The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching

My guest on this episode is Dr Niels Feddersen. Niels is a postdoctoral researcher in sports science. He studies organisational culture and power relations in elite sports organisations in the UK, Norway, and Denmark.Niels obtained his PhD from Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK. In the research, he collaborated with several Olympic sports organisations, the FA, and Premier League football clubs.Niels currently works at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology researching Social Psychology, Sports Psychology and Organizational Psychology. Current projects include culture and policy in Danish elite sports; sport psychology in football; and recreational exercise activities as a lifestyle intervention for people with stress, anxiety, and depression.Here is the link to Niels' academic profile and research https://www.ntnu.edu/employees/niels.feddersenResearchGate profile https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Niels-Feddersen

I am very excited to share this podcast with you. My guest Dr Paula Silva is a researcher who I have been a fan of for many years, and has been hugely influential to me.I'll add some topics to these show notes later - I'm doing a late night edit.

I am very excited to share this podcast with you. My guest Dr Paula Silva is a researcher who I have been a fan of for many years, and has been hugely influential to me.In part 1 we explored many themes including:1. What is anti-fragility?2. How does anti-fragility differ from resilience?3. Why we might want to stop trying to train/ coach perfect form and patterns.4. How bodies learn to move and be skilful.5. Can we use operant conditioning like they do in AI and robotics?6. An introduction to meta-stability.Here is a link to a video that supports the conversation about AI and training robots: https://youtu.be/5jL5wRGrCvk My guest Paula Silva received a Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG (Brazil) in 2000, a Master's degree in Rehabilitation Science from the same university in 2002, and a PhD degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2009. Paula also obtained a Certificate in Quantitative Methods from the University of Connecticut and is an Associate Professor and Co-director of graduate training in the Psychology Department  and one of the primary faculty members of the Center for Cognition, Action & Perception.Paula's research primarily focuses on human performance from the perspectives of complexity science and ecological psychology. Specifically,  action strategies employed by individuals of different ages, with and without pathological conditions, when performing various tasks. Her research has three complementary aims: (a) advancing general theoretical principles to explain coordination and perceptual regulation of biological movement supporting successful performance in diverse circumstances, (b) revealing and explaining changes in action coordination and perceptual capabilities associated with pathological conditions, and (c) applying these principles to design methods for assessing and enhancing resilience of individuals with movement-related disability and those at risk for sports injury.Complete list of Journal Publications:https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&view_op=list_works&gmla=AJsN-F4CL3SrNy-iuSs5Alrk3OIvDRJyO6g0425q3xOwib09l8oZuCyFj6trqtE2ih84Yr_PXU2qhJk6m_AzKfgdeaAI7dnnZMnAKj4tMbYyrhHmA_RAoRU&user=z9FExgcAAAAJ 

For episode 30 I am delighted to welcome back one of my guests from episode one. Dr James Stafford joined me to explore the practical applications of measuring perception-action coupling, this time applied to concussion.James can be contacted onj.stafford@incisiv.tech Twitter @JamesStafford94 Videohttps://youtu.be/YlidtcdMxyQWebsitehttps://incisiv.tech

I believe that this is probably the most important topic that I have explored on these podcasts, and that embracing and using the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHPE) could transform equestrian sports.Firstly, I need to apologise to Sue for being over enthusiastic and not the best host. It was due to my excitement and passion for supporting what she has been doing. This is a conversation that I will be listening to again a few more times.My guest is Dr Sue DysonSue Dyson qualified as a veterinarian from the University of Cambridge in 1980. After an internship at the University of Pennsylvania and a year in private equine practice in Pennsylvania, Sue returned to Great Britain to the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket. Sue ran a clinical referral service for lameness and poor performance, attracting clients from all over the United Kingdom, Ireland and continental Europe for 37 years. During this period Sue was also awarded a PhD and Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. From 2019 she has worked as an independent consultant, combining her horsemanship skills with her previous veterinary experience, with the aim of maximising performance potential.Sue’s key interests are improving the diagnosis of lameness and poor performance and maximising the opportunity for horses to fulfil their athletic potential at whatever level, taking a holistic approach to the horse, rider and tack combination, and improving approaches to diagnosis and management. She has been involved not only in providing clinical services, but also clinically relevant research and education. Sue is co-editor, with Mike Ross, of Diagnosis and Management of Lameness in the Horse and co-author of Clinical Radiology of the Horse and Equine Scintigraphy. She has published more than 400 papers in peer reviewed journals concerning lameness and diagnostic imaging and has lectured worldwide to veterinarians, paraprofessionals, coaches, riders and judges.Sue is a former President of the British Equine Veterinary Association and is currently scientific advisor to the Saddle Research Trust and Moorcroft Rehabilitation Centre. Sue is also a rider, and has produced horses from novice to top national level in both eventing and show jumping. Sue holds the Instructors and Stable Managers Certificates of the British Horse Society (BHSI).Sue has been awarded many international accolades for her work including induction into the University of Kentucky Equine Research Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to research in equine veterinary science, Honorary Membership of the British Equine Veterinary Association and Societa Italiana Veterinari Per Equini, Italy, the American Association of Equine Practitioners Frank J. Milne Award and the Tierklinik Hochmoor Prize, Germany, for outstanding, creative and lasting work in equine veterinary medicine.The 24 behaviour website is here https://www.24horsebehaviors.org/Sue can be contacted on her ResearchGate profile (below) and at the Saddle Research Trust https://www.saddleresearchtrust.com/meet-the-team-2/The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain: Shifting the Paradigm of How We See Lameness at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrZgtrqbMVIThis is Dr Sue Dyson's profile on ResearchGate where you can get access to most of her research papers https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sue-Dyson-2Other useful links: Lorimer Moseley - Why Things Hurt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwd-wLdIHjs

Themes covered in this episode include:How our personal philosophies can be constrained by external metrics such as what we judged on (medals for example).Staying open to being surprised by what others can do.Replacing expectations and 'supposed to' with attentive responsiveness.Challenging our assumptions.Finding spaces to have time and the environment to explore thinking.How we might find out what others think our philosophy is.A guide to ontology, epistemology, and philosophical perspectives for interdisciplinary researchers. This is an excellent short article to explore philosophy in research a little deeper. My fabulous guests on parts 1 and 2 are:Dr Alex Lascu is a skill acquisition specialist by trade and currently lectures at the University of Canberra. Her passion for talent development and community sport is contagious, and she enjoys existing in the gap between research and practice in the hopes of bringing these two worlds together.Find Alex on Twitter at @skillacqlascu At her website https://skillacqlascu.com/Or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alascule/?originalSubdomain=au Dr Carl Woods is a Senior Research Fellow within the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University. His research interests reside at the intersection of ecological psychology, social anthropology, and sport science, where he explores concepts of knowing, skill, learning and education. He has an extensive background in both academia and the industry, having held various positions within multiple Australian Universities and the Australian Football League.Contacting Carl -Carl is on Twitter - @CarlWoods25ResearchGateHere are a few of Carl's recent papers -Thinking through making and doing: sports science as an art of inquiry.Craig Morris is an Olympic Canoe Slalom Coach and High Performance Coach consultant with over 17 years of experience in performance coaching.Personal coach to 1 individual senior Olympic, World and European podiums and over 30 World Cup podiums, across multiple athletes and 4 Olympic disciplines, Craig is regarded as one of the World’s leading Canoe Slalom coaches and skill acquisition specialists.More recently Craig has become a Director and Performance Coach for Cultured Coaching Ltd, offering high performance bespoke development and executive coaching and mentoring to individuals and teams across a myriad of domains.Wherever Craig goes he aims to be innovative in his coaching practice and is increasingly engaged worldwide in fields including leadership, coach development, skill acquisition, mentoring and ecological approaches to performance coaching. Craig and Carls paper 'On the Wisdom of Not Knowing: reflections of an Olympic Canoe Slalom coach Craig can be contacted via email at info@culturedcoaching.com On Twitter @MorrisCraig_ LinkedIn  Craig MorrisDavid Farrokh is a PhD candidate at Sheffield Hallam University (with Prof Keith Davids, Dr Joe Stone, and Dr James Rumbold) researching flow from an ecological dynamics perspective.Find David on FaceBook and Twitter @bigpicsoccer

Themes covered in this episode include:What is a coaching philosophy and do we need one?Understanding experiences from others perspectives.Learning through corresponding/ interacting together.Best intentions, staying curious and humble.My fabulous guests bios and links to other content and resources are in part 2 due to word constraints.BibliographyThe meaning of some 'long words' used in the podcast. Despite the complexity of the words, these are important and useful concepts to think about regarding philosophy and guiding principles in coaching.Critical phenomenology examines how our experiences are shaped by power, social structures, and historical contexts. It emphasises the importance of understanding individual and group experiences, while also acknowledging larger societal forces. It critiques traditional phenomenology's focus on individual subjectivity and advocates for social and political critique to empower marginalised groups and create more equitable societies.Eco-feminism highlights the connection between women's oppression and environmental degradation, both caused by the patriarchal system. It advocates for more egalitarian and sustainable societies, emphasising the interdependence of all living beings.Positivistic objective philosophy emphasises empirical evidence and scientific methods to understand the world, seeking universal laws and objective truths while excluding subjective experiences and values. It prioritises quantitative data and a neutral observer to eliminate bias from scientific investigation.Ethnography is a qualitative research method used to understand human cultures and social phenomena by systematically observing and analysing people in their natural environment. Ethnographers aim to produce detailed accounts of social and cultural contexts through extended fieldwork, interviews, surveys, and document analysis, often using an emic (insider) or etic (outsider) perspective.Participant observation is a research method where the researcher becomes a participant in a social setting while observing and recording the behaviour of others. It provides a deep understanding of the cultural practices and beliefs of the group studied by experiencing them firsthand, and often involves note-taking, interviewing, and engagement with group members.Anthropocentric philosophy prioritises humans and their needs above all other living beings and the environment. It assumes nature exists solely for human benefit, promoting an unsustainable relationship with the natural world. This perspective neglects the interconnectedness of all life and has been criticised for being destructive.Pedagogy is the practice and theory of teaching and education, encompassing methods and strategies to facilitate learning, selecting appropriate materials, designing lesson plans, and creating an engaging environment. Effective pedagogy considers individual needs, promotes active participation, and varies by subject matter, age group, and cultural context.Ontology is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of existence, including the concepts of being, becoming, and reality. It is concerned with questions about what exists, what entities can be said to exist, and how such entities can be grouped, related within a hierarchy, and subdivided according to similarities and differences.Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge. It explores questions related to how knowledge is acquired, the criteria for evaluating knowledge claims, and the limits of what can be known. Epistemology also examines the various sources of knowledge, such as perception, reason, and testimony, and investigates the methods used to validate knowledge claims, such as the scie

Welcome to the podcast's first anniversary episode!My guest on this episode is Dr. Anne Bondi. Anne Bondi was a successful professional rider who competed at international advanced level both in eventing and dressage. In 2017, Anne was awarded a doctorate from the University of Sunderland for her novel research of horse, saddle and rider interaction and teaches world-wide, sharing her passion for this complex but fascinating subject.I am delighted to have had the opportunity to have a conversation with Anne, and could have recorded for hours. We covered many topics, but focussed mainly on saddles. Among the threads we explored were:- Saddle history, their design, fit, and how they influence the horse and rider. - Being part of 'Circles of Support' with more holistic and multi-disciplinary teams working together to support horses and riders.- Using the Ridden Horse Performance Checklist (RHPC) as one way of listening to our horses under saddle.- Where saddle design is, and could go in the future.- The work of the Saddle Research Trust.- Future research, sponsorship and ways to support.- Happy Horse competitions.If you would like to contact Anne you can through the Saddle Research Trust websiteat https://www.saddleresearchtrust.com/Or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-anne-bondi-a53b3825/?originalSubdomain=ukThis is Anne's bio from the Saddle Research Trust website.BHSI, PGDip, PhD. Chair of Trustees, SRT FounderAnne Bondi was a successful professional rider who competed at international advanced level both in eventing and dressage. Inspiration and development as a rider came from training with Olympians Jane and Christopher Bartle and world-renowned coach, Baron Hans von Blixen – Finecke. As a trainer, she prepared pupils for both competition careers and professional exams and was a Senior Examiner of the British Horse Society. Anne currently competes at a more relaxed amateur level and owns international horses that compete at 4* eventing level and 1.45 show jumping with professional riders.In 2006, driven by a lack of research, innovation and development of saddle design Anne founded Solution Saddles, an innovation company which manufactures the SMARTTM range of award-winning, fully flexible sports saddles. Anne’s unique designs, which have also been awarded five patents, have established the company as a market leader in saddles that promote equine welfare and performance.In 2009, Anne founded the Saddle Research Trust to promote the welfare and performance of the ridden horse and to educate and raise awareness of the widely underestimated complexities surrounding the horse, saddle, rider interaction. SRT is now internationally recognised for its ground-breaking work.In 2017, Anne was awarded a doctorate from the University of Sunderland for her novel research of horse, saddle and rider interaction and teaches world-wide, sharing her passion for this complex but fascinating subject. Anne is actively involved in research projects in the field, has authored and contributed to many scientific papers and book chapters and is a peer reviewer for academic journals.

This is an audio version of the Motivation series I wrote a few years ago. It provides an introduction to motivation and learning and how coaching behaviours can have a big influence on both.The key themes covered are:Part 1. Motivation TheoriesThere are many theories about motivation, but the one we’ll look at here is particularly useful for sports coaches and leaders. It is called the Self Determination Theory, or SDT for short. SDT is made up of a number of micro-theories one of which is called the Basic Psychological Needs Theory. According to the Basic Psychological Needs Theory, motivation to engage in an activity is influenced by the support, and subsequent satisfaction of, three innate basic needs. These are the need for:Autonomy (a sense of control over your own life and personal volition),Competence (the need to be effective and skilful),Relatedness (the desire to feel connected to, and cared for, by others).Part 2. Autonomy-supportive coaching behavioursAccording to Mageau and Vallerand (2003), the coach’s autonomy-supportive behaviours directly influence the participant or athlete’s perceptions of competence, autonomy and relatedness.So, how do we ensure that we are being autonomy supportive in our coaching? Mageau and Vallerand have come up with seven autonomy-supportive coaching behaviours.Provide choice within structure, specific rules and limitsProvide a rationale for tasks and limitsAcknowledge negative feelingsProvide opportunities to take initiatives and work independentlyProvide non-controlling competence feedbackUse non-controlling language, avoid controlling behaviours, and use competition and rewards wiselyPromote a mastery rather than ego involvement (promote achievement).Part 3. Increasing skill acquisition - who is making the decisions?Within more traditional sports, as well as equestrian and adventure activities, deliberate practice has typically consisted of coach-led sessions. In a coach-led session, the coach makes all the decisions. The coach defines the learning environment and provides the technical and tactical content considered necessary for developing skilful performance, and gives error correcting feedback. The research that guided this practice paid little attention to how coaches could support the needs of those they coached.  In fact, motor learning research did not consider motivation at all until recently. There appears to have been an assumption that in sports settings people are already self-motivated. Motivation was, therefore, something that was only important if someone did not have any at all. (And then, only to get people active who needed to be for health reasons.)Thankfully, there has been a recent change in focus.  Both researchers and practitioners have moved away from considering movement learning as just being about how a coach can effectively impart information. This wider view has resulted in an approach that is more learner-focused.This is the link to the articles on the Dynamics Coaching website https://dynamics-coaching.com/our-blog/motivation-and-optimal-learning-environments/

On this episode, my lovely guest is Chris Adderson from For The Horse. About my guest:Chris is an equine educator and consultant, top level rider and an equine and human movement expert.Chris helps passionate riders confidently achieve their riding dreams and goals without fears, doubts, so they can ride with ease and flow. From understanding and communicating with your horse on a deeper level to consistent, exhilarating rides, Chris will help you clarify your riding with your partner who you are absolutely passionate about being the best you can be with.Chris is a sought-after clinician, having taught thousands of riders and their horses worldwide. She has studied with, and instructed for, many of the world’s greatest classical dressage and horsemanship people such as Ray Hunt, Roy Yates, Peggy Cummings, Margrit Coates, Philippe Karl, Pat and Linda Parelli, Lee Smith, and George Malleroni, but none so great as the horse itself.  An instructor of 44 years, many of my students have become equine professionals and ridden to the highest levels.Find Chris on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChrisAddersonFortheHorseOr her website at https://forthehorse.com/