The Talent Equation Podcast

Ben Galloway runs 'Opposite Direction, a YouTube channel that has taken the world of constraints led coaching by storm. His short videos have helped to demystify the concepts within ecological dynamics and make them accessible to coaches that are exploring working using 'non-traditional methods'. In this conversation we explore some of the ways that Ben thinks about the 'ecological approach' and h...

Peter Arnott is a golf coach that has broken away from the traditional models of golf coaching by embracing non-linear, ecological and constraints led pedagogical approaches. In this absorbing conversation we explore the various challenges that he has faced when adopting this approach, we delve into his methods for helping golfers to become better performers by coaching on the golf course and the...

Mark Bennett is back by popular demand!! This is a bit of a bonus episode where Mark and I sat down for a cup of coffee and I decided to hit record to see where the conversation took us. We really got in deep as to how we as coaches can measure our effectiveness and also how someone developing a coach should look to guide their development. We are in a cafe so there is quite a bit of background no...

Born Barikor is an inspiration.... He is the charismatic leader of www.ourparks.co.uk a social movement in the UK that has a mission to help people who are inactive to take their first steps into the world of physical activity through the provision of free fitness activities provided in Parks throughout London. Born's infectious personality is transmitted through the episode where he explains the...

Dr Edward Coughlan is a researcher, lecturer and coach at the Cork Institute of Technology in Ireland. He has spent his career studying skill acquisition and applying what he is learning on the training field. In this fantastic discussion we explore a whole world of topics including: - How he works to make coaching have a strong representation to the game - The difference between the 'practice eff...

Kendal McWade from Instinctive Golf is back. Recently, he dropped by for a visit for 2 days. He came to watch me coaching my regular Wednesday night group and then he coached a friend of mine as well as working me on my game and also coaching my son. After dinner, we recorded some reflections of our experiences and shared our thoughts on our respective approaches and methods. Some themes in this c...

Shaun Larkin is a player development specialist working in professional baseball with the LA Dodgers. His role involves helping players to enhance their skills and a big part of that role is to challenge coaching practice to maximise the impact that they can have to prepare players for performance. In this episode we explore: - How professional baseball recruits and develops talent - Some of the l...

This podcast is a bit different...in this episode the tables are turned...and I am doing most of the talking ("how is that different?" I hear you cry!). In this episode Mark Peters interviews me about Creativity for a research project he is undertaking. In the episode we cover a lot of ground including.... Why most people misunderstand what creativity is and limit the development of creativity in...

Happy New Year everyone!! Ron Smith has a lifetime of experience in coaching and player development. He started coaching full time at the age of 24 and has held positions with the Australian Institute of Sport and as the National Coaching Director for football in Malaysia. In this discussion we dig into his approach to coaching and debate the applicability of various coaching methodologies. Ron ha...

Dan Abrahams is a coach that specialises in a different kind of skill acquisition...Dan specialises in the acquisition of mental skills. He is a consultant to England Rugby, AFC Bournemouth as well as several elite athletes from around the sporting world. He is the author of a series of books such as 'Golf Tough', 'Soccer Tough', 'Soccer Tough 2' and he is extremely active on social media, etc. In...

Loren Anderson of Rise Volleyball makes a welcome return to the podcast. In this episode you will hear Loren and I get deep as we question our efficacy as coaches and also explore the ways that we manage ourselves so that we can get into the optimal state to make sure that we are coaching at our best. We also discuss the often quoted term "Talent needs trauma' and explain why we think that it is a...

This is a great chat with FA Coach Development Manager, Jack Walton. Jack has a wealth of experience in coaching and working with coaches so he has seen and experienced many of the challenges that most coaches face... In this episode we discuss: - How Jack challenged me when he was listening to one of my workshops - How he helps coaches to develop coaching philosophy - His clubs approach to develo...

Rus Smith is not your ordinary kind of coach...nor is he your ordinary kind of coach developer. Rus works to develop potential, Rus is a true developer of talent...but not in the way that many might think. The kind of talents that Rus develops are found in people that live in places that a lot of other people wouldn't go with people that a lot of other people wouldn't want to engage with. Not Rus....

Calvin Betton has the life that would be the envy of many. He travels Europe coaching and helping young tennis players to strive to break into the professional ranks. It's a tough life but somebody's got to do it...right? Not necessarily... In this episode we get an inside picture of the life of a tennis coach working at the cliff edge of the talent space...the key transition zone from promising j...

Craig 'Gunny' Gunn is an Australian Rules Football Coach based in Brisbane Australia. He has been practising his own brand of games based, constraints led, coaching which has been affectionately nicknamed 'Gunny Madness' or 'Gunny Chaos'. Two terms which should be treated as the highest form of praise which you will see in this episode. In this episode with go on a magical conversational journey t...

Nick Winkelman is the Head of Athletic Development at the Irish Rugby Football Union. He is a man on a mission to change the way that athletes are developed to be able to move and perform more effectively in sporting contexts. You will struggle to find someone more committed to his craft and dedicated to enhancing human performance. In this conversation with cover a range of subjects including: -...

Jonathan Henderson is the Academy Manager at Bristol Rovers FC. He is someone that takes the process of talent development very seriously. After all it is his profession and also his livelihood. In this context you might expect it to be all about winning and results and the training methodology to be all about structure and organisation... Far from it... ...if anything Jonathan's academy goes in t...

Russell 'Rusty' Earnshaw is on a mission... His mission is to develop coaches. No, his mission is to develop 'coaching wizards'!! And he is a Grand Wizard! 'Rusty's' coaching sessions are nothing short of magical...so much so that he created a community on Edufii called 'The Magic Academy' where a committed following of disciples come together to cast their spells and concoct new potions. In this...

A few days ago I became another year older!! Like lost of us of a certain age, these events are greeted with a mixture of happiness (as my wife and children give me some lovely presents and spoil me a bit) and despair (at the relentless march of time!!). This year was all good and was made even better by the fact that 3 of my good friends in the world of coaching and children's sport took time out...

By popular demand....Mark Bennett is back! In this episode we discuss how you define excellence with athletes and the process of reviewing to maximise influence with players. We get into a lot of detail on this one and get deep exploring this very important aspect of performance coaching. In the episode we cover... - Maximising the impact of our time with players - How to make ourselves redundant...

Nick Ruddock is a busy guy! He is travelling all across the world providing coaching advice and coach education for gymnastics clubs and global federations. He is widely regarded as one of the leading coaches in his field but his journey is not a typical one. In this episode we discuss... - How he spent £8,000 on his initial coach education - Why he thinks that coaches should own their own learnin...

Dan Cottrell is an extremely experienced coach with over 25 years at the coal face. He has been writing and discussing coaching for over a decade as the editor of Rugby Coach Weekly, an online magazine for rugby coaches which has allowed him to learn from some of the game's best practitioners. Dan came to the podcast with a specific question about the best way to coach kids when there is an elemen...

Dr Ian Renshaw is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of the constraints led approach to developing skill in sport. His research and publications have had a profound effect on the sports coaching world and opened the eyes of many coaches to an alternative approach to developing players. In this episode we discuss... - How Ian helped his son Matthew to develop skills in Cricket using a c...

A slight change of pace in this episode. I am joined by regular contributor, Nick Levett who unloads his brain with me on all manner of topics related to the youth port experience. In this episode we cover: - What is the point of coaching for kids? Is it actually doing them any good? - Is adult risk aversion ruining play for children. - Why formal competition for youngsters should be banned. - Why...

Alan Keane coaches the England boys U18 basketball team. Alan Keane has been on a journey! I know it's a cliche but if ever the phrase was applicable it with Alan. In this remarkably honest and refreshingly candid conversation Alan shares his transformation from being a coach that only cared about results, tactics, techniques and compliance to becoming a coach that cares about the person, their le...