In today's episode, Julian welcomes on Owner/Founder and Head Coach of the NYC Hoop School, Evan Sirakis.

Evan has an interesting story, in that he is currently still a student-athlete for St. Joseph's University in New York as well as the owner/founder and head coach of the NYC Hoop School in New York City. 

Hear are some things you should expect to hear:

• Evan's story/background.
• Starting the NYC Hoop School and some effective ways to build different revenue streams to take your business to the next level.
• Developing a social media growth strategy and how to build your brand.
• The biggest issue in the game of basketball today.
• How to develop a player from scratch.
• In-Season vs. Off-Season Training
• How to deal with "helicopter" parents.
• Keys for developing a more confident hooper.

MUCH MUCH MORE!

For more information check out Evan on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evansirakis/

NYC Hoop School: https://www.instagram.com/nychoopschool/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nychoopschool

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/
 

Welcome to Season 2 of the High Performance Hoops Podcast!

In this episode, Julian welcomes on the Director of Sports Performance at ROKKE Performance Therapy, Nate Graham. 

Graham brings a ton of experience in the field working as a former performance coach at EXOS and basketball performance coach for Warner Pacific University (his alma mater). 

Here's what you should expect to hear:

• Embracing the "boring" stuff in training
• Social media's impact on youth athletes and training
• Programming hopping and chasing the next shiny toy
• Getting 3D in our training approach 
• Relative & Reactive Strength, What are they, and why should they be something you think about in your training..

You won't want to miss out on this action packed conversation!

For more information check out Nate on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instagraham0/

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/
 

In this episode, Julian welcomes on Lead Sports Performance Specialist at P3 Applied Sports Science, Jon Flake. 

These guys are at the forefront of sports science, utilizing a data-driven approach to understanding athlete movement and development for performance optimization.  P3 is the first performance facility to utilize advanced sports science technologies to assess and train professional athletes, working with some of the best in the NBA, MLB, MLS, and Olympic World Sports. 

Jon has been with P3 since 2015. As the lead performance specialist at P3 Santa Barbara, Jon oversees all aspects of athlete development and directs the performance team.  Jon has been working in the strength and conditioning field since 2010. He has experience at both the NCAA Division II and NCAA Division I levels working with athletes across a variety of sports including basketball, soccer, swimming, volleyball, rugby, lacrosse and track and field.

In this episode you'll hear more on:

• Jon's background and story on how a film studies major ended up in strength and conditioning
• Why we assess jumps and what it can tell us about our programming decisions
• NBA combine draft prep, what goes into that process, and what has changed for the better in the combine testing process
• The most important metric gathered for the sport of basketball
• How movement strategies impact testing
• Working with guys like Luka Doncic and how they measure deceleration
• The difference between Anthony Edwards and Zion Williamson
• Our thoughts on Victor Wembenyama and what we'd do in his training
• Youth sports and the injury epidemic
• Lateral countermovement jump, what the research is saying, and how reliable is it in making better basketball players
• What the future of jump testing might look like

MUCH MUCH MORE!

You won't want to miss out on this action packed conversation!

For more information check out Josh on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p3sportscience/?hl=en

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/jonflake88

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/
 

In this episode, Julian welcomes on strength and conditioning coach and owner/founder of Performance Hoops, Josh Washington.

Josh has several years of experience in the field interning for a few years at both the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette University. He also interned under industry legend Corey Schlesinger (current Head S&C coach for the Phoenix Suns) at the University of Stanford, which allowed him the opportunity to work with fellow industry legend Dr. Ramsey Nijem (former NBA S&C coach-Sacramento Kings) now an NCAA champion S&C strength coach at the University of Kansas. Lastly, before ultimately switching over to the private sector, he was a GA at the University of Auburn and the Men's Basketball S&C coach at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. 

Here's what you should expect to hear:

• His story as a former college basketball player and sports management major and how he became a strength coach.
• How he went from working part time at Golds Gym to interning at UW-Milwaukee.
• Moving to Cali with barely any money and how working with industry legend Corey Schlesinger changed the trajectory of his career.
• The difference between working in a college setting versus the NBA.
• Stories of working with NBA veteran Vince Carter and young stars like De'Aaron Fox.
• The importance of networking and tips for young coaches to build genuinely strong relationships within the field. 
• Toeing the line between being a "drill sergeant" and "best friend" in the weight room.

MUCH MORE!!

For more information check out Josh on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/performance.hoops/?hl=en

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/
 

In this episode, Julian welcomes on player development coach and owner/founder of TJL Training, Tyler Leclerc. 

Tyler has a unique story in that he got an early jump start to his career, training his fellow team mates and himself during his senior year to help improve their overall development. It was apparent going into this freshman year of college that playing was no longer a desire of his. Training and helping others hone in on their own development became his sole focus, so much so that he dropped out of school, started his business, and eventually opened up his first facility all at the age of 21 in the height of the pandemic.

Things you'll hear about in this episode:

• Tyler's story
• How he was able to open up a training facility at the age of 21.
• What the total cost of opening up a facility REALLY is.
• Social media and specifically, how to go about building your own brand.
• Gamifying your skill work, and how a games-based/constraints-based approach can really lead to a better long term approach to player development.
• How practicing moves "on air" isn't the best way to become a better decision maker in-game.
• The importance of film breakdown in the training process.
• The idea of perception + action and the role that plays in player development.
•  What athletes can do to improve their training if they don't have a partner.

For more information check out Tyler on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tjltraining/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tjltraining?lang=en

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tjltraining

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/

In this episode, Julian welcomes on current college basketball player and owner/founder of The Village Performance, Marc Rodriguez.

Specifically, we dive into detail on Marc's current playing career, where his slogan "1% Better Daily" really comes from, how the COVID year presented an opportunity to start his own training business, and best of all, how he creates buy-in at all levels as a player/coach.

For more information check out Marc on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevillage__performance/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevillage____

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/

In this episode, Julian welcomes on former Division 1 basketball player for Robert Morris University, player development coach, and owner/operator of Clockwork Athletics, Anthony Pugh.

Specifically, we go in to detail on Anthony's journey, how he made Robert Morris' roster as a 5'6" guard, going from player to business owner, playing the "long game" with your development, our opinion on letting kids "screw up" in training, and the importance of film study for your game.

For more information check out Anthony on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anthony_Pugh2?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/

In this episode, Julian welcomes on owner/operator and head coach of Challenger Strength, Gerry DeFilippo.

Gerry DeFilippo serves as head trainer and owns and operates Challenger Strength while also leading Challenger's training of various organizations such as the Jersey Hitmen, Gamers Baseball Academy and colleges like NJCU and Caldwell University. He orchestrates the programming and training for eight different Hitmen teams, which range all the way up to the Elite and Premier Junior's Level Programs. Since 2016, Gerry has been a part of four Hitmen Founders Cup Regular Season Championship teams in the USPHL NCDC (Tier 2 Junior Hockey) and two Dineen Cup Championships.

Since founding Challenger Strength in 2016, Gerry has worked with over 100 college, college bound and professional athletes across multiple sports.  He has served as a special advisor to New York Yankee's player development and consulted for multiple college and professional coaches and organizations. In addition, he has had numerous articles published on EliteFTS, Muscles and Strength and Elite Baseball Performance and has spoken at various conference such as "Catcher-con," the Baseball Performance Summit and the NSCA New Jersey Strength and Conditioning Conference. He specializes in getting athletes bigger, stronger and faster with a blend of strength and speed training.

This episode gets into the details of building speed, specifically the utilization of sleds in speed development, and details key areas of how to determine appropriate loads for sled sprints, how to effectively implement them for speed development with younger athletes, common mistakes seen when using them, and some alternatives for those that may not have one at their disposal.

For more information check out Gerry  on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/challengerstrength/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Challenger_ST

OnlyStrength Membership: https://onlystrength.uscreen.io/?_ga=2.253855304.176956583.1666737675-793222946.1666737675

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/

In this weeks episode, Julian rants about his beef with "speed ladders" and why they are not getting you any faster.

Here are some things you will here:

• The REAL reason why Julian doesn't use "speed ladders" to improve speed with his athletes.
• Do "speed ladders" actually have a place in training?
• My opinion on Paul Fabritz's idea of "Positional Delay."
• What I would do to replace "speed ladders" and actual ways to improve speed and in-game agility.

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/

In this episode, Julian discusses the importance and purpose of the intake process, specifically, the process that helps us design a program geared towards helping the athlete improve in his/her given sport. 

Further, Julian will provide you with a detailed look at how he goes about determining what an athlete may need most in his/her training.

Here are some things you will hear about:

• The Intake Process: What is it? Why is it so important?
• What are some key questions you should be asking your athletes during your first interactions?
• The importance of actually watching the game/sport your athlete plays.
• How training age and weight room experience can impact immediate training considerations.
• Key performance indicators and how they can be used appropriately to steer programming decisions.

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/