ASCA Podcast

Summary

Sam Gardner shares his journey from athlete to Paralympic sport performance scientist, emphasising the importance of empathy, collaboration, and continuous learning in high-performance coaching. Discover insights on adapting to new roles, mentoring, and the future of sport performance.

Key topics

• Sam Gardner's role in Paralympic sport and athlete support.

• The importance of mentorship and continuous professional development.

• Evolving coaching philosophies and adapting to new roles.

• Challenges and opportunities in sports science and technology.

• The unique aspects of coaching Paralympic athletes and building effective teams.

• Timeless principles of training and the impact of new trends.

• Lessons learned from working across multiple sports and environments.

• The importance of empathy, humility, and collaboration in coaching.

About Samuel Gardner

Samuel currently serves as the Lead of Applied Performance Sciences for US Paralympic Sport, where he directs collaborative high-performance efforts across the organisation. Now entering his 15th summer and 13th winter season supporting Team USA, Samuel has coached medallists across seven Olympic and Paralympic Games, spanning from London to Milan Cortina.

During his tenure as a Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach, Samuel managed a comprehensive staff that provided programming for over 200 national team Paralympic athletes. Under his leadership, these athletes earned a combined 143 medals across the Tokyo, Beijing, Paris, Milan Cortina Paralympic Games. A visionary in his field, Samuel was a founding member of a 2014 USOPC initiative designed to bring the same level of holistic, interdisciplinary care to Paralympic athletes that had historically been reserved for Olympians.

Beyond his work with Team USA, Samuel’s diverse background includes serving as an Athletic Development Coach for the Golden State and Santa Cruz Warriors and as a Strength and Conditioning Coach for Marine Special Forces Operators (MARSOC).

Samuel has earned a B.S. from Westfield State University, a M.S. from Bridgewater State University, and two M.Sc.’s from Australian Catholic University. He is accredited with the ASCA at ASCA Level 1 and is certified as a RSCC*D and CSCS*D from the NSCA, , USAW Club Coach & Sport performance coach as well as an ESSA ASpS2.

In this episode, Tandia Wood shares her journey through strength and conditioning, her research on velocity-based training, and insights into coaching elite athletes across various sports. Discover practical tips on athlete development, the role of Olympic weightlifting, and the importance of personalized coaching approaches.

ASCA High School & Youth Podcast 2606 - Pyke + Dudley by Joseph Coyne

In this episode, Donald shares his extensive experience in strength and conditioning, leadership, and high performance in elite sports. He discusses the evolution of sports science, effective leadership, team culture, and practical insights for coaches and performance professionals.

Lyn Jones shares his extensive coaching journey from weightlifting beginnings to coaching Olympic gold medallists. Discover insights on training cycles, technique, athlete psychology, and the evolution of weightlifting methods.

Keywords

Weightlifting, Coaching, Olympic Gold, Training Techniques, Athlete Psychology, Power Development, Training Cycles, Technique Cues

ASCA High School & Youth Podcast 2606 - Parnham + Lundquist by Joseph Coyne

Neil Shanks , Lead Physical Preparation Coach - Scottish Swimming , shares his journey from sports science to elite swimming coaching, emphasising the importance of environment, continuous learning and data-driven practice in high-performance sport.

Key topics

• Pathway from sports science to elite coaching

• Creating athlete-centered environments

• Utilizing data and technology in training

• Transfer of training principles in swimming

• Managing pressure and performance at Olympics

#sports science, #strengthandconditioning, #eliteswimming, #athletedevelopment, #coaching, #Olympicpreparation

In Episode 141 of the ASCA Podcast, we’re joined by Michael Davie, Director of Strength & Conditioning and Sports Science for BYU Men’s Basketball and former NBA Championship-winning performance coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. Michael shares his journey from Australia to the US, offering insight into the realities of working in the NBA, building athlete trust, managing elite basketball performance and helping shape a championship-winning environment. Packed with practical insights for coaches working in high-performance sport, this episode also delivers valuable leadership and career advice for both emerging and experienced practitioners.

Listen now for a practical look at what it really takes to develop young athletes in a school environment.

This episode of the ASCA High School & Youth Podcast features Jonathan Dore, a strength & conditioning coach and teacher at Ipswich State High School, who is also heavily involved in rugby league pathways.

The conversation explores the realities of coaching in a school setting: highlighting that it goes beyond physical development to mentoring young people, guiding pathways and building skills for life beyond sport.

Jonathan shares his journey of stepping into a head S&C role at just 21 and learning on the job, gradually developing a strong and sustainable program.

A key theme of this episode is making the most of limited - Limited equipment, limited time and still finding ways to develop athletes effectively.

He also discusses integrating his dual roles as an S&C coach and sport coach, ensuring physical preparation directly supports on-field performance.

Underpinning it all is a strong focus on culture and standards, creating an environment where athletes take ownership and consistently buy into the process.

Takeaways:

• Constraints can improve coaching.

• Aligning S&C with sport for better transfer.

• Culture and consistency drive results.

• Focus on long-term athlete development.

Keywords:

S&C, Youth Development, High School Sport, Coaching, Culture, LTAD

Glen takes us back to the early days of his S&C career, when coaching meant doing it all: Strength, conditioning, sprint work, even video analysis. He contrasts that with today’s high-performance environment, now highly specialised and driven by sport science and technology.

Takeaways:

• Early S&C requires coaches to be generalists - doing everything across performance and support.

• The human element (intuition, experience, and connection) matters more than all the data.

• Trust athlete feedback - they often know what works best for them

• Listen and observe first, especially in new environments

• Importance of adapting your communication - Different athletes require different approaches

• Great coaches are people coaches, not just technical experts

• Communication, empathy and relationships drive buy-in and results

• Mentorship is key to developing coaches and sharing knowledge

• Long-term success comes from passion for coaching, not titles