The Sports Initiative Podcast

Cody Royle is a AFL coach who formally worked as a coach for the Canadian National team. Alongside this he is a two time author of 'The tough stuff' and 'where others won't' as well as acting as mentor to coaches around the globe.Show notesCody Royle and Michael Wright discussed a range of topics related to coaching, including Royle's background and journey to becoming a coach, the psychology of fear in sports, and the importance of human qualities such as awareness and communication in coaching performance. Royle emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to coaching that focuses on both technical knowledge and human qualities. He also discussed the challenges of removing subjectivity from coaching and suggested that coaches can benefit from seeing things from different perspectives and engaging in conversations to identify areas for development.Royle and Wright also discussed the challenges of becoming a head coach and the different pathways that coaches can take. They emphasized the importance of giving opportunities to coaches who may not fit the traditional mold and how this can lead to new and innovative ideas in coaching. They also talked about the pressures of coaching at different clubs and how it can affect a coach's career trajectory. Overall, the discussion highlighted the need for more diversity and inclusivity in the coaching industry.Throughout the meeting, Royle emphasized the importance of empathy, thoughtfulness, and belief in coaching. He believes that coaches often need someone to believe in them and that this can be emboldening. Wright thanked Royle for his time and they discussed promoting Royle's upcoming book. The meeting provided valuable insights into the world of coaching and highlighted the importance of a holistic approach that focuses on both technical knowledge and human qualities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Tenney is the High Performance Director at Austin FC. Formally of the Seattle Sounders and NBA team Orlando Magic, David has in depth understanding of player performance and how to assist management in best preparing players to perform through a season of competitive action.Show notes:2:00 - David provides his credentials and background6:25 - Preparing a team performance10:00 - An overview of how team location can affect player preparation11:30 - The distances MLS players will covered per game14:00 - How tactics affect the players conditioning20:00 - The challenges of cognitive and physical fatigue24:30 - How to bullseye and catch players in moments27:00 - The difference between perception and reality in coach message32:00 - Preparing teams for different climates36:00 - Differences between the MLS and NBA41:00 - The riggers of an NBA schedule45:00 - Giving ownership during an individualised approach Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Philip O'Callaghan is a teacher and tennis coach. He focuses on the use of ecological dynamics and constraint based approach when working with tennis players in skill development.Show notes:1:50 - Philip provides his credentials and overview of his career3:15 - What interested Philip in skill acquisition4:40 - How it effected his game5:50 - The theory behind the games based approach7:20 - Real life example of constraint based approach in tennis8:30 - Simplification of a task or game11:30 - Developing a new technique from this approach and it's challenges14:40 - Creating repetition in constrained environments17:00 - Replicating these ideas as an individual at home23:30 - How to stress test the skills developed26:30 - The success case study30:30 - Challenging the perfection necessary narrative36:00 - Twitter space conversations39:00 - The future of the constraint based coaching45:00 - How would Philip like to be described in 3 words Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Pascarella is the assistant coach at Forward Madison. His has also had stints with MLS sides Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United. John has held a variety of roles and positions in his time from goalkeeper coach through to head coach.Show notes:2:00 - Introduction to John and his credentials5:30 - What is good coaching?10:00 - Understanding the role of an Assistant coach13:00 - How to gain intel on the environment you are entering 17:30 - How do keep the same ideas fresh in training21:00 - The power of study visits and gain information22:30 - The power of the right questions24:00 - The Sir Alex Ferguson meeting28:00 - The power over zooming out32:00 - Why taking familiar faces to new clubs can help or hinder and environment34:00 - The importance of non negotiables36:15 - Developing the mean of a group37:00 - How does our coaching team resonate with our players?39:00 - Preparing to be a Head Coach when an assistant43:00 - How to stress you decision making process48:00 - Preparing for challenges conversations49:00 - The stop which resonates with John the most52:00- How would John like to be described in 3 words? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick Scott is the Director of Rugby of Seria A Pesaro. Formally working for the RFU in England, Nick has helped sculpture the rugby system in England helping it produce some of the modern day internationals such as Maro Itoje, Anthony Watson and Marcus Smith.Show notes:1:30 - Nick provides his story and overview of his credentials5:30 - What drew him to Rugby8:00 - Biggest challenges transitioning into rugby full time11:30 - The transition from amateur to professional15:00 - Providing coach specific support as part of the RFU20:00 - Challenging poor practice within a pathway22:00 - The importance of informal contact points25:00 - Learning the skills of critical thinking27:00 - The decision to leave the RFU30:00 - The biggest change to becoming a Director of Rugby36;:00 - The use of professional coaches in Italy40:00 - Game zone and skill zone43:30 - Player identification throughout the pathway46:00 - The importance of trusting personal feeling49:00 - Being a maverick 24/750:00 - The importance of self reflection in elite performers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Cheetham MBE is a coach and lecturer at the University of Winchester focusing on coach development. He has also worked as a consultant for a variety of NGB's and professional sporting organisations assisting their coach development programme and environmental demands.Show notes:1:35 - Richard provides an overview of his credentials2:15 - How he got into coaching whilst in NZ3:40 - The key principles of good coaching5:00 - Why to focus on interpersonal skills rather than technical and tactical7:20 - Challenging of watching as a Dad10:30 - Challenging behaviours which may not help children's long term development12:50 - The skills of differentiation17:00 - Some tips games for getting to know people/players22:00- How to encourage brave practitioners to carry on 'new ides' in working environments26:00- The shift to child led environments31:00 - How to manage group dynamics to secure equity35:00 - Understanding the context of groups dynamics/presentation38:00 - The challenges of more sedentary lifestyle and no ball game signs40:00 - Formal to informal learning environments47:00 - How would Richard like to be described in 3 words? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alan Murdoch is a owner and coach at Speed Works Bath. Formally of Bath Rugby, Alan now works in a consultancy capacity and looks to support players and team with there aim to improve speed and agility. He also specialises in rehabilitation and has worked with International players, such as Anthony Watson, in their return to peak physical fitness Show notes02:25 - An overview of Alan's career as a practitioner05:00 - Why is speed and agility so imperative to elite sport09:00 - How to train elasticity10:30 - How much effect can training have on speed14:00- Understanding a players relative ceiling and how speed can be improve by 4.6% (on average)18:00 - The hardware and software principle21:00 - The differences between reality and the ideal scenario of speed work27:30 - How schedules are managed in relation to in competition load32:00 - Description of the most common ACL injuries37:00 - The challenges of traditional recover time lines38:00- Why coaching speed early in the cycle may help players return to full speed quicker41:00 - Working collaboratively with club staff44:00 - How would Alan liked to be described in 3 words Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Zoe Wimshurst is a former hockey player turned Doctor of Sport Vision. Director of Performance Vision, Zoe looks to help athletes develop better visionary skill and awareness of their surroundings. Through a variety of practical and academic training techniques, Zoe is able to develop athletes ability to 'scan' pitches and player locations more effectively. She also assist coaches in their development of this skill in sessions and why shouting 'scan' may not be the most effective measure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Zoe Wimshurst is a former hockey player turned Doctor of Sport Vision. Director of Performance Vision, Zoe looks to help athletes develop better visionary skill and awareness of their surroundings. Through a variety of practical and academic training techniques, Zoe is able to develop athletes ability to 'scan' pitches and player locations more effectively. She also assist coaches in their development of this skill in sessions and why shouting 'scan' may not be the most effective measure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jorge Couto Ruis is a football coach who has worked for European powerhouses FC Porto and FC Barcelona. He also wrote a book around tactical periodisation called 'The Pattern Morphocycle’s Sustainability'.Show notes:01:00 - Jorge introduces his coaching story02:00 - How he started his journey at FC Porto04:00- How he started his journey at FC Barcelona 08:00- The FC methodology and how he learnt this at the start of his career.10:30 - The coaching pathway and principles at FC Porto13:30 - The importance of competition to FC Porto in training environments19:00 - Enjoyment to competition mentality in academy philosophy23:00 - The differences between FC Barcelona and FC Porto27:00 - Recognising the Barcelona way from a playing methodology33:00 - Why having a recognisable first team helps to contextualise players entering the academy system38:00 - What does good tactical periodisation look like in a programme?44:00 - The importance of meeting the group where they are in their development journey50:00- How to allow flexibility within a game model57:00- Allowing creativity within constrained environment1:02:00 - How would Jorge like to be described in 3 words. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.