UKSCA Coach Considerations

Nick Hill, a professional performance coach with Exos, shares valuable insights at the UKSCA 2024 Conference. Having worked with top athletes like Odell Beckham Jr. and Deebo Samuel, Nick discussed his journey from personal training to elite performance coaching. His philosophy emphasises versatility, simplicity, and the importance of continual learning. One of his core principles is finding compl...

At the UKSCA 2024 Annual Conference, Dr. Chris Bishop presented a deep dive into jump testing as a valuable tool for sports scientists, strength and conditioning professionals, and physiotherapists. He highlights the complexity of selecting meaningful metrics from force plate data, with over 100 available variables. Dr. Bishop discusses the operational principles that guide metric selection based...

Dr Ben Rosenblatt’s presentation at the UKSCA 2024 Annual Conference offers a deep dive into the world of elite athlete preparation. With a career spanning over two decades, including leading roles at the FA and GB Hockey, Ben shares practical insights on improving athletic performance through strength and conditioning. Central to his approach is understanding the unique physical and tactical dema...

The UKSCA 2024 round table discussion, chaired by Andy Boyd, brought together experts from academia, sport institutes, and education to discuss youth physical activity. Kevin Till from Leeds Beckett University, Stuart Ferrier from the Scottish Institute of Sport, and Asha Riley from St Swithun's School, highlights the challenges of encouraging children to be more active. The conversation covered t...

Richard Husseiny’s presentation at the UKSCA 2024 conference focused on shifting from a rational mindset to one of embodied awareness. He introduces participants to techniques such as breathwork, body scanning, and tuning into the space around the body to calm the mind and reduce analytical thinking. Richard emphasises the importance of connecting with the heart and softening body tension to achie...

Bill's presentation will center on the WHY behind how he arrived at his current model of Reconditioning. It began through a solid understanding of Physical Education and movement; and continued down a path of rehabilitation and athletic development (S&C). He will be sharing his experiences through many different examples on what a progressive path for athletes and staff looks like. The model is a...

"An insightful interview with Tracey Neville MBE, a former England netball international and a former England head coach. As a player, she was a member of the England teams that won bronze medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 1999 World Netball Championships. As a head coach she guided Northern Thunder/Manchester Thunder to Netball Superleague titles in 2012 and 2014. Between 2015 and 201...

"Elite athletes and coaches have got a mind of their own… and many of them are not afraid to use it. Added to that, many also have an ego… their own agendas and self-interest. It can feel like trying to herd cats. So, how do you lead and motivate a team of independent thinkers? During this session, you’ll discover how to ‘herd cats’. Simon will share his experiences from over 25 years working in e...

Kirsty’s PhD examined the effects of female reproductive hormones on muscle strength and since then her work has primarily focused on female athletes. She has worked in roles from lecturer to reader at a number of Universities and joined the Institute of Sport at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2022 as a Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology. In addition to her research o...

"Nic Gill (Gilly) is a professional performance coach and consultant with huge expertise sporting performance and health. He is best known for his work in rugby with 23 years working in the sport. For the last 16 years Gilly has been the strength and conditioning coach for the New Zealand All Blacks (204 Tests), a period of unprecedented success for the team which has included more than 170 rugby...

"Des' presentation will give an overview of what is needed to progress to a management position in S&C and beyond. The initial topics covered will be: Developing a Vision, Mission, objectives, Strategies, KPI’s and values for an organisation or department Useful soft skills to manage up and lead and how to maximise interdisciplinary meetings and projects A section on how to deliver a beneficial pe...

John is currently Head of Pathways and Elite Coach Development and has been a mentor for coaches and talent managers within the RFU, ECB, FA and England Hockey. He has also worked as a coaching expert with UK Sport and their Culture Health Check Programme. He spent a decade as England Rugby Head of Player Development Pathway as well as six years with Newcastle Falcons, heading up the Academy and i...

"Less than a decade ago, the European Tour had one rack in a medical truck to support nearly 200 players at an event, food menus were far from ‘high performance’ and there was no scientific support outside of basic physiotherapy and medical cover. Any onsite gym was converted into a media centre, because it was seen as ‘free space’. Golf ‘fitness’ was still in early stages of its development, with...

John Noonan - Talks about the transition to, and considerations around, being self employed within the field of Strength and Conditioning. Taken from a recent UKSCA online Regional Event. For the full video recording you can also head to www.uksca.org.uk This podcast was recorded live at the UKSCA Annual Conference. Supporting materials and the full video presentation are available on the UKSCA we...

Kirsty Hicks - STRESS, RESPOND AND RECOVER: THE POTENTIAL INFLUENCE OF THE FEMALE MENSTRUAL CYCLE. Kirsty has worked in elite sport for over a decade, specifically within women's football. In this session Kirsty will examine the latest scientific evidence in an attempt to unravel the effect of the menstrual cycle on performance, recovery, and adaptation. The talk will critically discuss whether pe...

Jim Radcliffe - "Developing a Culture of S&C in Younger Adults". Jim has been the head strength and conditioning coach for University of Oregon athletics for more than 30 years. Jim plays a significant role in the Ducks’ football programme as the designer of the year-round conditioning calendar in addition to working with the baseball and men's and women's track & field programs. A graduate of Pac...

Dave Simms - THE PARA FOOTBALL JOURNEY; Dave has worked in Para sport for the last 12 years. He currently oversees the physical performance delivery and strategy for the FA’s Para football programme, spanning from the elite to grass roots levels of the game and covering 6 impairments: blind, visual impairment, powerchair, deaf and cerebral palsy, with some involvement with amputee in both male and...

Dr Stephen Patterson - Blood Flow Restriction: Research to practice. Stephen is a Professor in Applied Exercise Physiology & Performance. He is currently the Director of the Centre for Applied Performance Sciences and course lead for the Professional Doctorate in Strength and Conditioning at St Mary’s University. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed research papers. His research specializes in B...

Ruth is a physical performance coach at The Football Association. Her role includes the physical preparation of players for international tournaments, as well as supporting the long-term development of players across the pathway. Ruth’s prior experience includes strength and conditioning roles at British Sailing. This podcast was recorded live at the UKSCA Annual Conference. Supporting materials a...

The session reflects on the successful Euros campaign for the Lionesses. Martin and Josh will cover the demands of international tournament football and how they worked with the technical team to develop an approach to physical preparation that was appropriate to the situation. This podcast was recorded live at the UKSCA Annual Conference. Supporting materials and the full video presentation are a...

Phil shares experiences from how Irish Rugby has developed its performance support system over the past few years. He will discuss the steps Irish Rugby has taken to build a cohesive team that challenges process and drives integrated decision making across the performance support disciplines as well as identifying strategies to stay ahead of the curve. This podcast was recorded live at the UKSCA A...

Gareth Walton - Training in lockdown Taking to the streets with Britain’s newest sprinting sensation. When necessity is the mother of invention, anything is possible. Hear the amazing ‘back to basics’ training story that took Jeremiah Azu from injury to the European podium. A truly inspiring story of what can be achieved, recorded live form the UKSCA's Annual Conference 2022 This podcast was recor...

Pete McKnight - DRIVE TO SURVIVE: BEHIND THE GLAMOUR OF FORMULA 1; Speaking at the UKSCA Annual Conference Pete discusses understanding the physiological, cognitive and peripheral demands of Formula 1 racing and what goes on behind the scenes to prepare for the sport. Driving a car that is built like a rocket in 22 races across 5 continents in over 50-degree heat at speeds of over 225mph, withstan...

Dr Lorena Torres - PERFORMANCE: THE BODY AND MIND AS A WHOLE Taken from the UKSCA conference Lorena bridges the gap between body and mind by talking about the psychological effects of performance and exercise. Drawing from her vast experience within the international sporting arena, Dr Lorena Torres is currently Performance Coordinator for the National Basketball Federation and Player Performance...

Paul Heselwood - TOUGH NEGOTIATIONS: THE ULTIMATE SOFT SKILL. Paul joined the police in 2001. He went on to become a detective in Serious and Organised Crime in the Metropolitan Police having worked in covert policing, various crime squads and the intelligence bureau. He was a Crisis and Hostage Negotiator with further specialisation in Kidnap negotiation. As well as a UKSCA Member, Paul is a CIMS...