On this episode, I’ll be talking to the CEO and Co-Founder or Rewire Fitness, Sun Sachs. We delve into what motivated Sun and his partners to help create the resilience and self-care application known as Rewire Fitness, which is utilised by many high performance sporting and non-sporting organisations around the world. 

Sun details how he was wanting to fill the hole for individuals who are looking to train more efficiently, safely and being able to reach their full potential without experiencing burnout. Traditional way to experience greatness in sports is to push athletes to their limits, which can have negative connotations to it. However, Rewire helps athletes, coaches, nurses, doctors and so many more people in very demanding roles build mental toughness within a healthy training cycle based on real time feedback from physiological and psychological responses, instead of sending them into the ground with unbalanced training advice. Sun reflects on his own experiences with burnout when he was an elite cyclist and how difficult it can be to get out of the dark pit of demotivation, depression and heavy training load. 

Rewire only takes a few minutes each day can help trigger mindset and emotional states that either ramp up or settle down the individual to best help them in that specific moment. This can have a massive effect on longevity not just in sport but in general life.

Linkedin rewirefitness

Email – [email protected]

Website – rewirefitness.app

In this episode, I chat to David about athlete and practitioner health and well-being within the high-performance sports industry. One of the main point that we discussed was the ability for a single practitioner to ‘wear several hats’ in their role, which can at times be overwhelming. In this situation, David speaks on how he ‘Listens and Refers’, but also clearly communicates to the individual that he will find out specific information for them, if he cannot provide it to them himself. Being involved with athletes daily can provide some with the opportunity to be this person that the the athlete can unload certain thoughts and feelings. Knowing your boundaries to give advice to best help the athlete is very important, in order to not provide false information.

Another interesting topic of conversation was on spending time on away trips/tour. Anyone who needs to travel with a team understands there is little down time with these trips. David shares how he feels that who he is outside of the work environment can be exposed a little more than usual. For some, this can cause some anxiety, as they find it is important to separate their work self and private life as much as possible. However, for others, it can have the complete opposite impact. Regardless, it is key is to not let work consume you too much, even during away trips. Allow some time to switch off. David highly values his own down time compared to when he first started in the industry.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-veli-43778353/

Email: [email protected]

On today’s episode I have the absolute honour in talking with Garrison Draper from Inter Miami FC. Garrison shares an experience which many individuals can relate to, in changing career goals and pathways. His success to date shows how completely normal it is to be going down one path and having it not working out, to ultimately finding a better career alternative. For Garrisons love of anatomy and sport, this alternative ended up being involved in the high-performance sport industry. It can initially be very intimidating having dedicated so much to a specific path or journey, to then take a completely different path in the future. Listen for Garrisons specific experience in this.

Garrison also shares his experiences early in the industry, where he was given rare freedom in tasks that had a direct impact on a senior playing group. Having been given this ownership of something that impacted the team daily, he initially felt unprepared. But he ultimately benefited from this practice as he became and expert at the tasks. He has since taken on this form of delegation to his own staff as he leads his own group of practitioners.

As part of being a leader, its necessary to know when and where to call it quits for the day, and to understand how beneficial it is for creating a healthy work/life balance. Garrison takes inspiration from some of his mentors in being able to switch off completely in such a demanding industry. This becomes even more important when kids are introduced into the picture.

Garrison shares some cool tools and techniques that he has used to stay mentally well to date:

1)  Being open about speaking to a therapist and accepting that nobody needs an excuse or any negative/traumatic event to be asked ‘are you okay’. He and his wife terms this as helping out the ‘Cactus People’. Those who can survive anywhere but need love as much as anyone and cannot be neglected.

2)  Garrison knows his safe space; the tress and with his family. He uses nature to help stay mentally well and handles all of the weight on his shoulders. He shares the term Shinrin-yoku, which was coined by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 1982, and can be defined as making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest.

3)  And lastly, Garrison took on a challenge of only reading fiction for a year. Which helped him enjoy his reding again, instead of making it a chore.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gldraper-fitness/

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Ben talks in detail about his steps through the ranks in the industry as a strength and conditioning coach, from training his local clients and family to now being responsible for some of Victoria and Australia’s best athletes involved in the institutes. But more importantly, Ben reflects on the revelation he had early on in his career to strive for fulfillment in his work, rather than aiming to get a role for a badge or to build connections, etc. Coming out of what he calls The Vortex, Ben made peace with his journey to where he is now.

Talking about the traineeship he is involved in designing at the VIS, Ben wants to create a learning program that doesn’t discriminate based on life circumstances outside of the working in the industry. He also shares his thoughts on pathway opportunities that should be in place for younger practitioners. Many coaches out there have the mindset that if they went through a hard journey building up to a paid role, that everyone should go through the same thing. His opinion is that there needs to be more placements and preparation before employment, getting students more aligned with what the industry demands.

Ben also describes his experiences with dealing with Nihilism and provides some great advice for overcoming this type of mindset. A) Chasing fulfillment rather than just trying to be happy all the time. B) Staying true to who you are, not being defined by your job.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwking/?originalSubdomain=au

Email: [email protected]

Lewis MacMillan shares his experiences from being a recent university graduate to working and having internships with highly decorated high-performance institutes such as Fulham Football Club and the Scottish Ballet. In this episode, Lewis speaks about all the highs and the lows that are associated with working in the best football league in the world. From relegation pressures, to rising to the occasion in the promotion battle, as a practitioner, Lewis has experienced it all and has supported players throughout this contrasting times. He recalls the relegation battle being so stressful, as everyone considered every game as if it was a cup final. Then after the relegation was to finally become reality, the pressure on players and staff would just drop and performances would rise. The dynamics that go on behind the scenes of a professional football club can explain a lot of things but are rarely seen by the public eye. Lewis gives a brief insight into his experiences during this time.

Lewis also talks about the uncertainty he felt when in the first few weeks of a new role, when the team’s manager was released. Lewis felt like he was walking on eggshells every day, when nobody verbally told him that his job was a risk, this was all created in his own mind. Thankfully, he has continued with the club and continued for an additional 5 years. His family and mentors helped talk him through such an uncertain time. But Lewis admits that having experienced this early in his career has helped him later on in his career. Additionally, Lewis shares the experiences of working within the Scottish Ballet, and how he had to find the middle ground between what he knows/wants to do from a sport scientist point of view and with what the dancers and company wanted. This was an uncertain time, but he learnt a lot through communication, empathy and getting athlete buy in from that experience. He had to be creative with the dancers in areas such as testing and data collection.

A really insightful listen to all young coaches who may be uncertain with their own confidence and skillset, and who’re looking to progress through the ranks of their own workplace.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewismacmillan/

Jarryd has 10 years of experience as a sports science and performance coach to the position, including time in MLS, USL, NASL, and the NCAA. Phillips arrived in St. Louis after spending eight seasons in MLS, four with New England, nearly three years as Director of Performance & Sports Science for Minnesota United FC and two with Seattle Sounders FC. In Minnesota, he established and directed all facets of the performance department for the first team and academy beginning in 2016, as the club prepared to ascend from the NASL to MLS in 2017. In Seattle, he was a member of the sporting staff that made the playoffs every season he was there. Phillips achieved a similar feat with New England, making the playoffs in all three years he was there while helping the team to a Supporter Shield title in 2021.

In this episode Jarryd shares his experiences of being a part of establishing a new team within a league. His experiences have helped him be successful in many different settings, as he applauds the mindset and attitude of his current team’s players and their preparation leading into their first every season in the MLS.

Jarryd shares his experiences early on in his career when he had many different responsibilities in the one role. He gradually learned how to give off tasks to other people and started to build a team. This helped him grow as a leader and enabled him to leave all the stresses and pressures related to work away from areas of relaxation and comfort.

And finally, we touch on the area of having multiple ‘pillars’ or support networks. The more pillars you have in life, the more support you will have when one pillar is removed. Having only one purpose or one pillar throughout life can be dangerous, as some get completely lost when that single pillar is removed. Jerryd speaks very passionately on this subject towards the end of this episode.

It was awesome to have Jas come on this episode and talk about the concepts of mental health in pro sport personnel. He is very open and passionate about talking in the area of mental health and wellbeing and had plenty to share.

One of the main areas we touched on was the idea of external vs internal pressures. Many individuals create pressures for themselves, which derives stress and anxiety, when it doesn’t need to be there. Sometimes we make life hard for ourselves, thinking that the job isn’t being done correctly or that we’re constantly judged. Setting high expectations can be a very beneficial thing, but it needs to be managed and balanced with health and wellbeing.

Jas also talked about the return to play process for athletes, and the pressures that are involved from the practitioner’s point of view during this time. In such a demanding industry, it is important to be risk averse, but also being smart about it. Listen for more of this area.

We also touched on leadership styles. Jas feels he empower others around him, delegates responsibility, avoids micromanages, accepts when you don’t know everything and shows his vulnerabilities to actively ask for help from his support staff. This harvests good performance from others. Trust goes a long way in this industry.

‘The energy you come in with on the day can have a ripple effect in a team atmosphere’

‘Hardest part about being a leader is that same internal pressures’

We also discussed the idea of having a purpose, not in the industry of high-performance sport, but as a human being. Jas describes the Pillar Concept, where the more pillars we have in life, the less likely this will come crashing down. Having things outside of work can be immense for ‘keeping the candle alight’ and avoiding burnout. Listen for more info.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasraj-sidhu-1243a311a/

James talks about being mentally fatigue/drained when being in his current director role rather than physically fatigued when in more of a coaching role. He admits that he misses being with the player in the gym instead of being in meetings, but that is the nature of the role he currently has. Another certainty involved with this role is needing to have difficult conversations with both staff and athletes. After taking inspiration from Martin Buchheit, he has learned to ‘Turn up and turn down his ego’ when necessary. He advises to pick your time when to relay information to certain individuals. To turn up confidence and conviction when talking to a coach, but to possibly turn it down and seem more relaxed with a player.

Additionally, James shares some of the difficulties he experienced when he traveled away from home to study. This later resulted in achieving a successful career, but it’s a very long journey that can be lonely at times. James credits staying true to who he was when he was first involved in the high-performance industry in the American College setting, instead of being moulded into what he describes as a typical loud weights coach in a college setting. As he transitions into working with athletes in the MLS and being involved in the leadership spare, James talks about the responsibilities that come with these roles. ‘The best thing you can do it be planned and organised for everything you do with the team’

A big lesson I have taken from James’ episode is to surround yourself with good people and to always support them. The importance of having a strong and enthusiastic team under you, who you can trust, can the difference between success and failure in a sporting organisation. Letting them always know that we have your back is something that can boost motivation and team culture. Even when being pressured by coaches and players, they should always know that they are supported. This drives self-motivation, which can end up helping the whole department.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescollins50

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-collins-7a069471/

Email: [email protected]

Guy Molloy is a 35-season coaching veteran who has coached on a state and national level in both women’s and men’s teams. On this episode, I get an insight into how coaching the game of basketball has changed over the time Guy has been involved in the sport, how he creates and develops organic connections with athletes, how he prepares himself physically and mentally for his game days, and how he keeps mentally well throughout tough competitive seasons in a results-based industry. He credits bouncing back from hard moments or big losses with his ‘Hard and fast rule’ in which he gives himself 24 hours to overcome any negative thoughts and emotions to be able to move his focus to the next fixture.

Guy is grateful for his own survival in such a demanding role. He has done so by staying true to his own preparations for trainings and game day scenarios. He uses the word ‘Ruthlessness’ in describing his own pre-practice habits that have helped him be successful to this point. Being prepared is key, and Guy ensures that he is part of a system where everyone involved understands their roles and expectations clearly.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-molloy-62095271/?originalSubdomain=au

Ethan talks about his journey from being a carpenter to a body building, to now running his own company. Body building was his first experience doing something to the ‘extreme’. It’s a sport based on how you look, which brings on a lot of judgement on yourself. ‘Low calories, high emotions, it’s a full-on experience’. Ethan also briefly talks about his experience on reality TV, where he compares the judgement, he felt after being a body builder and being on a reality TV series.

Ethan also talks about the concept of pain vs suffering and how it helps him be more present in the moment. This is the kind of mindset that helped him overcome enormous odds. This concept describes what happens when you’re not in the moment during times of pain, if that makes sense. You’ll need to listen to completely understand….haha. He also adds how this mentality can be applied in everyday life, not just during very outlandish physical challenges. Ethan shares how this mindset has helped him run a very successful PT business

Speaking of his challenges, we touch on what were the greatest struggles during some of Ethan’s insane events. He recalls his experience in the middle of nowhere, on his way to Melbourne from Adelaide via bike, where he broke down in tears at a bus stop. When the bus just drove past him, his just knew the only way forward was to continue. Ethan always completes his challenges for a specific reason or for a specific cause, which he credits as a main part of the motivation for him to push forward.

Something that really hit hard with me was when Ethan talked about finding things about yourself in your adult like, that helps explain things from the past. This can be behaviours or characteristics. It can be very daunting, but also an exciting experience to go through in life.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-fleming-bb79b311a/

https://www.ethan-fleming.com