The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching

Marianne Davies
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The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching is a space for curious, evidence-informed conversations that sit at the intersection of learning, movement, skill acquisition, ethics, and philosophy — with a particular love for adventure, lifestyle, and equestrian sports. Hosted by Marianne Davies, the show explores what it means to become skilful in environments that are complex, fluid, and never fully controllable — where risk can be managed, but not eliminated. Each episode brings research and real-world practice into dialogue through spontaneous, thoughtful discussions with practitioners and researchers. Expect deep dives into ecological and systems perspectives, coaching practice, decision-making under pressure, and the socio-cultural realities that shape how we train, compete, and care — for ourselves, for others, and (in equestrian contexts) for the horse as a partner in the learning environment.

  1. VOR 10 STD.

    Moving Through Meaning: Ecological Psychology and Place with Harry Heft

    In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast Marianne is joined by Professor Harry Heft, one of the leading voices in ecological psychology and a scholar deeply influenced by James and Eleanor Gibson. Harry shares how growing up amid the social change of the late 1960s, and his frustration with psychology’s neglect of real living environments, led him into a lifetime of work on environment–behaviour relations. The conversation explores the core ecological idea that perception is not about constructing an inner picture of the world, but about detecting richly structured information in the environment. Harry explains how James and Eleanor Gibson reframed perceptual learning as a process of differentiation and attunement rather than “enriching” impoverished sensory inputs. Using concrete examples, from wine tasting to children learning to move safely, and from driving to riding horses, he shows how organisms become more finely tuned to the affordances of their surroundings. Marianne connects these ideas to equestrian and adventure sports (riding, paddling, surfing, paragliding, mountain biking), where we move through the world as person–animal or person–equipment systems, rather than isolated individuals. Together, they discuss how riders, horses, and other animals co-adapt, how agency and control shape learning, and why allowing animals (and humans) to actively explore is crucial for genuine skill development. The episode broadens out into questions of place, culture, and development. Harry reflects on: - How noise, housing, and urban environments affect children’s perceptual learning. - Why early experiences in rich, structured, but not over-controlled environments are so powerful and hard to “overwrite.” - The importance of situated and joint perception, we learn to see the world through interactions with others, human and non-human. - The social and ethical implications of social media, homeschooling, loss of free play, and reduced face-to-face interaction for children. Finally, Harry talks about his current interests in meaning, culture, and social affordances, how objects and places are never neutral but imbued with significance through shared practices and histories. Throughout, the conversation keeps circling back to a central theme: how we and the animals around us learn to move, act, and live meaningfully in our environments, within both possibilities and constraints. If you’re curious about how environments shape perception, learning, and culture, and what this means for coaching, education, animal welfare, and everyday life, this episode offers a rich, thoughtful, and accessible introduction. My guest Harry Heft Link to Harry’s ResearchGate profile https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Harry-Heft Denison University profile https://denison.edu/people/harry-heft

    58 Min.

  2. 12. MÄRZ

    Coaching Falling with Style: Affordances, safety, and skill adaptation with Danny Hatcher

    In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast, host Marianne Davies speaks with Danny Hatcher, whose work sits at the intersection of sports coaching, ecological psychology, Deaf awareness, and technology/AI. Danny introduces his background in strength and conditioning and sports coaching and explains how a seemingly simple example about a table having “affordances” drew him into ecological psychology. He shares his lived experience of being half deaf and half blind, his journey into British Sign Language (BSL), and his growing involvement in the Deaf community, where he now volunteers and advocates for Deaf awareness in “hearing world” environments such as sport. A major thread of the conversation is Danny’s ecological approach to coach development and skill learning at his trampoline club. He describes how most of trampolining is really about “safe crashing” and “falling with style,” and how traditional coaching models, focused on a single “correct” technique, can create fear and hesitation in parents, helpers, and newcomers. Instead, he designs open, exploratory environments where participants (including adults and parents) learn by exploring movement, making mistakes, and discovering multiple solutions to motor problems, rather than trying to reproduce one ideal model. Marianne and Danny unpack common safety concerns in sport, contrasting the perceived danger of “doing it wrong” with the actual reality of well-managed, exploratory practice in maintained, supervised environments. They highlight how changing the environment (e.g., adding or removing mats) changes perception and action, and how being skilled often means being good at adapting and recovering from errors, not just performing a perfect form. Throughout, Danny links these ideas back to ecological psychology, disability, and how we can shift coaches’ and parents’ questions from “How do I correct this?” to “What motor problem is this person solving, and how can I help them explore more solutions?”

    1 Std. 14 Min.

  3. 31.12.2025

    Beyond Optimality: Embracing emergent adaptation. A conversation with Madhur Mangalam.

    This podcast was recorded in response the publication of 'The myth of Optimality in Human Movement Science' by Madhur Mangalam. I recorded this episode some time ago but it has been a tough year and I have not published any podcasts. I lost my beloved River Tiger this year - it's still very raw but I do want to discuss that in another episode. My motivation is stronger for continuing to explore skill adaptation in equestrian and adventure sports so despite the need to prioritise my PhD thesis, I will endeavour to publish some episodes this year. The "myth of optimality" in human movement science critiques the idea that there's one "perfect" way to move, arguing that evolution produces sufficient adaptations, not perfect solutions, and that movement is dynamic, context-dependent, and adaptive. This flawed concept, often used in biomechanics and motor control, ignores the body's ability to find flexible solutions based on task, environment (e.g., running on a track vs. trail), and internal states (fatigue), proposing instead that performance emerges from complex, multi-scale processes, not a fixed, optimal blueprint.  This discussion explores the concept of optimality in human and equine movement sciences. Madhur Mangalam, an assistant professor of biomechanics, critiques the optimality framework, arguing it oversimplifies complex movements. He emphasises the importance of variability and context in movement, citing his viral paper on the myth of optimality. Marianne and Madhur discuss the need for a more empathetic, constraint-aware approach in coaching and the limitations of lab-based research in capturing real-world movement dynamics. This is a link to my guest on this episode: https://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-education-health-and-human-sciences/biomechanics-core-facility/about-us/directory/madhur-mangalam.php Madhur Mangalam is an accomplished Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomechanics at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. He has a stellar academic background, earning his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Life Sciences from the prestigious Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Pune, India. His insatiable curiosity and passion for understanding the human mind led him to complete his Ph.D. in Psychology at the renowned University of Georgia in Athens, followed by rigorous postdoctoral training in Neuroscience at Northeastern University in Boston.Dr. Mangalam's research pursuits are at the forefront of interdisciplinary innovation, primarily focusing on unraveling the nonlinear dynamical principles that underlie perception-action mechanisms and embodied/embedded cognition. His scholarly journey is marked by a commitment to advancing our understanding of these intricate processes. Furthermore, he is a pioneer in developing cutting-edge nonlinear analytical methods, which play a pivotal role in uncovering and deciphering these fundamental principles. With his exceptional academic journey and dedication to pushing the boundaries of knowledge, Dr. Mangalam continues to make impactful contributions to biomechanics, psychology, and neuroscience. This is the paper we are discussing: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390322410_The_myth_of_optimality_in_human_movement_science The paper by Jane Clark: This is an excellent overview of the paper by Rob Gray https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgR5g7rZxT4 Clark, J. E. (1995). On Becoming Skillful: Patterns and Constraints. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 66(3), 173–183. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.

    1 Std.

  4. 25.01.2025

    Exploring 'the affordance hypothesis' with Ed Baggs. What are affordances and are they different for non-human animals?

    Ed Baggs, assistant professor at the University of Southern Denmark, joins me for a conversation about his research on affordances. I invited Ed to join me after reading his latest (preprint) paper ‘The Affordance Hypothesis. In this paper Ed and his co-author Vicente Raja delve into affordance research, using examples like an African fish eagle hunting bee-eaters to illustrate direct perception.  Ed discusses his journey from traditional cognitive science to exploring affordances in language and human interactions. Though the paper they reference, among many others, James's Principles of Psychology and Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, to contextualise Gibson's work. Ed emphasises the need to move beyond categorisation-based thinking to a field-based approach, using action boundaries to operationalise affordances. As a key part of the operationalisation problem (how to study affordances without falling back into categorical thinking), Ed explains the long-standing debate over affordances' ontological status, referencing Fodor and Pylyshyn's critique and Turvey et al.'s response. In their paper, Ed and Vicente propose viewing affordances as regions of movement space rather than categories.  The discontinuity problem addresses how humans use language to categorise things, and therefore perceive affordances differently from other animals.  The conversation also touches on the practical implications for coaches and athletes, emphasising the importance of shared perceptions and meaningful affordances. There is so much in here. It is worth listening to Episode 60 with Dr Andrew Wilson for an introduction to affordances, and to Episode 1 with Dr James Stafford and Warren Lampard for a conversation about action boundaries and using affordances in practice. About my guest Edward Baggs is assistant professor in humanities at the University of Southern Denmark and a fellow at the Danish Institute for Advanced Study. His work focuses on the problem of scaling up embodied cognitive science beyond the individual mind to encompass collaborative activity as well as cognitive development and language. His current interests include direct social perception theory and developing field-based methods for observing cognition in everyday settings. Links Ed Baggs on ‘x’ https://x.com/edbaggs/status/1867584095720779812 Preprint full paper DOI https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/xu4wk YouTube clip of the African Fish Eagle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW-BSDZ7iqc&pp=ygUWYWZyaWNhbiBmaXNoIGVhZ2xlIGJiYw%3D%3D Karen Adolph visual cliff research clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WanGt1G6ScA How direct is visual perception?: Some reflections on Gibson's “ecological approach.' J.A. Fodor, & Z.W. Pylyshyn (1981)  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0010027781900093?via%3Dihub Ecological laws of perceiving and acting: In reply to Fodor and Pylyshyn (1981)  Turvey et al. (1981) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/16000703_Ecological_laws_of_perceiving_and_acting_In_reply_to_Fodor_and_Pylyshyn_1981

    56 Min.

  5. 16.01.2025

    A contemporary perspective on strength, conditioning and rehabilitation with Yuji Suzuki.

    Yuji Suzuki, a strength and conditioning coach and chiropractor based in Portland, Oregon, discusses his transition to an ecological approach in his work with youth and remote clients. He explains how the COVID-19 pandemic led him to explore online resources, which introduced him to the ecological principles of human movement learning.  Yuji emphasises the importance of allowing clients to explore their own movements rather than imposing rigid biomechanical models. He also highlights the benefits of remote coaching, which encourages clients to become more independent and self-regulating in their movement practices. Yuji and I discuss the evolving understanding of pain, emphasising its complexity and the shift from singular to multifaceted approaches. Yuji highlights the importance of considering individual contexts, histories, and environments in pain management.  Yuji describes the role of clinicians as guiding rather than just diagnosing, focusing on continuous support. We explore the cultural attitudes towards aging and movement in the UK and US. Additionally, we delve into the role of chiropractic care, with Yuji emphasising a more ecological approach beyond spinal adjustments, and the importance of movement exploration and behavioural adaptation. About my guest: Yuji works as a strength and conditioning coach in Portland, Oregon, USA working mainly with the youth population locally. Additionally, he utilises his background as a chiropractor to provide remote coaching for individuals navigating pain and performance related obstacles. He is an advocate for adopting an ecological dynamics approach in performance training, pain management and rehabilitation. Where to find Yuji: Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/yujgains/ X profile: https://x.com/yujisuzukidc

    55 Min.

  6. 24.12.2024

    Circumnavigating Anglesey: Celebrating friendship, adventure, and play.

    This is a special edition of the podcast. I'm not only passionate about coaching and learning in adventure and equestrian sports, they are an integral part of my life. In this episode I am joined by the three amazing women with whom I shared a wonderful adventure this summer.  Sue Couling, Jenna Sanders and Louise Royle join me to capture our summer adventure stand up paddle boarding around the beautiful Isle of Anglesey in North Wales.  The most amazing and special thing about adventure and equestrian sports are the people. I count myself blessed to have been able to spend my time with so many amazing people this year, on the yard, out hiking, and playing on the water. Our nonlinear (of course) circumnavigation around the Isle of Anglesey was the highlight of my year and a chance to get out and immerse myself in the stunningly beautiful seascapes of my home country with some special people. My guests on this episode: Louise, Sue and Jenna are all active coaches. If you would like some coaching or coach development with these three amazing women, here are their contacts. Louise Royle https://www.instagram.com/louise.royle.paddler/ Sue Couling https://www.facebook.com/sue.couling.3 Jenna Sanders https://www.facebook.com/flyinggeckooutdoors

    53 Min.

  7. 13.12.2024

    Why the concept of affordances is so important to our understanding of becoming skilful. A conversation with Dr Andrew Wilson

    This is a conversation that I have been looking forward to for a long time. We covered a lot of ground especially defining affordances and linking affordances not only to individual movement, but to multi organism and multi species interactions. On the way we connected affordance perception, calibration, flow, and many other importance concepts. Andrew Wilson, an ecological psychologist at Leeds Beckett University, discusses the concept of affordances, emphasising their central role in skill acquisition and movement. He explains that affordances are properties of the environment that enable or constrain action, and that perception of these affordances is crucial for successful interaction. Andrew contrasts affordances with traditional stimulus-response models, highlighting their intrinsic meaningfulness and the importance of complementarity between organisms and their environments. He also addresses the application of affordances in human-horse interactions, stressing the need for mutual calibration and adaptability. The conversation then touched on the potential connections between Gibson's concept of affordances and other emerging frameworks like the free energy principle and predictive processing. My guest on this episode was Dr Andrew Wilson Email: a.d.wilson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/adw.bsky.social Blog: https://psychsciencenotes.blogspot.com/ Full episode notes: Where next Explore the concept of affordances further, particularly in the context of skill development and human-animal interactions.Consider how the language of affordances can provide a more nuanced and ecologically-valid way of understanding behaviour, compared to traditional approaches.Discuss the potential connections between affordance theory and other emerging frameworks like the free energy principle and predictive processing.

    1 Std. 4 Min.

  8. 10.11.2024

    What it is to be human: A conversation with Professor Eric Brymer about the nature of adventure sports.

    In this podcast Eric Brymer discusses the human need for adventure, likening modern life to a metaphorical cage that strips away fundamental human experiences. He explores the motivations behind extreme sports, noting that while initial motivations vary, continued participation is driven by profound relationships with nature, clarity of mind, and ineffable experiences. Eric emphasises the importance of understanding these experiences through phenomenology and the hermeneutic approach, which involve deep reflection and language limitations. He also highlights the benefits of adventurous physical activity in nature for mental health and well-being, advocating for a life that integrates physical activity, nature immersion, and adventure. About my guest: Eric Brymer - Associate Professor, Human Sciences, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Australia. Eric's research interests are Performance, Extreme sports and environments, Health and wellbeing, Nature experiences, Learning design, Adventure. Eric is interested in the psychology of performance, wellbeing and learning in adventure and nature-based contexts. His research is particularly focused on the impact of adventure and the human-nature relationship on health and wellbeing and the design of effective interventions. Eric can be contacted at Southern Cross University at https://researchportal.scu.edu.au/esploro/profile/eric_brymer/overview For Eric's publications see his profile on ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric-Brymer Paper examples: Adventure and Mental Health:an Ecological Perspective. ‘Leave Your Ego at the Door’: A Narrative Investigation into Effective Wingsuit Flying.

    40 Min.
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The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching is a space for curious, evidence-informed conversations that sit at the intersection of learning, movement, skill acquisition, ethics, and philosophy — with a particular love for adventure, lifestyle, and equestrian sports. Hosted by Marianne Davies, the show explores what it means to become skilful in environments that are complex, fluid, and never fully controllable — where risk can be managed, but not eliminated. Each episode brings research and real-world practice into dialogue through spontaneous, thoughtful discussions with practitioners and researchers. Expect deep dives into ecological and systems perspectives, coaching practice, decision-making under pressure, and the socio-cultural realities that shape how we train, compete, and care — for ourselves, for others, and (in equestrian contexts) for the horse as a partner in the learning environment.

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