Just Kickin' It Pod

James Smith is the founder of Global Sports Concepts and author of the Governing Dynamics of Coaching. In this episode, we discuss objectivity and subjectivity, the fallacy of experiential authority, and why the level someone works at means nothing in respect to their task-specific knowledge.

Jovan Dabic is the assistant coach of Guangzhou R&F in the Hong Kong Premier League. In this episode, we discuss the theory of football action language. Unfortunately, general non-contextual words are used far too often by coaches in communication with their players. Things like, "Be sharper" or "Lacking confidence" are said by nearly every coach, but what is the consequence of using non-descriptive language in how it is interpreted by the brains of our players? We then offer an alternative form of communicating called action language.

Jovan Dabic is the assistant coach of Guangzhou R&F in the Hong Kong Premier League. In this episode, we discuss the concept of football braining and create a theoretical reference that coaches can use to guide how they coach the brain of their players. This episode puts psychology into football language.

Marcus Walfridson is currently the Head Coach of Linköpings FC in the Swedish Damallsvenskan. He is also a coach educator and blogger that contributes theoretical articles that discuss leadership and coaching methods. In this episode, we discuss leadership in Football from a theoretical standpoint before discussing ways to apply the theory.

Mark Bennett is a former British Commando Instructor that has transformed his nearly 20 years of practice into leadership principles based on the best theory and practice available. Mark currently works as a consultant with various professional sport organizations and school systems to help transform the leadership capabilities of every coach and teacher that he comes in contact with. Put simply, Mark makes people better leaders. In this episode, we discuss the principles and tools that create the bedrock of successful leadership.

Fergus Connolly is the Director of Football at the University of Michigan. Fergus is the only performance coach to work across every major league in every major sport including the English Premier League, Rugby League, National Football League, NCAA Football, Australian Rules Football, and more. Fergus breaks down Complexity Science and what it means for coaches of all sports. Your sport is not as different as you think. Let Fergus explain why.

Perttu Kytohonka is a professional Floorball coach in Finland. Perttu has applied Positional Play and Tactical Periodization principles to his sport and his team. In this episode, we discuss how Perttu applies these concepts at the highest level of sport.

Mick McDermott is a well traveled football coach that has worked in the US College system, USL, the United Arab Emirates Pro League, and the International Level with the Iranian National Team. Over his 20 year career as an assistant coach, he has had the opportunity to work with a variety of managerial types. In this episode, Mick tells stories and provides insights about moments of great management, good management, and managerial mistakes.

Declan Edge, the Technical Director for Olé Football Academy in New Zealand, tells the story of his first youth team in Hamilton, New Zealand. Why is there a story there? That team of a fairly random collection of 11 year old's from a city the size of Green Bay, Wisconsin produced 6 pro players now playing in leagues around the world including the Eredivisie in Holland. How did that happen? Well, that's the story.

Alan Keane, the Head Coach of England U18 Basketball, discusses his application of Athlete-Centered Pedagogy in Elite Athlete environments. Alan provides listeners with the tools that he uses to improve athlete engagement, build culture, and teach decision making that actually transfers to the game.

A conversation about awareness. Awareness of your self, of others, and the emotions and experiences that shape the human performance experience. How can you coach another person, when you don't even know who they are? What drives them? What experiences have shaped them? Life gets infinitely more complicated and then simple when you try to answer those questions for yourself. Seek first to understand and then to be understood. Check out Brett Bartholomew at bartholomewstrength.com

Today we spoke with Tony Strudwick, the Director of Performance at Manchester United. We talk about his role, sports science, and the dilemma between football-only and physiology based models of performance.

Steve Sallis is the former Head of Education and Player Welfare at Millwall Football Club in London, England. Steve previously worked as the Head of Teaching and Learning and assistant Headteacher at Crown Woods College and has over a decade's worth of experience in teaching and pedagogical studies. Today, we discuss what teachers can teach coaches about teaching.

Todd Beane is the son-in law of the legendary Johan Cruijff and founder of TOVO Academy in Barcelona, Spain. Today we talk about how children learn, why coaches refuse to change, and how to make yourself a better coach. We also talk about Todd's presentation he gave for the Inspire Coach Education NextGenCoaches event that occured on July 29th, 2017. For access, click here -> http://inspirecoached.com/

Michael Beale was most recently the Assistant Coach at Sao Paulo FC of the Brasileiro Serie A. Today we talk about his experience at Sao Paulo, the difference between South American players and European players, why he left Sao Paulo, and how to develop your team while still developing each individual.

Today we were joined by former guest Ian Barker, the Director of Coach Education for the NSCAA. In our chat, we talk about the good and bad of coach education. How should delegates participate effectively? What sort of information should they be looking to take home with them? How can they maximize each educational opportunity? Ian will also be presenting at the Next Gen Coaches Virtual Conference, hosted by Inspire Coach Education on July 19th, 2017. Head to this link to sign up to get access to Ian's presentation and 23 other presentations from great coaches and coach educators. - https://www.eventbrite.com/referrals-attendees?internal_ref=login

Frederico Morais is a former student of Vitor Frade, the creator of Tactical Periodization. We conducted this interview for Inspire Coach Education (inspirecoached.com) in preparation for the Next Gen Coaches conference taking place on July 29th, 2017. Frederico will be expanding upon many of the things we discuss in this podcast regarding Tactical Periodization, what it is, how to use it, how to misuse it, and common myths regarding it's implementations.

Dr. Fergus Connolly is heading into his 2nd season as the Director of Performance for Michigan Football. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Connolly spent two seasons as the Director of Elite Performance for the San Franciso 49ers of the NFL. Coach Jim Harbaugh was so impressed with Connolly that he brought him with him to Ann Arbor. Connolly is the only person to ever work at the highest levels of American Football (NFL, NCAA), Football (EPL), Australian Rules Football (AFL), and Professional Rugby (Welsh Rugby Union). He has a Ph.D. in computer integration-based optimization.

Anson Dorrance is the winningest coach in NCAA soccer history. Heading into his 39th year at the helm of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Anson looks to build on his legacy of 22 National Championships. Anson was the Head Coach for the US Women's National Team that won the 1991 World Cup. Since 1981, Anson has produced 33 players that have played in the Olympic Games and 6 of the 23 players on the 2015 US Women's World Cup winning team came from the University of North Carolina.

Clint Peay is the Head Coach of the U.S. U14 Boy’s National Team and Technical Advisor for U.S. Soccer covering the Atlantic region. Clint previously served as the Head Coach of the University of Richmond men’s soccer team before the program was cut in 2012 and as an Assistant Coach for the U.S. U17 Men’s National Team. Clint won 4 National Championships at the University of Virginia under Bruce Arena and 3 MLS Cups with DC United.