In what will be the last podcast episode of the year, we connected with our good buddy and one of our closest clients, Scott Caulfield from Norwich University to chat all thing Strength & Conditioning. 

Scott Caulfield is the current Director of Strength & Conditioning at Norwich University, Vermont.  Scott Caulfield was hired as the first Director of Strength and Conditioning in university history on June 18, 2021. 

Caulfield is one of the most well-known collegiate strength and conditioning coaches in the industry. He spent 11 years at the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a coaching education manager and head strength and conditioning coach.

Prior to Scott's current role at Norwich he spent 2 years with Colorado College, Colorado. 

Scott has been involved in fitness and athletics for more than two decades. He utilized those 20+ years of "under the bar" lifting and coaching experience in a variety of different roles in support of the NSCA's mission as the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning.

Prior to joining the NSCA, he served as an assistant strength & conditioning coach at Dartmouth College from 2008-11, working primarily with the football, men's & women's swimming, and rugby teams. During that time, he also served as the director of sports performance at the River Valley Club, one of the most successful training facilities in New England, and served as the NSCA's Vermont State Director.

It's fair to say this man is a master of his craft and deeply admired and respected in the industry. This episode took a great dive into not only Scott's journey, more the growth of what it means to be an S&C coach in today's industry.  

Scott regularly shares his own mantra towards coaching; "To educate, motivate and inspire today’s strength and conditioning coaches, helping to expand their mindset by encouraging them to think bigger." This was evident in this conversation, with plenty of wisdom shared along with key insights for up and coming practitioners. 

Key learnings and takeaways from this podcast: 

• How to build a strong network
• Why public speaking and external workshops are important for personal and professional growth
• How the NSCA aims to bridge the gap between science and practice
• The importance of building strong student relationships
• Focusing on the mental preparation of athletes just as much as their physical

Thanks again to Scott for his time, to our listeners, guests and sponsors for their ongoing support this year. We look forward to being back bigger and better in 2023.  

To learn more about Lumin Sports, head to luminsports.com 

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports

Eric McMahon is a leading strength and conditioning coach with more than 15 years experience. He has worked with some of America's leading sporting organisations including the Texas Rangers Baseball Club (11 yrs as S&C), Milwaukee Brewers (3 yrs) and the Italian MLB International academy - Athlete development program (1 yr). 

In his chat with the High Performance Podcast, Eric, who is the current National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager in the US talks about:

- Maximising the relationship between athletic trainers and S&C coaches

- The importance of supporting the mental health of athletes, particularly in the college  setting

- The NSCA's Certified Performance & Sport Science (CPSS) accreditation

- The upcoming conference season including coaching, tactical and personal training

-The NSCA Coaching Podcast and TV Channel

In a super insightful episode, Eric shares his passion for implementing more balance for athletes and explains why this is so vital for new up and coming coaches in the industry. 

It's a must listen for any aspiration S&C coach!

To learn more about the NSCA, head to NSCA.com or follow them at @nscaofficial

 The NSCA - founded in 1978, is an organisation dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning profession around the world. Based in Colorado Springs, the NSCA has over 45,000 members globally that offer industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, and continuous education opportunities.

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports

The lads from the galaxy! Head of Sports Science Tom Williams and Assistant Coach/Director of Video Analysis Sam Green join the podcast to speak all things MLS and bring us into the inner sanctum of the LA Galaxy. We spoke with the gents about halfway through the MLS season to chat through their roles, day to day responsibilities and some of their key learnings.  

Both of these gents have had a wealth of experience within, not only the MLS but the wider sports science and high performance industry. It was great to chat to Tom and Sam about their day to day responsibilities , technology advances along with pain points and topics of interest within the current sports science climate. 

Other chats in this episode included: 

• Tom's experience in Maple Leaf Sports and the ability to learn from a range of sporting codes to implement a great understanding of sports science practice. 
• The rise and success of Leicester City under Tom's guidance.
• The implementation of video analysis tools and how they are used in high performance analysis.
• In game vs pre and post game communication through the use of video analysis and how this has influenced performance capabilities 
 • Plus much more!

Thanks again to Tom and Sam for their time, we look forward continuing to follow their journey and wish LA Galaxy all the best for the remainder of the MLS season. 

To learn more about Tom, Sam or the LA Galaxy, head to:

Tom Williams:
Twitter - @williams26tom  
LinkedIn - tom-williams-4878ba33

Sam Green: 
Twitter - SamGreen_
LinkedIn -  sam-green-2b30846a

LA Galaxy: 
lagalaxy.com
@lagalaxy 

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports

Alex Calder is the Head of Sports Science at the Houston Dynamo, having spent over 12 years in the United States working within both collegiate and professional sporting teams, Alex has built a wealth of knowledge in a range of different sports and high performance environments. We spoke in depth with Alex about the influx of Australian presence in sports science and high performance roles in the United States, and why Australians have built such a strong reputation in the industry.

Alex is a true hustler and we respect the passion and  that he delivers to his craft. He spoke with us on why he prides himself on the simple philosophy, 'work hard to achieve results' and the ability to network and throw yourself into new situations will give you the best results in a professional sports science career.

We thank Alex for generous time on this episode and look forward to supporting the dynamo in their championship pursuits for the 22' season.

Learn more about Alex and the Dynamo:

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/alex-calder
Twitter: twitter.com/calder_05
www.houstondynamofc.com/

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports

Taylah Jack is a driven and dedicated Strength & Conditioning coach looking to make a real impact on the world stage. Having spent time in the US with some of the best colleges in the country, particularly highlighting time spent at the University of Louisville where Taylah assisted Performance Staff in developing and implementing strength, conditioning, speed, agility and testing sessions for Olympic Sports such as Basketball, Baseball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Rowing, Tennis. 

Taylah, now in her current roles leads as the SASI Strength & Conditioning Coach, High Performance Manager Norwood Football Club and the  Head Strength & Conditioning coach at Cycling South Australia, a jam packed schedule to say the least.  

Taylah studied her Bachelor of Human Movement at the University of South Australia before completing her Masters of High Performance Sport & Exercise Science at ACU, like many of our previous sports science and high performance manager guests. 

Ben and Jack spoke through some key points and learning from Taylah's career thus far, including: 

• Balancing 3 roles and having to shift focus between sports and athletes

• Being a female in a male dominated industry along with working closely with male dominated teams and staff

• Sports science research is male dominant, finding the need to do more research at elite level with females and the difference this could make to performance outcomes. 

• How her experience in the US College system shaped Taylah's coaching philosophies, along with the differences between their system compared to a pro level in Australia? 

• Tips and advice for women in the industry already or young females wanting to get into the industry.

We love Taylah's approach to her craft, in particular her passion for advancing beyond the parameters of the current sports science industry. We particularly admire her authenticity and transparency being a female in a male dominated industry, swiping away the notion that it has significant influence on how she operates, it simply “comes down to the delivery and you must never demand respect, it must be earned”.

To learn more you can connect with Taylah and Lumin Sports at:

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/taylah-jack 
-
@luminsports
luminsports.com
Spotify: The High Performance Project

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports

Steve Mckenna is a multiple time pro half IronMan distance champion working his way through the world ranks and mixing it with the best in professional triathlon. The Australian native known as the 'Lizard Triathlete' had an interesting entry to the triathlon world, playing Australian Rules football as a youngster he converted to triathlon after finding a passion for cycling whilst recovering from a serious leg injury. 

Steve is a multiple time South Australian triathlete of the year and multiple time University of South Australia athlete of the year. Steve has also studied both Law & Marketing degrees along with become a new father, so it's fair to say it's a busy life for Steve all while juggling the stress and training schedule of a professional athlete. 

Steve's approach on life is a refreshing one, although he lives and breathes the cut throat nature of pro triathlon he also loves to not take things to seriously, his approach with his personal brand makes it very relatable to be apart of his journey, as Ben & Jack label him a new 'Lionel Sanders or Sam Long', however we discuss the importance of aligning yourself and developing good relationships with partners and sponsors. 

Some other key highlights of this episode: 

- The power of nutrition in pro triathlon
- Training and mindset philosophies 
- Why personal research for marginal gains is important
- His athlete pathway and learning of the early days
- Current race schedule and future plans 
- A special mention to sponsors and partnered athletes

This was a really enjoyable episode with Steve as we chat through everything exciting coming up for him as the world opens up and the Triathlon calendar starts to hit its straps. 

To learn more about Steve, follow: 

@stevemckenna_
@smendurance
www.stevemckenna.net/

Like, Subscribe and review the Lumin Sports Podcast on your favourite podcast player, learn more at luminsports.com 

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports

Max Lankheit is the current Director of High Performance  at the San Jose Earthquakes. Max's experience in the high performance sport world spans many countries over many years but sports and sports science wasn't always the goal for Max. In his more youthful years, Max studied acting where he discovered his creative flare and self labeled egotistical attitude that was quickly put back into place from his teachers and mentors. Although this may seem unrelated Max's experience with finding his identity and managing a healthy level of ego is what drove him towards sports science and high performance sports. With no major sporting/athletic experience of his own Max acknowledges that any good high performance manager of director in sports sciences needs to have a healthy level of ego, in an effort to build authority and ultimately a level of trust. 

It's fair to say that this conversation with Max was not a usual chat on the podcast. We take an in depth journey into Max's perspectives, philosophies and beliefs around high performance sports. We chat through why it is important to understand athletes as people first and elite competitors second along with how to seek understanding so that you can cater for people's needs before executing on the process. 

Max quotes 'People, Process, Performance' as his pillars for success and speaks to why these are so pivotal from his experience in the industry. 

Without a doubt one of the most in depth episodes we have recorded with so many valuable insights and takeaways for listeners of all types, we hope you enjoy. 

To learn more about Max and stay up to date with all things Lumin Sports, subscribe at: 

Linked In: linkedin.com/in/maximilian-lankheit/
Instagram: @maxlstrength
Twitter: @MaXLStrength

@luminsports 
www.luminsports.com

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports

Adam Centofanti is the Head of Fitness at the Seattle Sounders FC which is one of the biggest MLS clubs in the North American League. Adam has been in the sports science circle for some years now and his story epitomises the 'sports science hustler' working and volunteering in many roles before landing in the US and working in the MLS. 

Adam spent over 5 years with the Melbourne City franchise formerly Melbourne Heart and was apart of the 3 championship victories during that time also. Adam chats to us about some of the success he achieved as the strength and conditioning coach at the club during that time and his thoughts on what made the franchise such a powerhouse over those years. 

A unique part of Adam's story was the fact he played football (soccer) at a high level for many years which he believes allowed him to have some advantage moving into the coaching space. 

Adam has now be in the US for a few years, before Seattle working with Houston Dynamo apart of the high performance department with fellow Australian Alex Calder. 

This podcast gives a good understanding of Adams career progression with some good pointers for any up and coming sports science student or enthusiast.  

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports

Skylar Richards is the current Director of physiology and science at Orlando City SC. Skylar has a wealth of experience within some of North America's most recognisable sports organisations in particular within the MLS.

Skylar started his career with a primary focus on injury prevention through scalable detection and recovery strategies for athletes. These strategies focus on increased training availability and physiologic monitoring which has been a strong focus for Skylar throughout his career and industry experience.

As a strong advocate for truly understanding the needs for athletes to succeed, Skylar speaks on his belief that the industry seems to far to often confuse the definitions of a data analysis and data scientists. The importance is placed on being able to resources your high performance department with the right people to nurture a successful team or even better athletes.

Skylar's work focuses heavily on the recovery and prevention techniques for elite soccer in the United States, and in 2015 founded a partnership between national clubs to open the first US professional soccer recovery lab highlighting the prevalence of soft tissue injuries and immobilization, nutrition and anti-inflammatory modalities within the MLS and beyond.

Skylar brings a huge amount of knowledge to this podcast and the Lumin Sports team appreciate the time, sharing his experiences and knowledge.

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports

 Join us for Season 3 of The High Performance Project powered by Lumin Sports. On this first episode we chat with ultra athlete and adventure seeker Tim Franklin. After successfully running a marathon in his own home, climbing Everest without even leaving his apartment building, Tim has now set his sights on completing his most grueling challenge to date. #timrunstheworld was a initiative set up by Tim and his team to smash the around the world running record. This journey will see Tim run 26,232kms across 22 countries and five continents in less than 430 days.

During our chat with Tim we understand what got him into endurance events and ultra challenges and quickly learnt it had a far deeper meaning. Tim is happy to admit that he was no angel child and went through some dark times because of his lifestyle and habits, Tim recognised he had to make a change and says 'Moving saved his life".

Tim hopes that through him sharing his journey and crazy challenges he can encourage people to get moving and be confident in their own journey and remove any limiting beliefs they have.

We thanks Tim for his time and wish him a safe journey in his around the global challenge. to learn more head to

@timmyrfranklin on instagram

The High Performance Project is powered by Lumin Sports. Lumin Sports empowers data-driven decision makers by visualising complex data that gives leaders the information they need to elevate athlete performance wellbeing. Trusted by elite sport organisations, armed forces and colleges – Arc is an affordable and customisable solution that connects teams in one central software hub.

To learn more head to luminsports.com or follow at @luminsports