The Athlete Development Show

“We’re looking at long-term athlete development, and that requires a lot of patience, coaching and structure to the programme where performance isn’t the end goal. But equally, they also need to cope, if given the opportunity, with first team training, or even playing.” On the show today, I chat with Lead Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach for Arsenal Football Club, Paudie Roche. Paudie began his time with Arsenal coaching the U9-U16 age groups, before taking over the U18 and U23 squads. Prior to working at Arsenal, Paudie spent time with the Irish Rugby Football Union and Munster Rugby, and in 2015, was awarded the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year for youth sports by the UKSCA. Paudie holds a Master’s degree from Edith Cowan University as well as accreditations from the NSCA, the UKSCA and the ASCA. In this episode, Paudie and I discuss what exactly a strength and conditioning coach does at one of the biggest football clubs in the world, how Paudie and his team have changed the training culture in the Arsenal Academy over the past five years, the benefits of a happy and healthy young footballer, the joy of working with kids, and much more. Please say hello to Paudie on Twitter @coach_roche_ and enjoy the show. We also discuss: Why the Irish and Kiwis get along so well; The four development pillars Paudie uses with his athletes; The importance of an individualised approach; The injury epidemic in the Arsenal Academy; Paudie’s coaching superpower and how he applies it; Growing up in a small town in the south of Ireland; The importance Paudie places on hard work and being grateful; Self-identity and the double-edged sword of professional football for aspiring players; Why humility and patience are critical qualities for young S&C coaches; Periodisation for young players; Movement screening; Movement skill versus physiological adaptation within the Arsenal Academy; How Paudie develops ligament and tendon strength to reduce injury risk; and The art of conversation and why it’s so important for the young player to master. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast app. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post Ep 79: Paudie Roche – The Arsenal Way appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“If you focus on what’’s important to you and your standards, then that’s really the only thing that should matter… finding your own path and how you do it, I think is just so important.” On the show today I chat with international cricketer, Sophie Devine. Sophie made her first class debut for Wellington at just 14 years of age, going on to play for New Zealand three years later. She has since played over 84 ODIs and 60 T20 games, and in March 2019 was named as the ANZ International Women’s T20 Player of the Year. Sophie attended Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in Christchurch for her final year of college and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology from the University of Canterbury. She has also played hockey for her country. In this episode, Sophie and I discuss success and why it’s so important to find your own way, the importance of going back to basics for continual development, what fun means to Sophie, advice for young female athletes of today, the importance of communication for busy youth athletes and much more. Please say hi to Sophie on Twitter @sophdevine77 and enjoy the show. We also discuss: The “Devine Oval” in Sophie’s front yard growing up; Where Sophie’s love for cricket came from; Sophie’s dad, his knowledge for the game, and the huge impact he had on her development; How playing hockey growing up helped Sophie’s cricket game; Playing with and against boys and what Sophie learned from it ; How Sophie deals with pressure and struggle; School and getting her university degree; The influence Sophie’s mum had on her schedule growing up; Sophie’s diagnosis with diabetes, managing her sugar levels, and how it has made her a better athlete; How women’s cricket has blossomed over the past decade and the opportunities it has opened up for young players; and How Sophie thinks about transitioning out of sport. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening!   The post Ep 78- Sophie Devine – Passion, Purpose and Playing Cricket for New Zealand appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“I have a kid who could be a pretty good athlete, but if he gets a 97 on a test, his parents ride him because he didn’t get 100… to the point that he’s so completely stressed that we spend a lot of our time doing things that help him change his mindset, so that he can actually compete.” On the show today, I chat with youth fitness coach and university professor, Rick Howard. Rick is currently a full time academic at West Chester University, outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the US, as well as the Fitness Director at the Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. Rick presents on youth fitness topics nationally and internationally, and in 2016 co-authored the NSCA position statement on long-term athletic development. In this episode, Rick and I discuss Rick’s long and illustrious career working with kids and why he is so passionate about youth sport, the motor skills every kid needs to learn and how to develop them, developing a champion mindset, the pressure young athletes are under today, and much more. Please say hi to Rick on Twitter @rihoward41 and enjoy the show. We also discuss: Bridging the gap between academia and coaching; The high stress that comes with pursuing excellence in both academics and sports; The pressures kids feel regardless of socioeconomic status; Growing up in the 60s outside of Philadelphia; The adult-centric youth sport model and why it’s causing so many problems; How youth sport organisations can be more successful; The importance of both free and structured learning; Sharing the NSCA’s position statement on LTAD with the community; Rick’s thoughts on skill acquisition; Key skills for coaching and developing kids; and Why health and well-being are the most critical pieces of the development pie. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast app. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post Ep 77- Rick Howard – Professor and Expert Youth Fitness Coach appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“Relationships are the biggest thing for me. Building relationships and rapport with students is going to create a much more joyful experience for them than probably anything else I can do in my class.” On the show today, I chat with P.E. teacher and PhD student, Peter Verdin. Peter is currently employed as a ‘movement engineer’ at Future Public School in Idaho, in the US, where he is reimagining what P.E. can look like for kids and building a curriculum from scratch. Prior to this, Peter worked for Athlos Academy, designing their athletic curriculum and as a strength and conditioning coach in sport. In this conversation, Peter and I discuss the emergence of skill using the constraints-led approach, where joy comes from in movement and physical activity, how the worlds of strength and conditioning and education can benefit from working more closely together, why Peter turned his back on a pro career playing baseball, and much more. Please say hi to Peter on Twitter @CoachVerdin, and enjoy the show. We also discuss: Peter’s new role as a ‘movement engineer’ at Future Public School, Garden City, Idaho The difference between fundamental movement skills and fundamental sports skills The importance of movement diversity Peter’s sporty childhood Play, and how Peter uses it in the classroom and with his young daughter Peter’s experience playing baseball at Georgia University and how it burnt him out The importance of communication skills in effective coaching Why Peter thinks teacher education is the catalyst for positive change Peter’s PhD study and attentional focus The problem with Twitter and why video chat is a much better way to learn Growth mindset The hardest thing Peter has faced in life and how he dealt with it Why we should all get outside more. Books and resources mentioned on the show Benedict Carey: How we learn Katie Bowman: Move your DNA Amanda Visek’s fun mapping research Mariana Brussoni and play Athlos Academy Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast app by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post EP 76- Peter Verdin – Movement Engineering appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

ADS 075: Austin Einhorn – Movement Banking “Almost every session, whether the client I’m with is 13 or 36, or if they’re a high school athlete who doesn’t want to play in college or they’re a professional athlete, I start with… ‘Hey, what do you want to do today?'” On the show today, I chat with movement enthusiast, Austin Einhorn. Austin is the founder of Apiros, a movement training culture that works with athletes to reduce injury and optimise performance. Austin helps a range of youth athletes, as well as many professional athletes from all sorts of sports within America and across the world. In what was one of my favourite conversations on this podcast so far, Austin and I discuss rock climbing and why it’s such a great tool to improve how your athletes move, how to design training environments for better outcomes, why school is getting in the way of learning, the future of sport performance training, and much more. I hope you enjoy it. We also discuss: How the environment affects movement development; Why giving athletes autonomy makes them happier; The limitations of traditional gym exercises; Why Austin quit sports and found his way into sports performance; Austin’s unique coaching philosophy and the approach he uses to roll it out; Mentorship; Measuring success in the gym; How Austin gets his athletes to take ownership of how they move; All about Austin’s soon to be released book, Movement Banking; Raheem Stirling’s terrible running mechanics; Rethinking early specialisation; Why using punishment to affect behaviour is so destructive; and Why being healthy and happy needs to be our top priority. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post Ep 74 – Austin Einhorn – Movement Banking appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

ADS 074: Dan Exeter – Early specialisation, the modern day sports parent, and formalising informality. On the show today, I chat with Sport and Exercise Physician and father of two, Dan Exeter. Dan is based at Axis Sports Medicine on the North Shore in Auckland, where he specialises in injury prevention and rehabilitation of athletes of all ages and walks of life. He has worked with a long list of sports at the highest level, including Australian Rules football, athletics, rowing, rugby, tennis and triathlon, however, more recently Dan has developed a keen interest in working with youth. Dan also holds a senior lecturer role with the University of Auckland. In this wide-ranging conversation, Dan and I discuss the art of listening and why it’s such an important skill when working with people in pain, how the modern world has changed the way kids experience sport and physical activity and what this means for all of us, his well-informed thoughts on early specialisation, and much more. I hope you enjoy it. We also discuss: Growing up in Wairoa in the Hawke’s Bay of New Zealand; Dan’s journey into the world of sports medicine. Why medicine professionals need to be better marketers; How Dan works with young people and their parents to get the best possible outcomes; Dealing with personal biases. The silver lining of overuse injury; The role of injury mitigation in schools; Formalising informality; Paying for the backyard experience; The value of joining in the fun with our kids; The challenge with living in a world saturated by choice. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post Ep 74 -Dan Exeter – Early specialisation, the modern day sports parent, and formalising informality appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

ADS 074: Dan Exeter – Early specialisation, the modern day sports parent, and formalising informality. On the show today, I chat with Sport and Exercise Physician and father of two, Dan Exeter. Dan is based at Axis Sports Medicine on the North Shore in Auckland, where he specialises in injury prevention and rehabilitation of athletes of all ages and walks of life. He has worked with a long list of sports at the highest level, including Australian Rules football, athletics, rowing, rugby, tennis and triathlon, however, more recently Dan has developed a keen interest in working with youth. Dan also holds a senior lecturer role with the University of Auckland. In this wide-ranging conversation, Dan and I discuss the art of listening and why it’s such an important skill when working with people in pain, how the modern world has changed the way kids experience sport and physical activity and what this means for all of us, his well-informed thoughts on early specialisation, and much more. I hope you enjoy it. We also discuss: Growing up in Wairoa in the Hawke’s Bay of New Zealand; Dan’s journey into the world of sports medicine; Why medicine professionals need to be better marketers; How Dan works with young people and their parents to get the best possible outcomes; Dealing with personal biases; The silver lining of overuse injury; The role of injury mitigation in schools; Formalising informality; Paying for the backyard experience; The value of joining in the fun with our kids; The challenge with living in a world saturated by choice. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast app by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post Ep 74 -Dan Exeter – Early specialisation, the modern day sports parent, and formalising informality appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“I think I learnt from quite a young age that I was able to really become more reflective and make more sense of the world at times if I just found my own space, and took an opportunity each day to just be alone for a bit.” On the show today, I chat with endurance athlete, coach, and father of two, Dougal Allan. Dougal has been competing professionally in multi-sport and triathlon for over a decade and has stood on the top of the podium all over the world. Most recently, Dougal knocked off his long-time goal of winning New Zealand’s toughest one-day event, the Coast to Coast. Alongside the huge amount of time he spends training and competing, Dougal loves coaching other aspiring athletes from all spheres of life and time with his family. He also hold a honours degree in Physical Education. In this sweeping conversation, Dougal and I discuss growing up in rural New Zealand and making his own fun, his yearning for solitude and why it makes him a better athlete and father, dreaming big, going from a rugby playing physical education student to Coast to Coast longest day champion, and much more. I hope you enjoy it. We also  discuss: The challenges that come with raising free-range kids; The beauty of a big family and what it taught Dougal growing up; Goals, and when Dougal first started using them; The scariest decision Dougal ever made; How Dougal’s parents fostered his development; The important of thinking critically; Dougal’s early interactions with cyclist Jack Bauer and multi-sporter Sophie Hart; How mentors can fast track development; The importance of active listening; How Dougal’s defines success in his coaching and as a parent; The art of reflection; Dealing with failure; Why fatherhood inspires Dougal to keep competing; Sleep; and More. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post Ep 73- Dougal Allan- Dreaming big, the art of reflection, and becoming the Coast to Coast champion appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. ” On the show today, I chat with sport psychologist and researcher, Dr Mustafa Sarkar. Mustafa works at Nottingham Trent University in the UK where is a senior lecturer and researcher, focusing on the psychology of sporting excellence and its application to other high performance domains. He also works closely with teams and organisations on creating environments and cultures that enable high performance, including the English Premier League. Mustafa graduated from Loughborough University in 2008 with a first-class honours degree in sport and exercise science, and in 2014, earned a PhD in the assessment of psychological resilience in sport performers. In this wide ranging conversation, Mustafa and I discuss growing up playing cricket, the struggles he faced to perform under pressure, how to encourage life-long participation in sport, the important of psychological safety and how to create it, all about Mustafa’s brilliant research on creating resilience, and much more. I hope you enjoy it. We also discuss: Mustafa’s relationship with his dad, for better and worse; The role of the parent in youth sport and new research Mustafa and his colleagues are embarking on soon; Mustafa thoughts on parents coaching their kids; The home environment and how to shape it for better sporting outcomes; Empowering parents to have the hard conversations with a coach and why it’s so important; Helping the youth athlete cope with pressure; Perfectionism, and the fine line between striving to be your best and obsession; The importance of introversion; Surprising new research on confidence; Why the environment is at the heart of developing resilience; The importance of talking with coaches in the research process; Self-identity; and More If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post EP 72- Mustafa Sarkar – How to create psychological Resilience appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. ” On the show today, I chat with sport psychologist and researcher, Dr Mustafa Sarkar. Mustafa works at Nottingham Trent University in the UK where he is a senior lecturer and researcher, focusing on the psychology of sporting excellence and its application to other high performance domains. He also works closely with teams and organisations on creating environments and cultures that enable high performance, including the English Premier League. Mustafa graduated from Loughborough University in 2008 with a first-class honours degree in sport and exercise science, and in 2014, earned a PhD in the assessment of psychological resilience in sport performers. In this wide-ranging conversation, Mustafa and I discuss growing up playing cricket, the struggles he faced to perform under pressure, how to encourage life-long participation in sport, the importance of psychological safety and how to create it, all about Mustafa’s brilliant research on creating resilience, and much more. I hope you enjoy it. We also discuss: Mustafa’s relationship with his dad, for better and worse; The role of the parent in youth sport and new research Mustafa and his colleagues are embarking on soon; Mustafa’s thoughts on parents coaching their kids; The home environment and how to shape it for better sporting outcomes; Empowering parents to have the hard conversations with a coach and why it’s so important; Helping the youth athlete cope with pressure; Perfectionism, and the fine line between striving to be your best and obsession; The importance of introversion; Surprising new research on confidence; Why the environment is at the heart of developing resilience; The importance of talking with coaches in the research process; Self-identity If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post EP 72- Mustafa Sarkar – How to create psychological resilience appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“You can rely on talent up until a certain time, whatever talent is, but it’s not going to make you the best in the world. Even though in my late teenage years I had a good amount of support behind me, I didn’t understand what I was had to be doing and how to utilise that support around me. ” On the show today, I chat with former elite athlete and High Performance Athlete Development Leader at Athletics New Zealand, Tim Driesen. Tim threw the hammer for Australia at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, placing 7th and 5th respectively. Before that, he represented his country in both the hammer and the discus at a youth and junior world championships. Tim also has a Bachelor of Coaching Science from the University of Canberra. In this wide ranging conversation, Tim and I discuss growing up in small town Australia and having your dad as coach, success at the junior level and the pressure and expectation the come with it, what great developmental environments looks like and how to create them, advice for parents, and much more. I hope you enjoy it. We also  discuss: The drawbacks of a supportive family environment; When Tim choose to specialise in athletics and how he made his decision; Navigating the difficult transition from high school to university; When Tim learned the most in his athletic career and advice to his 18 year old self; Why talent gets in the way of development; How studying coaching science helped Tim be a better athlete; Tim’s biggest failures and what he learnt from them; Passion, and why it’s so important; The difference between potential and performance; How Tim identifies young talent and the importance of a growth mindset; The role strength and conditioning plays in youth athletics; The importance of speed for distance athletes; When injury can be a blessing; The problem with having too much opportunity; How Tim is helping coaches of youth athletes; Why having opportunity outside of sport is so important; and More. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post EP 71- Tim Driesen – High Performance Athlete Development Leader at Athletics New Zealand appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“If you not keeping them around because your training sux, or you’re not a good guy to hang out with, then you don’t get the opportunity to have everything that you know happen.” On the show today, I chat with Matt Hunter, Director of Youth Sports Performance at Athletic Lab in North Carolina, US. Matt has a BA degree in Health and Human Kinetics from Ohio Wesleyan University and is a recognised as a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has also completed numerous coaching internships including Athletic Lab, Cressey Performance, and Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning. In this wide ranging conversation, Matt and I discuss the importance of being curious in coaching, how to build rapport with your athletes, the approach he takes for the long-term development of his athletes, and much more. I hope you enjoy it. We also  discuss: The business of strength and conditioning; Matt’s journey into strength and conditioning and why he love working with kids; Growing up making bow and arrows in the yard; The struggles Matt had at schools; The significant influence Matt’s father played in helping him get to college; Parents, and how Matt and the rest of the Athletic Lab team interact with them; The benefit of games for developing athletic competency; Why time and consistency are the two most important pieces of a youth athlete’s development puzzle; The tests Matt uses to monitor his athlete’s progress; The key movements Matt bases his programme around and how he progresses them with his athletes; Why being a good person is the most important thing when coaching kids; The importance of teaching work ethic; The power of cooperation; The joy Matt finds in facing new challenges every day in his work; Way every young athlete should play chess; and More. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post EP 70 – Matt Hunter – Director of Youth Sports Performance at Athletic Lab appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“Movement is truly the vehicle to teach the principles, to engage with others in joyful ways, to then problem solve and transfer that to make communities stronger.” In this episode, Dr Amanda Stanec, writer, physical educator, and advocate for social justice, talks us through the inspiring work she is doing to promote physical literacy and positive youth development within the US and around the world. ` Amanda has served on the Board of Directors for Physical and Health Education (PHE) Canada and is well-respected for her contributions as Lead Writer for provincial wide physical education curriculum, university kinesiology and teacher education courses. She is also actively involved in a number of youth sport leadership and positive youth development programs. Amanda has a Master of Science, specialising in Physical Education and Sport Psychology, and a PhD in Kinesiology. We discuss: The great Jackie-Joyner Kersee, her Winning in Life Programme, and how it’s changing young people lives. Why representation matters so much for youth Assessment, and how Amanda integrates it into the P.E. curriculum she writes The demise of fun in youth sport Amanda’s approach to parenting and how she cultivates a love for movement What Amanda has learnt from the inspirational Derrick Stephens, president and CEO of Underdog Dreams How to help young people develop emotional control Why social justice matters so much to Amanda and how she’s getting behind it If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post EP 69 – Amanda Stanec – Finding Joy in Physical Activity & Sport appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

“As coaches, what we do is create environments that draw people’s attention to the things they need to consider, that will help them be better.” In this episode, Nick Levett, coach developer, blogger and critical thinker, walks us through how he works with coaches to deliver better outcomes for youth athletes. Additionally, he talks about what the latest evidence says about talent and how to identify it. Nick is currently the Head of Talent and Performance at UK Coaching where he works across multiple sports. Prior to this, he spend eight years at the Football Association as Talent Identification Manager. Nick has the Level 4 FA Advanced Youth Award, a Master’s Degree in Education and Creativity, and coached for six years at the Fulham FC Academy. We discuss: The 5 critical areas of coaching that need to be appreciated and understood to have a meaningful impact; Becoming a more aware practitioner and how Nick supports this change; How Nick’s childhood experiences influenced his decision to help kids as a career; Nick’s first coaching job and the effect it had on his behaviours; How critical thinkers are made; How to influence change with coaches stuck in their old ways; The importance of psychological safety and how to build it with your athletes; Why aligning what an organisation’s people believe with its mission and values is critical to successful outcomes; The challenge of high-performance sport, winning at all costs, and the mental health of your athletes; The complexity of learning, how Nick currently understands it, and how his view has evolved over time; The key skills that accelerate an athlete’s learning; The relationship between golf and snooker and what it’s taught us about talent identification; Why psychological skill development is at the heart of developing better young people; How Nick develops confidence, and; More If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. Thanks so much for listening! The post EP 68 – Nick Levett– Becoming a More Aware Youth Coach appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

Today on the show I’m joined by José Figueira. José is currently the head coach and director of football at Team Wellington FC, where in 2017 he led the team to a New Zealand Football Championship at his first attempt. Under José, Team Wellington also won the 2018 OFC Champions League, qualifying for their first ever FIFA Club World Cup. José also holds coaching positions with New Zealand Football, including assistant coach of the national men’s team and head coach of the men’s U17s. José moved to New Zealand in 2003 after both playing and coaching stints in the UK. It this episode, José discusses growing up in the UK with Spanish parents, his love of football and how it developed, why individualising development is so important for the youth player, dealing with pressure, and much more. You can find José @JoseCoaching on Twitter.   Highlights from the show: The huge influence José’s Dad had on his beliefs and values Why the experiences José had in school P.E. significantly affected his career choice How José landed his first full time coaching position in the game José’s coaching philosophy and why it continue to evolve The youth player, and optimising development The one think José keeps in mind every time he goes out to coach The importance of open, honest discussions in youth sport Adversity, and its effect on development What every young Kiwi player needs to do to make it in the world of football If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. And thanks so much for listening! The post EP 68 – José Figueira – Head Coach of the New Zealand U17 Men appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

Today on the show I’m joined by José Figueira. José is currently the head coach and director of football at Team Wellington FC, where in 2017 he led the team to a New Zealand Football Championship at his first attempt. Under José, Team Wellington also won the 2018 OFC Champions League, qualifying for their first ever FIFA Club World Cup. José also holds coaching positions with New Zealand Football, including assistant coach of the national men’s team and head coach of the men’s U17s. José moved to New Zealand in 2003 after both playing and coaching stints in the UK. It this episode, José discusses growing up in the UK with Spanish parents, his love of football and how it developed, why individualising development is so important for the youth player, dealing with pressure, and much more. You can find José @JoseCoaching on Twitter.   Highlights from the show: The huge influence José’s Dad had on his beliefs and values Why the experiences José had in school P.E. significantly affected his career choice How José landed his first full time coaching position in the game José’s coaching philosophy and why it continue to evolve The youth player, and optimising development The one think José keeps in mind every time he goes out to coach The importance of open, honest discussions in youth sport Adversity, and its effect on development What every young Kiwi player needs to do to make it in the world of football If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. And thanks so much for listening! The post EP 67 – José Figueira – Head Coach of the New Zealand U17 Men appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

Today on the show I’m joined by Greg Nicol. Greg has been the Athlete Pathway Manager for Hockey New Zealand for the past 12 years, where he headed up talent selection and development at the  U18, U21 and Development levels across both genders in the game. Over this time, Greg has also coached in the game, including holding the Assistant Coach position for New Zealand National Men’s team at the Beijing and Rio Olympics and for the National Women’s side at the London Olympics in 2012. Before his work helping players to be their best in the game, Greg spent 10 years playing at the highest level for South Africa, including representing his country at the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympic Games. In this episode, Greg discusses how youth players are selected into national programme, the importance of self-awareness in development and how to cultivate it, why interests outside of hockey are so important, player overload and how to deal with it, and much more. You can find Greg @GregNicol13 on Twitter. Highlights from the show: Learning to mountain bike and how it is helping his work in hockey development How Greg’s parents affected his development Why Greg believes wholeheartedly in sport diversification How Hockey has changed over the last 20 years and its effects on a players longevity Greg’s advice for youth coaches to help facilitate player development How Greg works with hockey parents to develop more independent players How Greg thinks about the future of hockey and why players who can problem solve have the best chance of making it If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. And thanks so much for listening! The post EP 67 – Greg Nicol – Talent Development in New Zealand Hockey appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

Today on the show I’m joined by Dave Wright (@davewright07). Dave is a football coach with 17 years’ of experience in England, Australia and New Zealand with players at all levels. After leaving New Zealand in his early 20’s, Dave coached in Australia with Football New South Wales and Football Victoria. He then spent five years in the UK coaching at both Fulham and Brentford FC before returning back down under to coach the U20’s side at Melbourne Victory. Dave holds the UEFA A license, FA Youth Award, and is a Co-Founder of online learning platform, Player Development Project. It this episode, Dave discusses his coaching philosophy and how is has evolved over time, his experiences coaching in the English Premier League Football Academy system, how he helps his players develop emotional control, and much more: Highlights from the show: The significant role storytelling plays in youth sport How to individualise the learning experience and why’s it’s so important Football culture and the influence it has on the youth game How English Academy football has advanced over the past 10 years Dave’s definition of leadership Why coaches need to remove their ego from the coaching equation The value of strength based coaching The importance of helping your athletes identify their ‘why’ How to monitor your young players’ holistic development The destructive nature of sport science in youth sport What needs to change in coach education to create better experiences for players Sport diversification and why it’s so important for kids Why learning and fun are the most important things to focus on in youth sport If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. And thanks so much for listening! The post EP 65 – Dave Wright appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

Today on the show I’m joined by Jo Kember, the Leader of Learning at Whangaparaoa School, on the peninsula 30 minutes north of Auckland. Jo coordinates the curriculum, mangers learning and develops collaborative practice amongst staff at her school. Prior to this, Jo Spent time teaching in Kindergartens in Hong Kong and Korea, as well as five years as a primary school teacher at The American School in London. I came to know Jo after a PhD student I supervise began investigating movement skill within her school. It this episode, Jo discusses growing up having no idea what she wanted to do, how she got into teaching and her journey so far, the pedagogical approach she believes in right now, and how she is executing it. Jo also shares how she thinks about professional development, an exciting new project she is leading at the school this year, as well as her new found appreciation for movement education and the value is can bring to the primary school environment. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. And thanks so much for listening! The post EP 64 – Jo Kember – Developing Movement Skill in Primary School Education appeared first on AUT Millennium News.

Today on the show I’m joined by Will Roberts (@w_roberts6) and Danny Newcombe (@dannynewcombe). Will and Danny spend considerable time thinking about how best to develop physical literacy for kids. What I love about this is that not only are they doing the research, they are testing their ideas through a programme called Boing Kids in primary schools cross the UK. Will is an Academic Course Lead and Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise at the University of Gloucestershire. He’s passionate about the sociology of sport and coaching pedagogy, and focuses his teaching and research attention in both areas. Will is also an UEFA licenced coach and  contributes to the innovative and industry leading Football Schools Programme as part of Manchester City’s football programmes. Danny leads the Sport, Coaching and PE degree at Oxford Brookes University, where he is a senior lecturer. Danny is fascinated most by human movement, skill development and non-linear pedagogy. Danny is also the Assistant Coach for the Welsh National Hockey team and contributes heavily to the coach development elements of GB hockey. In this episode I chat to Will and Danny about the lens they see the world through and how it has shaped their research. We discuss the constraints-led approach to coaching and what makes it so effective, and the boys explain exactly what the Boing Programme is and the success it’s having. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe with your favourite podcast App by clicking one of the links on this page. I’d also encourage you to head over to iTunes and give the show a rating as it helps us to share the show with more people. And thanks so much for listening! The post EP 63 – Will Roberts and Danny Newcombe – Physical Literacy, Constraints, and the Boing Programme for Kids. appeared first on AUT Millennium News.