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  • If you are a committed coach in a relationship you are going to want to listen to this podcast. If you are the committed spouse or partner of a coach you are really going to want to listen to this podcast...

    In this, the first in a two part series of EvelChat, Derek talks to Donna Kaye-Harris, lifelong coach, sport builder & researcher, on interviews she did with 10 Olympic coaches & their partners prior to the 2016 Rio Games. In part 1 we discuss the feedback from the data on the partners of coaches, in part 2 we discuss the data from the coaches themselves.

    Donna interviewed each person in the cohort separately & independently, collecting feedback on how the coaching profession (obsession?) has impacted their partnership, family life, health and other important areas. While her findings are unpublished, her raw data, easily digestible & organized around quotes from both the coach & partner, can be viewed here.

    This is a fascinating discussion on the impact coaching has on a marriage, partnership, relationship and family and should not be missed.

    Donna Harris, ChPC, is a Chartered Professional Coach skilled in program development and implementation. She holds a Master of Arts in Kinesiology; her thesis explored the impact of passion on the performance and lives of elite coaches and their partners. The research outcomes lend insight into the requirements high performers need to be successful as well as the impact being a high performer has on the individual, their partner and their family.  The architect behind Athletics Canada’s revised coaching education program, she understands the components of performance and the steps necessary to draw out the best from everyone.

    Topics:

    “They’re not quite present in family life”“Knowing that you’re second place”“I got to go, I went to Beijing, I went to Athens”“The coach’s career trumps my career”“You’re not really making a lot of the decisions that affect your life”“Worrying (about job security) doesn’t really help a whole lot”“It’s a job of passion, not a job you count hours”“. . .and then it consumes you”“Tell me a coach that was great and had good work-life balance”
  • In this episode of EvelChat Derek & Movement Expert & Skill Acquisition Coach Shawn Myszka discuss learning, teaching & technical development within the context of one of sport’s most complex movement challenges, the Hammer Throw.

    Shawn has served primarily as a Personal Performance Advisor & Movement Skill Acquisition Coach for National Football League (NFL) players since 2008, working with approximately 12 players each year and has partnered with 5 NFL All-Pro selections and 12 NFL Pro Bowl Team members.

    You can find Shawn’s full bio at https://emergentmvmt.com/about/

    Shawn’s website: https://emergentmvmt.com  

    You can find Shawn on Twitter at @movementmiyagi 

    Topics:

    Coaching in northern environments & innovationSkill development in varying conditionsFacilitating skill development as opposed to imparting a technical model (Ecological Dynamics)Unique technical and physical elements of the hammer throwNikolai Bernstein’s ideas on problem solvingThe functional adaptive relationship between the athlete & performanceMovement as a problem-solving processDrills vs. whole movement learningA coach’s place in the learning processGlobal movements & coaching beginnersCreating dexterity & “Bulletproofness” in technical developmentThe line between fostering individual problem-solving solutions & facilitating ineffective techniqueBarry Sanders & chasing technical models“Adaptability Zone” & the confluence of constraintsConsidering Emergence in movement learningGlobal vs. Part learning with beginnersEgo and coaching technical modelsAuthenticity & problem solving “on the fly”Creating / exposing athletes to different environmentsThe line between ‘thinking’ & moving instinctively.One-on-one coaching & over-coaching 
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  • In this 2nd of back-to-back episodes of EvelChat with our buddy Stu McMillan, Derek & Stu discuss learning & skill acquisition.

    Topics include:

    Stu’s a “People Person”Skill stability & the edges of the technical bandwidth Performance vs. learning sessionsVariability & the range of accepted movement within a technical modelThe “problem in the hammer throw” Technique vs. Skill Development coaching vs. Elite coachingThe content vs. the context of a movementRemoving context to help an athlete learn moreChallenging athletes to move more effectivelyPrescription vs. facilitationChanging an athlete’s technical modelGuiding the athlete to solve their own technical solutions.
  • Derek & Stu go at it again...

    Topics:

    Derek’s new gogglesStu’s modelling careerThe (at times) ugly necessity of a social media presence in online education https://simplifaster.comThe infamous Shackleton podcastWhat’s new at AltisThe Altis Foundation for HBCUStu’s thoughts of the latest EvelChatsDale Stevo’s training methodologyHarvey & looking for commonalities when comparing methods Stu’s thoughts on the Nike Super Spikes question from twitterIs there evidence for “Surfing the Curve”Max Speed / Max Strength & individual needs & approachesTransference vs Relatedness in exercise and intensity selection Bondarchuk & Transfer
  • In this podcast Derek gets schooled. It’s a deep dive into the science and practice of Long-Term Athlete Development & Preparation. In particular, we discuss the science & practice around Peak Height Velocity (PHV) and overall implementation of the LTAD principles and progressions. 

    James Baker is a sport performance specialist and one of the world’s top experts in Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) and Preparation. He is the Head of National Talent Identification, Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach and Performance Support Lead for Aspire Academy in Dona, Qatar. He is also the co-founder (with Mike Young) of the LTAD Network (www.ltadnetwork.com), one of the world’s top resources in physical preparation & sport training development for youth.

    Tom Crick is the Head of Athletics at Aspire Academy & former Director of Coaching & Athlete Development for Athletics Northern Ireland. Before that he was the Professional Development Manager & Qualifications Manager for British Athletics.

    Topics:

    ·      Check out www.needleeyespikes.com

    ·      Check out: https://altis.world/product/altis-foundation-course/

    ·      James’ Background

    ·      What is LTAD?

    ·      Pathways athletes take in development

    ·      Importance of proper long term athletic preparation

    ·      Technical / tactical development vs. physical development

    ·      Peak Height Velocity (PHV)

    ·      Parent height vs., predicted height and Pre / Circa / Post PHV

    ·      Clown shoes and the order that body segments go through PHV 

    ·      C onsiderations for loading around PHV

    ·      PHV & Apophysitis

    ·      Volume of work around growth spurts & PHV

    ·      Natural Volume Experiments at Aspire

    ·      Criticism / efficacy around using PHV

    ·      James’ data around pre / circa / post PHV

    ·      PHV, Bioband and early / late maturers

    ·      Practicality around tracking PHV

    ·      Average Post-PHV age and the start of formal training

    ·      Keeping Late maturers within the net

    ·      Basic strength diagnostics and patterns for beginners

    ·      Producing ‘elite athletes’ vs. any other athlete

    ·      Organization for coaching developing athletes

    ·      Why the pressure to succeed demands more competent coaching practice

    ·      Why ‘Specialization’ is not a dirty word

  • Meet Harvey Maguire.  Harvey is a former soccer coach and practicing professional physical therapist in Loughborough, England.  He is also a sprint coach working at the university and club level. 

    I thought it might be an interesting conversation to record myself and Harvey discussing some of the things he faces as a development coach who works with athletes new to the sport or training at a relatively young training age.  Mainly we discuss the challenges he faces sorting through the world of information in front of him and how to identify “good coaching” in an effort to cultivate his own model of good coaching practice. 

    I think listeners from all walks of sport life will get something from this one.

    Topics:

    Harvery’s background.Dale Stevo’s training system.Navigating the world of information as a young or developing coach.Different approaches in training for different coaches and athletes.How to assess proven training systems / programs as a development coach.Factors that influence results in coaching (facilities, weather, drugs, talent pools, support, etc…).Limitations that influence results in coaching (bureaucracy, environment, etc…).Objectivity in coaching.Shackleton in...
  • Dale "Stevo" Stevenson, National Throws Coach, New Zealand Athletics.

    To me, this is one of the most intriguing podcasts I’ve posted… You don’t have to be a throws coach to get something out of this. I’ve met few coaches who are able to systematically individualize and create a training system around an athlete’s individual performance structure / force-output profile. This is even more impressive given the fact that Dale walked into a national coaching position shortly after retiring as an athlete. I hope you enjoy this, I certainly did. There will be more to come.

    Topics:

    ·      Dale’s history as a competitive shot putter.

    ·      His current role as Head Coach for the Throwing Events, New Zealand Athletics.

    ·      Christchurch, Polar Exploration & the Galapagos.

    ·      Differences between Aussie & Kiwi Athletics.

    ·      Dale’s current group.

    ·      Ryan Ballantyne & coaching top juniors.

    ·      How Dale came to coaching Tom Walsh.

    ·      Tom’s early athlete development.

    ·      Super-Coach Ian Baird

    ·      Tom Walsh’s unique challenges as an athlete

    ·      Dale Stevo’s unique training system & approach to periodization

    ·      Throwing the competition implement in competition cycles

    ·      Dale’s 4 session rolling average & auto-regulated periodization model

    ·      Differences b/t Dale’s system & the Bondarchuk system.

    ·      Medium-term planning in Dale’s system.

    ·      Tom’s competitive ability vs. training marks

    ·      ‘Freedom’ as a training philosophy.

    ·      Technical input vs. allowing an athlete to develop their own solutions to technical problems.

    ·      Using a ‘system’ vs. being an outlier & individualizing training

    ·      Does coaching attract an addictive personality?

    ·      Managing your life as a professional coach.

    ·      The pros & cons with balls to the wall coaching.

    ·      Being isolated in NZ.

  • Paddy McGrath is an enigma in coaching circles. That’s because it’s not easy to find coaches, at least in the US, who in the same session, you will find teaching a beginner how to hold a hammer for the first time one moment and directing a long time protégé, American record holder & Olympian the next. But that happens where Paddy coaches, and it happens often.

    Paddy was a 2000 Olympian for Ireland in the hammer throw and six time national champion for Ireland. As a coach, he has mentored 7 high school men to over 70m in the hammer. One of these throwers, Rudy Winkler, went on to break Lance Deal’s long-standing US Men’s record in the hammer throw, earning a spot on the 2021 US Olympic Team in the process. 

    For a full bio on Paddy’s accomplishments click here.

    Paddy and I did this interview in person, in an Irish bar in the Bronx, New York (of course… where else?).  It is easily one of the most engaging talks I’ve had with a coach friend and colleague and Paddy did not disappoint.

    Topics:

    French Onion Soup, Gander (Newfoundland) & what we were doing on 911, dealing with Games Environments, 2012 Games, Paddy’s background as an Irish Hammer Thrower, mentors Roman Feldman (assistant coach to Dr. B) & Harold Connolly, high school weight throw War Stories… Developing high school hammer throwers, Bob Gourley’s HS hammer list, 4 vs. 3 turns… toe vs. heel turn entry, Rudy Winkler’s progression, implement weight progressions in high school, Rudy’s technical development, Starting beginners in the hammer throw, comparing cueing notes, maximal strength in the hammer, avoiding injury, “nothing gets in the way of throwing”, learning from Russians, planning for hammer training, strength training in hammer programming, VBT, Not ‘pressing’ Rudy Winkler, Rudy’s Eugene 2021 performance, the hammer facility in Eugene, preparing for big competitions, light vs. competition vs. heavy weight hammers in training, Kevin McGill’s ‘Hammer Notes’, potential for scholarships in hammer throwing, will coaching the hammer negatively influence SP & DT technique, The Fat Bastard of SC & expectations we put on our athletes, safety in the hammer.

  • In this this episode of EvelChat I speak with someone who offers a great tale of performance coaching as therapist/S&C professional/coach/career savior... his name is Luis Mesquita.

    Rather than list the topics we discuss, this time I'm just going to say that this is a story any coach or performance professional will find enlightening. Luis found himself in a position of having to take over the entire programming/coaching/rehabilitation responsibilities for Susana Costa, a world class female triple jumper late in her career, a responsibility he still holds. It's a great story of common sense coaching practice & implementation in a special circumstance, leading to a number of career high performances at an age when most athletes would be long retired.

    Luis Mesquita (Portugal) is a Physiotherapist & Strength & Conditioning Coach. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS - NSCA). He is also co-owner of THE PEAK (Performance Training Facilities) in Portugal & Britain. He has experience working with professional teams & athletes from multiple sports, including being a former S&C Coach at EXOS, Chinese Football Federation, Shijiazhuang Everbright Football Club (China Super League), FC Porto (Portugal) & Sporting Clube de Portugal (Senior Male Volleyball National Champions 2017/2018).

  • In this episode Derek discusses living in America, his high school season, describes what Game Day "Olympic Style" is like and how that relates to youth talent, talent identification & the path less travelled.

  • In this episode of EvelChat Derek & one of the top strength & sport performance experts in the world have their 1st chat about all things muscle, strength & periodization related.

    You can find Matt’s bio here:

    http://www.jordanstrength.com/meet-matt-jordan/

    Topics:

    “1st Principles” of sport science knowledge & keeping up with new informationUsing dual force plates & stumbling upon mentors Per Aagaard & Walter HertzogMentor Charles PoliquinLearning & absorbing informationAdding sarcomeres & the lengthening of muscle fibers through resistance trainingUnderstanding lengthening muscle actionsMuscle architectural changes & pennation angle Common sense approaches to nutrition & performanceRelative Energy Deficiency in sportFat coachesFatigue & adaptation: low vs. high frequency fatigue, proof for the efficacy of periodization, Yuri Verkhoshansky, Complex vs. other training methodsMeans vs. systems in training applications“if you had one get out of jail free card…”
  • Welcome to my 2nd EvelChat with US / Georgia throws coach Don Babbitt. This podcast is heavy on the hammer, with some general discussion about Don's former athletes at the beginning.

    Reese Hoffa, massage, the Rubik’s Cube & my kitchenCoaching Adam Nelson & Reese HoffaThe SuperGroupChanging faulty “go-to” moves and the relevance of timelinesDrilling vs. the intent to throwThe Hammer & the Pole Vault as cousinsUsing drills in hammer trainingThe importance of single support competenceBalance in turns 3 & 4Anticipation of double support & force applications in the hammerHeel turn entries vs. toe turn entries Positioning in single supportThe importance of the entry as a setup for the throwBondarchuk, Sedych & teaching hammer techniqueInterpreting foreign cues & instructionUnderstanding & interpreting foreign translations in technical writingsInsights regarding Koji Murofushi’s training & technique
  • John O’Malley began coaching cross country & track at Carl Sandburg High School in 2003. His cross country teams have qualified for the Illinois State Meet every year since 2003 - including State champs in 2015 and runner-ups in 2014. He is the only U.S. high school coach with two different Foot Locker national cross country champions - Dylan Jacobs in 2017 and Lukas Verzbicas in 2009 & 2010. His 4 x 800 meter relay teams have been All-State every year since 2012 - including first place finishes in 2015, 2016 and 2018 and runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2017. His 2016 team holds the 4 x 800 Illinois State meet record with a time of 7:37.36.

    In this EvelChat John & Derek discuss many issues around the topic of endurance training for high school athletes, including:

    Objectives and views of coaching at various levels of coaching in the United StatesPriorities in high school coachingProper developmental protocols vs. optimal training for success in high schoolMetabolic vs mechanical / speed approaches in endurance trainingVolume as a base metric for high school endurance coachesDemands & stresses on the US high school athleteBeginning a grade 9 endurance athletePolar approaches to training in endurance trainingUsing extended endurance runsBeing “fast” vs. being “fit”Balancing being competitive against providing appropriate programmingLong term impact of “The Grindfest” vs. prioritizing restThe realities of preparing US distance runners for collegiate competitive demandsCulture vs. instruction in the US educational systemThe realities of child preparation post-COVIDThe problems with classic stage loaded / metabolic-only approaches in endurance trainingJohn’s approach to 800m training800m training in US high schoolsOrganizing extended runs in training 
  • In this episode of EvelChat, Derek & Stu discuss some various aspects of Stu's sprint training philosophy.

    Topics include: 

    Tempo running vs. specific sprint trainingDribble progressions as an alternative to tempo trainingIntensive vs. extensive tempo trainingCompeting for specific resources in training prescriptionMaking technical changes in experienced athletesPaula Radcliffe & the risk of changing technical models in experienced athletesThe Intensive Tempo DebateOur single biggest mistakes as coaches…  
  • Legendary US / NCAA (Georgia) Throws Coach Don Babbitt has a resume second to few in the throwing world. Coach of numerous NCAA, World & Olympic Medallists, he is perhaps best known as the guiding force behind Adam Nelson (Olympic & World Champion) & Reese Hoffa (World Champion, Olympic Bronze Medallist). This is an EvelChat for all coaches, regardless of event.

    Topics include:

    Captain AzimuthDon’s generalist backgroundCharlie Sheen cheating off him in high schoolHow a Polish Decathlete made a difference in Don’s lifeWestern & Eastern European influences in his coachingEastern European vs. Western athletesWhere weight room strength fits into throwing trainingAssigning strength loads for athletes at different levelsHanging with Jurgen Schult, Udo Beyer & Ulf TimmermanAthleticism in throwingDifferences in coaching Adam Nelson & Reese HoffaBondarchuk & strength for the shot putDeveloping max strength in a throwing programStrength and power vs executionVariable implement weight throwingPeriodizing variable weight implementsSeparation of throwing weightsChoosing implements for teaching technique
  • In this episode of EvelChat Derek gets a few things off his mind & then discusses eccentric training with Dr. Mike Young of AthleticLab a sport training center in Carey, NC that works with athletes from all along the sport development continuum, from novice youth athletes to elite professionals. Mike's experience in Olympic & professional sport is hard to match, having worked with various pro sport teams as performance director, biomechanist & performance coach. Mike's full bio and his sprint acceleration lecture can be found here.

    For more information on eccentric training check out Mike's strength lecture at EveltrakSport.com here.

    Topics include:

    Why coaches should avoid insecurity, the definition of eccentric loading, isometric, eccentric & concentric movements & their relevance to sport movements, force-velocity applications in eccentric training, eccentric vs. concentric stimulus thresholds in training, reaching eccentric stimulus threshold vs. risk, dynamic eccentric loading, eccentrics & the F-V curve, eccentric training & its transfer to concentric strength, prerequisites & preparation for eccentric training, introducing shock loads, concentric-eccentric progressions in training, neural recruitment & adaptations from eccentrics, eccentric training & its effect on speed qualities, recovery & programming considerations in eccentric training, tracking measureables in eccentric training and examples of loading parameters. 

  • Our 10th Episode!!

    In this episode, my 4th with ALTIS CEO Stu McMillan, we discuss what a well-prepared athlete looks like and we begin our discussion on speed.

    Topics:

    Stu’s “Embrace the Suck” challenge, Derek’s eye-opening experience, smoothness, fluidity and flow in skill development, the “Adapt or Die” coaching mantra, strength maximization along the developmental continuum, the art of “bring ‘em back from the dead” coaching, the challenge of developmental coaching and the lack of rewards, sport parenting, the effect of COVID-19 and screens on the maturing athletic population, defining speed terms and the problems with sport training terminology, individual needs in speed development, Stu’s principles in loading athletes, how mechanics underpin loading decisions, volume / intensity / density / variability in training prescription and determining individual prescriptions in loading athletes.   

  • In this episode of EvelChat, Derek sits down with Dr. Mike Young of AthleticLab, a sport training center in Carey, NC that works with athletes from all along the sport development continuum, from novice youth athletes to elite professionals. Mike's experience in Olympic & professional sport is hard to match, having worked with various pro sport teams as performance director, biomechanist & performance coach. Mike's full bio and his sprint acceleration lecture can be found here.

    Topics include:

    Mike’s background, coaching pedigree & AthleticLab, hyper-specialization & modern issues around youth development, structured training vs. play & the realities of modern day life, AthleticLab’s youth progression development (‘LabRats’, ‘Scholastic Prep’ & ‘Scholastic’… Mike walks us through each stage), exercise & loading parameters in programming for youth athletes, ‘bad exercises’ & other absolutes, the importance of progressions, why ‘specialization’ is not a dirty word, fitness & movement competency in the general population, when early specialization & breaking the rules might matter, sport specialization vs. hyper-specificity vs. training specialization, the myth of the 10,000 hr. rule is some sports, sport parenting & appropriate environments / training for youth, mistakes in sport parenting, Mike’s advice for sport parents. This is a valuable discussion for anyone involved in youth athletics or sport in general.

  • This is my third EvelChat with Altis CEO and world class speed coach Stu McMillan and it does not disappoint. In it we discuss different coaching styles approaches to prescribing training for athletes in a number of different contexts. Other topics include:

    coaching knowledge and effectiveness‘Old School’ vs. ‘Science Based’ coachingthe relationship between a coach’s technical knowledge and coaching practiceless is more vs. paralysis by analysisapproaches to coaching creative vs. analytical athletescoaching the individual, specialist vs. generalist coaching and systemswhich turntable Matt should buythe evolution of the S&C professionthe coordination of support services in a training program, specific workloads and their introduction in the training processnon-specific approaches to training high level athletesJamaican approaches to sprint trainingindividual beliefs and various approaches to prescribing trainingthe compression of specific abilities and examples of high volume skill workThe introduction of our new ‘Derek rambling’ critic…