The Athlete Development Show

We all know the benefits of sporting success.

But what happens when it all goes wrong? 

Kimberly Carducci grew up engrossed in sport and started breaking records in the pool as a 6-year-old. Winning felt good and Kim quickly wanted more of it.

As a D1 swimmer in the US, Kim was a 4-time State Champion, 4-time Scholastic All-American, 4-time All-State Selection and an 8-time All-American honoree.

But after retiring from the sport that she'd dedicated her life to, Kim had a moment of outrage on a tennis court that forced her to carefully reevaluate her life.

Kim's new book, The I of the Tiger: Athlete Identity and Remedying Sport's Greatest Conflicts, tells a tale of overcoming severe depression after leaving the sport that she loved. It also describes the journey Kim went on to heal and how she's come to realise that what gets you success in sport can be harmful in normal life.

Now, Kim's mission is to help other athletes to do the same.

This is Kim's story.

Kia ora!

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by scrolling down. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

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Kathryn Berkett - Raising Resilience

On the show today is neuroscience educator, Kathryn Berkett.

Kathryn delivers information about the brain to a variety of groups including teachers, parents, mental health professionals, corporates and, more recently, sports organisations.

Kathryn has her Masters in Educational Psychology, is a certified Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics practitioner and a TEDx presenter.

She also co-hosts the podcast "I've got questions" with Pio Terei about all things neuroscience.

This was a super cool discussion with lots of insight that I think you're gonna love.

This is Kathryn's story.

Kia ora!

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by scrolling down. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

Follow Craig:

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Des Ryan - Strong Young Gunners

Des is the Director of Coaching and Performance at Setanta College - a provider of online Strength & Conditioning and Athletic Development education.

Prior to this, Des spent 8 years at Arsenal Football where he led the Sports Medicine and Athletic Development department for the club's Academy.

Des cut his strength and conditioning teeth working with Irish rugby.

In this conversation, Des shares all that he has come to understand about getting the best out of himself and the young people he works with.

This is Des's story.

Kia ora!

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by scrolling down. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

Follow Craig:

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Courtney McGregor - What Adversity Can Teach Us

At 12:41 pm on Tuesday 22nd of February 2011, a major earthquake hit Christchurch killing 185 people.

Located 6.7 kilometres south-east of the city centre, the shake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, changing life as people knew it.

Artistic gymnast Courtney McGregor (@_courtneymcgregor_), was 12 at the time.

Courtney remembers the earthquake being a pivotal moment in her sporting journey. 

It shaped the way she approached her gymnastics. How she took on a challenge. And dealt with fear.

At just 17 years old, Courtney represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

She was the youngest member of the New Zealand Olympic Team.

Courtney went on to an athletic scholarship at Boise State University in the US, where she studied mathematics and philosophy and in 2019 won the all-around competition in the Mountain West Conference.

When I spoke to her, Courtney was back home in Christchurch, not long retired, and in the process of applying for medical school. 

This is Courtney's story. 

Kia ora!

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by scrolling down. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

Follow Craig:

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Jay Thooft - Mindset Matters

Today we hear from a coach of the mind, Jay Thooft (@trainwithperc). 

Jay is dedicated to providing developing athletes with the tools necessary to elevate their mental game and perform in the face of stress, pressure, and adversity. Currently, he oversees the mental performance training for 16 organisations in the Greater Denver area in the US and impacts approximately 5000 athletes, performers, executives, business owners, parents, and coaches every year. 

Prior to this, Jay spent several years at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs where he worked with some of the world's best athletes. 

In this conversation, Jay shares his 3-part philosophy to training the mind, where pressure comes from and how to handle it, how he works with parents, the myth of mental toughness, and much more. 

You can check Jay out on his website www.trainwithperc.com or on his awesome YouTube channel.

Jay and I also discuss:

• The young athlete who first got him excited about working with youth;
• The importance of developing self-awareness;
• Over-investment, and the problem that arises when a child attaches too much of their identity to their sport;
• The importance of taking value-driven actions in the face of emotion;
• The best advice Jay ever received;
• Integrating the mental side of sport into the experience; and
• Much more. 

Download Jay's free guide for better mental preparation at www.trainwithperc.com/freeguide

Kia ora!

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by scrolling down. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

Follow Craig:

Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/
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Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrison

Brooke Neal - Finding Balance

Brooke was an independent and stubborn kid growing up. She knew what she wanted and was highly driven to go out and get it. 

Chasing her dream of elite sporting success, Brooke first made the New Zealand Blacks Sticks as a 19-year-old. 

But it wasn't what she expected. 

Instead of fame and fortune, it was a massive struggle. She was training harder than ever before and yet her performance was getting worse. 

Something had to change. 

Over the next 10 years of her life, 176 games, one Olympics and a Commonwealth gold medal, Brooke went on a quest to calm down her 'itch' to be forever chasing things down. To find a sense of calm. To anchor herself to what's important. To find balance. 

Now, Brooke is teaching young female athletes to do the same. 

In this conversation, Brooke shares her strongly held belief that when you take care of your hauora, your sporting performance will prosper 

Brooke and I also talk about:

• Where her motivation comes from;
• The importance of doing less in a busy, outcome-orientated world;
• Why ever young athlete needs a reflective practice;
• FOPO (fear of missing out) disorder;
• The greatest gift her parents ever gave her;
• The information-rich world we're living in and why it's overwhelming our young athletes;
• Setting boundaries on social media;
• Finding her Balance - Brooke's signature course;
• The power of the community; and
• Much, much more.

This is Brooke's story.

Kia ora

Craig

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by scrolling down. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

Follow Craig:

Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/
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Train Smarter, Not Harder

Today's conversation is with double Olympian, Anna Simcic. 

Anna represented NZ at two Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games where she won a gold and two silver medals in the backstroke. She was consistently ranked in the top 10 in the world and in 1992 when she set a short-course world record. 

Anna now works for High Performance Sport NZ as an Athlete Life Advisor. She believes in a values and strengths-based approach to her work, full of energy, compassion and good humour. 

Kia ora,

Craig

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by scrolling down. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

Follow Craig:

Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/
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Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrison

Connection is Key

On the show today I chat with former international cricketer, Andrew Ellis. Andrew played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 2003 until 2020 and represented his country in both the One Day and Twenty20 formats of the game.

Andrew is now a dad of two young children and works for High-Performance Sport New Zealand as the manager of the Christchurch region.

In this conversation, Andrew and I discuss age and stage appropriate coaching, finding the courage the take risks, connection and why Andrew believes it is the starting point for everything great, the struggle between a thirst for training volume to get better and doing too much, battling the inner critic, and much more. 

This is Andrew's story. 

Kia ora,

Craig

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by scrolling down. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

Follow Craig:

Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/
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Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrison

Tennis Fit

Howard Green (@HGreenTennisFit) is a strength and conditioning coach working in tennis. He coordinates the sports science and medicine team at Bolton Arena International Tennis Academy and works privately with many up and coming and elite players, including Ana Ivanovic.

Prior to his work in sport, Howard was a Commando in the Royal Marines. After completing his basic training just out of school, the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre happened and changed the world. Howard went on to complete tours of Iraq and Afghanistan over a space of six years that left him burnt out and suffering from PTSD.

This is Howard's story. 

Kia ora,

Craig

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by scrolling down. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

Follow Craig:

Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/
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Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrison

Talent Is Not Objective

Dr Alex Roberts (@AlexHRoberts) teaches at La Trobe University in Australia and conducts research focusing on skill acquisition, talent identification and the science of coaching.

In this conversation, Alex and I discuss her childhood growing up as a high-achieving Aussie, her journey as an athlete in the NCAA system and her fascinating PhD research that sheds new light on the role of the coach in talent identification, selection and development.

Kia ora!

Craig

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps me keep producing the show. I also love hearing your feedback!

Sign up for Craig's free weekly newsletter by visiting www.athletedevelopmentproject.com. It's full of research-backed, practical ideas for helping youth athletes defend against injury, overtraining and burning out.

Follow Craig:

Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/
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Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrison