David Sutton has been delivering Strength & Conditioning and Sport Science support for over 21 years. He has a unique track record of working in 16 different sports at the elite level and maximizing the physical preparation of athletes worldwide.

In the UK, David—a known positive disruptor—worked with the Northants County Cricket Club and helped the team progress from being the UK’s least successful team to landing three finals and two national titles.

Today, David is the Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Chinese Institute of Sport in Shanghai, China, where he has spent his time over the past four years. 

David joins me today to discuss his experience working as a Strength & Conditioning Coach in China.

He shares the challenges and struggles he faces while coaching in a different country and explains why he grabbed the opportunity to move to China despite a successful career in the UK.

He highlights the differences in the Chinese, American, and European training systems and illustrates the culture of sports competition in China.

And he also underscores the importance of forming relationships with other coaches, especially in a foreign country, and shares his advice on networking and reaching out to other coaches.

  

Cricket coaches are different from rugby or triathlon coaches. You’ve got to understand the nuances of these sports and their culture. – David Sutton

 

This week on the Physical Preparation Podcast:

* What inspired David to work in the world of strength conditioning

* Why David decided to transition from coaching professional cricket in the UK to work as a Strength & Conditioning Coach in China

* How the Chinese sports training system is different from Europe’s and the US’s

* Early specialization and skill acquisition in the Chinese training system

* Why David doesn’t see a lot of muscle injury in his athletes in China

* Cultural and language differences and how they challenge David’s job as a coach

* The importance of forming strong relationships with other coaches

* How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted David and his athletes’ training

* The value of watching athletes train

* How to get people from different sports department to communicate better and work together

 

Related Content:

* John Noonan on Sacrifices, Success, and Mentorship

 

Resources Mentioned:

* Bullet Journal

 

Connect with David:

* David Sutton on Twitter

* David Sutton on Instagram

* David Sutton on LinkedIn

 

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