Coach mindset shift: structure to play

Today’s guest is Reinis Krēgers, a former champion decathlete turned track and physical education coach. Reinis is dedicated to building complete movers: fast, coordinated, confident athletes who understand their bodies. His training blends classical sprint development with exploratory tasks, helping athletes develop physical literacy and long-term adaptability. In sports performance, we often fixate on exercises, cues, and optimizing micro-qualities in the moment. What we discuss far less, yet what often separates the elite, is the role of play, creativity, and culture. By looking closely at events like the pole vault and hurdles, we can see how a developmental, curiosity-driven approach benefits athletes of every sport. In this episode, Reinis shares the remarkable story of losing a finger, training exclusively with his non-dominant hand, and still setting a shot put PR. This opens the door to a rich discussion on cross-education, novelty, and how the brain actually learns movement. We explore play-based coaching, pole vault as a developmental super-tool, contrasts between Eastern and American coaching philosophies, youth sport creativity, and sustainable tendon development. It’s a conversation full of insight, storytelling, and reminders of what truly anchors a lifelong athletic journey: curiosity, joy, and the art of falling in love with movement. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Exogen wearable resistance. Use the code “justfly20” for 20% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) 0:00 – Early upbringing in Latvia and falling in love with movement 6:18 – Play, curiosity, and environment driven athlete development 14:50 – Injuries, setbacks, and choosing to continue competing 23:40 – Czech training experience and constraints based coaching 33:05 – European versus American development and long term athlete philosophy 45:10 – Games, novelty, and bringing play back into training 59:47 – Specialization mistakes and the importance of multi sport development 1:11:48 – Plyometrics, bounding, and gradual tissue adaptation 1:22:40 – Injury lessons, tendon health, and the value of long term gradual loading Actionable Takeaways 6:18 – Play, curiosity, and environment driven development Reinis explains that his athletic foundation came from unstructured exploration, not early specialization. Let athletes solve problems rather than repeat fixed patterns. Encourage outdoor play and varied surfaces to build natural coordination. Curiosity creates better movers than rigid instruction. 14:50 – Navigating injuries and staying in the sport Reinis shares how setbacks led him to rethink training instead of quitting. Use injuries as a signal to adjust training rather than push through blindly. Keep a competitive outlet during rehab to maintain identity and motivation. Return with smarter progression instead of trying to reclaim old numbers immediately. 23:40 – Constraints based learning from Czech training Reinis describes how training environments shaped movement without heavy cueing. Change the environment before changing the athlete. Use simple tasks and small boundaries to create automatic technical improvements. Let athletes feel solutions instead of chasing perfect positions. 33:05 – European versus American development Reinis contrasts long term models focused on movement quality rather than short term output. Early years should build durability, not just speed and strength metrics. Avoid rushing physical qualities before coordination and play are established. Development is a process of layering, not skipping steps. 45:10 – Bringing games and novelty back into training Reinis highlights how playful constraints improve responsiveness and decision making. Add game based movement to keep athletes adaptive under changing conditions. Use novelty sparingly to reawaken coordination and intent. Reduce scripted drills when athletes stop learning from them. 59:47 – Multi sport value and avoiding early specialization Reinis explains why single sport paths can limit long term performance. Multiple sports expand movement bandwidth and reduce overuse. Delay specialization until athletes have broad coordination skills. Early success does not guarantee long term development. 1:11:48 – Plyometrics and gradual tissue progression Reinis stresses that bounding and plyos require patience and slow tissue adaptation. Progress volume and intensity over seasons, not weeks. Start with low amplitude contacts before higher velocity work. Tendons adapt slower than muscles, so loading must reflect that timeline. 1:22:40 – Tendon health and long term loading approach Reinis shares what he learned from repeated injury cycles. Small, consistent loading beats aggressive spikes in volume. Build tolerance through frequency and controlled exposure. The goal is to stay in the game long enough for development to compound. Quotes from Reinis Krēgers "Good coaching has some mystery because we are not robots" "Kids should fall in love with the movement and the sport before anything else" "Constraints are the key word in my training method and philosophy" "Track and field without play is a dry and bad solution for long term success" "There is no such thing as a training methodology, it is the relationship between the coach and the athlete" "Sudden increases in load were always the trigger for my Achilles problems" "You want gradual and consistent work if you want the tissues to adapt" "Sleep enough and rest after good training, that is one of the most important things I tell young athletes" About Reinis Krēgers Reinis Krēgers is a Latvian track and physical preparation coach known for blending classical sprint mechanics with modern movement ecology. With a background in athletics and physical education, Reinis has built a reputation for developing athletes who are not only fast, but exceptionally coordinated, elastic, and adaptable across environments. Drawing from European sprint traditions, plyometric culture, and cutting-edge motor-learning principles, Reinis emphasizes rhythm, posture, and natural force expression before “numbers.” His training sessions regularly weave together technical sprint development, multi-planar strength, and exploratory movement tasks, giving athletes the bandwidth to become resilient movers rather than rigid specialists. Reinis works across youth, club, and competitive settings, helping sprinters, jumpers, and team-sport athletes gain speed, power, and physical literacy. His coaching is marked by clarity, intentionality, and an ability to meet athletes where they are, building them from foundational movement quality toward high-performance execution. Whether on the track or in the PE hall, Reinis’ mission is the same: develop confident, capable movers who understand their bodies, enjoy the process, and carry a lifelong relationship with athleticism.