Shawn Myszka | Reconceptualizing the Role of Performance Coaches in Athlete Development

May 13, 2024

Shawn Myszka, a sport movement specialist and co-founder of Emergence, dives into the world of athlete development. He discusses how sports should be viewed as dynamic problem-solving activities. Shawn emphasizes the crucial role of coaches in creating realistic training environments that empower athletes. He describes the skill acquisition specialist's unique position in tailoring training and enhancing collaboration among various departments. The conversation highlights fostering athlete autonomy and adaptability through innovative, game-like practice scenarios.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Early Training Approach

Shawn Myszka prioritized general motor abilities with early NFL clients.
Despite improvements, on-field performance didn't match training results, leading him to question his approach.

INSIGHT

Problem-Solving in Sports

Athletes often seek improved physical qualities, but on-field success hinges on problem-solving.
The ability to solve game situations is what truly differentiates athletes.

INSIGHT

Effectiveness of Traditional Training

Observing high-performing athletes led Myszka to question the effectiveness of his training.
He wondered if their success was due to or despite his methods.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this episode, we return to the world of ecological dynamics with guest Shawn Myszka, a sport movement specialist who focuses on improving performance through training that emphasizes problem-solving and skill transfer to competition.

We tackle the concept of sport as a dynamic, problem-solving activity and the essential role of a movement skill acquisition specialist as part of the athlete development team. Shawn explains how creating environments that represent in-game situations can empower athletes, allowing them to own their problem-solving process and adapt to the unpredictable nature of competitive sports.

Shawn also describes the skill acquisition specialist's role in crafting individualized training scenarios and acting as the transdisciplinary conductor of collaboration among different departments, from sports science to sports medicine, to enhance player development and rehabilitation. He also emphasizes the athlete's central role in their skill acquisition journey, and the role of the coach in promoting a culture of learning through learning and exploration.

Time Stamps:

[9:25] Sport as a problem-solving activity defined

[18:59] The role of coaches in creating environments for athlete growth

[33:42] Creating practice environments that facilitate skill transfer to competitive scenarios

[49:35] The role of a skill acquisition specialist in tailoring athlete training and serving as the link between departments

[57:46] Using problem-solving activities to empower athletes

Shawn Myszka has served as a Personal Performance Advisor & Movement Skill Acquisition Coach for NFL players since 2008. He is also the co-founder and co-director of education for Emergence, an education company created to bring greater clarity and applicability to the ideas that form an ecological dynamics framework. He has authored and co-authored several academic papers, including one on reconceptualizing sport as a problem-solving activity, and operates a football-specific blog where he breaks down the movement skills of the top performers in the sport.

You can follow Shawn on Twitter and follow Emergence on Twitter and Instagram. You can also learn from Emergence via their online courses and podcast.

Get 25% off top supplement brands like Thorne, Designs for Health, and Nordic Naturals by creating a free account on FullScript.com.

To stay up to date on episodes and guests, follow The Performance Connection Podcast on Instagram!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.