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The Sport Psych Show

#301 Mehdi Kordi - Transforming a Coaching Culture

Sep 30, 2024
Mehdi Kordi, a performance coach and scientist with a PhD in Sport and Exercise Physiology, previously led the Dutch National Cycling Union to Olympic success. He discusses transforming a struggling cycling team into world champions through strategic cultural shifts and trust-building. Mehdi emphasizes the balance between data-driven coaching and understanding athletes' emotional needs. He also explores innovative approaches like marginal gains and highlights the importance of diverse perspectives and team cohesion in high-performance sports.
01:04:43

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Quick takeaways

  • Dr. Mehdi Kordi's unconventional journey into coaching highlights the synthesis of scientific principles with a passion for performance optimization in sport.
  • Kordi emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and individualized psychological responses in fostering a balanced coaching philosophy for athletes.

Deep dives

Meddy Cordy's Journey into Coaching

Meddy Cordy transitioned from a biomedical science background into sports coaching, emphasizing that his journey was not traditional but driven by a passion for performance optimization. After initially pursuing a career in accounting, he realized his passion for sports while engaging in rowing and studying human physiology. This led him to work with the European Space Agency, where he gained insights into human performance under stress, eventually earning a PhD focused on sprint track cycling. Despite not being a former cyclist, Cordy applied his scientific approach to coaching, combining data-driven principles with a unique perspective on athlete management.

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