Rapid Fire Episode 1: Stephanie Mock on Sports Science, Leadership & High-Performance Coaching
Mar 2, 2025
Stephanie Mock, Assistant AD of Sports Performance at Pitt, shares her extensive experience in high-performance coaching across collegiate and professional sports. She discusses the pivotal shifts in coaching over the past decade, emphasizing the balance between data and intuition for better decision-making. Mock delves into the importance of building trust with athletes and offers guidance for aspiring coaches. She also tackles the integration of sports science within athletic programs and highlights innovative training tools like microdosing techniques to optimize performance.
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Build Sports Science In Phases
- Stephanie structured her sports science rollout as a multi-year roadmap starting with education and a playbook for stakeholders.
- Laying a foundation first helped legitimize sports science and onboard interns and master's students into athletics.
Staff First, Then Systems
- Hire dedicated sports science staff and evaluate existing systems to know what to keep and what to drop.
- Implement and optimize athlete management while eliminating unnecessary data collection to reduce noise.
Leverage Partnerships For Growth
- Partner with external vendors and campus academics to fund roles and create opportunities for students.
- Use partnerships to support sport-specific hires and scholarship opportunities for emerging practitioners.