The Athlete Development Show

By Dr Craig Harrison

What's The Athlete Development Show about?

Science and stories from the brightest minds across many disciplines to help youth athletes unlock personal performance & develop their sporting potential.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Athlete Development Show episodes:

04.04.2024
Aaron Webb on the Artistry of People Development
On the Show today I'm speaking with the man behind the Crusaders Rugby Academy, Aaron Webb. The programme operates in line with the New Zealand Rugby Union's six pillars of development - technical, tactical, physical, nutrition, mental skills and holistic...
03.28.2024
Brian Shelley on School versus Club Football, Building Resilience, Player Empowerment, & much more
Brian Shelley is Head of Football at Saint Kentigern College in Auckland where he coaches at the premier level and oversees the development pathways. He earned his UEFA A License with the English FA. Prior to his coaching career,...
03.19.2024
The Curious Mind #09 - Street Football, Skill Variability, Session Planning, Developing a Culture of Learning, & more
Head of coaching at Birkenhead United FC in Auckland, New Zealand and Co-founder of Player Development Project, Dave Wright (@davewright07), rejoins me for another episode of The Curious Mind. We discuss our experiences in youth sport over the past couple of...
12.06.2023
Tim Brazier on Developing Supportive Relationships, Dealing with Expectation, the Problem with Fun, Micro-Dosing Reflection, and Much More
Tim Brazier (@coach_brazier) has been coaching in high performance sport for over 15 years. After earning a Master's degree from the University of Otago, Tim took up a lecturing role at Otago Polytechnic for two years. He went on to...
11.10.2023
REBROADCAST: Athletes Authority ON AIR | Ep. 162 - Dr Craig Harrison - Genetics Isn't Enough & Understanding Psychosocial Factors In The Youth Space
This is a rebroadcast of episode 162 of Athletes Authority ON AIR podcast, featuring Dr Craig Harrison. "Craig gives us a breakdown of his coaching background, why he chose to work in the youth space over other areas of physical...
10.09.2023
Jordi Taylor on Athlete Assessment, Individualising Programming, The Foundations of Athleticism, Managing Injuries, and More
Jordi Taylor (@coach_jorditaylor) is a Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach at Athletes Authority, a strength and conditioning gym for athletes in Sydney and Melbourne, in Australia. Jordi also heads up Media & Partnerships at Athlete Authority and hosts their ON...
09.29.2023
The Curious Mind #08 - Creating Team Culture, Navigating Tournament Play, Helping Coaches Be Their Best Selves, & more
Head of coaching at Birkenhead United FC in Auckland, New Zealand and Co-founder of Player Development Project, Dave Wright (@davewright07), rejoins me for another episode of The Curious Mind. We discuss our experiences in youth sport over the past couple of...
09.07.2023
Dr Sarah Chantler on Teaching Food Skills to Young Athletes
Dr Sarah Chantler is a registered dietician and performance nutritionist. Originally from South Africa, Sarah is now based at Leeds Beckett University in the UK where she is a senior lecturer and applied practitioner. Sarah's fascinating work highlights why we...
08.22.2023
Royston Dsouza on the Muck of Mumbai, Movement Skill, and Keeping the Joy in Sport
"Grass was a luxury, if you saw grass, you'd go and roll in it." My conversation today is with Royston Dsouza. Hailing from India, where he spend much of his childhood playing football on the streets of Mumbai, Royston is now...
07.27.2023
Austin Einhorn and Dr Jeff Moreno on the Macronutrients of Movement
This conversation is with Austin Einhorn and Dr Jeff Moreno, recorded live in Santa Cruz, California. Enjoy! Sign up for Craig's newsletter (Beyond the Game) at athletedevelopmentproject.com/newsletter Get Craig to speak at your club or school here. Connect with Craig: Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/ Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrison Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrison...
07.09.2023
Gareth Turnbull on the Power of Football for Developing Skills for Life
On the show this week, I'm speaking with Pathways Manager and A-League Women's Assistant Coach at Melbourne Victory Football Club, Gareth Turnbull. Gareth has been full time in football since 2008, beginning his career as a Football Development Manager for Coastal...
06.26.2023
Jay Carter on Talent, Skilled Golfers, and Helping Young Athletes Lead Themselves
It's an absolute pleasure to bring Golf New Zealand's National Coach, Jay Carter, on the show. Jay and I met not long ago when he reached out to ask me on his fantastic podcast, Talking Performance. We had a great...
06.18.2023
The Curious Mind #07 - Moments of Gratitude, Trips Abroad, Finding Joy, Negative Parent Behaviour, & more
Head of coaching at Birkenhead United FC in Auckland, New Zealand and Co-founder of Player Development Project, Dave Wright (@davewright07), rejoins me for another episode of The Curious Mind. We discuss our experiences in youth sport over the past couple of...
05.23.2023
Mike Hester on the Evolution of Rugby in New Zealand
"Fun is a fleeting moment. Joy is something that's enduring, something that brings you back." Mike Hester works for New Zealand Rugby and is responsible for leading their approach to the evolution of the game at participation level. Prior to this...
05.16.2023
Dane Baker on Fuelling for Performance, Fad Diets, and Low Energy Availability in Sport
Dane Baker is a Performance Dietitian who has worked extensively with New Zealand's elite athletes and organisations over the past 15 years, including the Chiefs, Blues, Black Ferns 7s, NZ Hockey and NZ Swimming. He was also the NZ team...
05.08.2023
Kylie Cox on the Importance of a Healthy and Regular Menstrual Cycle
We all have times in our lives that change us. Watershed moments that force us into thinking differently. Kylie Cox had one of these very moments a few years ago while training for an Ironman World 70.3 Age Group Championship....
05.01.2023
Mark Upton and Ken Willner on Promoting Freedom, Creativity, Collaboration and Competition
My conversation this week is with Mark Upton and Ken Willner. Mark is passionate about supporting people's WayFinding endeavours by facilitating the emergence of new connections, new capacities, and meaningful stories and refections as we journey together. He has a particular...
04.16.2023
Samuel McKenzie - The 1st XV Rugby Experience in New Zealand (Repost)
Today on the show , I'm winding the clock back to May 2020 when I sat down with my good friend Samuel McKenzie. In 2019, Sam completed his Master's degree at AUT University focusing on 1st XV rugby players' perceptions...
04.10.2023
Zane Winslade on Playfulness, Courage, and Developing Mental Toughness
This week's conversation is with Zane Winslade. Zane is the owner of Flow Sport Mental Performance Coaching, and works with athletes from youth to the elite level across multiple codes. Zane has a a Bachelor’s degree in Sports and Leisure...
04.02.2023
The Curious Mind #06 - How Much is Too Much?
Head of coaching at Birkenhead United FC in Auckland, New Zealand and Co-founder of Player Development Project, Dave Wright (@davewright07), rejoins me for another episode of The Curious Mind. How much is too much? In this conversation, we dig into...
03.27.2023
Reed Maltbie on Emotional Fitness, Living a Life in Balance, and the Spartan Mindset
Living a life in balance is about finding flow. It's about capitalising on all of the things that make you a better person without one of them taking over the flow. My guest on today's show is Reed Maltbie, and he's...
03.20.2023
Invitations to Move | Changing Young People's Lives with Celia Fleck and Dr Dan Cooke
When we value how movement helps us grow, we see invitations to move everywhere we look. In this conversation, I'm bringing two very special people together to share their efforts to change the movement culture inside primary schools in New...
03.13.2023
Dr James Vaughan on Culture, Praise Addiction, and Developing Skilled Performers
There are two types of people in the world - managers, and leaders. Managers work hard to maintain the status quo that their jobs and reputations were built on. They seek comfort in the certainty of the way things have...
03.06.2023
James Leath on Improv Comedy, Mr Rogers, & Being More Childlike
James Leath (@jamesleath) has been coaching student-athletes for over 20 years. He has a master's degree in performance psychology and has worked with companies like IMG Academy, MINDBODY INC, and Under Armour. He currently works with EXOS Human Performance in...
02.27.2023
Professor Arne Güllich on Developing Talent, Learning & the Paradox of Competitive Sport (Repost)
On the show today, I'm winding the clock back to December 2021 to when I sat down with Professor Arne Güllich. Arne is a sports scientist and researcher at Technical University of Kaiserslautern, in Germany. He's published over 100 peer-reviewed...
02.20.2023
Developing Rugby League Talent in Schools | Balin Cupples, Ph.D.
Today I'm stoked to welcome Dr Balin Cupples, head of performance at the One NZ Warriors. What I love about Balin's story, and why I brought him on the show, is the insight he brings at the intersection between science...
02.13.2023
The Curious Mind #05 - Reflections on the Kiwi Summer Break
In this episode of the Curious Mind, Dave Wright, founder of Player Development Project, and I reflect on our summer break in Aotearoa, including how our emotions affect the experiences of our children and athletes. We also dig into:Social status, the...
02.08.2023
The Future of Athletics in New Zealand | Fiona Maisey
This week, I'm excited to be talking with Young People's Lead at Athletics New Zealand , Fiona Maisey. It's a relatively new role for the organisation, yet super important considering 82% of registered participants in the sport are under the...
01.30.2023
Ben Old on Handling Pressure, Navigating Injury and Living True to Your Values
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter Ben Old (@_oldie8) played his football in Auckland as a kid before moving to Wellington as a 16 year old to join the Wellington Phoenix. After...
12.20.2022
Dr Katie Cunningham - Start With Joy (Repost)
On the show today, I'm winding the clock back a couple of years to when I sat down with Dr Katie Cunningham to talk about joy. Dr Katie Cunningham is an Associate Professor of Literacy and English Education at Manhattanville College...
12.14.2022
The Curious Mind #04 - Fostering Inner Drive, Healthy Development, Kids Lifting Weights and Running Long Distances, & more
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter Welcome to episode #04 of The Curious Mind, our new format of The Athlete Development Show released monthly where Craig sits down with co-founder of Player...
12.08.2022
Professor Joe Baker on The Tyranny of Talent
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter What really is talent? And how do we measure it? My guest on today's show suggests we are a long way off answering either of these questions...
12.01.2022
A Masterclass on Feedback | Rob Mason, Ph.D.
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter The traditional definition of a coach is someone who gives instruction to help an athlete or direct team strategy. The problem with this definition, however, is...
11.24.2022
Paul Temple on Being Selfless, Authenticity, and Investing In Potential
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter The Wellington Phoenix is the only professional football club in New Zealand. Today on the show we explore the academy system in charge of developing their...
11.16.2022
The Curious Mind #03 - Reimagining the Job of a Coach
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter This week on the show, I sat down with my good friend, Dave Wright. Dave is head of coaching at Birkenhead United FC in Auckland, New...
11.09.2022
Stephen Cobley on Culture, Forward Looking Development, and Where Swimming Performance Really Comes From
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter Stephen Cobley is an Associate Professor in motor control, skill acquisition, and sport and exercise psychology at The University of Sydney. He earned his Bachelor's degree at...
11.02.2022
Nick Webb on the Habits of High Performance and Developing All-Round Cricketers
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter Nick Webb (@nick_webby) is a strength and conditioning and performance specialist. Over the last 15 years, Nick has worked for the NZ Warriors, NZ Cricket, the Indian...
10.18.2022
Christian Swann on Psychological States of Peak Performance
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter After experiencing a magic moment playing golf when everything seemed to click and his performance excelled, my guest in this episode began a research journey into...
10.10.2022
Owen Eastwood on Belonging
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter We all need to feel like we belong to something. And in a world that is, right now, full of more uncertainty and struggle than ever,...
10.04.2022
Andy Milne on Creativity, Community and the Skills of Health and Wellness
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter Andy Milne (@carmelhealth) is a teacher, creator, TEDx Speaker and father of two young boys. Originally from England, Andy taught physical education in London for 12...
09.23.2022
Erin Bowerman on Learning from Failure, Challenging Entrenched Beliefs, and Developing Strong Young Dancers
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter Erin Bowerman (@dancestrength_nz) is a movement specialist working in dance. She holds a Masters Degree from AUT University, where she carried out her research at...
09.12.2022
James Mortimer: Speed Kills
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter James Mortimer (@jamesmortimernz) is a former national hurdles and sprint athlete, having represented New Zealand at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. James now coaches a...
08.22.2022
The Curious Mind #02 - Awareness, Building Rapport, Important Questions, Austin's New Course, and More
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter Coach, writer, educator, pioneer in skill acquisition and deliciously inquisitive guy Austin Einhorn (@apiros.team) rejoins me for another episode of The Curious Mind. In this one...
07.07.2022
The School of Shred with Tom Willmott
Host one of Craig's talks at your club or school Sign-up to receive Craig's free newsletter Tom Willmott (@tomwillmott) is the head coach of the park and pipe program at Snow Sports New Zealand. Tom leads a team of coaches that looks...
06.28.2022
Jamie Salter on Managing Growth-Related Injuries
Jamie Salter (@jay_salter) is a researcher and senior lecturer in sport science and Injury at York St John University where he delivers theory and practical based sessions to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the areas of injury prevention, rehabilitation and...
05.27.2022
Shaun Matthews on Having a Coaching Philosophy, Performance vs Character and Developing Self-Reliant Learners
On the show today I chat with Shaun Matthews, Community Coaching Advisor at Harbour Sport. We dig into:The importance of a coaching philosophy;What Shaun has learnt about talent;Coaching mindset;Developing self-reliant learners;Balance; And much more.Please enjoy the show. If you enjoy the podcast, please...
05.19.2022
Vince Minjares on Developing Better Youth Coaches
Youth sport coaches are undervalued. In this conversation, Dr Vince Minjares (@PlayerLearning) tells us why and how we can go about changing it. Vince leads game and coach development at Harbour Basketball, on the North Shore of Auckland, and...
03.25.2022
Jamie Taylor on Giving and Receiving Feedback
Feedback is not just about what is said but what is heard. In this conversation, Jamie Taylor (@JTGreyMatterUK) tells us more. Jamie is a senior coach developer at Grey Matters, an evidence-based organisation that consults across a wide range of...
12.15.2021
Professor Arne Güllich on Developing Talent, Learning & the Paradox of Competitive Sport
Professor Arne Güllich is a sports scientist and researcher at Technical University of Kaiserslautern, in Germany. He's published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, including his latest paper "What Makes a Champion? Early Multidisciplinary Practice, Not Early Specialization, Predicts World-Class Performance", and...
11.15.2021
Kimberley Carducci on Athlete Identity, Depression & Navigating Sport Retirement
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...

What's The Athlete Development Show about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Athlete Development Show episodes:

Aaron Webb on the Artistry of People Development

Brian Shelley on School versus Club Football, Building Resilience, Player Empowerment, & much more

The Curious Mind #09 - Street Football, Skill Variability, Session Planning, Developing a Culture of Learning, & more

Tim Brazier on Developing Supportive Relationships, Dealing with Expectation, the Problem with Fun, Micro-Dosing Reflection, and Much More

REBROADCAST: Athletes Authority ON AIR | Ep. 162 - Dr Craig Harrison - Genetics Isn't Enough & Understanding Psychosocial Factors In The Youth Space

Jordi Taylor on Athlete Assessment, Individualising Programming, The Foundations of Athleticism, Managing Injuries, and More

The Curious Mind #08 - Creating Team Culture, Navigating Tournament Play, Helping Coaches Be Their Best Selves, & more

Dr Sarah Chantler on Teaching Food Skills to Young Athletes

Royston Dsouza on the Muck of Mumbai, Movement Skill, and Keeping the Joy in Sport

Austin Einhorn and Dr Jeff Moreno on the Macronutrients of Movement

Gareth Turnbull on the Power of Football for Developing Skills for Life

Jay Carter on Talent, Skilled Golfers, and Helping Young Athletes Lead Themselves

The Curious Mind #07 - Moments of Gratitude, Trips Abroad, Finding Joy, Negative Parent Behaviour, & more

Mike Hester on the Evolution of Rugby in New Zealand

Dane Baker on Fuelling for Performance, Fad Diets, and Low Energy Availability in Sport

Kylie Cox on the Importance of a Healthy and Regular Menstrual Cycle

Mark Upton and Ken Willner on Promoting Freedom, Creativity, Collaboration and Competition

Samuel McKenzie - The 1st XV Rugby Experience in New Zealand (Repost)

Zane Winslade on Playfulness, Courage, and Developing Mental Toughness

The Curious Mind #06 - How Much is Too Much?

Reed Maltbie on Emotional Fitness, Living a Life in Balance, and the Spartan Mindset

Invitations to Move | Changing Young People's Lives with Celia Fleck and Dr Dan Cooke

Dr James Vaughan on Culture, Praise Addiction, and Developing Skilled Performers

James Leath on Improv Comedy, Mr Rogers, & Being More Childlike

Professor Arne Güllich on Developing Talent, Learning & the Paradox of Competitive Sport (Repost)

Developing Rugby League Talent in Schools | Balin Cupples, Ph.D.

The Curious Mind #05 - Reflections on the Kiwi Summer Break

The Future of Athletics in New Zealand | Fiona Maisey

Ben Old on Handling Pressure, Navigating Injury and Living True to Your Values

Dr Katie Cunningham - Start With Joy (Repost)

The Curious Mind #04 - Fostering Inner Drive, Healthy Development, Kids Lifting Weights and Running Long Distances, & more

Professor Joe Baker on The Tyranny of Talent

A Masterclass on Feedback | Rob Mason, Ph.D.

Paul Temple on Being Selfless, Authenticity, and Investing In Potential

The Curious Mind #03 - Reimagining the Job of a Coach

Stephen Cobley on Culture, Forward Looking Development, and Where Swimming Performance Really Comes From

Nick Webb on the Habits of High Performance and Developing All-Round Cricketers

Christian Swann on Psychological States of Peak Performance

Owen Eastwood on Belonging

Andy Milne on Creativity, Community and the Skills of Health and Wellness

Erin Bowerman on Learning from Failure, Challenging Entrenched Beliefs, and Developing Strong Young Dancers

James Mortimer: Speed Kills

The Curious Mind #02 - Awareness, Building Rapport, Important Questions, Austin's New Course, and More

The School of Shred with Tom Willmott

Jamie Salter on Managing Growth-Related Injuries

Shaun Matthews on Having a Coaching Philosophy, Performance vs Character and Developing Self-Reliant Learners

Vince Minjares on Developing Better Youth Coaches

Jamie Taylor on Giving and Receiving Feedback

Professor Arne Güllich on Developing Talent, Learning & the Paradox of Competitive Sport

Kimberley Carducci on Athlete Identity, Depression & Navigating Sport Retirement