The Sports Initiative Podcast

Scott Parkinson is the assistant coach at Seattle Reign who are part of the USWL. Scott Parkinson's Journey and Coaching Philosophy - 5:54 Scott Parkinson, the head assistant coach at Seattle Reign FC, shares his journey from playing football in the UK to coaching in the US. He discusses the pivotal moments in his coaching journey, including learning about the collective 11 and the level of detail...

Brian Slugocki is a hockey coaches who works across the development pathway culminating with some work with NHL players during offseasons. Introduction and Background of Brian Slugocki -1:08 Michael Wright and Brian Slugocki set up the recording and exchange pleasantries about the weather in Arizona. Brian then shares his background in ice hockey, from playing at the University of Arizona and in S...

Karl Sandberg is the Sporting Director at FC Djusholm Karl Sandberg's Journey to Becoming a Sporting Director - 10:19 Karl Sandberg shares his journey from volunteering as a football coach to becoming a sporting director, emphasizing the impact of his engineering background on his coaching philosophy. Michael Wright acknowledges the non-traditional route into coaching and discusses the value of di...

Show notes Darren Warner's Career Journey - 1:01 Darren Warner shares his experience of being an elite athlete, British champion, and competing at world and Olympic levels for about 10 years. He then discusses his transition to becoming an Olympic coach, coaching top players, and eventually becoming the CEO of a judo governing body in Wales. Warner also talks about his academic pursuits, including...

Olly Logan is the Head of Innovation, Biomechanics and Performance analysis at British Swimming. He is currently preparing athletes for Pairs 2024 Olympics. Show notes Overview of Roles and Training in Olympic and Paralympic Sports - 0:31 Olly Logan, head of biomechanics innovation and performance analysis at British Swimming, provides an overview of his role, which involves working with Olympic s...

Alex O'Dowd is the player and coach development manager at Northampton Saints. With over 2 decades of experience in the New Zealand and the UK, Alex has a wide range of experiences within development and performance pathways Show notes Alex O'Dowd's Coaching Background - 2:03 Alex O'Dowd provides a detailed overview of his coaching background, highlighting his current role as an academy developmen...

Stuart McClaren is the former Under 18's coach and Scottish powerhouse Celtic FC. He had also previously worked as 1st team coach with the Scottish Women's team and as part of the Scottish FA Stuart McLaren's Coaching Journey - 0:48 Stuart McLaren shares his coaching journey, starting with his player-manager role at the Brisbane Strikers in the old national soccer league in Australia. He then move...

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Dr Adam Kelly is a Senior Lecturer and researcher in Talent Identification and development. Formally and academy player and coach, he now focuses on supporting national governing bodies in their creation of talent development pathways. Show notes 1:39 - Introduction to Dr Adam Kelly 4:27 - What is talent development & performance vs potential 6:50 - The use of performance markers as potential...

Greame Mathie is the Managing Director of Ayr United and formally worked for Hibernian and Celtic. Introduction and Overview of Managing Director's Role - 1:31 Michael and Graeme discuss the balance between on-pitch performance and off-pitch factors such as fan engagement and business operations. Graeme emphasizes the importance of team performance in driving revenue and fan engagement, but also a...

Kevin Mannion is a Strength and Conditioning coach and Premiership Rugby Club Sale Sharks. Previously he has worked for Gloucester Rugby and Rugby League side Wigan Warriors. Show notes: Developing Successful Academy Programs - 1:31 Kevin Mannion shares insights on what made the Wigan period successful, including the players' understanding of the responsibility of playing for Wigan and the presenc...

Andrew Cresci is the Hitting Coach for the Houston Astro. Focusing on the development pathway, Andrew's role is to develop players ball striking ability with the aim of them having success ready for Major League progression. Michael Wright and Andrew Cresci had a wide-ranging conversation covering various topics related to sports coaching and player development. The conversation also touched on th...

David Garcia is a coach and coach educator in the US. He undertook his formal training as part of the Spanish F.A Show notes David Garcia's Journey to a New Perspective on Football Coaching David Garcia's journey to a new perspective on football coaching began when he moved to Spain to pursue his Uefa licensing. He was struck by the way players were treated with more respect for their intelligence...

Dave Whitmore is a Cricket coach at Leicestershire County Cricket Club. In this episode they discussed the importance of core principles in coaching and the success of Leicestershire's pathway program. Dave also talked about the challenges of developing high potential players in cricket and the importance of managing players through uncomfortable situations. Dave and Michael then discussed the cha...

Ian Costello is the Head of Rugby Operations at Munster Rugby. Previous to this he also worked at Wasps and Nottingham. Ian Costello shares his experiences and responsibilities as head of Rugby operations at Monster Rugby, focusing on strategic decision-making around player development, systems, recruitment, retention, culture, and leadership. He emphasizes the importance of coaching quality and a...

Steve Thompson is a lecturer at Sheffield Hallan University and high performance S+C coach at a number of National Governing Bodies. He specialises in Velocity Base Training in supporting athletic development. Show notes: Introduction and Discussion of Work Roles - 0:56 Introduction and Technical Details - 7:41 Introduction to Velocity Based Training (VBT) - 13:45 Velocity Based Training (VBT) Und...

Greg Revak is a hockey coach, coach developer and podcast host of Hockey IQ. The podcast covered a range of topics related to hockey and soccer, with a focus on coaching education, player development, and game strategy. The speakers discussed the importance of ongoing education and development for coaches, as well as the challenges of balancing parenting and coaching. They also explored the evolut...

Michael Wright interviews Paul Felton, an expert in biomechanics and bowling technique. Felton discusses his background and passion for cricket, as well as his ongoing research on prosthetic blades for Paralympic athletes. The discussion also covers the principles and application of fast bowling, including the key parameters for consistent fast bowling and the challenges of applying these principl...

Brenton Del Chairo is the hitting coach and player development lead for the Milwaukee Brewers. Show notes 1:00 - Brenton provides his playing and coach credentials 2:30 - What drew him to coaching 6:00 - His experience as a pro 8:30 - The jump in talent at the MLB level 10:00 - How good coaching was modelled 14:30 - The role of a hitting coach 18:30 - Developing key KPI'a for performance 21:00 The...

Wayne Goldsmith's coaching, thinking and teaching have influenced some of the world's leading athletes, coaches and teams . He is an inspirational speaker and presenter who is able to educate, entertain , challenge and engage audiences of all ages. Working across the world, Wayne has experience of working with regional and national sports teams helping them improve their overall team performance....

Cody Royle is a AFL coach who formally worked as a coach for the Canadian National team. Alongside this he is a two time author of 'The tough stuff' and 'where others won't' as well as acting as mentor to coaches around the globe. Show notes Cody Royle and Michael Wright discussed a range of topics related to coaching, including Royle's background and journey to becoming a coach, the psychology of...

David Tenney is the High Performance Director at Austin FC. Formally of the Seattle Sounders and NBA team Orlando Magic, David has in depth understanding of player performance and how to assist management in best preparing players to perform through a season of competitive action. Show notes: 2:00 - David provides his credentials and background 6:25 - Preparing a team performance 10:00 - An overvi...

Philip O'Callaghan is a teacher and tennis coach. He focuses on the use of ecological dynamics and constraint based approach when working with tennis players in skill development. Show notes: 1:50 - Philip provides his credentials and overview of his career 3:15 - What interested Philip in skill acquisition 4:40 - How it effected his game 5:50 - The theory behind the games based approach 7:20 - Re...

John Pascarella is the assistant coach at Forward Madison. His has also had stints with MLS sides Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United. John has held a variety of roles and positions in his time from goalkeeper coach through to head coach. Show notes: 2:00 - Introduction to John and his credentials 5:30 - What is good coaching? 10:00 - Understanding the role of an Assistant coach 13:00 - How...

Nick Scott is the Director of Rugby of Seria A Pesaro. Formally working for the RFU in England, Nick has helped sculpture the rugby system in England helping it produce some of the modern day internationals such as Maro Itoje, Anthony Watson and Marcus Smith. Show notes: 1:30 - Nick provides his story and overview of his credentials 5:30 - What drew him to Rugby 8:00 - Biggest challenges transitio...