ASCA Podcast

Overview

This podcast features Marco Mastrorocco, a highly experienced strength and conditioning coach originally from Italy, now working in Australia. Marco is the director of his own gym, Athletix, and holds various roles, including consulting for the Queensland Bulls and coordinating strength and conditioning at Villanova College. He recently became the head of performance for the Italian cricket team. Marco discusses his career journey, starting from his passion for combat sports to developing a niche private practice focused on youth athletic development. He emphasises the importance of long-term athlete development, injury prevention, and fostering mental resilience and independence in young athletes. Marco shares insights on balancing structured programming with fun in-training sessions and offers advice for gym owners, stressing the importance of building a strong, knowledgeable team and staying true to one's business vision.

Paul Comfort is a Professor of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Salford (UK) and an adjunct professor at Edith Cowan University (Australia). Paul is a founder member and accredited member of the UKSCA and was a board member of the NSCA from 2020-2023. He regularly consults with numerous team sports and has authored / co-authored >150 peer reviewed journal articles. His research focuses on training methods to enhance sports performance and the assessment of force production characteristics to monitor acute and chronic changes in neuromuscular function. Paul is also co-editor of the textbooks, ‘Advanced Strength and Conditioning: an evidence-based approach’, ‘Performance Assessment for strength and Conditioning’, ‘Laboratory Manual for Strength and Conditioning’ and recently edited the 2nd edition of the ‘Developing Power’ for the NSCA

QUOTES

“So one of the things we need to know is not just the what's the maximum force generating capacity, but how quickly can you produce that?”

“Normally we do some form of maximal isometric test and we'd also do a ballistic test, something like a counter movement jump, and then a reactive or rebound type test, whether that's a 10-5 test, a drop jump, counter movement rebound jump. They've all got some limitations with them, but we'll do some form of plyometric and reactive tests so that we've really tested across that breadth of force production capabilities that people might get within sport”

“If you've got velocity at take-off, that determines your jump height so you don't need to report velocity at take-off if you’re got jump height”

“Power doesn't determine jump height. It only explains around about 50 to 60% of jump height and it can change. You can actually have a decrease in power with an increase in jump height, which sounds really counterintuitive.”

“Look at the published data but also then make sure, right, did they use the same force plates? Did they use the same software that you're using? With the software set up have they analysed the data in the same way?”

“Biggest thing is make sure that whatever you're doing, you're standardising what you're doing and you're trying to compare to data, which is as close to what you do in terms of your testing protocols, so how you cue the athlete, how you coach the athlete, but also how the data is analysed”

SHOWNOTES

1) Paul’s background in strength and conditioning and update since last episode

2) The basics of measuring force production in athletes

3) Upper body options for force production assessment including the ASH Test

4) Paul’s preference of the more common lower body force plate assessments like the IMTP or IsoSquat

5) The best metrics to use across isometric, ballistic and reactive force production assessments and the importance of understanding net vs absolute force

6) Considerations around contact/contraction time in different jump assessments

7) Paul’s thoughts on the use of force production tests for fatigue and readiness to train measures

8) The importance of starting simple and basic with testing and monitoring

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Greg Haff

Tudor Bompa

Coach John Hofman is the Strength and Conditioning Specialist for the Guardian Resilience Team at LA Air Force Base where he oversees the strength and conditioning protocols designed to enhance improve muscular resiliency, cardiorespiratory fitness, and reduce musculoskeletal injuries in the operational environment. Prior to joining United States Space Force, Coach Hofman spent over 15 years as a Tactical Strength and Conditioning Specialist for both Law Enforcement and Fire / Rescue. In 2021 Coach Hofman was a member of the State Officer Wellness team where they were awarded an Emmy for Branding Content.In addition, Coach Hofman was the 2018 recipient of the National Strength and Conditioning Association Tactical Practitioner of the Year Award.

QUOTES

“Listening to the firefighters tell me all the things, regardless of it was good or bad, I actually had to open up my ears and listen to them and understand their fears and understand that, you know, I'm not here to hurt you, but actually help you overcome those roadblocks.”

“Really what tactical strength and conditioning is the ability to understand that yes, we want them to think and b like athletes, but 99% of them are not athletes”

“When I left Sacramento Fire Department, I asked a deputy chief who was a good friend of mine, what did I do right? And he just laughed and he goes, you gave us the option to make the best decision for ourselves.”

“With tactical S&C, you have got to have a giant toolbox. You have to really know and master your basics because you'll use them predominantly all the time”

SHOWNOTES

1) John’s journey from sprint kayaking athlete to over 15 years in tactical strength and conditioning

2) Getting embraced by the tactical populations in different environments

3) Improving overall health in firefighters and balancing training with the need to be able to do occupational tasks on a moments notice

4) The giant toolbox needed to work in the tactical strength & conditioning space

5) Culture change tips from John’s experience with firefighters and law enforcement officers

6) John’s biggest lessons of working in a tactical strength and conditioning space including the 48 hour rule

7) Being “fit for duty” and managing musculoskeletal injuries in the tactical populations given the demands of the job

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Mick Stierli

Rob Orr

Tyler Christensen

Jay Dawes

James is currently the Head of Talent Identification & Athlete Development at Elite Sport UAE and a Visiting Fellow at Northumbria University. James brings a unique blend of skills and experience as an accredited S&C coach, physical education teacher, sport scientist and researcher. His current research is focused on the effect of growth and maturation on performance in youth track and field. Previously he worked at the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar as the Head of Talent Identification and Development, a senior strength and conditioning coach and performance support lead for Track and Field during his time there. In 2020, he was awarded the ASCA Senior Research Award on behalf of the Aspire Academy research team and James was also awarded the UKSCA’s S&C Coach of the Year Award for Youth Sport in 2017 for his work in the school setting.

QUOTES

“When I used to speak to the athletics coaches about maturation, I'd say, yeah, he's an early maturer and they were like, so what? How much difference does that make?”

“The mean maximum velocity for the approaching peak height velocity (PHV) group is 7.1m/s and the max velocity for the post-PHV group is 8.5m/s… So, in those situations, when you put them on the track, you can imagine how that extrapolates out over 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 meters”

“So 87-88% of predicted adult height is typically the takeoff point for the growth spurt and we start to see a big increase in growth with the peak of growth being typically between 91-92% of predicted adult height.”

“The best approach is to keep as many athletes as possible in your (TID) programs for as long as possible”

“If we're applying these correction procedures to athletes, we're still talking about early maturing athletes that are running 7.5s for 60. They're still not world beaters at this point. They all still need support, but it's not to say we should exclude the early maturer either. We need to keep the people in the pipeline, keep giving them what they need in terms of strength and conditioning, and great coaching.”

“Actually, being an early maturer for girls can be a disadvantage because of the fat mass gains that occur post-PHV versus a girl who is pre-PHV who's still relatively lean, not carrying fat. And in my experience, most of the girls will jump their highest CMJs pre-PHV and then it all flat lines”

“There's certain sports where if you haven't accumulated training by a certain age, then, you know, the really skill -based sports, it's probably going to be harder to get there to an elite level”

SHOWNOTES

1) James’ background in both strength & conditioning and PE teaching and his journey to talent identification in elite sport in the Middle East

2) Why interpreting performance through a lens of maturation is important and how to track physical performance metrics around peak height velocity (PHV)

3) The continuum of maturation in young athletes from pre-pubertal to post-PHV

4) Different methods of predicting adult height in youth athletes and their respective strengths and weaknesses

5) Optimizing talent ID programs to enhance retention and the psychosocial aspects of these programs

6) Correcting track & field performance based on maturation to get closer to be able to compare youth athletes of the same age but different maturation levels

7) Potential differences between boys' and girls' physical performance measures around PHV

8) Strategies for working with sports coaches in the TID space to allow for maturation-based evaluation and adjustments for open skill sports

9) Managing training around PHV to help reduce injury risk and the typical pattern of growth and injury site location in youth athletes

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Ed Archer

Alex Natera

Amanda Johnson

Marco Cardinale

Phil Kearney

Craig Pickering

Shaun Abbott

Stephen Cobley

Tom Maher

Matt Jordan

Mike Young

Jeremy Sheppard

Dan Baker

Boo Schexnayder

Dr. Max McKenzie

Max is a S&C Coach with the QAS Swimming Hub on the Sunshine Coast. Max has worked with elite swimmers for almost a decade across three Olympic/Paralympic cycles. Working within a multidiscipline performance support team servicing several swimming programs and coaches has shaped Max’s philosophy on the physical preparation of swimmers. In 2024, Max completed his PhD which investigated the impact of land-based warmup strategies on subsequent swimming physiology and performance.

Dr. Mark McKean

Mark started his career as a Physical Education teacher and still uses these teaching and coaching skills he learnt in many of his current coaching roles. Mark is a Master S&C Coach and completed his PhD in Sport and Exercise Science at UniSC. Mark has 30+ years of experience in various sports, including Sprint Kayak, Tennis, Swimming and Netball. Mark is a Senior S&C with the QAS Swimming Hub on the Sunshine Coast and is Head of Physical Performance in High-Performance Sport at UniSC. Mark has worked with UniSC's High-Performance swimming program since its inception in 2011 and has more than two decades of experience working with Olympic and Paralympic swimmers.

QUOTES

“One of our biggest concerns is swimmers, and it's like in any sport, their sport age is very different to their S&C training age, so you get swimmers that have been in the pool for five, 10 years, but when they come into our environment, they've got less than one year of good experience”

“If you ever spend any time around swim coaches, you'll hear the word connection probably on a daily basis and my interpretation of what swimming coaches are talking about is how efficiently are they sequencing together movements of their joints through water.”

“It is very common to hear swim coaches and swimming athletes talk about “what can you pull up?” but one of the things we are interested in is an athlete’s ability to pull their own body weight up as fast as they can for as many repetitions without a certain drop of velocity”

“So within about six weeks of major competitions, we're going through a set testing battery, which includes bench press velocity and bench press maximal strength, pull up maximal strength, pull up velocity and counter movement jump and squat jump performance”

“I've always believed one of the strength and conditioning coach’s biggest weaknesses is their general anatomical knowledge”

SHOWNOTES

1) The back stories of Max and Mark including Max’s PhD research on swim performance and land-based interventions in the warm up

2) The basics of athletic movements for swimming like streamlining and rotation control, and the importance of connection

3) The adaptation of common traditional exercises like the pull up and reverse hyperextension to be more swim specific

4) The importance of monitoring vertical pulling speed and drops in speed in swimming

5) Swimming strength and power profiling before major competition

6) Strength ratios between upper body exercises and their influence on programming

7) A look into the day-to-day process and weekly periodization at UniSC swimming program

8) The power of the mind and influence of pre-competition lifting on swimming performance

9) The importance of knowing anatomy as a strength and conditioning coach

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Scott Pollock

Dan Howells

Dr Mark Burnley

Adam Peaty

In this episode of the ASCA high school strength and conditioning podcast, Sean O'Connor, S&C coach at St. Lawrence’s College, discusses the comprehensive athletic development program implemented at the school. The program caters to students from year 7-12, focusing on movement competency and holistic long-term athlete development (LTAD). With a mix of foundational training for younger students and sport-specific programs for senior athletes, the college promotes flexibility to balance school and athletic commitments. O'Connor highlights the importance of proper movement training, regular testing, and data-driven progress tracking to support athlete growth across multiple sports, including a notable collaboration with Manchester City’s football academy.

With thanks to our Official Equipment & Flooring Partner and Podcast Sponsor AlphaFit

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Dr Steven Duhig is Senior Lecturer and Researcher at Griffith University and an ASCA Elite L3 Elite Strength and Conditioning Coach who has demonstrated significant expertise in both academia and practical aspects of sports performance and coaching. His career encompasses recent roles as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Burleigh Bears Rugby League Club, Strength Coach with Michael Bohl's swimming squad, and Rugby 7s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Griffith Sports College. His experience extends to roles including Physical Preparation Coach and Academy High Performance Manager for the Gold Coast Suns Football Club, Rehabilitation Coach for the AFLQ State Team, and Sports Science PhD scholar affiliated with Gold Coast Suns. Previous positions also include Athletic Development Coordinator at Morningside Panthers Football Club and Powerlifting Coach, leading a novice powerlifter to three Australian records. Dr. Duhig's current research involves exploring the connections between muscle architecture and injury risk, as well as performance enhancement and injury prevention in various sports, including Australian rules football, soccer, rugby league, swimming, track and field, and surfing. The overarching goal of Dr. Duhig is to provide practical applications in the field of sport and exercise that directly improves practice and athlete outcomes.

QUOTES

“Sleds, particularly in the football codes, are so powerful as a training tool”

“The more weight on the sled, the less distance you’ll sprint”

“I think we first have to run fairly well without resistance before we start adding in sleds”

“I think another great exercise for hamstring besides the Nordic is the seated leg curl, especially when consider specificity and transference”

“When starting to use sleds with athletes, I always go light to start, around 15-20% bodyweight”

“The two, five and ten meter distances are so important for the court based sports with sled sprinting”

SHOWNOTES

1) Steve’s journey in strength and conditioning from Cert III qualifications all the way through to a PhD

2) The use of sleds for sports and the beneficial effects on acceleration

3) The key findings from the research on resisted sprinting and the differences between pulling a sled at waist or shoulders and pushing a sled

4) Using a contrast sled loading system with athletes prescribed from percentage of bodyweight or velocity decrement

5) The optimal distances when using sleds at different loads

6) Practical considerations and basic strength requirements to be aware of before using sleds with athletes

7) How Steve implements sled work into existing rugby league speed/gym sessions and technical training

8) The ACL bracing protocol and the prerequisites for successful outcomes

9) Steve’s latest research on tendon health in hamstrings and shoulders

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Tony Shields

Josh Secomb

Today, we're diving into the world of youth athletic development with Brad Lawton, a passionate strength and conditioning coach with a rich background in exercise science. Starting his career as a personal trainer, Brad discovered his love for strength and conditioning, working with various clubs such as Bond University, Griffith Rugby Sevens, and the West Wales Raiders in Wales. He pursued further education with a master’s degree in strength and conditioning, which propelled him into a full-time career focused on youth athletic development. Currently, Brad extensive experience sees him working as a strength and conditioning coach to many youth athletes. Join us as Brad shares his journey, insights, and the innovative approaches he employs to enhance youth training programs.

Highlights:

Career Beginnings and Development.

Educational Background.

Experience with Youth Athletic Development.

Current Role and Responsibilities.

Program Structure and Philosophy.

Challenges and Solutions.

Importance of Facility Rules and Expectations.

Engaging Students.

Special Programs and Achievements.

Advice for Aspiring Coaches.

Learn More about our Official Equipment, Flooring and Podcast Partner AlphaFit:

https://www.alphafit.com.au/asca

Shane Lehane currently works as Athletic Performance Coach for the Sydney Swans Football Club in the AFL. Prior to this Shane worked in professional Rugby Union for 12 years in both Europe and Australia with Leicester Tigers, Melbourne Rebels, and the Wallabies. Shane graduated from Loughbough University in Sport & Exercise Science and is currently a PhD candidate at La Trobe University, Melbourne. Shane’s studies are focused on Decision Making and the application of Systems Thinking for Strength & Conditioning Practitioners in the Team sport setting. Shane is also an accredited Elite Level 3 Coach with the ASCA.

QUOTES

“I definitely caused more problems than I solved by taking the performance model from Leicester straight to the Rebels”

“Rather than being solely a S&C coach tasked with manipulating physical variables, I see our role as being an assistant coach with job of managing the physical dimension within context of team environment”

“What differentiates practitioners is the understanding of the context of the environment they are working in”

“It is ok to embrace something that is less objectifiable and be comfortable in the fact that this physical quality will transfer across to the sport”

“Coordinative exercises and drills are a bridge between traditional strength training and a technical aspect of the sport”

SHOWNOTES

1) Shane’s non-traditional start to a S&C career in the football codes

2) The role of the S&C coach in modern team sport setting and “well-intentioned reductionism”

3) Optimizing versus maximizing physical qualities in team sport athletes and how that fits with tactical and technical aspects of the game

4) The factors that positively and negatively impact team sport performance from a S&C perspective and the point of diminishing returns on physical traits

5) The balance between subjective and objective information with coaching vision and feedback for different players

6) Reflective practice, its role in other health sciences and importance for S&C coaches

7) Coordinative exercises and drills, dynamic correspondence, transfer and Frans Bosch

8) The different characteristics between rugby union vs AFL athletes and systems thinking

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Bryce Kavanagh

John Pyror

Lachlan James

Fergus Connolly

Russell Ackoff

Dan Howells

In this episode of the ASCA High School and Youth Podcast, the journey of professional surfer Sophie McCulloch is highlighted, showcasing her triumph in the 2022 Challenger Series and subsequent injury setback, which she overcame to return to the World Surf League in 2024.

The episode features an in-depth interview with her coach, Kerry Keightley, a renowned ASCA Accredited strength and conditioning expert, who shares his long-term athlete development strategies, emphasising individual needs analysis, evidence-based training, injury prevention, and holistic approaches like breathwork.

Kerry also discusses the importance of building empathetic, respectful relationships with adolescent athletes, fostering their emotional and cognitive development alongside physical training, and the value of patience and community in coaching.