The Constraints Collective

Tom Coyd is an English rugby league player and wheelchair rugby league coach. He plays for Medway Dragons in the London and South East Rugby League and is the head coach of London Roosters and the England national wheelchair rugby league team. In the King's 2023 Birthday Honours he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to wheelchair rugby league football. Tom Coyd's first coaching experience with the national side was in 2018 when he joined as an assistant coach. He was promoted to head coach in 2020. In November 2022 he led England to victory in the 2021 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup final. Coyd was awarded an MBE for services to wheelchair rugby league in the King's 2023 Birthday Honours. At the 2023 Man of Steel Awards, Coyd was named the Wheelchair Super League Coach of the Year. At the 2023 UK Coaching Awards, he won the "Greatest Coaching Moment" award for sporting events between 1 November 2022 and 20 November 2023 with the World Cup victory, narrowly surpassing Sarina Wiegman's World Cup campaign with the England women's national football team which cumulated in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final. Made of Steel: Wheelchair Rugby’s Fiercest Rivalryhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001r9zl/storyville-made-of-steel-wheelchair-rugbys-fiercest-rivalry

Rob Gray, a Professor at Arizona State University and an expert in skill acquisition, shares his insights on enhancing sports performance through better understanding of perception and action. He emphasizes the value of implicit learning and innovative coaching methods that embrace mistakes. The conversation delves into the dynamics between pitchers and batters, exploring strategies like tunneling to confuse opponents. Gray also highlights the interconnected nature of performance events, advocating for creative coaching techniques that foster adaptability and effective learning.

Pete Sturgess has dedicated his life to football coaching and coach development. Pete retired in March 2023 after working at the FA for 17 years. The majority of his tenure leading the way in coaching young children in the Foundation Phase. He has long been internationally recognised as an expert in his field and his retirement year saw him recognised formally for his contribution to football, coaching and sport. In honour of the influence Pete has had on coaches in the region, the Lancs FA renamed their 3G pitch to become the Pete Sturgess Hub. In October 2023, Pete was inducted into the Coach Development Hall of Fame at St George’s Park where his photo sits beside some of the other greats in coach education and in December 2023, Pete received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Annual UK Coaching Awards.We were truly honoured to have Pete join us for episode 35.Check out Pete's website https://www.thesessioncollective.co.uk/

Adam Gorman, a Senior Lecturer in Skill Acquisition at QUT and former Senior Skill Acquisition Specialist at the Australian Institute of Sport, discusses innovative coaching methods. He emphasizes enhancing athletes' skills through self-organization and dynamic learning experiences. Adam shares insights on using exaggerated scenarios in basketball and swimming to improve adaptability. He advocates for realistic training environments that foster creativity and collaboration, revolutionizing traditional coaching practices for better athlete engagement.

Jona Bronswijk is a boxing coach working with the Dutch Olympic boxing squad. He is interested in practice and training designs that are informed by the constraints led approach. Jona is also studying for a masters degree in sport coaching science. 

Dr Kane Middleton is an Associate Professor of Sport and Occupational Biomechanics within the Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science and the Sport, Performance, and Nutrition Research Group. Kane also serves as La Trobe University's Academic Program Director for the La Trobe - Sheffield Hallam joint PhD program. He completed his PhD in Sports Biomechanics at The University of Western Australia and has previously held post-doctoral positions at The University of Western Australia and the University of Wollongong.Jack Bale is a PhD student at La Trobe University. He is interested in the Ecological Dynamics Framework and its application to combat shooting, where he is uniquely positioned to combine his sports science background with extensive experience as an ISSF rifle shooter. Jack has shot for Great Britain at European Championships, World Cups, and the World Championships. He is actively applying his shooting knowledge by coaching ISSF rifle athletes in Australia, from athletes just starting out to those aiming for success on the world stage. 

Delve into the dynamic relationship between learning and performance in sports. Discover how these processes work together, rather than separately. Explore the importance of adaptability in skills, illustrated with examples from golf and cricket. The discussion emphasizes the significance of creating practice environments that mirror real game situations. Additionally, learn about innovative youth football formats aimed at enhancing participation. A mix of research and real-world applications makes for a compelling conversation.

Christian Thue Bjørndal is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sport and Social Science. He has a Master’s Degree in Sports Coaching and Sport Psychology from NIH and received in 2017 his PhD from research focusing on the dynamics of talent development in Norwegian handball.Christian is interested in interdisciplinary perspectives on athlete learning and development in sport with a special emphasis on sociocultural perspectives and ecological dynamics. He has extensive coaching experience from youth and elite handball and is certified EHF Master Coach.

Returning for a second time this week is Craig Morris, who has been a British Canoe Slalom performance coach for the past 20 years.  Craig started his career as a pathway development lead in the Olympic sport of Canoe Slalom, he found a home in coaching at the age of 23. The process of co-creation in the pursuit of growth and performance enthralled and drove him to work tirelessly to learn more of himself, others and the concept of learning itself. Many years later as personal coach to multiple Olympic, World and European medal winning individuals his adventure horizons continue to expand. The passion to carry his learning as a leader and coach in Olympic Sport guides him into new environments with new challenges including individual and team consultancy, executive coaching and mentoring and much more. Enjoy the show!

Sion has been involved in futsal since 2004. As a player he represented Great Britain at two World University Games and played International futsal for Wales for 5 years. Captaining his country and scoring at international level are his proudest playing moments. He has also had the honour of coaching the England & Wales U19s as well as the England U21s and being assistant coach for the Men’s senior team over the last 5 years. Sion has worked in the sport sector for the past 15 years; with the FA a Coach Educator, mentor & Development Officer, for Sport England leading their work on coaching, and is now with England Hockey supporting the implementation of their talent system.He is never happier than when spending time with his family exploring new places, or being on the futsal court working with players (something he is particularly looking forward to resuming over the next 12 months with the national programme). Sion is an advocate of creating opportunity for young players to achieve beyond what they thought was possible. He enjoys listening to the High Performance podcast and learning from high performing individuals from across the sport & the business world in order to further develop himself in service of the Game he loves.Link to the video mentioned in the episode. https://youtu.be/XfWU62xfNmQ?feature=sharedEnjoy!