Athletic Skills Podcast

Too many S&C coaches, sports scientists, and performance staff feel like leadership is something reserved for the person with the highest title.

In this episode, I’m joined by performance coach, Ryan Blake to break down what leadership actually looks like for those working in sport — who's not always at the top.

We unpack the traits that earn trust and influence, how to shape your leadership identity, and what support coaches can do today to lead with confidence and clarity — without a formal title.

If you're a coach who wants to lead better in your environment, build long-term respect, and step up without stepping on toes, this conversation is for you.

✅ Why leadership starts with self-awareness, not job titles
✅ How to earn respect as a performance coach or S&C lead
✅ The 3 traits great support coaches share
✅ How to influence without overstepping
✅ What to do when imposter syndrome shows up
✅ Why authenticity > authority in modern coaching
✅ How to develop your own leadership identity

Find out more from Ryan here:

LinkedIn

Instagram

Website

💬 What’s one way you’ve shown leadership without the title? Drop it in the comments.
🔁 Share this with a coach who leads from the middle.

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Too many coaches still see nutrition as “someone else’s job.”
But if you’re working with athletes — at any level — you’re influencing how they fuel, recover, and perform.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dan Richardson, performance nutritionist and applied practitioner, to break down how coaches can support better nutrition habits in youth and team sport settings — without needing to be a nutritionist.

Whether you're a coach, PE teacher or work with athletes in any way, this conversation offers nsight on how to educate and create nutrition habits in your team, therefore drive performance forward.

💡 What You’ll Learn

✅ How to coach better nutrition habits without meal plans or tracking
✅ Common fuelling mistakes in team sport — especially around evening sessions
✅ The signs of under-fuelling that coaches often miss
✅ How to support athletes through high-demand training blocks
✅ The role of environment and habits in nutrition success
✅ When supplements matter — and when they’re not the answer
✅ What coaches can do to create buy-in and long-term change

To speak to Dan and see more of his work - come follow him on Instagram

📤 Share this episode with a coach who’s supporting youth athletes.

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How to Use AI to Save Time, Plan Smarter, and Transform Your Coaching

🚨 Most coaches are still Googling while the way forward is using AI.

In this episode, I am joined by Marnie Wills, an AI educator, strategist, and expert o explore how AI is reshaping sport, coaching, and education—and how coaches can use it to work smarter, not harder.

Whether you’ve never opened ChatGPT or you’re already using AI in your workflow, this episode gives you clear, practical steps to integrate AI into your coaching—without losing the human touch.

🔍 Learn why AI isn’t a tech trend—it’s a behavioural shift every coach needs to understand.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Why AI is already changing how coaches plan, reflect, and lead

How to use tools like Perplexity and NotebookLM to save hours every week

Simple ways to build your own "AI coaching assistant"

How to use AI to personalise programming and better understand athletes

Why reflection and creativity are more important than ever—and how AI helps you do both

The big risks of ignoring this shift in sport, education, and leadership

Whether you’re a sports coach, PE teacher, or S&C practitioner, this episode is your entry point into AI without the overwhelm.

To get in touch with Marnie or find out more on how you can learn about AI for free, click below!

Connect with Marnie on LinkedIn

See more of Marnie's work here

Subscribe to Marnies weekly newsletter here!

✅ Like, share, and comment: What’s one way you could start using AI in your coaching?

#CoachingWithAI #SportsCoaching #PETeacherTools #SCCoaches #AIInSport #AIForCoaches #CoachingDevelopment #AthleticSkills #CoachSmarter #AIInEducation

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Why Growth Spurts Confuse Coaches – And What to Do About It

If you’re a coach or PE teacher, this situation is all too familiar. But how we respond to it can make or break an athlete’s confidence, development, and future potential.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jamie Salter, a researcher and educator in youth athletic development, to explore how growth and maturation affect performance, movement, and talent identification—and what you as a coach can do about it.

Whether you’re in the grassroots, academy, or school setting, this episode will help you support athletes physically, emotionally, and developmentally—especially during their most vulnerable phase.

🧠 What You’ll Learn

✅ How growth spurts impact coordination, performance & injury risk

✅ The signs of adolescent awkwardness (and how to coach through it)

✅ Why late developers get missed—and early developers often get overrated

✅ What coaches can do when performance dips during physical changes

✅ How tools like Maturity Monitor can help you coach smarter

✅ Tips for coaches to navigate maturation when identifying talent.

✅ Practical strategies for coaches working with mixed-maturity groups

0:00 – Intro & Jamie’s background

2:00 – What maturation really means for athletes

6:00 – Signs of growth spurts that coaches often miss

9:30 – Communication gaps between coaches, athletes, and parents

12:45 – Growth vs performance: selection bias explained

17:00 – “Adolescent awkwardness”: how it shows up in sport

21:00 – Coaching adjustments during physical development

24:00 – Late bloomers: how to spot and support them

28:00 – Using bio-banding and maturity scores practically

33:00 – Avoiding burnout and early specialization

36:00 – Simple solutions for grassroots coaches with limited resources

40:00 – Why female athletes need tailored support

41:30 – Final takeaways & where to connect with Jamie

Follow Jamie on Twitter or on LinkedIn

👍 Like this episode? Hit the thumbs up and subscribe for more content on athlete development.

💬 Comment below: Have you supported an athlete through a growth spurt? What did you learn?

📲 Check out the Maturity Monitor app on your App Store for simple growth tracking.

#YouthAthletes #TalentID #GrowthSpurts #AthleteDevelopment #PETeachers #YouthSports #StrengthAndConditioning #CoachEducation #EarlySpecialisation #FemaleAthletes #SportsScience

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You’re preparing your players technically...

But are they physically ready to perform, compete, and stay injury-free?

Too many cricket coaches still treat physical development as a bonus—or don't even see the need. But modern demands more than skill. If you're not actively developing your players physically, you're not preparing them for the game’s demands.

In this episode, I sit down with Jack McCann, a Head S&C coach at Leicestershire CCC who explains how cricket coaches can blend physical prep into their training—without the need for a gym or overhauling their program.

Whether you coach at a recreation club, pathway, or school, this conversation gives you practical strategies to build better movers, reduce injury risk, and unlock your players’ full potential.

✅ Why physical literacy is the foundation of cricket performance

✅ How warm-ups can become a tool for long-term player development

✅ The connection between movement quality and skill execution

✅ Simple ways to include physical prep—without extra time or equipment

✅ Why athletic development is the key to more resilient, coachable cricketers

📌 0:00 – Why physical development is overlooked in cricket

📌 3:30 – Separating performance myths from physical truth

📌 8:10 – How movement skills underpin batting, bowling & fielding

📌 14:40 – The warm-up as your coaching cheat code

📌 21:00 – Helping players improve physically without fancy resources

📌 27:15 – Common injury risks coaches can help prevent

📌 33:00 – Building physical development into existing cricket sessions

📌 39:00 – Jack’s advice to coaches: small changes, big gains

👍 Like this episode? Hit the like button and subscribe for more coaching insights.

💬 Drop a comment: What part of physical development are you focusing on with your players this season?

📢 Share this with a coach who’s still treating warm-ups like a routine instead of a resource.

#CricketCoaching #AthleteDevelopment #CricketFitness #StrengthAndConditioning #YouthAthletes #PhysicalPreparation #WarmUpMatters #MovementSkills #CricketDevelopment

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🚨 Coaches, you’re scouting young athletes all wrong – and it’s costing them AND you.

Most coaches think talent ID is about watching the best player on the ball. Wrong. The real indicators of elite potential happen OFF the ball—movement, physicality, and mindset.

Miss this, and you’ll overlook future athletes.

In this episode, Harry Varley, an expert in Talent ID and youth athletic development, exposes the biggest mistakes coaches make when identifying talent—and how to fix them.

If you coach, scout, or train young athletes, this episode is a must-watch.

🔥 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

✅ The #1 mistake coaches make when scouting young athletes.

✅ Why on-ball skills don’t predict long-term success (and what does).

✅ How to spot elite potential in ways most coaches miss with some simple tips!

✅ Why “growth spurts” can influence a coaches judgement on a player.

✅ How poor physical development ruins talent and how mindset can set players apart.

📢 Coaches, don’t get left behind.

Find Harry on LinkedIn

Check out more of Harry's work here with FIFA

💬 Drop a comment: What’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen in Talent ID? Let’s discuss.

🚀 Subscribe for more insights on coaching, S&C, and athlete development.

#TalentID #Coaching #AthleteDevelopment #Scouting #YouthAthletes

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🚨 Growth spurts are sidelining young athletes—and most coaches have no idea why. Are you making the same mistakes? 🚨

Young athletes aren’t adults, and they can’t be trained like adults. Yet, many coaches apply the same training methods to growing bodies, leading to injuries, poor movement, and burnout before athletes ever reach their full potential.

Coaches focus on technique, fitness, and skill development, but ignoring how the body changes during growth can make long standing problems.

Back pain, movement issues, and overuse injuries are skyrocketing in youth sports because coaches are training young athletes like mini-adults instead of adapting to their rapid growth and maturation phases.

In this episode, I sit down with Angela Jackson, who is an youth athlete physio and an expert in youth athletic development, to expose why so many young athletes are breaking down—and what coaches MUST do to prevent it.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ Why growth spurts increase injury risk—and what coaches MUST do about it.

✅ The biggest mistakes coaches make when managing young athletes.

✅ How ignoring maturation leads to long-term movement dysfunction & injury.

✅ How to adjust training without holding athletes back.

✅ The red flags every coach should recognise before it’s too late.

🔥 Ignoring growth & maturation isn’t just a mistake—it’s a career-ending risk. When coaches don’t adapt training, young athletes suffer from chronic pain, long-term movement issues, and even early burnout from sport. This episode will teach you how to stop that.

📩 Connect with Angela Jackson on LinkedIn 

📚 Check out Kids Back 2 Sport where Angela shares tonnes of insights and resources designed for any Sports Coach

 Want to learn more about injuries and how you can manage them as Sports Coach/PE teacher, check this out!

Work in Cricket? Angela has some great resources for coaches to learn about how they can safely manage injuries!

👉 If this episode gave you valuable insights:

✅ Like the episode to help more coaches & practitioners find this content.

💬 "Have you ever coached an athlete struggling with back pain or movement issues after a growth spurt? What did you do? Drop your thoughts in the comments!"

📢 Share this with a sports coach, PE teacher, or S&C professional who needs to hear this.

📩 Subscribe for more expert insights on athlete development, coaching, and sports science.

#AthleteDevelopment #YouthAthletes #StrengthAndConditioning #Coaching #InjuryPrevention #GrowthAndMaturation #SportsScience #PhysicalEducation

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🚨 Most golfers are training the wrong way—and it’s costing them power, speed, and consistency. Are you one of them?

Golfers are obsessed with technique, but what if that’s not enough? The real game-changer for adding distance, accuracy, and longevity isn’t just perfecting your swing—it’s strength & conditioning.

In this episode, Chris Hair, a performance coach specialising in golf athletic development, reveals how the right physical training can transform a golfer’s game. Whether you're a golf coach, S&C practitioner, or player, this episode will challenge traditional thinking and show you how to integrate strength training for better performance on the course.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• 🏋️‍♂️ The #1 reason golfers struggle to generate power—and how to fix it.

• ⛳ Why most golfers are training wrong—and what they should be doing instead.

• 🔥 The biggest myths about golf performance training—debunked.

• 📊 The simple way to add effortless power to your swing using strength training.

• 🤝 How golf coaches and S&C practitioners can work together to maximize player development.

If you coach golfers or want to improve your own game, this episode will change the way you think about golf fitness forever.

Links & Resources

📩 Connect with Chris Hair on LinkedIn

⛳ Follow Chris on Instagram for golf training insights

👉 If this episode gave you valuable insights:

✅ Like the show to help more coaches and athletes find this content.

💬 What’s one thing you’ve always questioned about golf training? Drop it in the comments!

📢 Share this with a coach or golfer looking to improve their performance.

📩 Subscribe for more expert insights on fitness, S&C, and coaching.

#GolfPerformance #StrengthAndConditioning #GolfTraining #AthleteDevelopment #Coaching #SportsScience #SCCoach #GolfFitness

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🚨 Are schools unknowingly holding young athletes back? 🚨

For years, schools have relied on traditional PE and outdated training methods, but are they actually setting young athletes up for success—or failure?

⁠In this episode, Guy Sandys-Renton,⁠ a leading expert in youth athletic development, reveals why most schools are missing the mark when it comes to helping young athletes move better, perform stronger, and stay injury-free.

Whether you're a PE teacher, sports coach, or S&C practitioner, this conversation will challenge conventional thinking and give you practical, game-changing strategies to transform youth training—without needing elite facilities or specialist staff.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

❌ The biggest mistakes schools make in youth athletic development.

🔄 Why traditional PE isn’t enough—and what needs to change.

🏃 How to improve movement, coordination, and physical literacy with simple strategies.

🎯 How schools can implement strength & conditioning—without extra budget or equipment.

🤝 How PE teachers and coaches can work together to create better long-term athletes.

If you work with young athletes, this episode will completely change the way you think about physical development in schools.

⁠📩 Connect with Guy Sandys-Renton on LinkedIn ⁠

👉 If this episode gave you valuable insights:

✅ Like the episode to help more coaches and teachers find this content.

💬 Comment – What’s the biggest challenge you see in school-based athletic development?

📢 Share this with a coach, PE teacher, or school leader who needs to hear this.

📩 Subscribe for more expert insights on youth training, coaching, and S&C.

#YouthAthletes #AthleteDevelopment #StrengthAndConditioning #PhysicalEducation #SportsPerformance #Coaching #PE #SportsScience

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🚨 Most young athletes will never make it to the elite level—but why? 🚨

Every coach wants to develop high-performing athletes, but the truth is, many training methods aren’t preparing them for the demands of elite sport. 

In this episode, Brent Dickinson, Head of Academy Performance at Watford FC, reveals what it really takes to develop athletes who can handle pressure, perform under stress, and make it to the top.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

🏋️‍♂️ Why strength numbers don’t tell the full story—and what really matters.

📊 The key physical qualities that separate good from elite athletes.

🤝 Why collaboration between S&C and technical coaches is the missing piece in athlete development.

🧠 The role of emotional intelligence in creating resilient, high-performing athletes.

🚀 How to balance short-term success with long-term athlete development.If you're a coach, practitioner, or performance expert, this episode will challenge the way you think about preparing athletes for elite sport.

📩 Connect with Brent Dickinson on LinkedIn

🐦 Follow Brent on Twitter – @BrentD82

👉 If this episode gave you valuable insights:

✅ Like the video to help more coaches find this content.

💬 Comment – What’s the biggest challenge in preparing athletes for the elite level?📢 Share this with a coach or practitioner who needs to hear this.📩 Subscribe for more insights from elite coaches and performance experts.#AthleteDevelopment #StrengthAndConditioning #SportsPerformance #Coaching #SportsScience #YouthAthletes #EliteSport

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