S&C performance insights through the portable and versatile Remaker Link, a smart carabiner, connected via Bluetooth to the Remaker App on any smart phone or tablet. The live, user-friendly display of metrics, which can be analysed in session or monitored over time via the App & remotely via the Remaker Portal, enables coaches, physios and athletes alike to test, train, track and transform performance.   With Remaker, give exercise meaning by evidencing the impact of every rep and motivating athlete buy-in to every session. Find more details here: www.remaker.co.uk @remaker.uk on instagram LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/remakerltd

In this episode, Simon reflects on his early career mistakes, rehab mistakes, program design and testing mistakes, and soft skills and communication mistakes. He emphasises the importance of clear principles, understanding the end goal, and being rigorous in assessments. Simon also highlights the need for effective communication owning up to mistakes and how considering the specific ways you communicate to deal with adversity in a performance team. If you haven't listened to Simons's excellent strategy episode from last week, track back and listen, and check out the information in the show notes for more about Simon and where to follow him! If you are enjoying the series so far, consider a few other personal development opportunities Collaborate Sports can provide you. In July we launch the next cohorts for a range of group mentorships, which you can register your interest for here. All information on these pathways is released in the first week of April. Alternatively, you can join us for some interactive discussions on advancing your career in these free webinars with me and several elite coaches. Register your FREE spot here.  Please share the pod across your socials and I welcome any feedback on the content so far, so reach out if you've got any ideas on upgrading the content so far! All the best Dan

In this episode I am joined by Simon Harries, Head of Strength & Conditioning at NSWIS, and Founding Director of Performance Compass, a business focused on mentorship and consultancy for rehab-related matters. We discuss the concept of a rehab running framework and its importance in safely and effectively returning athletes to play. Simon explains the evolution of rehab approaches and the need for flexibility and creativity in building a framework. Simon emphasises the importance of specificity in different sports and the consideration of injury profiles. We discuss common key performance indicators and criteria in rehab and categorising running drills. Simon also shares insights on structuring rehab phases, progressing intensity, using data in rehab, and determining return to play. He concludes by highlighting the importance of communication with coaching staff.   Some specific areas we delve into are: Definition of a Framework Evolution of Rehab Approaches Building a Rehab Running Framework Considering Injury Profiles Common KPIs and Criteria in Rehab Categorising Running Drills Progressing Intensity in Rehab Creating an Exercise Library Structuring Weekly Sessions Layering Volume and Intensity ....and so much more! You can find out more about Simon via his LinkedIn profile here and he has permitted any listener wanting to reach out to do so via email:  simon@performancecompass.com.au If you are interested in the Rehab Simplified Group Mentorship, you can access the programme details here and register your interest via this form to express interest in joining the next cohort in July! If you'd like to read the article written by Simon for Sportsmith, you can access that here also!

Listen Time: 27mins In part 2 we discuss stumbles in his career, where Jack reflects on his take on planning sessions down to a T to try and cover all potential bases, hindering long-term development. Jack also talks about the lack of clarity in program design and how he now anchors principles to guide his session design.  He emphasises the importance of utilising the interdisciplinary team and collaborating with tactical coaches. Jack shares his experience of over-communicating with athletes and how he has learned to say more with less, overcoming “word vomit” that we all experience! He also reflects on the mistake of changing programs too frequently and the importance of consistency.  Lastly, Jack discusses dealing uncertainty, the narrow focus on making it in elite sport, and making good decisions with confidence based on his needs and wants.      Takeaways: Avoid microwaving the learning process by allowing athletes to explore and learn from failure. Anchor program design to principles and prioritise clarity in objectives and outcomes. Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team and align goals for optimal athlete development. Focus on effective communication by saying more with less and using external cues. Emphasise consistency in training programs and avoid changing them too frequently. Manage panic and uncertainty by having a clear list of needs and wants. Consider opportunities outside of elite sports and prioritise personal and professional fulfilment. I hope you enjoy the listen! If you want to be part of the group mentorships this year, as mentioned in the podcast, follow this link to register your email to receive all the information as it is released! https://collaboratesports.com/2024mentorship Tune in next week to hear Simon Harries discuss his approach to rehab running. Dan

Listen Time: 30mins. In this episode, Jack Oaten discusses his role as a strength and conditioning coach working with the NFL Academy Programme. He explains the importance of preparing athletes for the combine, which is a series of tests used to assess their physical abilities. Jack shares his programming approach, including the use of accumulation, intensification, and realisation phases. He also discusses the focus on movement competency and the importance of clarifying and closing the loop with athletes. Overall, Jack emphasises the need for individualised programming and the importance of technical development alongside combine preparation. Jack is a UKSCA and NSCA-accredited strength and conditioning coach who holds a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science. He is currently studying for a MSc in strength and conditioning and has over 4 years of experience in the field. Jack has contributed his expertise at esteemed institutions such as Millfield School, Bath Rugby, Leicester Tigers and the University of Bath supporting the physical preparation and performance of elite national/international athletes. Jack joined the NFL Academy in August 2022 where he continues to provide holistic strength and conditioning support to talented youth American football players aspiring to reach the NFL. Main discussions centre on: Jacks Current Role and Purpose Preparing for the Combine Balancing Technical and Combine Preparation Programming for Intensification and Realisation Programming for Movement Competency Intensification and Realisation in the Gym Frequency and Focus of Training I hope you enjoy the episode, I certainly did. Jack can be contacted using the below details: Instagram - @joaten_coach Twitter/X - @jack_oatenn Work email - j.oaten@lboro.ac.uk   Let me know what you think of the pod by sharing across Instagram and tagging in @collaborate_sports - also, don't forget the competition to win over £600 worth of mentorship by entering using this link: https://collaboratesports.com/giveaway Enjoy! Dan

Listen time - 28mins (and a chance to win £600 worth of mentorship) In part two of the series with Steve, we dig into his reflections on his mistakes and what he learned from them. He discusses the importance of considering the athlete in the overall programming and training solutions decision, rather than relying solely on research and needs analysis.   Steve also shares his experience of being too rigid in program design and lacking flexibility and the importance of experiential learning. He emphasises the need for coaches to create an authentic coaching identity and adapt their coaching style to different environments.   Steve also discusses the benefits of reflective meetings and the challenges of managing relationships and leadership.   Takeaways from the episode: Consider the athlete in the overall programming and training solutions decision, rather than relying solely on research and needs analyses. Be flexible in program design and willing to adapt in the moment based on the athlete's needs and circumstances. Learning experientially and getting reps under the bar is crucial for coaches to develop their skills and understanding. Create an authentic coaching identity that aligns with your values and allows you to build strong relationships with athletes. Reflective meetings and discussions with other practitioners can provide valuable insights and help improve coaching practices. Managing relationships and adapting coaching styles are important challenges for coaches to navigate. Technology should assist coaches, but coaches should not rely on it entirely and should remain present in the coaching environment. I hope you enjoy this episode. If you want to win over £600 worth of mentorship courtesy of Collaborate Sports and TeamBuildr, simply head to this link to enter! Good luck!

Listen Time: 29minutes This week Dr Steven Thompson joins me where we discuss velocity-based training (VBT) and its applications in strength and conditioning. VBT is a flexible programming strategy that allows coaches to auto-regulate and adapt their training based on the individual needs of athletes. Three key strategies within VBT are highlighted: monitoring and adjusting based on velocity, using feedback and communication to enhance performance, and understanding and implementing velocity loss. These strategies provide coaches with valuable tools for optimising training and improving athlete performance. The main areas we cover in the episode are: The Importance of Velocity-Based Training (VBT) Using VBT Without Profiling an Athlete Monitoring and Adjusting Based on Velocity Feedback and Communication with VBT Understanding Velocity Loss Practical Application of Velocity Loss Using Velocity Loss for Power Training To help you learn more about Steve, he is an accredited S&C coach with the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA), course leader of the MSc in Strength and Conditioning Coaching at Sheffield Hallam University, and recently completed his PhD investigating “the efficacy of the load-velocity profile to predict one repetition maximum”. Steve specialises in velocity-based training (VBT), researching and presenting his concepts and applied practices to top organisations such as the UKSCA, English Institute of Sport, and British Swimming. Steve is an active researcher, with multiple publications in high-impact journals such as Sports Medicine, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, and International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. Additionally, Steve holds multiple S&C coaching roles, including Physical Performance Coach for The Football Association of Wales, regional S&C coach for British Diving, and was recently lead foundation and youth development phase S&C coach at Barnsley Football Club. Steve has worked in elite sport for many years, supporting high-level athletes such as GB Commonwealth medallists and Olympic competitors in Diving and Women's Volleyball, and other professional athletes in Para-Fencing, Table Tennis, Golf, Rugby League, and Football. With permission, you can contact Steve via Twitter @steve381 and I would recommend visiting his Researchgate page by clicking here Enjoy the episode!

Listen Time 26mins In this part 2 episode, Phil Scott returns to share his performance stumbles and the lessons he has learned throughout his career as a coach. He emphasises the importance of variety and stimulation in warm-ups, acknowledging that it doesn't always go to plan!   Phil shares his experiences of dealing with these situations, highlighting the need to be open, honest, and willing to learn from mistakes. He also discusses the importance of proactive reflection and collaboration in team meetings. Phil concludes by emphasising the value of owning mistakes, reflecting on them, and finding a mentor for support and guidance being critical to taking positive steps forward from any stumble!   A summary of what we discuss is below: The Importance of Variety and Stimulation in Warm-ups Dealing with Warm-ups and Games That Don't Work Learning from Warm-up Mistakes Considering External Factors in Warm-ups Coping with Mistakes in the Moment Gaining Respect from Adversity Moving Away from Mediocrity Lessons from Working in a Team Sport Transitioning from Reflective to Proactive Improving Collaboration and Contribution in Meetings Shifting from Delayed to Proactive Reflection Understanding Individual Responses to Training Volume Learning from Mistakes in Training Volume Owning Mistakes in Injury Management Key Takeaways: Name It, Own It, Reflect, Find a Mentor   If you want to receive more real-world advice to help you optimise your effectiveness, consider signing up for the Collaborate Sports Newsletter here for weekly updates and tips. https://collaboratesports.ac-page.com/newsletter-subscriber

(listen time - 28mins)   Phil Scott joins me for this episode! Many listeners should know of Phil, but his experiences include 8 years working with the England National Cricket Team as their Strength and Conditioning Coach and is currently the Pathways Lead for Physical Preparation at the ECB.   I first met Phil whilst collaborating with him on using a specific recovery tool. I was taken aback by his thoughtful approach to physical preparation, so I had to ask him to join the podcast to share his insights.   In this episode, Phil discusses program design for cricket players, specifically focusing on batters and hitters. He places a premium on understanding the athlete's perspective and working closely with coaches. He explains that program design in the gym should include a combination of strength, power, and coordination exercises. Phil shares his approach to managing gym sessions, including the need to consider pre-game and post-game workouts.   In full, we delve into these topics: Starting Point of Program Design Understanding the Athlete and Coach Perspective Fundamentals of Cricket Program Design Importance of Strength and Power in Cricket Managing Gym Sessions with Athletes Where the opportunities are for Gym Work in a test series Program Structure and Sets/Reps Incorporating Contrast Sets Relevance of Grip Strength Work There is a lot packed into this one so do enjoy it - and come back next week as Phil takes it up a level with his stumbles episode!

John Noonan joins me for this part 2 of his episode where he shares some stumbles across his career. He reflects on how he focused too much on the overemphasis on program details as he thought this would be a defining factor of success and career progression, which led to a lack of adaptability in his programming. John also shares his struggles with leadership, particularly in trying to lead by example without considering the needs and context of the athletes and staff he worked with. He emphasises the importance of collaboration, communication, and flexibility in planning, as well as the value of reflecting on mistakes and seeking mentorship. We also discuss throughout the episode:  Being Blinded to Real-World Solutions Lack of Adaptability in Programming Lack of Collaboration and Communication Importance of Flexibility in Planning Reflecting on Mistakes and Seeking Mentorship I hope you enjoy the episode. John's a practitioner who has had a fantastic career and his ability to reflect, iterate on what he does, and improve himself shines through in this episode! If you havent checked out the previous Episode you should, its absolute gold! Listen Time: 21mins

In this episode, I interview John Noonan, a performance coach, about his role in supporting motorsport athletes and performance strategies for race day. Johns's background is extensive, with him working in pro rugby, football, winter sports and now motorsport to highlight just a few career steps!   In this episode, we discuss the importance of a holistic approach to performance, including physical, mental, and logistical aspects. John explains the process of preparing athletes for race day, including warm-up and cooling strategies. He also highlights the significance of vestibular work and mental preparation.    We focus on discussions towards: The Role of a Performance Coach   Performance Strategies for Race Day   Importance of Warm-up and Cooling Strategies   Vestibular Work and Mental Preparation   Race Day Timeline and Strategies   Observing and Supporting During the Race   Reflective Practice and Learning from Performance Principles for Practitioners wanting to work in Motorsport I hope you enjoy this one, and don't forget to tune in to part 2 with John next week, discussing his stumbles and what he's learned from them!   Listen Time: 28mins   Dan

In the first "stumbles" version of this podcast, we hear Spencer open up about honest mistakes, and what it has taught him in his career. In another episode focused on being direct and to the point, we delve into Spencer's perspective on: Why its important to know what professionalism is His bad hair cut choices at work Programming things we have never tried ourselves! His battles with "me versus you" and how it never got him anywhere Being guilty of being too conservative Copying exercises without context Mistakes made within injury management This was another jam-packed episode in under 30 minutes, so enjoy the listen, and please share with your channels if you enjoyed it! Thanks to Spencer for being the man to step up to the plate to do this first! If you haven't listened to Spencer's content in the Strategy Ep1, then please do, and check out his bio, and where to contact him! Cheers Dan

Spencer Goggin joins me in his first episode to talk about how he programme designs for divers. Spencer has a wealth of experience and has worked as a strength and conditioning Coach for over 10 years. Currently, he is employed by the New South Wales Institute of Sport, in Australia, whilst also working with Cronulla Sharks. Before his current roles, Spencer also worked as Head of S&C at Western Force. Prior to arriving in Australia, he was working at Wasps Rugby and Magdalen College School in the UK, so he has a fantastic background in coaching. I am also proud to say Spencer collaborated with me this year to deliver the S&C Group Mentorship to Australian-based practitioners. During that time, I learned a lot from our discussions and reflections on all things S&C, and so wanted to bring those same experiences to you as a listener! In this first of the two-part episode with Spencer, we discuss: A divers yearly demands Spencer's macrocycle plans for diving physical preparation His microcycle design and tapering strategies (both simple and effective) A deep dive into actual session design The importance of medicine ball work for training transfer The use of contrast sets within high-volume training Velocity loss using VBT with subsequent training sessions in mind Jump profiling and its impact on session design We hope you enjoy the episode, and do come back next week to listen to Spencer's "Stumbles" episode, which shares some golden lessons from the mistakes made throughout his career! If you'd like to follow Spencer on socials you can do so through Instagram where he shares many great videos of the work he does: @spenni__ Episode Listen Time: 28mins

In this inaugural episode, I introduce my what, why and how behind the Performance Strategies and Stumbles Podcast. I share my "why" for bringing this new podcast to you as a listener, the format it will be delivered in, and the types of areas that will be discussed with guests! In this introduction episode, I'll share short snippets from both Strategy Episodes, and the Stumble Episodes to give you a taste of things to come each week. Featuring Spencer Goggin, Steven Thompson, Phil Scott and John Noonan, you'll experience the types of conversations we have around performance impact strategies, and the honesty about mistakes from our guests I hope you enjoy the short listen and hopefully it entices you to come back to tune in to our full episodes in early 2024! All the best, Dan Howells