The Talent Equation Podcast

Happy New Year everyone!! Ron Smith has a lifetime of experience in coaching and player development. He started coaching full time at the age of 24 and has held positions with the Australian Institute of Sport and as the National Coaching Director for football in Malaysia. In this discussion we dig into his approach to coaching and debate the applicability of various coaching methodologies. Ron has questions about the games based approach to coaching and wanted to challenge some of the common beliefs that seem to have infiltrated the world of coaching and player development. What a great way to set up the New Year!!Enjoy!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Dan Abrahams is a coach that specialises in a different kind of skill acquisition...Dan specialises in the acquisition of mental skills. He is a consultant to England Rugby, AFC Bournemouth as well as several elite athletes from around the sporting world. He is the author of a series of books such as 'Golf Tough', 'Soccer Tough', 'Soccer Tough 2' and he is extremely active on social media, etc. In this highly informative conversation Dan and I discuss...- Why he thinks the FA's Four Corners Model is flawed- How to get players into the 'Individual Zone of Optimal Functioning' (IZOF)- Why most athletes are susceptible to 'Paradoxical Thinking' about the way they train and prepare for competition- His method of 'stretch and support' to help human growth- How he uses mataphor and analogy to help players get a 'Game Face' ready for competition- His approach to establishing goals with athletesThere is a lot in here that is essential listening to anyone serious about helping young people to unleash their potentialEnjoyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Loren Anderson of Rise Volleyball makes a welcome return to the podcast. In this episode you will hear Loren and I get deep as we question our efficacy as coaches and also explore the ways that we manage ourselves so that we can get into the optimal state to make sure that we are coaching at our best. We also discuss the often quoted term "Talent needs trauma' and explain why we think that it is a flawed concept and explain how this idea should be considered. I really enjoyed this conversation...I hope you do too.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

This is a great chat with FA Coach Development Manager, Jack Walton. Jack has a wealth of experience in coaching and working with coaches so he has seen and experienced many of the challenges that most coaches face...In this episode we discuss:- How Jack challenged me when he was listening to one of my workshops- How he helps coaches to develop coaching philosophy- His clubs approach to developing players - His thoughts on Nurture v Nature - Why decision making is so difficult to develop in players and loads more....EnjoyStuartBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Rus Smith is not your ordinary kind of coach...nor is he your ordinary kind of coach developer. Rus works to develop potential, Rus is a true developer of talent...but not in the way that many might think. The kind of talents that Rus develops are found in people that live in places that a lot of other people wouldn't go with people that a lot of other people wouldn't want to engage with. Not Rus...Rus has a talent for developing people...he has a passion to find the spark inside them and to ignite that spark. He is damn good at it too...In this conversation we cover a lot of ground including...- What FA Technical Director, Dan Ashworth taught Rus about working with people when he was the Academy Manager at West Bromwich Albion- How he trained police officers to become coaches and reduced crime in their neighbourhood by 70%- How he trained 'Helen the Belly Dancer' and how she wrote her session plan on a yoga mat- His key beliefs about people development including his mantra 'a person in sport...is a person out of court'. - His 'Catch you in' programme which engages young people in sport and coaching be rewarding them for the good things that they doThis is high performance work delivered in a community context. The skill and dedication is so impressive. EnjoyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Calvin Betton has the life that would be the envy of many. He travels Europe coaching and helping young tennis players to strive to break into the professional ranks. It's a tough life but somebody's got to do it...right? Not necessarily...In this episode we get an inside picture of the life of a tennis coach working at the cliff edge of the talent space...the key transition zone from promising junior to top level adult. In the episode we cover...- The big gap in coach education that meant that skill acquisition was only covered at level 5!- The questions he asked a tennis legend about the advice he was giving to aspiring players to use drills to become better tennis players- Why people don't understand what good coaching looks like- How he creates intensity using 'pressure training' - His innovative method of giving feedback called 'bandwidth feedback' - His approach to 'challenge point theory' called 'training on the edge'There is a wealth of insight in here that we were able to benefit from because of a rainstorm in Greece!EnjoyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Craig 'Gunny' Gunn is an Australian Rules Football Coach based in Brisbane Australia. He has been practising his own brand of games based, constraints led, coaching which has been affectionately nicknamed 'Gunny Madness' or 'Gunny Chaos'. Two terms which should be treated as the highest form of praise which you will see in this episode. In this episode with go on a magical conversational journey that covers..- Why some parents made an official complaint about his coaching not teaching technical skills - His way of using the constraints led approach - The challenges of coaching in this way and the challenges of educating other coaches to work in this way- Using the Whitmore's GROW model as a way to provide feedback- Why decision making, perception and technique must always we developed together- Why indigenous populations in Australia are over represented in professional Aussie Rules and Rugby League (Hint- it's the chaotic unstructured bush games that they play!!)As Gunny would say...this one's a ripper!!Enjoy!!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Nick Winkelman is the Head of Athletic Development at the Irish Rugby Football Union. He is a man on a mission to change the way that athletes are developed to be able to move and perform more effectively in sporting contexts. You will struggle to find someone more committed to his craft and dedicated to enhancing human performance. In this conversation with cover a range of subjects including: - Why the NFL Combine is not a talent ID process- His secret formula for athlete development (now called the '4 P + 2' approach)- Why he thinks that players are developed in the wrong way - Why 'perception-action coupling is the 'hard problem' of skill acquisition- Why 'sometimes what is best for the athlete is not giving them your best'There is a lot in this discussion so sit back and enjoy!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Jonathan Henderson is the Academy Manager at Bristol Rovers FC. He is someone that takes the process of talent development very seriously. After all it is his profession and also his livelihood. In this context you might expect it to be all about winning and results and the training methodology to be all about structure and organisation...Far from it......if anything Jonathan's academy goes in the opposite direction...the focus is on player development it is an environment that tries to live and breathe the philosophy of 'player centredness'. This is someone who is right at the coaclface of talent development and understands that the best way to develop players is to foster a playful, creative environment where players are free to explore and stretch themselves without fear of failure. In this conversation we discuss: - Why he refers to his academy environment as 'The performance playground' and what that means- How the research for his Masters qualification saw him focus on self directed activity as a source of motivation- How the academy mimics street football because children don't play on streets any more- Why technical development is done at home- The creative ways he has used competition to provide an optimal learning environment This is an excellent conversation from a master practitioner that will be full of ideas and new thinkingEnjoyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Russell 'Rusty' Earnshaw is on a mission...His mission is to develop coaches. No, his mission is to develop 'coaching wizards'!! And he is a Grand Wizard! 'Rusty's' coaching sessions are nothing short of magical...so much so that he created a community on Edufii called 'The Magic Academy' where a committed following of disciples come together to cast their spells and concoct new potions. In this fantastic conversation we discuss...- Why we should avoid limiting the athlete's future by "putting the software of today on their hardware" - Why some of his coach development sessions have coaches looking like "they have seen fire for the first time"- His definition of what makes a coaching wizard- How England Rugby are transforming coaching by using CARDS- How a night club doorman's clicker could be the most powerful behavioural regulator for adults ever invented - How to use consequences in coaching by the coach doing the press ups "kids love coaches doing press ups"- Creating games within the game to challenge and developLet these conversational spells and incantations weave their mystical powers on you and transform your coaching!!Enjoy and Happy Halloween!!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.