The Sound of the Barbell

Episode 11 - Josh Dragone 20/7/2020

In Episode 11 my guest is fellow South Walian Josh Dragone. Josh has had experience at tier 1 football academies in the UK along with teams in the Welsh Premier League, national skiiing programs and now is helping to develop the next generation of tennis players in South Wales. We talk about his experiences across a range of sports and the similarities and differences when it comes to coaching athletes in these sports.  Some topics we discuss include the importance of injury prevention, coaching youth athletes, early specialisation and then we focus a little more on tennis and the techniques he uses to get the most out of his athletes. Josh is developing a game speed model for tennis too so we discuss his ideas for that and how he feels it will help improve the standard of coaching for tennis and how it can also cross over into other sports too.

Episode 10 - Mike Bender 7/7/2020

In Episode 10 I speak to professional lacrosse player Mike Bender who recently signed with the Conneticut Hammerheads in the newly formed MLL (Major League Lacrosse) League. Mike was a member of the Maryland Lacrosse program, finishing as Division 1 runners-up in 2015 where they lost to a strong Denver University in the final, having beaten their biggest rivals Johns Hopkins 12-11 in a closely fought semi-final 2 days prior. We talk about the preparation for NCAA D1 sports and how they focused on recovery for such a quick turn around to be ready for the most important game of their season. We talk about his coaching experience from running his own program to coaching with the Hong Kong national team programs along with how his experience of S&C across his career.  We also talk about mental and physical preparation for high level competition and how he has been preparing for his venture into professional lacrosse. A great guest and a great listen!

Episode 9 - Tom Mourikis 30/6/2020

In this episode I speak to an S&C coach with a background in Physical Education across a number of different countries including China, Peru and Greece. We first met at the Asia Pacific Physical Education Conference in 2017 where I was presenting on children using the weight room. We talk about how he got in to S&C coaching and especially his recent work with youth athletes.  We discuss how he has managed to keep his young athletes engaged during COVID, using zoom and how he's managed with starting a new business during these difficult times. Learn about his role as a PE teacher and the limitations he encountered and how he's turned those limitations into a passion to create something unique in his hometown back in Greece plus his plans for the future. A good listen and some great ideas shared in this episode.

Episode 8 - Jon Redding 23/6/2020

In this episode I speak to Jon Redding, Director of Sport and Extra Curricular Activities and Physical Education teacher at South Island School in Hong Kong which is part of the English Schools Foundation (ESF). We chat about the disruption of the education system in Hong Kong by COVID19, with reference to Physical Education lessons in particular. We discuss how PE deptartments have adapted and been innovative, especially when it comes to the practical aspect of PE that might not be as important in other subjects. We talk about the long term athletic development approach in schools and if schools are doing best for students when it comes to participation in team sports. Learn about the exposure to resistance training in schools and how this varies between schools and even within schools themselves based on the teacher experience, the facilities and even the culture in the local community. Another great guest and some awesome insights into the education system in Hong Kong when it comes to Physical Education.

Episode 7 - Craig Wilson 16/6/2020

In this episode I speak to someone I had the pleasure of working alongside in 2013-2014 as part of the coaching staff for Hong Kong U20 men's rugby World Junior Trophy squad; Craig Wilson. We talk about his journey, how he got involved in rugby in the UK and how he ended up in Asia coaching rugby. We talk about coach education, what he feels are some important takeaways for players and his experience of coaching in Asia and North America, discussing the similarities and differences. We also discuss his new project 'The Contact Coach' which can be found at  https://www.thecontactcoach.com/ [https://www.thecontactcoach.com/] and how he's looking to help develop coaches and players alike in his new roles with Yale and USA Rugby. Another great chat with an old friend and someone who's doing great things in their sport.