The Deep End

In this episode, I am joined by the kind of coach that I'm sure every kid wishes they had. Craig Stone from Nordic Soccer Club in Burlington, Vermont reached out after I wrote a heartfelt edition of my newsletter, where he quoted this line: The only thing we should be maximising is a sense of wanting to be there, of belonging, of psychological safety and joy and laughter. Our conversation winds down this road and many more, I hope you enjoy! You can find the original post in The Thought Garden newsletter (and many more editions!) here: 'you write like you have nothing and everything to lose'

Martin Camiré, a professor specializing in higher education, and Carl Woods, a sport scientist focused on coach education, dive deep into the transformative potential of education. They challenge traditional models, advocating for experiential learning and the importance of peer collaboration. Their conversation touches on navigating uncertainty, the need for systemic change post-COVID, and the role of organic dialogue in fostering connections. The duo passionately explores how to rethink knowledge transfer, urging educators to embrace diversity and critical thinking in their approaches.

In this episode, I think Seb Wilson surprises himself as to why he's on the podcast. As a thoughtful, intentional basketball coach on his own learning journey, the podcast reflects what our coffee catch ups often sound like: meandering through topics until we forget how we got here, and "gardening our thinking" to find meaningful ways to connect with research and real people. You'll love it even more than I enjoyed hosting it! Listen out for my favourite quote: "the rules of the game [of basketball] are not fundamental."

In this episode, Jenny Coe indulges me in a wandering discussion about the intersection of performance analysis and sport psychology, how we often leave wellbeing for last, and the wonders of movies like Inside Out 2 to help us connect with ourselves. I have had many years of these correspondences that make my heart sing, and I love that I can share one with you!

In this episode, I am joined by Aslan Odev - a coach that is not only going against the grain in an unforgiving football/soccer landscape, but doing so with an admirable amount of humility and integrity. Ever wondered how to get buy-in from your players? Coach with love. This is a sentiment I have felt but never expressed in these words, and hearing Aslan say them was somewhat liberating. If you show you care, if you really take the time to connect with your learners, you don't need to manufacture buy-in.. they'll trust you enough to try it. And don't forget to admit that you're learning too! Music credit: Balynt - Chase the Sundown on Soundcloud

Adrian, better known as @ecohoops, is the kind of coach that every kid deserves. Led by his curiosity, he's dedicated to creating environments that inspire fun and enjoyment. We cover so many topics in this episode, including playfulness, designing training for skill development, and who really has the answers (quick tip: nobody does!). Hope you enjoy half as much as I enjoyed recording! Music credit: Balynt - Chase the Sundown on Soundcloud

We have our first return guest with coach Liam Murphy, inspired by a question about session plans and the role they play, which quickly dissolved into motivating young people, coaching through hard seasons, nobody intends to do harm (but it still happens) and exploring our own coaching canon events.

Aaron Holt has been picking my brain over the last few months, and this time around we decided to think out loud together and record it. This conversation was sparked by a staff meeting about the physical education topics Aaron would like to cover next year, and coordination is often featured, but rarely explored. We had so much fun stumbling through what we each know and have noticed in our practice, I hope you enjoy our journey too.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of meeting Ben Matthews, a futsal coach in New Zealand who reached out to thank me for being a guest on another podcast. Like most coaches I interview, he wasn't sure he had much to offer, but as you listen to the richness of our emerging correspondence, you'll come to realise that this is never true. I loved Ben's openness and dedication to making sure sport loves you back.

This is Part 2 with Ricky Pachon, where about halfway through our 2.5 hour chat, he turned the tables and started interviewing me! This is a great episode filled with exploration, pondering how we make sense of the world and how our coaching philosophies and practices evolve.