Athletic Skills Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

🚨 Coaches, you’re scouting young athletes all wrong – and it’s costing them AND you. Most coaches think talent ID is about watching the best player on the ball. Wrong. The real indicators of elite potential happen OFF the ball—movement, physicality, and mindset. Miss this, and you’ll overlook future athletes. In this episode, Harry Varley, an expert in Talent ID and youth athletic development, exposes the biggest mistakes coaches make when identifying talent—and how to fix them. If you coach, scout, or train young athletes, this episode is a must-watch. 🔥 In This Episode, You’ll Learn: ✅ The #1 mistake coaches make when scouting young athletes. ✅ Why on-ball skills don’t predict long-term success (and what does). ✅ How to spot elite potential in ways most coaches miss with some simple tips! ✅ Why “growth spurts” can influence a coaches judgement on a player. ✅ How poor physical development ruins talent and how mindset can set players apart. 📢 Coaches, don’t get left behind. Find Harry on LinkedIn Check out more of Harry's work here with FIFA 💬 Drop a comment: What’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen in Talent ID? Let’s discuss. 🚀 Subscribe for more insights on coaching, S&C, and athlete development. #TalentID #Coaching #AthleteDevelopment #Scouting #YouthAthletes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🚨 Growth spurts are sidelining young athletes—and most coaches have no idea why. Are you making the same mistakes? 🚨 Young athletes aren’t adults, and they can’t be trained like adults. Yet, many coaches apply the same training methods to growing bodies, leading to injuries, poor movement, and burnout before athletes ever reach their full potential. Coaches focus on technique, fitness, and skill development, but ignoring how the body changes during growth can make long standing problems. Back pain, movement issues, and overuse injuries are skyrocketing in youth sports because coaches are training young athletes like mini-adults instead of adapting to their rapid growth and maturation phases. In this episode, I sit down with Angela Jackson, who is an youth athlete physio and an expert in youth athletic development, to expose why so many young athletes are breaking down—and what coaches MUST do to prevent it. 💡 In this episode, you’ll learn: ✅ Why growth spurts increase injury risk—and what coaches MUST do about it. ✅ The biggest mistakes coaches make when managing young athletes. ✅ How ignoring maturation leads to long-term movement dysfunction & injury. ✅ How to adjust training without holding athletes back. ✅ The red flags every coach should recognise before it’s too late. 🔥 Ignoring growth & maturation isn’t just a mistake—it’s a career-ending risk. When coaches don’t adapt training, young athletes suffer from chronic pain, long-term movement issues, and even early burnout from sport. This episode will teach you how to stop that. 📩 Connect with Angela Jackson on LinkedIn  📚 Check out Kids Back 2 Sport where Angela shares tonnes of insights and resources designed for any Sports Coach  Want to learn more about injuries and how you can manage them as Sports Coach/PE teacher, check this out! Work in Cricket? Angela has some great resources for coaches to learn about how they can safely manage injuries! 👉 If this episode gave you valuable insights: ✅ Like the episode to help more coaches & practitioners find this content. 💬 "Have you ever coached an athlete struggling with back pain or movement issues after a growth spurt? What did you do? Drop your thoughts in the comments!" 📢 Share this with a sports coach, PE teacher, or S&C professional who needs to hear this. 📩 Subscribe for more expert insights on athlete development, coaching, and sports science. #AthleteDevelopment #YouthAthletes #StrengthAndConditioning #Coaching #InjuryPrevention #GrowthAndMaturation #SportsScience #PhysicalEducation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How sending one email opened a door and set up my career For Isaac Hopkins, an experienced Strength and Conditioning coach, it started with one bold move—a single email that opened doors to shadowing elite coaches and kickstarted his journey. Today, Isaac is shaping the future of England Touch, preparing athletes for the intense demands of this fast-paced, high-intensity game. From agility to deceleration, he’s redefining performance strategies for a sport that’s growing exponentially. Isaac also works in numerous other areas including schools as well doing is own pHd research. In this episode, you’ll learn: * 🤝 How to network effectively and find mentorship opportunities. * 🏉 Why coaching across sports makes you a better practitioner. * 📊 The essentials of athlete monitoring—what works and what doesn’t. * 🚀 The rise of Touch Rugby and its unique physical demands. * 🧠 How to reflect on mistakes and grow as a coach. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your approach, this episode offers a goldmine of insights for students, coaches, and athletes alike. Key Takeaways 📌 0:00 – The Email That Changed Isaac’s Career Path Forever 📌 3:00 – Why Asking the Right Questions Builds Stronger Connections 📌 7:30 – Adapting Your Coaching Style Across Different Sports 📌 15:00 – What Makes S&C Coaching in Schools So Unique 📌 21:00 – Athlete Monitoring: Simplify, Don’t Overcomplicate 📌 28:00 – Touch Rugby: Preparing Athletes for a Demanding Game 📌 36:00 – Balancing Research and Coaching: Isaac’s PhD Journey 📌 42:00 – What’s Next? Isaac’s Plans to Elevate Touch Rugby Worldwide Links & Resources * Follow Isaac Hopkins on LinkedIn * Check Out Train Touch on Instagram * Upcoming Events: England Touch High-Performance Conference *Subscribe for more inspiring stories and actionable advice. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to my free newsletter: Be and Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes for twice a week content designed to help you reach your version of "Elite". Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is brought to you by Brendan Chaplin Business Coaching.  Brendan guides coaches and service based entrepreneurs to deliver their best work, build a 7 figure lifestyle and performance business and create a life of freedom.  To get in touch with Brendan, DM him the word COACH and he will start the conversation on any of the platforms below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Profile⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Breaking into professional sports as a coach or practitioner can feel like an uphill battle. 🏆 In this episode of the Athletic Skills Podcast, Jonty Norris, S&C coach at British Triathlon and Head S&C at Sunderland FC, shares his secrets to landing roles in elite sport and thriving across football, cricket, rugby, and triathlon. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to elevate your career in pro sport, this conversation is packed with advice, real-world strategies, and actionable tips. 🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: * How to transition from grassroots coaching to professional sports * The power of volunteering, internships, and shadowing in building experience * How to stand out when applying for competitive S&C roles * Jonty’s advice on balancing subjective and objective athlete monitoring * Why coaching in multi-sport environments is key to development * Simple tips for grassroots coaches to monitor athletes with limited resources * Lessons on resilience, career growth, and navigating fear and doubt 💬 Join the Conversation: What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced getting into pro sport? Share your experience or ask your questions in the comments—we’d love to feature them in future episodes! 📲 Connect with Jonty Norris: * Twitter: @JontyNorris * LinkedIn Jonty Norris 🔔 Subscribe for More! Found this episode helpful? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon for more interviews with elite coaches and sports practitioners. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to my free newsletter: Be and Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes for twice a week content designed to help you reach your version of "Elite". Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is brought to you by Brendan Chaplin Business Coaching.  Brendan guides coaches and service based entrepreneurs to deliver their best work, build a 7 figure lifestyle and performance business and create a life of freedom.  To get in touch with Brendan, DM him the word COACH and he will start the conversation on any of the platforms below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Profile⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Athletic Skills Podcast, we speak with Andrew Langford, Director of the iUSCA. Andrew shares his perspective on the journey from student to strength and conditioning (S&C) coach, discussing how universities can support aspiring coaches through both education and practical experience. He highlights what defines a high-quality degree program, the importance of hands-on experience, and the key qualities that help students and young coaches stand out in the competitive sports industry. For any young practitioner aspiring to enter high-performance sport, this episode is a must-listen, packed with valuable advice from someone with insider knowledge who has walked the same path. Feel free to get in touch with Andrew and see more about the iUSCA for lots more resources www.iusca.org To continue the discussion and chat about any of the points mentioned on the podcast, come and join the Athletic Skills Free Community to be part of a group with fellow sports coaches and PE teachers and ask questions, share ideas and challenges and learn together on impacting movement and physical development in your youth athletes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to my free newsletter: Be and Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes for twice a week content designed to help you reach your version of "Elite". Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is brought to you by Brendan Chaplin Business Coaching.  Brendan guides coaches and service based entrepreneurs to deliver their best work, build a 7 figure lifestyle and performance business and create a life of freedom.  To get in touch with Brendan, DM him the word COACH and he will start the conversation on any of the platforms below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Profile⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Athletic Skills Podcast, we speak with Blaine Clancy, Physical Performance Coach. Blaine Clancy brings extensive experience coaching various sports and working with diverse populations. He delves into Youth Athletic Development, exploring how his philosophy has evolved over time. We discuss an intriguing question: when coaching fundamental movements, is there such a thing as being "sport-specific"? It’s a fascinating topic, as coaches often emphasize making their sessions sport-specific. But what about the foundational skills all athletes need? Additionally, we explore the role of a coach as a salesperson—how to secure buy-in from others—and the ways parents can be leveraged to further support athletes. Blaine also shares his thoughts on whether young practitioners should volunteer for free at the start of their journey or focus on finding paid roles. What’s your perspective? Should every opportunity have monetary value, or can coaches gain other meaningful benefits from unpaid experiences? Feel free to get in touch with Blaine and see more about the his work: Instagram: bc_performance ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to my free newsletter: Be and Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes with weekly content designed to help you reach your version of "Elite". Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is brought to you by Brendan Chaplin Business Coaching.  Brendan guides coaches and service based entrepreneurs to deliver their best work, build a 7 figure lifestyle and performance business and create a life of freedom.  To get in touch with Brendan, DM him the word COACH and he will start the conversation on any of the platforms below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Profile⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Athletic Skills Podcast, we speak with BAM, Finland Women's Sevens coach and is also owner of the Clubhouse Gym. This is a must listen to learn how to coach fundamental movements in a fun, practical way in any environment, especially acceleration, deceleration and change of direction ability! We cover ➡️ Delivering a Warm Up with Fun and Engagement ➡️ The use of games in developing movement ➡️ Why coaches should step back and allow athletes to make mistakes. ➡️ Coaching deceleration and change of direction in isolation and within chaos and how you can still coach within these scenarios. For any sports coach or young practitioner aspiring to make a bigger impact on movement and physical development, this episode is a must-listen, packed with valuable advice and practical in formation to take straight in to your training! Feel free to get in touch with BAM: Instagram: bamrugby Email us for more support on advancing your coaching: info@athleticskills.co.uk Instagram: athleticskillseducation ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to my free newsletter: Be and Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes for twice a week content designed to help you reach your version of "Elite". Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is brought to you by Brendan Chaplin Business Coaching.  Brendan guides coaches and service based entrepreneurs to deliver their best work, build a 7 figure lifestyle and performance business and create a life of freedom.  To get in touch with Brendan, DM him the word COACH and he will start the conversation on any of the platforms below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Profile⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Athletic Skills Podcast, we speak with Emma O'Toole, founder of BUILT TO ENDURE Click the link in the comments to watch the full episode. Emma shares her passion for endurance training and highlights why strength training is essential for endurance athletes. She discusses various methods of endurance training and offers insights into how it can be made fun and engaging for athletes of all levels, while also addressing some common myths surrounding endurance training. Emma also delves into her reasons for advocating strength training as a crucial complement to endurance training and introduces her program, Built to Endure. If you're a coach or practitioner interested in learning more about endurance training, this is a must-listen! Feel free to get in touch with Emma and see more about the Built to Endure for lots more resources: www.builttoendure.pro Emma O'Toole To continue the discussion and chat about any of the points mentioned on the podcast, come and join the Athletic Skills Free Community to be part of a group with fellow sports coaches and PE teachers and ask questions, share ideas and challenges and learn together on impacting movement and physical development in your youth athletes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to my free newsletter: Be and Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes for twice a week content designed to help you reach your version of "Elite". Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is brought to you by Brendan Chaplin Business Coaching.  Brendan guides coaches and service based entrepreneurs to deliver their best work, build a 7 figure lifestyle and performance business and create a life of freedom.  To get in touch with Brendan, DM him the word COACH and he will start the conversation on any of the platforms below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Profile⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Athletic Skills Podcast, we speak with Marnie Wills, Founder and Director of SportyMinis Marnie's passion for the physical development of young children shines through in this engaging podcast. She discusses the gaps she sees in current physical education programs, comparing the approaches in Australia and the UK. The challenges she encountered inspired her to create SportyMinis, a program that focuses on key areas of early childhood physical development and how it differs from other stages of child growth. Marnie highlights the importance of taking a holistic approach to physical education—one that is not only fun and educational but also encompasses all aspects of PE, beyond just sport and skill development. This episode is a must-listen for teachers and sports coaches working with young athletes across age groups! Feel free to get in touch with Marnie and see more about the SportyMinis for lots more resources: Marnie Wills Instagram: sportyminisukTo continue the discussion and chat about any of the points mentioned on the podcast, come and join the Athletic Skills Free Community to be part of a group with fellow sports coaches and PE teachers and ask questions, share ideas and challenges and learn together on impacting movement and physical development in your youth athletes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to my free newsletter: Be and Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes for twice a week content designed to help you reach your version of "Elite". Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is brought to you by Brendan Chaplin Business Coaching.  Brendan guides coaches and service based entrepreneurs to deliver their best work, build a 7 figure lifestyle and performance business and create a life of freedom.  To get in touch with Brendan, DM him the word COACH and he will start the conversation on any of the platforms below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Profile⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Athletic Skills Podcast, we chat to Rob Anderson who is the founder and director of the Athlete Academy. We chat to Rob on all things Youth Athletic Development, Maturation and Growth Spurts and how Rob develops his athletes movement to create the foundations for long term success. You can see straight away Rob's passion for Youth Development and how he is looking to solve many gaps out there and educate others in this area. Check out the Athlete Academy page for lots of resources to use in your coaching! Feel free to get in touch with Rob: Instagram: _theathleteacademy LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Rob Anderson Athlete Academy www.theathleteacademy.uk To continue the discussion and chat about any of the points mentioned on the podcast, come and join the Athletic Skills Free Community to be part of a group with fellow sports coaches and PE teachers and ask questions, share ideas and challenges and learn together on impacting movement and physical development in your youth athletes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to my free newsletter: Be and Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes for twice a week content designed to help you reach your version of "Elite". Click here to join!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is brought to you by Brendan Chaplin Business Coaching.  Brendan guides coaches and service based entrepreneurs to deliver their best work, build a 7 figure lifestyle and performance business and create a life of freedom.  To get in touch with Brendan, DM him the word COACH and he will start the conversation on any of the platforms below: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Profile⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices