The Talent Equation Podcast

David Hinchliffe is back...and this time he has a list of topics to talk about!! In this episode we cover a lot of ground including, why English batsmen can't play spin bowling, the difference between teaching and coaching, why sport is still undervalued in society, why competition is killing children's sport. I will warn you now...it's a bit of a rant fest!!Hope you enjoy it.

Peter Prickett is a coach that is passionate about the role that games can play in the child's sports experience. So much so that he has written a book that is dedicated to playing games. But not just any games...specifically 3 v 3 games as he believes that they offer the most representative football experience and provide the richest opportunities for learning. In this super interesting conversation we cover...- How 40 different 3 v 3 games could become 140- His views on the development of creativity in players- How his club has turned the tables and ask the coaches to do trials and get the kids to select them if they are suitable- Why paying coaches is the model that they have adoptedThere is a lot of interesting stuff in here. I hope you enjoy. Peter's Book can be pre ordered on Amazon here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Developing-Skill-Guide-Soccer-Coaching-ebook/dp/B07H957SYD/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537296772&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=peter+prickett+3+v+3Come to the 'Future of Coaching' event with

Nick Heard is a teacher and coach that has committed to being the best he can be for his students and his athletes. He set up www.relentless-optimism.com in an attempt to convey a message to those in tasked with supporting young people to explore their potential are also striving to be the best they can be. Nick took time out of his holiday (you can hear the coffee machine in the background) to have this conversation with me where we explore how young people interact with their environment and deal with challenges, setbacks and those well meaning but misguided adults (us!) that are causing more problems than they are solving. I very much enjoyed this discussion, I hope you do too!!

Dr Suzanne Brown is a clinical psychologist who is fascinated by the dynamics of human development. She is exploring the challenges faced by young athletes and supporting coaches and other leaders to develop environments where young people can thrive instead of just survive. In this fascinating conversation we discuss...- Why emotions are not a bad thing. It's just that society has labelled them as good and bad- The key ingredients of a nurturing sporting culture - The changes that take place in the adolescent brain and what you need to know about how to address them- How ecological psychology is a framework for developing positive development experiences in sportIt is a really interesting discussion, I'm sure you will find it as fascinating as I did. Enjoy

Russell (Rusty) Earnshaw is back and this time he is with his partner in coaching John (Fletch) Fletcher. Together they make up two thirds of 'The Magic Academy' along with a secret partner they refer to as 'Magic Stig'. As you might expect, the guys and I cover a lot of ground in this one including: - How the guys are taking a 'games based' approach to coach development using challenge cards. - How this podcast with Amy Price https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/playing-clumsy-pig-using-sandbox-in-fishtank-conversation/id1209549739?i=1000408126686&mt=2 inspired the gamification of coaching and coach development- How they devised the CARDS approach and how they bring it to life in their coaching- How they use a principle of 'beating the game' to help players develop awarenessThis is a fascinating romp through the minds of two of the most creative minds in coaching and coach development. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Shane Pill describes himself as an 'accidental academic'. He is a PE teacher and coach who found himself in the world of academia and has spent his career studying various pedagogical approaches to learning in sport and PE. In this fascinating conversation we discuss: - Why Shane advocates a 'pragmatic' approach to coaching that he calls 'Sport Literacy'. - The difference between a game and an 'open drill' (it's still a game in my book!).- Arnold's 'in-through-about' model of learning in sport.- The difference between 'guided discovery', 'divergent discovery' and 'convergent discovery'. It is a conversation that challenged some of my thinking...I hope it does for you too! Enjoy!!As always, if you like the podcast and are enjoying the podcast, I am hoping that you might support it. You can do this for free by leaving a review or telling your friends about it on social media. If you would like to support further then you can become a Patron by clicking on the Patreon link https://www.patreon.com/thetalentequati

I don't think it would be hyperbolic to describe Ted Kroeten as a pioneer. His approach to player development is one of the purest examples of adopting an ecological, child centred approach to how young people experience sport I have ever heard. The programme is called 'Joy of the people' www.joyofthepeople.org and it provides over 1500 hours of free play opportunities for children per week at no cost.In this episode we discuss...- How the concept came about and the journey to establishing JOTP from idea to reality- The challenges that have been faced in establishing a model like this- The principles behind the approach and the way that the coaches facilitate learning- The successes that they have seen and the way that the children are developingIt is a genuinely fascinating and inspiring story that I know you will learn a lot from. Hope you enjoy

Dan Peterson and Len Zaichowsky PhD have written a great book called 'The Playmaker's Advantage' that is full of practical information backed up by scientific research to help coach to create environments that will foster the creative abilities of young athletes. Dan has a background in the technology industry but he is a passionate sports parent and has worked really hard with Len to make the science accessible and usable for coaches and parents alike. I think you will agree that they have done a great job!! The book is available for pre order at the link below. http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Playmakers-Advantage/Leonard-Zaichkowsky/9781501181863

Andrew Wilson is a researcher from Leeds Beckett University in the UK who co writes about his research in a fascinating blog 'Notes from two scientific psychologists' http://psychsciencenotes.blogspot.com In this fascinating and insightful conversation Andrew and I explore various aspects of Ecological Psychology and try to apply them to real world problems in coaching. We explore the following: - The difference between affordances and information - Why "context isn't noise...it is signal"- How information is the key to effective transfer - Why motor control researchers are to blame for the lack of understanding of the ecological approachThis conversation has a lot of theoretical heavy lifting in it but stick with it as it will be worth it. Enjoy

Simon Robinson is a basketball coach working with athletes with intellectual disabilities. In this fascinating discussion he explains why a constraints led methodology is essential for him to effectively help these individuals learn and improve. In this podcast we discuss...- The challenges of working with athletes from different cultures and different levels of impairment- How the developmental history of athletes can get in the way of their improvement- How he manages the challenge point so as not of create too much mental and emotional strain- How modifications to children's sport could really help their later developmentThis is a fascinating listen for all coaches working with any athletes of any ability. Enjoy

Phil Kearney is a researcher, lecturer and coach. He is based at the University of Limerick in Ireland and is one of the 'Great Triumvirate' of Irish skill acquisition leaders along with Ed Coughlan and Olly Logan. In this episode we really dig into some of the research behind skill acquisition and its application including...- Looking at Fundamental Movement Skills in a different way- The limited transfer that comes from low variability movements - Understanding the 'dose requirement of skill acquisition - How the constraints based approach can help to develop practices that will do the teaching for youAnd a whole lot more...Hope you enjoy.

Richard Cheetham MBE (aka @twowheelprof on Twitter) is Senior Fellow in Sports Coaching at the University of Winchester in the UK. His research focus centres on a more holistic approach to coaching with time spent since 2013 at Saracens RFC within the Academy programme and at Fulham Football Club. In this conversation we cover a LOT of ground including...- Richard's approach to developing creativity in players and also in coaches - How play should have a a bigger place in coaching session (for children and adults!!)- How to create effective warm ups- Is your coaching like 'pick and mix' or like 'cod liver oil' - The 4 parameters of playI certainly got a lot out of this discussion so I know you will too.Enjoy!!Some articles related to the discussion...Cheetham, R.J. (2012). The Importance of Creativity and Innovation In Coaching: Possibilities and Implications for Performance. The Journal of Cycle Coaching 2. 6-9Critchell, M. (2012) Play to learn and learn to play. A fresh approach to coaching young players.

Happy 4th of July to all of my American listeners!! It seems only fitting that we have one of America's favourite sports featured on the show this week so I invited someone from the NBA to come on and have a chat.Alex Sarama is the Head of Basketball Operations for the NBA across Europe, Middle East and Africa. He is responsible for making sure that young people get to experience basketball and uses the power of the NBA brand to engage them in the sport. His passion for helping young people to achieve their potential shines through loud and clear in this conversation as Alex asks me to explore the challenges of adopting non linear, constraints led coaching approaches within his sport and how he might encourage others to embrace the concepts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------As always, if you would like to support the show please consider leaving a review in your favourite podcatcher, by telling your friends and colleagues about it or b

Paul Bell is the national coach for Scottish Squash. He is an extremely thoughtful and engaging individual that reached out to me while I was at the UK Coaching Conference to see if we could have a chat over a coffee. 90 minutes later we had covered a lot of ground. Paul's story is fascinating...he has become a national coach at a relatively young age mostly through determination, hunger and a willingness to do anything to help him improve and develop.His commitment to learning and helping his athletes improve comes shining through and his willingness to share the discussion with the world speaks volumes about his commitment to behaviours that foster improvement and openness. I hope you enjoy it.

Juan Gonzalez-Mendia from www.sudamericacoaching.com is a coach and coach developer that is working to bring non linear approaches to South America. He works with schools, clubs, provincial associations and national governing bodies to help them to embrace player centred development philosophies and approaches. In this episode we explore...- The issues that people have with embracing non linear approaches - How to help a boss or leader to recognise that they need external support to improve their teams coaching- The challenges that he faces in developing coaches that are resistant to change (we have a little but of fun role playing this)It is a fascinating conversation and a great insight as to how the ecological approach is spreading across the globe. Enjoy- How

At the Talent Equation we like to innovate and try new things. In keeping with this spirit of innovation this week's episode is a bit of an experiment. Rob Gray from www.perceptionaction.com and The Perception Action Podcast stopped by for a chat and was game enough to allow me to include a live (virtual) studio audience in the shape of members of my private mastermind group 'The Conclave'.This is a great (and long overdue) conversation where Rob talks with me and also takes questions from members of the group. In the episode we cover: - Some of Rob's latest research into the relative effectiveness of different learning approaches in coaching. - Why the Constraints Led Approach is not like an 'all you can eat' buffet. - Some of the challenges of researching in this area brought on by limitations in experimental approaches - His call for more coaches to share their 'field notes' of the 'experiments' that they are conducting.- Rob's thoughts on some of the real world problems that coaches are facing. It's a fa

Brett Holland is a self confessed coaching geek!! He is a full time coach at one of the most prestigious sporting universities in the UK and he has one of the best jobs in the world!In this conversation we explore his methods, philosophy and approaches and get under the hood of his experiences as a coach both positive and negative.Our discussions include: - His 4 principles for creating an inclusive and progressive environment- How he approaches the psychological side of development - How he gets player feedback to improve his programme- How he manages 'the team behind the team' to provide 'unrivalled holistic support'This was a great discussion and one that is full of takeaways for any coach working at any levelEnjoy-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you value this content and would like to support the continued production of the blog and the podcast then please consider becoming a Patron 

Mark Upton is a professional people developer. I say that he is a 'people developer' because even though the bulk of his work is with coaches. He also works with a range a people across the sporting landscape and is now supporting sports bodies with their organisational development. Mark's extensive experience and wealth of knowledge really come through in this wide ranging conversation where we cover topics as diverse as: - Why he thinks SMART objectives are garbage- How he uses representative learning design in coach development activity- How he uses 'destabilisation' to develop opportunities for learning- His latest thoughts on the Constraints Led Approach and Ecological DynamicsAnd a whole lot more...I really home you enjoy this as much as I did. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you would like to support the Talent Equation Podcast then please consider leaving a review on your favourite podcast player or sharing it with your fri

Jason deVos likes a challenge! He also doesn't give up until he achieves his goals!! He is an object lesson in GRIT, Growth Mindset, Resilience...and all that stuff!! Not only does he come back from being dropped by his provincial football team at age 12 to captain his country. He gives up a lucrative job as a TV pundit to become the Head of Football Development at Canada Soccer. This is a man who is committed to helping people succeed and he will do his level best to making Canadian Soccer the best it can be. In this conversation we discuss...- What his Dad said to him on the long drive back from the trials where he was told he wasn't going to progress. - His blueprint for improving the environment for children in Canadian soccer clubs- How he want's to make the system in Canada more challenging for players rather than having a 'culture of entitlement'- His plans to change the coach development system in Canadian soccer. - My thoughts on how he could do some of these things. I hope you enjoy. ---------------

James Vaughan is a coach at the AIK Academy in Sweden. He is a colleague of Mark O'Sullivan and Dennis Hortin (both previous podcast guests) and is a regular contributor to the fantastic website 'Player Development Project'. James has a rich background as a coach and as a researcher and has been fortunate to study under the guidance of some of the leading academics in the field of skill acquisition, constraints led coaching and games based coaching. In this episode we delve into creativity and explore the way that social and cultural constraints influence the way we think, feel and act when trying to lead the development of young people in sport. It is an illuminating and in depth conversation. In the episode we discuss...- Why Brazilian culture emphasises skill - How Barcelona differs from Stockholm in the way they view human development- Myths about talent and creativity - How James applies constraints to influence positive, creative action rather than minimising errorGet your notebook ready!!If you would l