Gem Sessions Podcast

This week’s episode features Jim Klopman , the author of Balance is Power and Owner of SlackBow Balance - the creators of the SlackBlock ! Jim is a balance EXPERT. He brings a wealth of knowledge to episode 13, diving in on topics such as: What is balance? Balance vs. Stability How to train balance How to measure balance Mistakes & myths of balance training Balance in basketball and so much mo...

For episode 12 this week, I’m joined by the authors of the new book, Strength Training for All Body Types: The Science of Lifting & Levers , Melody Schoenfeld and Lee Boyce! This book, published by S&C powerhouse Human Kinetics , is a great read for all coaches & athletes, but especially for the hoop world. Their book is all about how to optimize your programming & training based o...

*** Due to technical difficulties with Spotify this week, this is an audio-only episode. FOR THE VIDEO VERSION VISIT YOUTUBE *** In episode 11, I was lucky enough to bring on Gonzaga performance coach, Mike Nilson! Mike is not only an integral part of Gonzaga hoops’ coaching staff, but he’s also the host of one of my favorite basketball podcasts, Hoop Commitment . Mike and I dive into his three pi...

In episode 10, I got to catch up with the CEO and Co-Founder of Exxentric , Fredrik Correa. Exxentric is the leader in flywheel training and I’m an avid user of their legendary kBox device, so this was such a fun episode for me! Fredrik is also an athlete himself, competing at the highest level of master’s powerlifting, so we talked a ton about training. We spent a lot of time discussing how the c...

In episode 009, I’m joined by Portland-based performance coach, Brian McGill to talk about his approach to basketball preparation. Brian is a former basketball standout himself, having an all-league collegiate career at the University of Alaska Anchorage that eventually lead him to his professional debut in Germany. After his hoops career, Brian immediately jumped back into coaching and training w...

In episode 008, I’m joined by Victoria Saucedo, aka Saucy Vic, aka Coach Sauce! Victoria is the Director of Sports Performance for VCU Women’s Basketball after stops at Wake Forest, St. Louis, Northern Arizona and a successful athletic career at Utah State. I fully intended on diving in deep on basketball strength & conditioning with Coach Sauce. I planned on talking about periodization, progr...

In episode 007, I’m joined by Massachusetts-based basketball development trainer, Tyler Leclerc. Tyler is the owner and founder of TJL Training , which is not only his training business, but a brick-and-mortar facility location located in Lowell, MA. Tyler works with athletes from youth to pro, and has a unique & inspiring career path that he details throughout the episode. As a high school at...

Episode 006, I’m joined by one of my favorite performance coaches I’ve met over the last couple of year, Jess Racz . Jess has been on her grind in the industry since she was 18 years old — going from mopping floors at a local CrossFit gym for a free membership to opening her own performance facility during the pandemic and outgrowing it in 3 years. Jess currently works with basketball players of a...

Episode 005 is another solo episode ! This week, I’m diving deep into the details of the “hybrid” training model, which entails both sports performance training & skill development training all under on roof. This is a model and business structure that I’ve been using and loving the results the athletes are getting. In this episode, we cover what the hybrid model looks like, who can implement...

Episode 004 is a solo episode ! And, even better, it’s a white board episode. I decided to break down my entire basketball offseason programming template from A to Z. I highly suggest not only listening to this episode, but actually watching it to get the full effect. My basketball offseason program is broken down to 3 phases: Force Maximization Power Production Max Velocity In each phase, we have...

In episode 003 of Gem Sessions, I am joined by Scott Agness . Scott is an Indy native and the Beat Writer for the Indiana Pacers. He’s also the host of the Indiana Pacers behind-the-scenes podcast, Fieldhouse Files. Aside from his work with the Indiana Pacers, Scott is also a play-by-play announcer for various sports and leagues around Indiana and the Midwest. In today’s episode, we cover all thin...

In episode 002 of Gem Sessions, I am joined by Justin Castelli . Justin has been in the financial industry for nearly two decades and brings a wealth of knowledge to the show (see what I did there?). He’s the Owner & Founder of RLS Wealth - a financial planning & advisory firm, he’s the Co-Founder of The AGC - a rapidly growing community of financial advisors from all over the globe, and m...

In the first episode of Gem Sessions, I wanted to set the tone for this entire show and bring on one of the most inspirational, influential and motivating people I know — Derick Grant . Derick Grant, or DG, is a former Harlem Globetrotter - turned professional basketball skill development coach - turned mental performance coach. DG is a husband and a father of two, just like myself. His coaching f...

In the inaugural episode of the Gem Sessions Podcast, host Justin Ochoa gives some background into how the podcast came to life! Justin details his career path, educational background, entrepreneurship journey and explains the origin of Gem Sessions. This is the intro episode to Gem Sessions to give clarity on who the show is for, who / how it can help and what to expect in the future as the show...