Welcome to another episode of Finding Small Wins Podcast, a space for conversations that pull back the curtain on sports, where to learn how to upgrade health & performance, and shed some light on how some of the best at what they do are finding the small wins that help them along the way.
Adam Loiacono, your host, is a physical therapist in the NBA & a former performance coach in Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League.
In this episode, Adam is joined by Jess Elis, NBA Physical therapist, to teach us how to integrate technology best to upgrade your health and performance.
Key Takeaways:
[2:45] Jess and Adam are NBA guys, Jess shares how they met.
[3:45] Jess described how ‘the bubble’ felt for him.
[5:37] Was Portland Trailblazers Jess’ first entry point working with athletes?
[6:59] Jess shares one of the greatest opportunities he got to experience from working with professional sports.
[9:24] What insights does Jess have towards effective leadership when managing multiple departments?
[11:52] Jess shares his perspective regarding two approaches, one that considers we operate in silos and another that is a more integrative approach.
[13:40] How to create an environment that promotes positive communication among departments?
[15:55] Jess describes the most important aspect of a leader: Everybody needs to feel heard.
[17:36] How does Jess address each athlete’s own agenda?
[20:10] Why and how should we consider incorporating technology in sports performance or rehab?
[21:07] Jess made an acronym regarding the use of technology: PACE Practicality, Applicability, Conceptual, and Effectiveness.
[23:06] What is the difference between isokinetic and isometric?
[26:04] What is the actual process of utilizing isokinetic versus isometric, for example, in assessing quad strength?
[27:50] What is missing from isokinetic that isometrics could help better understand?
[31:32] Jess shares information about his thesis on the bioethics of wearable tech in the NBA.
[32:32] Plantiga is a valuable tool for asymmetry.
[33:37] What other information does Plantiga provide besides asymmetry?
[34:25] How does the Plantiga fit with a custom orthotic?
[35:03] What is IMU? What is it used for?
[35:50] Jess describes a scenario where he would look at all three pieces of tech: HUMAC, RSI, and IMU, and shares how he would utilize that in a return to play for a knee injury.
[39:25] How does Jess help the next generation of practitioners manage the return to play space?
[41:06] Jess discusses the many ways to get to work in professional sports and the 3 C’s required: competence, connections, and charisma
[45:16] Where has Jess seen people fail in pro sports?
[46:36] Where have people been successful in pro sports?
[48:52] What was something Jess didn’t truly appreciate about sports until he started to work in this field?
[50:34] Working in sports, what was one thing Jess enjoyed the most?
[50:47] What was one thing Jess did not enjoy about the NBA?
[53:32] Jess shares one of his dad’s life lessons.
[55:01] Looking back at his time in sports and NBA, if there was one thing Jess could go back and do differently, for better or for worse, what would that be?
[56:03] How did Jess find his small wins throughout the season to keep pushing forward?
[57:31] Could Jess create an encouraging environment for athletes to find their small wins?
[58:12] Jess calls his rehabs: the Small F-bomb Wins, SFW.
[1:01:24] Jess advises those who want to improve their health but are not in sports.
[1:03:17] How can people find the balance between what they love to do and what they need to do to improve their health?
[1:04:46] Jess talks about the education piece.
[1:06:14] What is next for Jess?
[1:07:30] Jess talks about what he loves about Thr Rehab Code.
[1:08:25] Fun questions with Jess!
Mentioned in this episode:
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The Rehab Code
