Find the Gap Podcast

Jarryd has 10 years of experience as a sports science and performance coach to the position, including time in MLS, USL, NASL, and the NCAA. Phillips arrived in St. Louis after spending eight seasons in MLS, four with New England, nearly three years as Director of Performance & Sports Science for Minnesota United FC and two with Seattle Sounders FC. In Minnesota, he established and directed al...

It was awesome to have Jas come on this episode and talk about the concepts of mental health in pro sport personnel. He is very open and passionate about talking in the area of mental health and wellbeing and had plenty to share. One of the main areas we touched on was the idea of external vs internal pressures. Many individuals create pressures for themselves, which derives stress and anxiety, wh...

James talks about being mentally fatigue/drained when being in his current director role rather than physically fatigued when in more of a coaching role. He admits that he misses being with the player in the gym instead of being in meetings, but that is the nature of the role he currently has. Another certainty involved with this role is needing to have difficult conversations with both staff and...

Guy Molloy is a 35-season coaching veteran who has coached on a state and national level in both women’s and men’s teams. On this episode, I get an insight into how coaching the game of basketball has changed over the time Guy has been involved in the sport, how he creates and develops organic connections with athletes, how he prepares himself physically and mentally for his game days, and how he...

Ethan talks about his journey from being a carpenter to a body building, to now running his own company. Body building was his first experience doing something to the ‘extreme’. It’s a sport based on how you look, which brings on a lot of judgement on yourself. ‘Low calories, high emotions, it’s a full-on experience’. Ethan also briefly talks about his experience on reality TV, where he compares t...

Justin Crows talks about his experiences throughout his career to date within the Elite Sports Industry. One of most highlighted topic presented in this discussion is the use of language in different environments. This can be useful in setting where it is difficult to talk to players, coaches and staff about certain issues in foreign environments. Additionally, the use of language is important to...

From working in a call centre to the Youth Team in a Premier League Club. Jake Reeve is a perfect a resilient individual who has worked very hard to be where he is today, while also ensuring he is always supporting his partner and young daughter. Being forced out of work in COVID lockdowns, Jake got work in a call centre to support his family. But after persistence and continuously practising her...

This episode details the incredible story and journey so far of Danny Ryan and his build from the graphic design industry to coaching in the AFL and VFL. Danny’s message to ‘Jump In’, enjoy the present moment, and just give it a go, is something truly inspiring. Danny comments on the topic of being resilient, as he reflects on the many tragic events he and his family have shared throughout his lif...

My guest for this episode, Adam Parr, shares the challenging part of being involved with starting a new sporting franchise. Everyone is new, from the kitchen staff to the best players. In the MLS, Charlotte FC faces teams that have decades of history behind them. Whereas Adam and the team at Charlotte are create their own history. But this is never easy and comes with plenty of responsibility and....

This is a slightly different episode than usual as I chat with Sports Scientist, Psychologist and Author, Tim Harkness to talk about several of his theoretical frameworks around staying mentally well within high performance sport. First thing that fascinated me about Tim is his combined role in the areas of psychology and sports science, which is not usually seen in elite sport. Tim credits his su...

Jeremy shares his experiences across different sports throughout his career, and how he overcame the initial anxiety moving to a foreign environment. He believes that it is fundamentally important to respect the area you’re coming into. Many practitioners wish to bring in their own systems into an already established culture. Transitioning into a new environment, a new sport, a place where some st...

I really enjoyed having a very open chat with Dion as he shared some of his own experiences dealing with childhood struggles and his own internal battles later in life. As a past chef and current massage therapist and running coach, Dion reflects on how difficult it can be to overcome lifestyle changes and trying something new. Right now, he is living the lifestyle he wants to live. We discuss the...

Coming from the recent Concacaf Champions League Win, I catch up with the head of Fitness at the Seattle Sounders FC, Adam Centofanti, to talk about his experiences transitioning from being a player and practitioner within the Australian football community, to tackling the MLS over in America. Adam recalls how he adapted to the new role without having his normal support network in his immediate fa...

It was a pleasure to sit down with John and chat about the different roles he has played in elite sport, as well as his huge achievement in publishing ‘Football Belongs’.  John shares how writing the book and creating the podcast series were ways for his love for writing and creativity to thrive. Having a large passion for Australian Football, and having many burning opinions on some issues s...

In this episode, I sit down with Head Sport Scientist from Luton Town FC, Jared Roberts-Smith. Jared shares how he climbed through the ranks as an intern to become the head sport scientist within the Championship in England. After a crazy season with the boys at Luton, on the brink of promotion to the Premier League, Jared reflects on his time with different teams throughout his professional devel...

Despite my horrible knowledge of Australian hockey, I felt like I could’ve talked with Keira for many hours! Keira speaks of how she retains a sense of home, no matter where she is in the world. Being from Canada, she has grown up playing the sport of Hockey, and later states that she likes to ‘go where the sport is’. Retaining her love for the sport of Hockey has helped her during the transition...

This episode is a very raw chat with Dr Peter Braun as he shares his own experiences as a student where he was overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, to a point where he didn’t know how to deal with it. We also touch on the hardships he has had to overcome in his career to date. There are so many lessons to take out of this discussion! Being overwhelmed as an intern in a hospital was a very prominen...

Kurt and I could have spoken for hours. I was very grateful for his time in the early hours of the morning, with what I’m sure will not be our only encounter on this format. We initially spoke about how Kurt’s job has taken him around the world and what that experience is like for an S+C coach who has a family. Now having returned to Australia, Kurt is excited to re-establish his roots and find a...

Joel talks about his experience from drinking a 6 pack of beer and just choosing the courses he enjoyed most, to now being one of the most respected physiotherapists in the greater Melbourne area. He shares the struggles of once owning his own business, and how he bounced back from some rough times in the business. One of Joel’s specialties is dealing with pain and explaining exactly where pain co...

I could spend hours talking with these two! They’re a good laugh and have a lot of interesting things to share from their own experiences as both performers/athletes and now as practitioners. This episode really shines a light into the very exciting and intense life inside the Australian Ballet and the world of dance. Both Sakis and Sam experienced major injuries that accelerated their transition...

I really enjoyed talking with Ryan and getting an insight into his philosophy on physiotherapy and movement in general. Ultimately, Ryan aims to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and performance. This podcast aims to find the gap between those within a performance setting and their own vulnerabilities, so I’m all about building bridges. His motivation and purpose come from the joy and satisfac...

Individual sport can be so rewarding, and yet so punishing. Alex has built a career in an individual sport that requires such deep focus in the present. A focus that is constantly being battled by internal pressures. Alex and I spoke about his long-term relationships with athletes. Building a relationship with an athlete for such a long time can be hard. Alex has known a few of his top contending...

Spending 25 years at Athletic Club Bilboa, Maria certainly has a lot of stories to tell. She discusses how her time at Athletic Club has been a personal journey, as well as a professional one. She has learned to develop people, not just players and coaches. Maria grew within the club with help from the coaches and people she was involved with. She shares how important it was for her to develop her...

Beatrice and I talked about her experience playing at the highest level of AFL for women while also balancing study and work. She recalls being in the AFLW and working at subway as a ‘sandwich artist’ at the same time. This shows the one of the many differences between the men’s and women’s game. However, being proactive and getting a lot done while at school and University helped her keep her opt...

Ashley and I discuss how having experiences and studies in other fields can be beneficial. For example, Coaches getting sport science courses or a strength coach getting a coaching course, etc. This proactive mindset can help practitioner’s emphasis with others within their organisation. Ashley has a sport science degree which he believes has helped him immensely while working in a high-performanc...