CVASPS The Podcast

On this week’s episode I got to sit down and discuss the preparation process with basketball players with a coach that has been on my “wish list” for guests to have on The Podcast, David Deets. David has had a really awesome voyage that to his position now at Tulsa, and this has helped him formulate a unique philosophy and mindset when it comes to all aspects of preparation. Throughout the 30-minute discussion Coach Deets and I get into: 1) Where the origin of his passion for the warm up aspect of perpetration, but for training and practice came from 2) The value of keeping similar patterns in the warm up, but changing the movements as often as possible 3) Examples of how he prescribes these variations including specific examples of some of these patterns 4) Why and where we find value in barefoot training 5) What training them for the sport not the numbers mean to him Such a great conversation with a fantastic practitioner who has a unique perspective on developing the basketball players, and a discussion that, quite frankly, has made me have some second thoughts about some things that I do, specifically with our daily practice warm ups. Coach Deets is really doing great work, and I’m so grateful for his open and candid sharing today. Make sure you give him a follow on The Gram at @ coachdeets23 and on the Twitter-sphere at @coachdeets. I truly hope you took as much from this discussion as I did, and if so, and could please help me out with three HUGE favors I’d be super grateful. If you could please: 1) share this with a colleague that would find value in the episode; 2) subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform; and 3) while you’re there, please leave us a 5-star review. Thank you so much for helping us grow The Podcast.

Today we have a really awesome discussion about connecting the physical aspects within our vocation and how it can be related back to the technical tactical side of the games we work in with Federico Pizzuto. Throughout this sensational 30-plus minute chat, Federico and I get into: 1) The model that he utilizes when connecting the technical tactical side with the physical preparation of the athletes. 2) What he’s looking at to build out his progressions, and the ways it impacts buy in with the players 3) Where autonomy for the players fits in his perpetration and RTP programming. 4) Video’s impact on communicating the goals and objectives of the program 5) Simple ways he has found success building out individualization in his programming So much great insight from a practitioner working at the highest level, this episode is full of great, practical, real world tactics that we can all utilize (or adapt from) with our return to play progressions. I can’t thank Federico enough for being so open to sharing with us today because this was absolutely fantastic. Make sure you keep up with what he’s doing up in Columbus by following him on IG @federicocapacci. If you found value in the show and could do me three huge favors I’d really appreciate it if you would: 1) share the show with a colleague, this is the best way to spread the word; 2) subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player to stay up to date with all our shows; 3) please leave us a review to help others find our show when they search for strength and conditioning based podcasts.

This week I’m fired up to sit down and talk conditioning with Tim Kettenring. Tim has been doing some awesome work helping coaches have a better understanding of how they can build bigger engines with the Conditioning Cohort. Throughout the great 30-plus minute chat, Tim and I get into A ton of great insight into what Tim is doing with, not just the course but what his training philosophy is and the driving factors behind it. Make sure you give him a follow at @timkettenring on X and tap in for more info on the training program at Conditioningproject.com. Just like all our shows, if you have found value in the show please and could do me three favors I’d greatly appreciate it if you could: 1) share the show with a colleague, this is the best way to spread the word; 2) subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player to stay up to date with all our shows; 3) please leave us a review to help others find our show when they search for strength and conditioning based podcasts. Who is Tim Kettenring? Tim Kettenring is a 16 year strength and conditioning veteran with experience at every level of sport. His current role is as the High Performance Director for Nola Gold Rugby of Major League Rugby. Tim is also the President of Maverick Human Performance which provides coaching, consulting and education services to athletes and coaches around the world. Prior to his current roles, Tim was the head strength and conditioning coach at Loyola University-New Orleans for 6 years, director of sports performance at Revolution Sports Performance for 2 years, and assistant strength and conditioning/sport coach at Holy Cross High School for 4 years.

Today I have the pleasure of sitting down and discussing the development of the physical preparation programming for H2F with Carson Randall. Carson is leading the way with the development of the H2F programming, and all of its branches, helping to better prepare the best of the best, the American Soldier. Throughout the greater then 30-minute discussion Carson and I get into: 1) Where a military background both helps and hinders in the tactical training world 2) Things that coaches need to understand when making the transition to the tactical side 3) How defining terms, or at least coming together on the goals of the higher ups, is a game changer 4) Comfortable lifestyles effect on how they need to program for soldiers, and how it could be a positive for their realm of the profession 5) Making a scalable training system on a grand scale using basic and simple assessments 6) Why general training, is always general, and its supportive nature to the specific, if it’s team sport or the military 7) Educations vital role within boot camp with preparing the soldiers to make better decisions once they’re moved around the world Such and awesome look into a unique training environment, I can’t thank Carson enough for spending the time with us today and being so open and candid in his sharing. Physical preparation for the tactical “athlete” is a realm in our vocation that is growing by the year, and a lot is due to the great work that Carson is doing with H2F, laying the foundation for more strength coaches to build upon. As with all our content, if you found value in the discussion please feel free to share the show with a colleague, and if you haven’t yet, please subscribe to the show on our favorite podcast player to stay up to date with all our shows.

I am elated to welcome Aaron Abraham to The Podcast this week. Aaron is doing some really awesome work up at Eastern Michigan. His voyage to EMU is one that many have looked at and turned their nose up at, but as a guy who started at a Division III school I have a ton of respect for coaches who start at DII and DIII because of the unique perspectives that you can gain at those levels. 1) Pros of working at a Division II school for a starting point in your professional evolution 2) What the impact of being the son of immigrants on work ethic and humility 3) The leadership role he feels that we can play as a vocation including examples that he utilizes 4) Three terms that he teaches to dictate how the program will progress, that have nothing to do with progressions 5) Advice for coaches who are rotating in internships and could possibly be getting frustrated about it 6) Ways he has found success connecting with other practitioners, and its effect on the projection of his career. There are so many great lessons that I learned as a DIII strength coach, and I’m so happy to hear a similar story from Aaron. A great voyage to EMU that lead to a great strength coach working in the MAC in college basketball, it really hits close to home with Old Greybeard. Aaron is doing some fantastic work up at EMU, so make sure you give him a follow on x @strengthcoacha and on IG at @strengthcoachabe to keep up with everything he’s got cooking and make sure to sign up for the newsletter while you’re checking out his content! There’s so much value in Aaron’s journey and the lessons he shared today, and I took a ton from this conversation. If you found value in it as well please feel free to share the show with a colleague, and if you haven’t yet, please subscribe to the show on our favorite podcast player to stay up to date with all our shows.

Today I am so excited to welcome Justin Landry to The Podcast. Justin is doing some absolutely great work with the development of basketball players. He’s had a really great path to get him to Atlanta that has molded a unique philosophy with his training. Throughout this aweseome 30-minute conversation Justin and I get into: 1) Driving factors behind the directions of the programming he utilizes for his athletes 2) Simple evaluations of common sequences that help him drive programming decisions 3) The role of still photos and video in his practice 4) Examples of his progressions in different mobility and stability situations 5) Autonomy’s role in his program 6) What the transfer portal has changed in his programs 7) How he defines functional training, and how that definition impacts how he evaluates and trains his guys 8) Monitoring/Tracking of practice as an evaluation of preparation A great conversation with a fantastic practitioner who has a unique perspective on developing the athlete’s he gets to work with. Justin is really doing great work, and I’m so grateful for his open and candid sharing today. Make sure you give him a follow on The Gram at @jland_perf. I truly hope you took as much from this discussion as I did, and if so, please share this with a colleague that would find value in the episode. Also, if you haven’t subscribed on your favorite podcast platform yet and could do that for us, we would greatly appreciate it.

On this week’s episode of The Podcast I have the pleasure of sitting down and discussing training, nutrition, and the life on the NASCAR Circuit with Ashley Muschiatti. Ashley has a unique background and qualification of being both a Registered Dietitian and Strength and Conditioning Coach, thus qualifying her to both prescribe training and the nutritional requirements for both success in training and performance. Such a cool conversation with an awesome person with a really cool job. This show was an absolute blast for me, so many unique aspects to what Ashley’s practice and the athlete’s she gets to work with, it’s really fascinating to me. I can’t thank her enough for being so open to sharing with us today. To keep up with everything she’s doing make sure you give her a follow over on Instagram at @amuschiatti. I hope you found as much value in the chat as I did, and if so, please help me out by doing three things: 1st, please share this with a colleague that you think would find value in the show, 2nd if you haven’t please subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player, and 3rd if you could please leave us a review I’d greatly appreciate it. Who is Ashley Muschiatti? Ashley Muschiatti RD, LDN, CSCS is a sports dietitian and certified strength coach who has worked with high school and college athletes, as well as the general public who wants to reach their health and wellness goals. She has experience with body composition and analysis using the BodPod as well as performance nutrition counseling. ​ She received her B.S. in Exercise Science and B.A. in Spanish Language at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. During her time at Appalachian State, Ashley was a thrower on the track and field team where she sits high in the school’s All-Time record books. She then went on to attend Delaware State University’s Coordinated Dietetic Program where she became a Registered Dietitian. Throughout her years of education, Ashley completed multiple strength and conditioning and sports nutrition internships at multiple NCAA Division 1 Institutions. ​ Ashley enjoys helping athletes reach their full potential on and off the field. She combines her experience and knowledge in strength and conditioning and nutrition to help athletes of all ages fuel properly and reach their performance goals. Ashley lives in Charlotte, NC where she is a Performance Specialist with Novant Health Sports Performance. Muschiatti's previous positions include:​

He’s baaaaccckkkkkk! I am so excited to welcome my good friend Charlie Weingroff back to The Podcast and to introduce him as a presenter at The Seminar. Charlie has been, and always will be, one of the greatest sound boards to me in the world of performance. It doesn’t matter if we are speaking training or rehab (see what I did there), whenever I have a question or an idea about a direction we are thinking, he’s always been a person that provided some of the most constructive insight and thought-provoking questions about the directions we are looking to go in, to help us make better decisions. His track record in working in sport speaks for itself, and his willingness to share and help coaches and therapists learn and grow is second to none. All of this makes him, once again, the perfect addition to the docket this summer, and I couldn’t be happier to welcome him back to RVA this July. Throughout the awesome 60-minute chat Charlie and I get into: 1) Social media as a tool to help educate coaches and grow as a professional 2) The line between raining and rehab, and why it may be translucent at best 3) Work places culture’s impact on the success of rehab programs 4) How teamwork, roles, and the hierarchy of positions drive culture in the performance and rehabilitation world. 5) Where he sees the true role of leaderships positions, and how being in business has impacted this 6) A change of perspective that could have a vastly positive impact on your teams’ culture 7) The value of understanding what other people in your department do, while understanding where your role and lines you shouldn’t cost. 8) Safety’s role in professional growth This conversation, as they always are with Charlie, was sensational. I’m so happy to not just have him back on The Podcast, but cannot wait to have him here and back on the docket for The 2024 Edition of The Seminar. He’s always been a mentor and a great friend for as long as I’ve known him, and can’t wait for us all to be able to see him “in action” breaking down his approach to evaluating and programming in his presentation. Also, please let us know if you have a direction for Charlie’s presentation by using the link here:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Lc4lTXOtwRxQD_oGlO1B4reVUmbAdhDr3q1Bj9IYMUM/edit?usp=sharing This conversation, just like every conversation I’ve ever had with Charlie has made me take a step back and reevaluate some things we are doing, and I hope it has had the same effect on you. If you found value in the show please help me out with three things: 1st, please share the show with a colleague that would find value in the show; 2nd, if you haven’t subscribed on your favorite podcast platform please do; and 3rd, if you wouldn’t mind leaving us a review on our podcast player of choice I’d truly appreciate it.

I could not be more fired up to welcome Heather Mason to The Podcast and introduce her as our 5th presenter for this summer edition of The Central Virginia Sport Performance Seminar. Heather is one of the true trailblazers in the field and one of the best people I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with in the world of performance. Her unique experience has help her develop a great system, not just in developing athletes, but also developing the next generations of coaches. Throughout the 30-minute discussion Heather and I get into: 1) Continuity’s role in building a department. 2) Incentives role in professional development and program growth, and how they have built a model that allows their coaches to have upward growth 3) How individualizing their coaches continuing education has helped drive their entire staff forward 4) The positives and negatives of social media’s role in our vocation 5) Diversifying your educational modalities to help find better ways to be a coach As I said on the show, having Heather on the show and her as on the docket for The Seminar has been a long time coming, and am super grateful for he, not just taking the time to be on the show, but for all she’s done to help drive this profession forward. She has been leading from the front for longer for her entire career, and what she’s doing up in Columbus is no exception to that. I hope you found value in the show, and if you did please feel free to share this episode with a collogue that you feel would enjoy it, and please don’t forget to subscribe and give us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast player. I truly do appreciate it.

Today I am so happy to welcome Dr. Aaron Heishman back to The Podcast and introduce him as our 4th presenter for The 2024 edition of The Central Virginia Sport Performance Seminar. “Heish” is doing some fantastic work in Vegas with the Golden Knights and is researching with the best of the best in the world at their sport. Throughout the 30-minute discussion Dr. Heishman and I get into: 1) Some of the “challenges” that have reared themselves after the short off season. 2) What is means to be “a fiduciary” in sport, and why it’s vital in situations where you are collecting and utilizing data. 3) Factors that impact what data they’re collecting and the devices/means they’re collecting it 4) Why patience is so important from a science perspective 5) How vital it is to keep in mind, “what performance is” if we call ourselves performance coaches. 6) The positive value that research in other vocations can have on us as performance coaches I could not be happier to have Heish on the docket this summer and am super grateful for him taking the time to be on the show and, as always, being so open to sharing. He’s truly is doing some awesome work in Vegas and is an absolute wealth of knowledge that’s not just absolutely driving our entire vocation forward by pushing the envelope in the performance monitoring world, but leading from the front with the actual “applied sport science” that he’s practicing. Make sure to give him a follow @aheish11_ on Instagram. I hope you found value in the show, and if you did please feel free to share this episode with a collogue that you feel would enjoy it, and please don’t forget to subscribe and give us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast player. I truly do appreciate it. Who is Aaron Heishman? Aaron is the Head of Sport Science and Reconditioning for the Vegas Golden Knights. He is primarily responsible for directing the sport science initiatives of the organization, as well as leading the implementation of return to play programming for athletes undergoing long-term rehabilitation. Prior to his time with the Golden Knights, he worked as the Assistant Director of Basketball Performance and Sport Scientist at University of Oklahoma. While at OU, Aaron earned his PhD in Exercise Physiology with research focused on athlete monitoring strategies used to evaluate neuromuscular performance and fatigue in basketball players. Before Oklahoma, Aaron worked as the Graduate Assistant for Basketball Performance at the University of Virginia, where he found a passion for trying to bridge the gap between applied performance practices and research in effort to maximize athlete health and performance.

I could not be more excited to introduce our 3rd presenter for The 2024 edition of The Central Virginia Sport Performance Seminar, Dr. Mike Davis. Mike has one of the most unique thought processes when it comes to performance and rehabilitation that I’ve ever come across. Mike is one of those people who I’ve never had a conversation through any medium that I haven’t walked away and reevaluated something that I’m doing, and that could be professionally or personally. Throughout the fantastic hour discussion Dr. Davis and I get into: 1) What it means to be a pursuer of truth 2) Collaborations role, both within your staff and with the athletes, and how positive relationships drive improvements in those collaborations 3) How performance staffs need to be on the same page, but also need to understand that there needs to be some boundaries to what you’re responsible for 4) The value of knowing “why are they here” in all forms of prescription 5) What evaluations and systems are set in place to ensure we are providing the proper stressors for each individual situation 6) Our definitions of selfish, and how being selfish can be both a pro and a con in professional situations 7) History’s role in what we do, and the value in understanding the history of physical culture 8) Asking Questions vs Questioning, why it’s misinterpreted and why it can lead to growth I’m so excited to have gotten to catch up Dr. Davis and have him on The Podcast, and cannot wait to have him here for The 2024 Edition of The Seminar, and this back and forth conversation is exactly why. Mike has always been a person who has challenged me to be better in so many different realms of life, and I’m truly grateful for that. Make sure you give him a follow and keep up with Dr. Davis on X @ MikeDavisDPT. This conversation, just like every conversation I have with Mike makes me think a bit differently, and I hope it has had the same effect on you. If you found value in the show please help me out with three things: 1st, please share the show with a colleague that would find value in the show; 2nd, if you haven’t subscribed on your favorite podcast platform please do; and 3rd, if you wouldn’t mind leaving us a review on our podcast player of choice I’d truly appreciate it.

I am so excited to welcome Dr. Ernie Rimer to, not just The Podcast, but to The 2024 Seminar. Dr. Rimer is doing fantastic work for The University of Louisville and his forward-thinking, inquisitive approach, brings a unique perspective on how we can all do better for our athletes with the data that we collect to The Seminar. Throughout the 35-minute discussion Dr. Rimer and I get into: 1) The importance of systems, especially in difficult times of the year, to help streamline processes to help make the data collected more actionable. 2) Hydration monitoring and prescribing, why it’s important in August, but not JUST important in August. 3) Finding better ways to evaluate what we do to ensure what we are programming for our athletes is actually making the positive impact we believe it is. 4) How to “fast track” knowledge in reference to continuing education, including how valuable he sees the ability to take classed at U of L. I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Dr. Rimer to The Seminar, and so appreciative of his openness on today’s episode of The Podcast. This coming edition of The Seminar’s docket is absoultly awesome and Ernie is a huge part of that. Make sure to give him a follow to keep up with everything he’s got cooking on X and Instagram at @ErnieRimer. I really hope you enjoyed the discussion as much as I did, Ernie is such a wealth of knowledge and his openness to share and grow is such a valuable asset to the entire vocation. If you did find value in the discussion please feel free to share the show with a colleague, and if you would please subscribe to the show and leave us a five-star review on your favorite podcast platform I’d be greatly appreciative. For more info on The 2024 Edition of The Seminar hop over to The Seminar Page here: https://cvasps.com/2024-seminar/ Who is Dr. Ernie Rimer? Dr. Ernie Rimer is the Director of Sport Science for the University of Louisville Athletics. He supports the health, safety, and performance of student-athletes through research, education, and innovation. Before Louisville, Rimerwas the Director of Sport Science at the University of Utah and held strength and conditioning positions at the United States Ski & Snowboard Association and Northern Arizona University. Rimer co-founded FYTT, a high-performance software for sports performance professionals. He has a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Utah and is certified in strength and conditioning. Rimer has presented at numerous national and international conferences on various sport-related topics.

Today we introduce our first presenter for The 2024 edition of The Central Virginia Sport Performance Seminar, Auburn’s Cam Josse. Cam is one of the best practitioners in the world when it comes to bridging the physical preparation process to the sporting activity, and I couldn’t be more excited to not only have him on the show, but to have him as part of The Seminar as well. Throughout the 44-minute discussion Cam and I discuss 1) What drove him to dig to find better ways to deliver transfer from training to sport performance. 2) The role of observation in daily periodization and how simply watching the athletes can have a massive impact on programming decisions. 3) His interpretation and the role of minimal effective dose in his programming 4) Long-term education’s value, and why the rush to learning could be holding people (and our whole vocation for that matter) back 5) Yin Yang of being present vs the present state of the industry 6) Where things outside of physical preparation impact what they do on the day to day 7) Ways expanding your learning lens can have a positive impact on a practitioner’s ability to improve their craft. I am elated to welcome Cam to The Seminar, and so grateful for his openness on today’s episode of The Podcast. This coming edition of The Seminar’s docket is sensational and Coach Josse is a huge part of that. Make sure to give him a follow to keep up with everything he’s got cooking on X at @CoachJosse. I really hope you enjoyed the discussion as much as I did, I really thought this was a great show with a ton of awesome insight from Cam. If you did enjoy it and found some value in it please feel free to share the show with a colleague, and if you would please subscribe to the show and leave us a five-star review on your favorite podcast platform I’d be greatly appreciative. For more info on The 2024 Edition of The Seminar hop over to The Seminar Page here: https://cvasps.com/2024-seminar/ Who is Cam Josse? Cam Josse is a Strength & Conditioning Coach for football at Auburn University. Prior to arriving at Auburn, Cam spent 3 seasons at Indiana University as an Athletic Performance Coach for football. He began his career in sports performance in the private sector with DeFranco's Training Systems, operating as Director of Sports Performance from 2014-2020. Cameron has worked with a multitude of athletes in high school and collegiate sports as well as professional athletes in the NFL, NHL, UFC, and WWE. Cameron earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology while playing football at the University of Rhode Island, holds a master's degree in exercise science from William Paterson University, and is currently pursuing his PhD from Jean Monnet University in France under the supervision of Dr. JB Morin.

Today I’m super excited to sit down and discuss the preparation programming for wrestlers with Josh Jirgal. Combat sports have become more and more of a “sexy” topic in strength and conditioning with different opportunities becoming available, and Josh is doing a lot of great work with the wrestlers he gets to work with every day. After a quick run-down of how he got to Duke Josh and I get into: 1) A wrestler’s mindset and how it impacts his programming decisions. 2) What he’s looking at to monitor readiness and training status. 3) Communication strategies he utilizes when he needs to lighten the loads on the guys 4) Where the peripheral fatigue of wrestling fits into their developmental program 5) How he looks at “special days” vs the norm for his wrestlers and the impact it has on preparation. 6) The peaking/tapering process with both the wrestlers and the rowing team. 7) Subjective feedbacks role in his fluid model of periodization. 8) Confidence, belief, and its impact on intent of training in the weight room. What a great look behind the curtain to the world of developing college wrestlers. I can’t thank Josh enough for being so open to share not just what he’s doing but the thought process behind his decision making. I really enjoyed hearing how someone coaching athletes in such a unique sport utilizes theory that so many of us do in team sport, and where he’s seeing success with it. If you enjoyed this discussion as much as I did, please do me three quick favors: first, please share this with a colleague that you feel would find value in the show; second, if you haven’t subscribed please subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player; and lastly, when you’re there, if you could leave us a 5 start review I would greatly appreciate it! Who is Josh Jirgal? Josh Jirgal joined Duke Athletics in August 2022 and serves as an Assistant Sports Performance Coach for the Blue Devils, working with the wrestling, and women’s rowing teams. Prior to his arrival in Durham, Jirgal worked as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for UT Permian Basin. He has also had coaching stops at Sacramento State, the US Army Special Operations Command, Wingate University, Champions Sports Performance, Webber International University, the Oakland Raiders, and the SF Rush Pro Rugby team. Jirgal has also coached professional boxers Andre Ward and Amir Khan. He graduated from Appalachian State in 2013 with a B.S. in Exercise Science and went on to earn his Master of Science in Exercise Science from the California University of Pennsylvania in 2017. Jirgal is certified through both the CSCCa (Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association certified) and NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association).

Today I’m super excited to sit down and discuss the preparation programming for wrestlers with Josh Jirgal. Combat sports have become more and more of a “sexy” topic in strength and conditioning with different opportunities becoming available, and Josh is doing a lot of great work with the wrestlers he gets to work with every day. After a quick run-down of how he got to Duke Josh and I get into: 1) A wrestler’s mindset and how it impacts his programming decisions. 2) What he’s looking at to monitor readiness and training status. 3) Communication strategies he utilizes when he needs to lighten the loads on the guys 4) Where the peripheral fatigue of wrestling fits into their developmental program 5) How he looks at “special days” vs the norm for his wrestlers and the impact it has on preparation. 6) The peaking/tapering process with both the wrestlers and the rowing team. 7) Subjective feedbacks role in his fluid model of periodization. 8) Confidence, belief, and its impact on intent of training in the weight room. What a great look behind the curtain to the world of developing college wrestlers. I can’t thank Josh enough for being so open to share not just what he’s doing but the thought process behind his decision making. I really enjoyed hearing how someone coaching athletes in such a unique sport utilizes theory that so many of us do in team sport, and where he’s seeing success with it. If you enjoyed this discussion as much as I did, please do me three quick favors: first, please share this with a colleague that you feel would find value in the show; second, if you haven’t subscribed please subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player; and lastly, when you’re there, if you could leave us a 5 start review I would greatly appreciate it! Who is Josh Jirgal? Josh Jirgal joined Duke Athletics in August 2022 and serves as an Assistant Sports Performance Coach for the Blue Devils, working with the wrestling, and women’s rowing teams. Prior to his arrival in Durham, Jirgal worked as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for UT Permian Basin. He has also had coaching stops at Sacramento State, the US Army Special Operations Command, Wingate University, Champions Sports Performance, Webber International University, the Oakland Raiders, and the SF Rush Pro Rugby team. Jirgal has also coached professional boxers Andre Ward and Amir Khan. He graduated from Appalachian State in 2013 with a B.S. in Exercise Science and went on to earn his Master of Science in Exercise Science from the California University of Pennsylvania in 2017. Jirgal is certified through both the CSCCa (Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association certified) and NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association).

I am fired up to welcome Clare Kaufman Quebedeaux to The Podcast to talk about leadership and developing basketball players. Clare has had a really cool voyage that has brought her to Columbus to work alongside her first boss and mentor. Throughout the 30 plus minute discussion Clare and I get into: 1) Being intentional in developing your staff in leadership 2) A wake-up call that brought her to understand her role as a leader developing coaches 3) Some unique aspects to their staffing system to help coaches grow professionally within the department. 4) The importance of finding the right fit during the hiring process. 5) How the transfer portal and foreign trips in the summer had a massive impact on summer training. 6) Where the limitations to motivation have changed some of her perspective. 7) Ways she has had success helping athletes who return from international competition to reintegrate into the team setting. A huge thank you to Clare Kaufman Quebedeaux for sharing so much of her voyage through the coaching world. They have built a great system in Columbus for coaches to grow and develop and she was so kind in breaking down not just the X’s and O’s to it, but the thought process behind how it has evolved. Make sure you give her a follow-on Instagram at @ckarequib to keep up with all the things she’s doing. If you did enjoy the show please share this with a colleague. Lastly, if you haven’t subscribed to the show please do on your favorite podcast app, and if you would be so kind as to leave us a review, I’d greatly appreciate it. Who is Clare Quebedeaux? Clare Quebedeaux joined the Buckeye strength and conditioning program in 2017. Her core responsibilities include serving as the Facility Supervisor for multiple facilities as well as overseeing the Women’s Basketball and Men’s Golf programs. Prior to Ohio State, Quebedeaux was the director of strength and conditioning at Southeastern Louisiana University, working with the football, basketball, women’s soccer, women’s tennis and men’s golf programs. She was also an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Temple University and the University of Hartford. She served as a graduate assistant for strength and conditioning while attending University of Tennessee. Quebedeaux earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning from University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 2010. She went on to receive her master’s in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Physiology from the University of Tennessee in 2013.

Today I’m really excited to welcome “Mr. Rugby Strength Coach” Keir Wenham-Flatt back to The Podcast, and discuss a different topic with Keir, and that is ways coaches can do better for themselves with secondary forms of income. This is something that, if you’ve ever heard me get on my soap box about, I’m very passionate about, and really feel that we all, me included, need to take a much deeper look at. Throughout the 30-minute discussion “The Rugby Guy” and I get into: 1) The factors that drove him through the steps leading him to each step of his “side hustle” journey. 2) Why there are things that can help coaches improve may not help drive careers forward 3) How having a secondary income stream can help improve your freedom to make better decisions in and out of work. 4) Persuasion vs coercion, how they work hand in hand if you don’t have a backup plan. 5) Escape velocity numbers, what that means, and how it fits with coaches and side hustles. 6) Skills learned from being in business that transferred into coaching. 7) What is Money Moves and why should coaches care? This topic is one that I really think needs to be talked about exponentially more than it is, and one that I’ve tried to push for more coaches to share how they’re finding alternative ways to make some cash to better themselves. To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s finding a second job, starting an online business, or getting into real estate, as long as you are finding a way to better yourself in the long run I think that is absolutely huge. If you have interest in checking out K’s sight for more info on Money Moves or to sign up hop over to www.callmekeir.com/squeeze. I think that this could be a great avenue for many coaches out there to help find ways to scale what they do and make a little extra cash on the side. Keir is one of the few people I talk to when it comes to ways I can be better online, so I was really excited to get him back on The Podcast to talk about this topic. I hope you enjoyed the banter as much as I did, and if you did, please share the show with a colleague that you think could find some value in it. Also, if you haven’t subscribed and left a review on your favorite podcast player and could do so I would truly appreciate the support! Who is Keir Wenham-Flatt? Keir Wenham-Flatt is a recovering strength coach. After a decade of coaching at the elite level in five different countries, he grossed over $1m in 3 years of operating Strength Coach Network before selling the company in September 2023. These days he helps Strength Coaches to make more money through his long form course Money Moves and his personal site www.callmekeir.com

This week I’m so fired up to welcome Jonathan Dahuya to The Podcast for a unique conversation about how coaching has led him into other great professional endeavors. Jonathan was a Division I strength and conditioning coach who has made a professional pivot into real estate and provides some great insight into how the coaching world has transferred to the “real world”. Throughout the 30 minutes plus conversation, Jonathan and I get into: 1) A voyage that led him to choose another vocation 2) Skills that coaches develop that have “transfer” to the real world 3) Where who you are and who the staff/admin you work with may have a different view of what that should be. 4) The value of asking “what do you want me to accomplish?” 5) Aspects of coaching that provided issues in his family life, thus driving the decision to change professions 6) What drove him to his latest professional venture. 7) How coaches should practice what they preach about embracing change when they get to a point where they need to make a change. I really can’t thank Jonathan enough for sharing so much of his voyage in and out of the coaching world. It’s a transition that isn’t easy on anyone, but we all should always happy to see someone find a better way for themselves, in and out of coaching. His path hasn’t been an easy one for sure, but one that I hope helps others have a better understanding of where they are in their voyage, and maybe take a deep breath and assess where they are in theirs. I know I did. To keep up to date with all that he’s doing make sure you give him a follow on The Gram at @jonjay.dahuya. If you did enjoy the show please share this with a colleague. If you haven’t please subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app, and leave us a review, I’d greatly appreciate it. Who is Jon Dahuya? Jon Dahuya is a former Director of Sports Performance who took a leap away from the collegiate realm to craft a life abundant in love and enriching experiences for himself and his son. With a decade-long dedication to pouring knowledge into the lives of young athletes and learning from fellow coaches and administrators, Jon brings a wealth of experience to the table. Beyond the sports arena, Jon has seamlessly transitioned into real estate, infusing his passion for growth and mentorship into every facet of his life. Jon continues to apply the coaching tools honed over the years to his real estate business, stays sharp as a coach by working with local youth athletes, and lends his expertise to coaching athletes associated with Fil-Nation Select & the Philippines Youth National Basketball teams.

Today I have the privilege of welcoming Connor Schoepp to The Podcast and discuss return to play. Connor is doing some great work at Liberty within the realm of applied sport science, and he shares a lot of what he does and how he looks at that part of the world of sports. Throughout the 30-minute discussion Connor and I get into: 1) What is applied sport science to him. 2) The roles of systems and principles in his programming 3) Ways being a strength coach impacts how he interrupts metrics 4) Collecting data vs acting upon what the data is saying 5) Meeting the coaches where they’re at, and providing the information that they need to answer the questions they have or solve the problems that arise. 6) How he is structuring the weeks, both in training on and off the field 7) Where these metrics fit in the RTP setting 8) His concerns with looking for metrics that “cause” injuries A great look through the looking glass to what Connor, not only sees the role of sport science in performance, but how he goes about trying to move the needle daily for the coaches and athletes he gets to work with. Make sure to keep up with everything he’s doing by following him on Instagram and Twitter at @connorschoepp. I hope you enjoyed this discussion as much as I did, and if you found value in it please feel free to share the show with a colleague, and if you haven’t subscribed please do on your favorite podcast platform. Who is Connor Shoepp? Connor Schoepp currently serves as the director of Applied Sport Performance and Performance Coach for Men's Soccer. Previously he has held positions with the Arizona Cardinals, Mississippi State University, and University of Pittsburgh. Originally from South Dakota where he received his undergrad from the University of Sioux Falls.

This week’s episode of The Podcast brought me back to some of CVASPS’s roots, talking training with one of the worlds the top and most forward-thinking track and field coaches, PJ Vazel. I’m a huge fan of PJ’s love for history and how it has impacted him as a researcher and a coach. Throughout this fantastic 35-minute plus conversation, PJ and I get into: 1) The role of fine arts studies leading him to dive into the history of sport science 2) Improvisations role in coaching, and why understanding your processes and goals are vital to being able to improvise 3) Where the Soviets were correct back in the day, and what has stood the test of time from their work 4) Specificity vs variability, where is the balance in this contradiction 5) How being calm and relaxed tends to lead to greater performance 6) Is it too strong or is it that the training leads them to be to tense? 7) What challenges are there when coaching “relaxation” with athletes 8) Talent identification, it’s challenges, and why it may come down to getting lucky PJ provides such a fantastic perspective on the preparation of, and cannot thank him enough for being so open to share with us today. His understanding of history and the arts, and how it has formulated how he works as a coach is really awesome. I really enjoyed hearing how he looks at the history of training means and methods, the research behind it, and how he evaluates and implements that in his programming today. Make sure you give him a follow on the socials at X and Instagram @pjvazel. I really hope that you enjoyed this discussion as much as I did. As always, please share the show with someone that you feel could find value in it, and if you haven’t, I would greatly appreciate it if you subscribed to the show and left us a review on your favorite podcast player. Who is PJ Vazel? PJ Vazel is currently national athletics coach for France having coached sprinters, hurdlers, and throwers at each of the Olympics and world championships since 2004. He has been an IAAF correspondent and chronicler for Le Monde for a decade and has participated to scientific and historical projects in athletics.