The Athlete Development Show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletterThe traditional definition of a coach is someone who gives instruction to help an athlete or direct team strategy. The problem with this definition, however, is that it can result in a one-way flow of information - from coach to athlete - which doesn't necessarily line up with how young people learn. On the show today, I chat with coach developer and researcher, Rob Mason (@rob_mason12). Rob holds a PhD in Education and a Masters of Teaching from the University of Melbourne. He currently works as the Coach Development Manager at Port Adelaide Football Club in Australia. Rob frequently presents to organisations on game day communication, feedback and coaching science and writes about his work here.  In this conversation, Rob shares how a coach can deliver feedback in ways that best support the learning and all-round development of their athletes.We also discuss:The huge influence Rob's dad has had on his coaching;Rob's love for books;Being a career procrastinator;The importance of earning credibility from your athletes and how to do it;Using an action research approach to improve your coaching;Why what you say in your feedback is not always the same as what is heard; andMore.I love Rob's reflective nature and clarity of thought, as well as how willing he is to really assess the impact of his work. Please enjoy the show. Kia ora!Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletterThe Wellington Phoenix is the only professional football club in New Zealand. Today on the show we explore the academy system in charge of developing their elite players of tomorrow.To better understand the club's processes - and how they get the balance right between striving for success and looking after the young people at the heart of it - I sat down with Phoenix Academy Director, Paul Temple (@paultemplecoach). Paul Temple is an UEFA A license coach and has been working in football for over 20 years. In addition to leading the Academy at the Phoenix, he also works for New Zealand Football as the Men's U20 Assistant National Team Coach.I've known Paul since we met as part of the New Zealand U17 Women's Team staff back in 2011. I love the way he thinks about development, both from a strategic point of view, and how he rolls it out on the grass in practice. In this conversation, I wanted to understand Paul's core values - both personally and as a professional - and how he uses them to drive behaviour. I think this comes through very clearly. We also talk about the importance of a growth mindset, the intersection between the ex-pro and the career coach and how Paul brings the two together, how they recruit young players at the Phoenix, the key ingredients for successful long-term player development, Ted Lasso, and much more.I really enjoyed this conversation and am stoked to bring it to you. Kia ora!Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletterThis week on the show, I sat down with my good friend, Dave Wright. Dave is head of coaching at Birkenhead United FC in Auckland, New Zealand and Co-founder of Player Development Project, a platform offering a massive collection of coach education resources and online courses. Dave and I often catch up to talk coaching, kids and athlete development, so we thought why not record our conversation and share it with you. Today, we discuss what it's like being a dad while working in youth sport, the importance of joy, individualisation within group environments, coach development, and much more.If you like this format, please let us know and we'll keep doing it!Kia ora!Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletterStephen Cobley is an Associate Professor in motor control, skill acquisition, and sport and exercise psychology at The University of Sydney. He earned his Bachelor's degree at Loughborough University, his Master's degree at Queen's University in Canada, and his PhD at Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK.​Steve's research examines developmental factors that constrain learning, development, and performance across sport, educational, and workplace settings.In this episode, Steve and I discuss some fascinating work his team is doing in swimming looking at the effect of biological maturation on performance. Kia ora!Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletterNick Webb (@nick_webby) is a strength and conditioning and performance specialist. Over the last 15 years, Nick has worked for the NZ Warriors, NZ Cricket, the Indian Cricket Team, and more recently, Pakistan Cricket. In 2011, Nick earned a Master of Health Science with First Class Honours from AUT University and he is currently studying towards a Master of Business Administration at Massey University. In this conversation, Nick starts by sharing one of his early experiences that had a profound impact on who he has become today.  Kia ora!Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletterAfter experiencing a magic moment playing golf when everything seemed to click and his performance excelled, my guest in this episode began a research journey into psychological states of peak performance.You may have heard athletes talk about being 'in the zone'. It's a time when you're so engrossed in the task at hand that you lose track of time, become supremely confident, and nothing can stop you from putting out your best performance. You just need to 'let it happen'. Heck, you've probably, at some point, even experienced it yourself.The scientific term for this feeling is called 'flow', and my guest on the show today, Associate Professor Christian Swann (@cswannpsych), studies it. But it turns out there's another mind state that can also induce peak performance. It's called 'clutch', and is much more about 'making it happen'. Clutch is also an idea Christian studies.In this conversation, Christian describes exactly what flow and clutch are, and how you can help your athlete get into them. You can check out Christian's research here. Kia ora! Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletterWe all need to feel like we belong to something. And in a world that is, right now, full of more uncertainty and struggle than ever, nothing is more important. This conversation is with performance coach, speaker and international number #1 bestselling author, Owen Eastwood. Owen works with high performing groups in sport and business, including the English Football team, the South African cricket team and the New Zealand All Blacks, to build environments where everyone can be the best version of themselves. In his new book, Belonging, Owen weaves together insights from homo sapiens' evolutionary story and ancestral wisdom with experiences from his own work in elite contemporary environments. He draws on the idea of Whakapapa to maximise a team's performance and enhance everybody's moment in the sun. I love how Owen expresses his ideas on Belonging so eloquently and I think you will, too. Kia ora! Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletterAndy Milne (@carmelhealth) is a teacher, creator, TEDx Speaker and father of two young boys. Originally from England, Andy taught physical education in London for 12 years before moving to America in 2008, where he now teaches Kinetic Wellness and Health at New Trier High School, just north of Chicago. Andy received his BA (hons) in Sports & Recreation at Staffordshire University and his Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Exeter University. In 2017 he earned the award for the National Health Teacher of the Year. In this conversation, Andy and I discuss what it means to be creative, the skills of health, why relationships are so important, developing empathy, the power of community, and much more. Kia ora! Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter Erin Bowerman (@dancestrength_nz) is a movement specialist working in dance. She holds a Masters Degree from AUT University, where she carried out her research at the Australian Ballet School in conjunction with High Performance Sport New Zealand looking at the risk factors for overuse injuries in elite adolescent ballet dancers. Erin works as a strength coach for the New Zealand Dance Company and the New Zealand Youth Ballet Company. From 2016-2018, she was based in London where she coached at the Royal Ballet School White Lodge and the National Centre for Circus Arts.In this conversation, Erin shares her story of personal dancing failure to transformation in dancer development.  Please enjoy the show. Kia ora!Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Host one of Craig's talks at your club or schoolSign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter James Mortimer (@jamesmortimernz) is a former national hurdles and sprint athlete, having represented New Zealand at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. James now coaches a group of some of our fastest athletes, including Zoe Hobbs, who recently ran 11.08 seconds at the Athletics World Championships in the US to set a new New Zealand record. He also works at Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland where he manages day to day operations of a portfolio of sports from Year 7-13 level.As James puts it, "speed kills", and in this conversation, he shares his approach to developing it. Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrisonTwitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show