With Justin still away, we’ve searched far and wide for a suitable replacement. Look no further, than Cki Porter the work experience student. Cki came loaded with research previously unmatched on the Talking Split podcast and brought a level of professionalism that Justin will struggle to live up to upon his return. If he returns…

Australian Opal, Canberra Capital and beloved Bendigo-arian (not sure if that’s a word, it means people from Bendigo if there’s any confusion), Kelsey Griffin phones in and takes us through her journey to Australia, her experience in College & the WNBA, and what she values in coaches that she has had over her career.

With Justin on location in Argentina investigating what’s going on with their soccer team, Rob & Mike chat with Dr. Julia Walsh, Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching at Deakin University, and look at her background in coaching, and also her work done in the Intellectual Disability space where she is the Head Coach of the Australian Boomerangs. We revisit some of the proposed rule changes from last week, and Mike has some fun facts about Argentina. The question is, will Justin be getting Botox whilst away?

We love the game, but there are a few things we would like to change. After catching a 12 and under game this week (https://youtu.be/O_jLVliu4oc), the team discuss some different ways to modify and adapt basketball to suit and improve player development at the junior level. Some of which are pretty easily adapted, some require a lot of work, but we would love to hear your ideas on what you’ve changed in games or training with the hashtag #TalkingSplit on Twitter.

After an inadvertent stop off at the 2c Cashman machine at Windy Hill (thanks to an errant Justin emoji), the crew head out to ‘The Hangar’ - home of the Essendon Football Club and speak with Physical Performance Manager Justin Crow on how the EFC run their program, the physical development of athletes, the use of data vs intuition in decision making, and relationship building with athletes of all ages and backgrounds. And in a Talking Split first, asks a question of the crew.

We welcome back Justin after a little bit of “time away” last week, and catch up on a wide range of topics such as the NBA Finals, Coach Attire & Etiquette, Tournament Preparation, Individual Training Sessions, and Coach Welfare. Mike is still inactive on Twitter, or is he actually very active and just setup a number of strategically placed “burner” accounts…

Hamish & Andy. Martin & Molloy. Jordan & Pippen. Batman & Robin. Stewie & Brian Griffin. The common link? They didn’t need a third wheel to get the job done, and this week Rob & Mike venture out minus Justin to the place Mike put on the map – Werribee. We catch up with U18 Vic Metro winning coach Reece Potter to discuss the week at AJC’s, his role as Player & Coach Development Manager at the Werribee Basketball Association, and the differences between states that he’s been involved in over the years.

Like all good coaches, we’ve been going over our chat with Eric Hollingsworth on last week’s podcast, and have come up with some new thoughts and ideas on how we structure our competition, our training sessions, and even what we teach to our junior athletes. Great interaction from the listeners on social media from last weeks podcast, and we discuss their thoughts also.

Back out on the mean streets of Moorabbin at Melbourne Utd HQ again, where the team chat to Melbourne United High Performance Manager Eric Hollingsworth about his time in basketball, and his experience as an athlete, coach, parent and observer over a number of years. The team discuss what a High Performance athlete really is, how to develop a mindset and culture to help them progress in their career, and also some things that coaches can do better to help players expand their fundamental skill base and decision making.

We take a look back at the U18 Australian Junior Championships held in Geelong last week, see how the Victorian teams fared, and a look at the tournament as a whole. Mike got a 5 star review from his Air B&B from Shirley, Justin spent the week socialising (which is why there was no podcast last week), the results of the FIBA 3x3 Asia tournament and the Split, Kick & Extra returns.

A global approach this week as we hear about Mike’s experience in Germany, Justin’s qualifiers in China, Rob’s time in Wantirna Sth, and the learning that’s we can take from the different styles of game play at the international level. A quick preview of the AJC’s coming up in Geelong next week and the expectations on the Victorian squads.