CVASPS The Podcast

This week’s episode of The Podcast brought me back to some of CVASPS’s roots, talking training with one of the worlds the top and most forward-thinking track and field coaches, PJ Vazel. I’m a huge fan of PJ’s love for history and how it has impacted him as a researcher and a coach. Throughout this fantastic 35-minute plus conversation, PJ and I get into: 1)    The role of fine arts studies leading him to dive into the history of sport science2)    Improvisations role in coaching, and why understanding your processes and goals are vital to being able to improvise3)    Where the Soviets were correct back in the day, and what has stood the test of time from their work4)    Specificity vs variability, where is the balance in this contradiction5)    How being calm and relaxed tends to lead to greater performance6)    Is it too strong or is it that the training leads them to be to tense?7)    What challenges are there when coaching “relaxation” with athletes8)    Talent identification, it’s challenges, and why it may come down to getting lucky PJ provides such a fantastic perspective on the preparation of, and cannot thank him enough for being so open to share with us today. His understanding of history and the arts, and how it has formulated how he works as a coach is really awesome. I really enjoyed hearing how he looks at the history of training means and methods, the research behind it, and how he evaluates and implements that in his programming today. Make sure you give him a follow on the socials at X and Instagram @pjvazel. I really hope that you enjoyed this discussion as much as I did. As always, please share the show with someone that you feel could find value in it, and if you haven’t, I would greatly appreciate it if you subscribed to the show and left us a review on your favorite podcast player.  Who is PJ Vazel?PJ Vazel is currently national athletics coach for France having coached sprinters, hurdlers, and throwers at each of the Olympics and world championships since 2004. He has been an IAAF correspondent and chronicler for Le Monde for a decade and has participated to scientific and historical projects in athletics.

In a season of “long time coming” guests, I am so excited to get to welcome Wannabefast’s Dan Fichter. Dan is doing absolutely fantastic work in the 585, and is one of (in my opinion) the most forward-thinking practitioners in the world. Though out the nearly 40-minute conversation, Dan and I get into:  1)    “What Matters” in strength and conditioning in Dan’s eyes2)    Voluntary movement vs, reflexive, vs anticipatory 3)    Where technique fits in movement work4)    If there is one thing that all athletes “have to work towards” what would that be?5)    The future direction of our vocation, and how can we evolve with the future of coaching?6)    What brought Dan to start running down the neurological rabbit hole and where does he suggest we can start educating ourselves on the topic.7)    Unintended consequences to lifting weights and what can be done to counteract that. The unique lens that Dan looks through to evaluate how athletes perform is one that more of us need to take a step back and peer through. This conversation has led me to reevaluate so many of the progressions and programming that we have set. I can’t thank Dan enough for being so open with us today, and challenging me to understand a totally different perspective, one that I know holds immense value. This is a show was really fun and the conversation really opened my eyes, and I hope you found as much value in it as I did. If you did, please share this conversation with a practitioner who could find value in it as well, and if you haven’t subscribed to the show and left us a review, if you could do that as well I’d greatly appreciate it.  Who is Dan Fichter? Dan Fichter has been involved in strength and conditioning for well over 20 years, Wannagetfast became a reality in his garage in the early 2000s. With Boots on the ground in the early 90’s Dan has studied closely with some of the elites in the field of physical preparation.  Dan has a very diverse education that literally spans the globe. Dan was responsible for designing and implementing speed, strength, conditioning, and mobility training programs for athletes in men’s lacrosse, alpine ski, volleyball, tennis, swimming, basketball, Football, lacrosse, and a variety of other sports. As a high school coach Dan has won 8 Sectional Titles in Track and Football and has coached numerous professional athletes, Olympians, and some of the most high-profile Hockey and Lacrosse players in the world.  Fichter has traveled the country lecturing to numerous NFL, MLB, NHL, on speed training, strength training, and nervous system development and how to pull these elements into a comprehensive package.  At the High School level Dan teaches fundamental postural and force absorption techniques and how it easily translates into sporting prowess and bullet proofing against injuries

This week we welcome back the OG of The Podcast, Dr. Christian Carter who was on the first “interview show” I did back in the day on YouTube was with Willie Danzer (check it out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwBjea_f5e0&t=217s). This was a long overdue catch up, and a fantastic 30 plus minute discussion including: 1)    Driving factors to why his mindset on our positions has changed over his career.2)    What could be leading to this shift in focus from just programming to improving the relationships with our athletes.3)    The “Do More” or the “Good but” responses lead to athletes looking for some sort of praise.4)    A two-way street of getting to actually know your athlete’s but be vulnerable enough to let your athletes truly know you as well.5)    How being a happier and nicer person can really help improve your relationships with your athletes, their improvements, and enjoyment for being at work daily.6)    Where he feels “coaching” happens, and how setting the “standard” and teaching can lead to better opportunities to learn and connect with your athletes in the long run. It’s always awesome to catch up with Dr. Carter and this conversation was no exception. For someone who’s gone through the educational steps to change his first name to Doctor, and has been doing this at such a high level as a practitioner, to share his evolution and the driving factors to these changes in perspective was really awesome. I can’t thank Christian enough for being so candid in sharing his story and thought process and growth as a coach and person. This is a talk that I took so much from, and hope you did as well. As with all of our content, if you found value in the show and think a colleague could as well, please feel free to share the show with anyone you think would find it valuable. Also, if you could please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app, I’d truly appreciate it if you could. Who is Dr. Christian Carter? Christian Carter joined JMU Strength and Conditioning for Olympic sports in 2013. He is in charge of designing and implementing programs for women's track and field, volleyball and men’s soccer. Christian is also the Head Weightlifting Coach for Renaissance Periodization as well as a nutrition consultant for RP. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin, his Master's in Health Promotion from Virginia Tech, and his Doctorate in Sport Performance from East Tennessee State University.

I am really excited to discuss building a program the new world of college athletics with Asa Britt. The evolution to the “new normal” of college sports has led to so many of us needing to evolve how we, not only program, but go throughout our day to day schedule with the athletes. Inside this packed 35-minute discussion Asa and I dive into: 1)    The importance and power of routine in an athlete’s life2)    How the landscape of college athletics with the portal has impacted how we need to teach routines and behaviors with these athletes.3)    Ways the athlete’s coming in from other schools may need help adjusting to the new team, but also how you can learn from them improve different aspects of your program.4)    What the importance of understanding how the player felt about their past program and their training, and what their past strength coach as to say about the player and how they trained.5)    Strategies used to build different routines and help the players understand different behaviors so that they can make better decisions to reach their goals. I’m so appreciative of Asa for spending the time today and sharing so many of his experiences and growth through his coaching evolution. I know that this past off season I’ve had more “growing” experiences and has pushed me in many unique ways, and through this conversation and other, I’m certain I’m not alone with that.  Make sure you give him a follow him IG @abritt_19! This chat is full of great info and I really hope you enjoyed as much as I did. If so please feel free to share the episode with a collogue, and if you haven’t subscribed and left a review for the show on your favorite podcast platform I’d greatly appreciate it. Who is Asa Britt? Asa Britt was name Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Fairfield University in 2022. He develops and oversees strength and conditioning programs for Men's Basketball, Softball, and Golf.Britt came to Fairfield from Sacred Heart University, where he was elevated from the position of Graduate Assistant to Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach in 2021. He worked directly with men’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, and softball. He was also in charge of developing the internship program, connecting with Sacred Heart’s exercise science program. As a Graduate Assistant, he was in charge of men’s and women’s soccer, tennis, dance, and assisted with football.Prior to his stint at Sacred Heart University, he had internships at the University of Kentucky, Manhattan College, and the University of Iowa. Britt also served as a Volunteer Assistant for the women’s tennis team at Rutgers University as well as being a Sport Performance Coach at AP2T.Britt received a B.S. in Exercise Science from Manhattan College. He is a member of the NSCA and holds a CSCS certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Britt also hold certifications from USAW and RPR.

This week I have the pleasure of sitting down and discussing the management of coaches and administration with the performance director of first special forces command, Ryan Carroll. Throughout the 30-minute discussion Ryan and I get into: 1)    The unique challenge of his position and how some challenges cross into both tactical and collegiate strength and conditioning.2)    How implementing things at scale creates great challenges and increases the need for collaboration between coaches3)    Ways that he and his staff communicate information to the higher ups to show that there is a return on the investment being made.4)    Conversations that the information they collect lead to, both to those above him and the service members that help with buy in at all levels.5)    Changing your thought process from being a dictator to coworkers with those you’re coaching, and how it can impact your trajectory as a coach. I’m really grateful for Ryan spending the time today to discuss some of the systems and processes that they’re putting together to help build out an all-encompassing performance and wellness program for a variety of different service members. Although at a different level, many of these issues are similar to those that arise at the collegiate level as well, like scaling, individualization between units/team, donated equipment we are expected to utilize and so on. This chat is full of great info that I hope you enjoyed as much as I did. If so please feel free to share the episode with a collogue, and if you haven’t subscribed and left a review for the show on your favorite podcast platform I’d greatly appreciate it. Who is Ryan Carroll? Ryan Carroll, MS, CSCS*D is the Human Performance and Wellness Director at 1st Special Forces Command at Fort Liberty, NC.  He has been a strength and conditioning coach for over 20 years and in the tactical space for 8. He has worked with the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Loyola University Chicago, BridgeAthletic, and an Air Force Special Operations Unit in North Carolina. Ryan has spoken at several NSCA Tactical Conferences on training female soldiers, as well as the design and implementation of a comprehensive operator "Reset Week".   He can be reached at rcarroll2214@yahoo.com or on instagram at @rcsc14

Today we have an awesome discussion on building a performance program and department with Carl “Shep” Sheppard. Shep has been given the unique challenge of building the new preparation program for Space Force, which is (obviously) an extremely unique branch of the military.  Throughout the 37-minute discussion Shep and I dive into: 1)    The role a soldier and an educator has driven his professional development2)    How the “average make up” of the operators he works with makes developing a preparation program a unique challenge3)    What aspects of human physiology they’re evaluating and how they’re looking to develop those qualities.4)    How using the health of the operators is the most value and first level of their preparedness5)    The battle between forward thinking and the way it’s always been.6)    Where wearables do and do not fit in the development of these operators Such an interesting assignment, and an awesome discussion with Shep Sheppard diving into how they’re building the preparation program for these operators. I can’t thank him enough for being so open to sharing the directions of this process with us today. I hope that you’ve found value in the discussion, and if so please feel free to share it with a colleague and please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

In this week’s episode of The Podcast I got to sit down and building out a unique staff structure and the development of a yearlong training program with Kennesaw State’s Emmet Van Der Snick. Throughout the 30 plus minute discussion Emmet and I get into: 1)    The role of PT school in his development, and how it continues to impact him professionally2)    How having different directors within a department is helping their department progress3)    Where his philosophy of training formulated, and how it has grown through his different stops.4)    Specific progressions that he utilizes and has success with.5)    The impact of today’s culture in sports and the transfer portal on his training prescriptions. Emmet shared with us some great insight into the formation of their multiple director structure at KSU and why this could be a more viable option for departments going forward.  I also can’t thank him enough for being so open to share so in-depth to what his programming is with his student athletes, that’s a great look inside not just what he’s programming but the thoughts behind it. I’m excited that I got to speak with him and for his future as a practitioner. Make sure you give him a follow @coach_van_der_snick on Instagram. If you enjoyed the discussion and found value in the show feel free to share this episode with a collogue that you feel would enjoy it, and please don’t forget to subscribe and give us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast player. I truly do appreciate it. Who is Emmett Van Der Snick? Emmett Van Der Snick currently serves as the Director of Sports Performance at Kennesaw State University where he works with Lacrosse, Softball, Tennis, Women’s Golf, and Women’s Soccer. Prior to this role he served as the Assistant Director of Sports Performance. Before KSU he spent time coaching at BYU, LSU, and JMU working with a variety of teams including Football, Women’s Lacrosse, and Swim and Dive.

In this week’s episode I get to have a really awesome conversation about finding secondary ways to make money as a coach with Rodrigo Alvira Isla. If you’ve ever had the “privilege” of getting stuck with me during one of my rants about this topic you already know how passionate I am about this topic and how important I think this is, not just for coaches, but for everyone in today’s financial climate. Throughout the nearly 40-minute discussion Rodrigo and I get into: 1)     Being an international, the visa process, and some of the challenges of coming to work in The States2)     Some of the differences in basketball preparation between Spain and the US.3)     What were the driving factors behind Spaniardperformance and how it has helped him become a better coach.4)     Why many of the fears people have behind why they don’t post content, or build an online product may be self-imposed.5)     Working with athletes on an online training program, steps you can make to make it scalable, and what is a reasonable time commitment to each athlete in his mind.  I cannot thank Rodrigo enough for being so open to sharing, not just his voyage, but also some ways that coaches can use platforms we all have to find a second source of income. He’s putting out awesome content with his business on Instagram, so make sure you give him a follow at @spaniardperformance. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, he’s providing a great template (how he’s doing things) as to how you can build, and scale, an online business as a coach.  If you found value in the show it would be a huge help to us if you could do me three favors: first, as with all all our content, please feel share this with a colleague you think could find value in the show. Second, if you haven’t please subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player, and lastly if you could leave us a 5 star review on that players I would greatly appreciate it.  Who is Rodrigo Alvira Isla? Rodrigo was born and raised in Zaragoza, Spain. He came to America to play college basketball, playing division 2 basketball a lung injury during his Junior year. He graduated with bachelor in Exercise Science in 2018, worked in Dubai, Lincoln University, Exceed SPF, and Grand Canyon University, with different sports, including Basketball, Football, Volleyball and Golf. He created Spaniard Performance in 2018 to help the Spanish speaking world to learn the side for Sports Performance in the US.

This week I’m so excited to welcome Amit Vohra to The Podcast. Similar to the past few guests we have had on the show I’ve been fortunate to watch Amit’s professional growth from a distance after getting his feet wet in the vocation under my former director Chris Stewart. During the 30+ minute discussion Amit and I get into: 1)    How he has formulated his thought process around programming. 2)    The role and power of belief in training, programming, coaching, and life.3)    What the goal of the program is, and where evaluations impact the directions they take to reach those goals.4)    Examples of how they utilize data to help structure and progress/regress drills in practice5)    Metrics that they look at, why they look at them, and how they impact decisions. Not just in practice but in training as well. Amit is doing some great work up at Towson, it’s really been awesome watching him grow from intern here back in the day to where he is now. Super excited for the future he has as a practitioner. Make sure you give him a follow @vohra91 on Instagram. And please, if you find value in the show feel free to share this episode with a collogue that you feel would enjoy it, and please don’t forget to subscribe and give us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast player. I truly do appreciate it. Who is Amit Vohra?Vohra has been a strength and conditioning coach at Towson since August 2018.  He currently serves as the director of basketball performance, primarily working with the men's basketball team.Among his duties include leading the strength room’s internship program plus utilizing the catapult athlete monitoring system to help optimize training loads.Vohra was the strength coach for the 2018-19 CAA Champion Towson women’s basketball team and the 2020 ECAC Champion Towson women’s indoor track team.He came to Towson after a year at the University of Connecticut as a sports performance assistant, working primarily with men’s and women’s cross country/track & field and diving.  His 2017 UConn women’s cross-country team won its first-ever conference championship in program history.Previous to UConn, Vohra served as a graduate assistant for Springfield College for the 2016-17 season, working with men’s/women’s basketball, men’s soccer, men’s lacrosse and baseball.  He has also worked as an intern for Wake Forest University, the College of the Holy Cross, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and the University of Richmond.

I am elated to get to sit down and discuss the role and impact of data in the return to play process with The Las Vegas Golden Knights Director of Sport Science and Reconditioning, Dr. Aaron Heishman. Throughout the 35-minute discussion Heish and I get into:  1)    The impact of starting with the right mentor, and how his has left a mark on him professionally and continues to drive him forward.2)    Where he sees the role of “sport science” in their organization3)    The balance between skill and power, and the ways they evaluate where they fit on the continuum of how they move4)    The role of data in the RTP process, including what they utilized as preinjury baseline data.5)    How the process of evaluating and interrupting data is what makes it actionable, which is where the value truly is6)    What drives the conversation’s when an athlete is progressing through the RTP process, and how the objective and subjective work hand in hand to drive decisions.   Truly grateful for Dr. Heishman taking the time to be on the show and being so open to sharing. He’s doing some fantastic work in Vegas and is an absolute wealth of knowledge that’s absolutely driving our entire vocation forward by pushing the envelope in the performance monitoring world. Make sure to give him a follow @aheish11_ on Instagram. Feel free to share this episode with a collogue that you feel would enjoy it, and please don’t forget to subscribe and give us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast player. I truly do appreciate it. Who is Aaron Heishman? Aaron is the Head of Sport Science and Reconditioning for the Vegas Golden Knights. He is primarily responsible for directing the sport science initiatives of the organization, as well as leading the implementation of return to play programming for athletes undergoing long-term rehabilitation. Prior to his time with the Golden Knights, he worked as the Assistant Director of Basketball Performance and Sport Scientist at University of Oklahoma. While at OU, Aaron earned his PhD in Exercise Physiology with research focused on athlete monitoring strategies used to evaluate neuromuscular performance and fatigue in basketball players. Before Oklahoma, Aaron worked as the Graduate Assistant for Basketball Performance at the University of Virginia, where he found a passion for trying to bridge the gap between applied performance practices and research in effort to maximize athlete health and performance.