Andy Kirkland is a Lecturer in Sports Coaching in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport at the University of Stirling in Scotland. He leads the MSc. in Performance Coaching at the university as well as being a Chartered Scientist and a BASES Accredited Sport & Exercise Scientist (support & pedagogy).Andy has worked as a sport physiologist, a coach developer at British Cycling and support others in developing performance environments. He is also a practicing high performance triathlon coach. This conversation was stimulated by an article that Andy wrote that created some challenges for the coaching industry in the UK. We explore some of his ideas and I share some perspectives from my role leading coaching system transformation at Sport England (this is a bit of a departure for me as I usually keep the podcast quite separate from my day job but in the this case I felt that the discussion warranted publication here. You can read the article here. https://spark.adobe.com/page/p8LN8wGMqTC6V/Hope you enjoyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

"The Coaching Emperor is Wearing No Clothes" - a conversation with Andy Kirkland

The Talent Equation podcast is an 'exploration in human advancement'... mostly (but not exclusively) through the lens of sport and physical activity. Each episode is an 'emergent conversation' with practitioners, parents, researchers, authors (or some combination of all three) taking a deep dive into the ways that people can help others to enhance their developmental journey in whatever field they are committed to. These conversations are not mainstream - you will not hear ideas that are provided on standard education courses - they often fly in the face of convention - they will sometimes be controversial and provocative - the show is about doing things differently and doing different things. The people who come on the show are innovators - they are trying to break new ground or swim against the tide of what they see as a broken culture or an ineffective system - what they say will prompt new thinking or new ideas. All that is asked of the listener is to embrace the conversation with an open mind.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Sports

This episode features guest Kevin Mulcahy from Cork, Ireland, who is an S&C; coach with experience coaching Gaelic Football and Hurling. The episode explores... The historical context of these sports and their contemporary changes, including rule standardisation and the impact of lighter balls on game dynamics.Challenges in youth sports development, such as facility access and the influence of successful teams on community participation. How ideas from ecological dynamics are becoming more prevalent across Irish sport and how that is translating to elite success as well as a growth in participation. Kevin shares insights into integrating human movement, strength, and conditioning into Gaelic football coaching and fostering leadership within teams.We explore design principles for training and practice - how Kevin integrates principles of human movement with principles of team dynamics and principles of invasion sports. We discuss how action capacities differ from action capabilities and also look into 'interaction capacities and capabilities'. Hope you enjoy. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

"Maybe you're not a bluffer actually" - a conversation with Kevin Mulcahy

Reflecting on my conversation with Mike Jagacki and some of the thoughts it threw up!!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Dog Walk Diary - Reflections from my conversation with Mike Jagacki

This episode is another in my new series focussed on having conversations with people I don't 100% agree with. Mike Jagacki joins me to explore the nuances of his basketball coaching philosophy which takes a 'best of both worlds' approach' trying to integrate ecological ideas with concepts from information processing. Key Themes Discussed:Balancing Coaching Styles: the importance of finding the right mix between structured and flexible coaching approaches. We delve into how aligning coaching philosophies within the staff and incorporating various styles can lead to optimal team performance.Influence of Mentors and Philosophy Integration: The episode highlights how mentors have played a crucial role in shaping Mike's coaching beliefs and practices. We explore the significance of building a solid defensive foundation and how integrating different coaching philosophies enhances player capabilities.Player Development Methodologies: Unpacking the balance between isolated skill drills and game-like contextual training, in fostering player growth. The focus is on the necessity of blending foundational skill-building with decision-making and real-game scenarios for effective skill transfer.Dynamic and Adaptive Training: Training methods that are not only dynamic and adaptive but also encourage creativity. These methods aim to refine specific skills while ensuring they fit within a structured sports system.Building Confidence and Teamwork: We examine the role of drills in fostering confidence, teamwork, and a positive player mentality. The episode also covers how pre-practice rituals can instill core values in players.Overcoming Challenges and Instilling Core Values: From desensitizing players to fear and hesitation to the use of specific terminology for smooth transitions from individual skills to team play. I enjoyed the conversation - I hope you do too. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

“I think sometimes you do drills for other reasons than skill development" - a conversation with Mike Jagacki

So this is a bit of a high risk podcast. I’m joined for my reflective time with Flo the dog by my wife Claire to talk about what it’s like to live with me!!  She doesn’t hold back!!  Hope you enjoy  Link to my podcast with Jamie Edwards https://www.spreaker.com/episo...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Dog Walk Diary - with special guest (my wife Claire!)

Adrian Sapp is a basketball coach from Ontario in Canada. He runs a basketball programme called 'Eco Hoops' which states in it's mission statement..."EcoHoops, driven by a mission to transform youth basketball, places the utmost emphasis on nurturing the whole child. Central to our philosophy is the mental and emotional well-being of every young athlete, ensuring a positive, safe, and joy-filled basketball experience." I thought that I need to get Sdrian on to have a chat and explore his story. We delve into the following topics: How Steph Curry is a product of envionemntal constraints.Adrian's challenges to get parents and other coaches to embrace the appoach.How discovering the ecological approach helped him go from being critical and miserable to engaging and joyful.How learning about Growth Mindset from his child's school homework acted as the 'gateway' to an ecological worldview.Link to the Eco Hoops Website Link to the X account I hope you enjoy. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

"The Coaching Emperor is Wearing No Clothes" - a conversation with Andy Kirkland

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