What recruitment specialists really look for when hiring performance and medical roles with Dave Clancey
In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob interviews David Clancy, who shares insights into the recruitment landscape within high-performance sports. David discusses his background in sports medicine and physiotherapy, his role at Next Level Group, and the intricacies of building relationships in recruitment. He elaborates on the recruitment process, the importance of understanding client needs, and the significance of ongoing support for placed candidates. The conversation also touches on the evolving expectations around education in the field and how candidates can stand out in a competitive job market.
In this conversation, David Clancy discusses the importance of defining one's unique proposition in career development, the value of accreditations, essential character traits for success in high-pressure environments, the role of references in recruitment, and the evolving landscape of salary expectations in performance roles. Clancy emphasizes the need for professionals to articulate their unique contributions and to be aware of industry standards regarding qualifications and compensation.
Main talking points:
The recruitment landscape in high-performance sports is competitive and relationship-driven.
The recruitment process involves co-creating job specifications with clients.
Post-placement support is important for ensuring candidate success.
Standing out in a competitive job market requires more than just education. Understanding your unique proposition is crucial for career advancement.
Accreditations are essential, especially early in your career.
Professionals should actively seek to understand their market value.
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58:13
Debunking common misconceptions around training and testing the foot and ankle with Romain Tourillon
In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob speaks to Romain Tourillon who discusses the misconceptions around general understanding, testing and training of the foot and ankle sports performance and rehabilitation.
Romain shares insights from his PhD research, emphasizing the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, the significance of holistic evaluation methods, and the need for dynamic training protocols. He highlights that although isometric training has a big place in the training of the foot and ankle, its not the only tool in the toolbox.
He dives into the different testing protocols which target the various different areas of the foot based on its function. Romain goes into detail on soleus, tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior testing, citing his work with the Royal Ballet as an example of how these protocols can improve an organisations testing battery.
Main talking points:
Intrinsic muscles are often overemphasized in training
Extrinsic muscles play a larger role in force production
Dynamic contractions, not just isometrics are necessary for building calf strength
Isometric training alone is insufficient for optimal performance
The foot and ankle are frequently underloaded in training regimens
How to assess the soleus, tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior
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56:30
Training American football quarterbacks in the NFL with Josh Nelson
In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob interviews Josh Nelson, the Director of Performance Science for the Atlanta Falcons. Josh shares his journey from a coaching family to his current role, discussing the key qualities he prioritizes when training quarterbacks. He delves into the differences between in-season and off-season training, the importance of upper body strength, and how he assesses movement quality. The importance of a multifaceted testing regime is highlighted, with reference to implementing training strategies guided by testing data. Josh also talks about managing backup quarterbacks, innovations in training such as blood flow restriction (BFR), and the significance of transferring training to the field.
Quarterbacks should be treated as athletes rather than just specialists.
In-season training focuses on maintaining practice availability and reducing injury risk.
Isometrics play a crucial role in strength training for quarterbacks.
Movement quality assessment is vital for quarterback performance.
Backup quarterbacks need tailored training to prepare for unexpected opportunities.
BFR has been a game changer in training efficiency and recovery.
Creating benchmarks for performance metrics is essential for quarterback development.
Transfer of training to on-field performance is a key focus.
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48:33
Adopting an adaptations-led approach to programming strength and power training with Alex Wolf
In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob speaks to Alex Wolf who delves into the adaptation-led approach to strength training, contrasting it with traditional methods. Alex shares his extensive background in strength conditioning and discusses the importance of defining outcomes before selecting training methods. He emphasizes the need for specificity in training and provides examples of how to effectively target adaptations. The discussion also highlights the challenges and misconceptions surrounding traditional strength training practices, advocating for a shift in perspective towards outcome-driven training methodologies. In this conversation, Alex discusses the importance of shifting from traditional exercise advocacy to an outcome-led approach in strength and conditioning. He emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of physiological principles and the importance of clear objectives in training. The discussion also covers the training intention framework, the balance between technical skills and needs analysis, and the necessity of understanding muscle architecture for effective coaching.
Main talking points:
• Adaptation-led approach focuses on outcomes rather than just exercise
• Specificity in training is crucial for effective performance enhancement
• Understanding the intended outcome is essential before selecting training methods
• Unexplained performance improvements are not sustainable or reliable
• Machine-based training can be more effective than traditional barbell exercises in some scenarios
• Understanding the physiology behind exercise selection is essential
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59:37
Shaping and structuring energy system development during pre-season and in-season with Pete Burridge
In this episode of the Pace Performance Podcast, Rob speaks to Pete Burridge who delves into the complexities of energy system development in rugby, exploring how it intertwines with tactical and technical execution under physical and mental strain. They discuss the importance of energy system development tailored to the game model, the role of testing in performance, and the strategies employed during pre-season conditioning.
Pete shares insights from his experiences at various rugby clubs, emphasizing the need for effective communication between coaches and performance staff to optimize player readiness and performance. In this conversation, Pete discusses various aspects of training methodologies, focusing on progressive overload, heart rate monitoring, and the psychological impacts of training on athletes. He shares insights on the importance of volume in training, the use of heart rate as a performance metric, and the challenges of maintaining athlete engagement.
Additionally, he expresses skepticism about Zone 2 training in team sports and explores innovative ways to gamify training sessions to enhance motivation and performance. The conversation culminates in a discussion about high-intensity training protocols and their necessity for athlete development.
Main talking points:
A high-low training format allows for optimal recovery and intensity management
Energy system development should align with the team's game model and coaching strategies
Off-feet conditioning is crucial for managing player fatigue and ensuring readiness
Gradual integration of new players into conditioning is essential for their adaptation
Volume is a key driver for central adaptations like cardiac output
Training monotony can be mitigated with engaging strategies
Zone 2 training has limited applicability in team sports
Gamifying training can enhance athlete engagement and performance
There are lots of voices in the coaching world. Few are as trusted as the Pacey Performance Podcast. Rob Pacey and his guests share the philosophies, ideas and insights in conversations that are the signal in the noise of the sport performance space.
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