Performance Strategies & Stumbles Dan Howells, Collaborate Sports

This week we welcome back Shaun McLaren for his episode reflecting on mistakes and lessons learned in his career!
In this conversation, Shaun shares two pivotal coaching mistakes. The first mistake was testing a player on day one of preseason with a repeated sprint test, which resulted in a severe hamstring injury. The second mistake was using high-speed running and sprinting exposure as risk factors for injury without considering the limitations of the data. Both mistakes taught Shaun the importance of being flexible and reactive in coaching, as well as the need to prioritise skill development and performance problem-solving over data-driven approaches.
I hope you enjoy the episode, please share to your networks if you do!
Dan
 

This week we welcome back Ivi for her strategy segment of the podcast.
Our conversation discusses the importance of high-performance reflection processes for practitioners. Ivi shares her experience of using journaling and reflection to enhance her coaching effectiveness. She emphasises the need for practitioners to be present and aware of what is happening in their environment. She explains how she uses journal logs and Excel sheets to capture insights, player feedback, and common trends.
Ivi also highlights the value of collaboration and communication among the coaching staff to connect the dots and take action based on reflections. She acknowledges the challenges of implementing reflection processes and the need for leaders to create a supportive environment for practitioners.
We hope you enjoy the listen - and don't forget to check out our mentorships starting in under a month: www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships
Dan
 

In this conversation, Ivi shares her experiences and lessons learned in her career as a strength and conditioning coach. She discusses the mistakes she made and the challenges she faced, including perfectionism, lack of confidence, and overanalysing everything. Ivi emphasises the importance of being authentic, listening to players, and finding a balance between meeting their needs and asserting what needs to be done. She also highlights the need for collaboration and communication among different departments in a performance environment. Overall, Ivi's journey showcases the importance of self-reflection, growth, and adaptability in the field of sports performance.
A big thank you to FKpro for sponsoring this episode! FKpro is a versatile suspension training kit and is a training tool I have used for over 10 years. The company have forged great partnerships with several professional clubs and has become renowned for being the most versatile suspension training equipment out there, because of their unique attachments that can be used with the equipment. Please do check out their website here (www.fkpro.co.uk) to see the equipment. You can purchase using the collaborate sports discount 'CS20' to receive 20% off your purchase!
Please don't forget our mentorship programmes are only on sale till the end of this week - check them out here - www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships 
I hope you enjoy the listen!
Dan

Listen Time -31mins
In this episode, Sponsored by Gemini Sports Analytics, Dr Shaun McLaren joins us to talk about data skills. Shaun is an S&C coach and sports scientist at Newcastle Falcons, and mentors on the Collaborate Sports Data Skills Group Mentorships! Knowing how phenomenal he is with this work, I had to get him on the pod!
Shaun emphasises the importance of data in measuring and improving performance, but also highlights the need for coaches to rely on their intuition and experiential knowledge. We discuss the challenges of collecting and analysing data, and the importance of effective communication in conveying insights to coaches and athletes. Shaun also provides an overview of different data analysis tools, from spreadsheets to code-based solutions.
A big thanks to Gemini Sports Analytics for sponsoring today's episode. Gemini is a sports-specific AI Cloud and automated machine learning application that is already being used by professional and collegiate sports teams and organisations across the NFL, European football, the NCAA, and more, Gemini allows you to transform data and insights to optimize squad management, tactics and player performance. 
If you'd like to see more, visit geminisports.ai
If you enjoyed our talk on data, you may be interested in our Data Skills Group Mentorships – check out the pathway content here: www.collabortaesports.com/data
We hope you enjoy the listen!
 

Listen Time: 29mins
In this episode, we welcome back Craig Turner to share two key reflections on mistakes made in his career and how they helped him to develop.
The first lesson is about the importance of authentic communication, honesty, and punctuality. Craig recalls a time when he was late for practice and didn't communicate properly with his coach....listen to the outcome of that event! The second lesson is about the dangers of collecting too much data without a clear purpose. Craig discusses how his team at Nike Academy had access to various sports performance monitoring technologies but struggled to make sense of the data. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of effective communication and purposeful data collection in the field of sports science.
A big thanks to LTAD network for their sponsorship of the episode AND their generous discount code for listeners to use to book tickets to their fantastic conference on June 1st and 2nd. Book here using the discount code 'collabpodcast' for 15% off tickets!
Do also visit www.collaboratesports.com to see our free "Data Decoded" webinar next week and what our other personal development opportunities involve!
Enjoy the listen!
Dan

Listen Time: 30mins - Sponsored by FK Pro (www.fkpro.co.uk)
This week's episode features Dr Craig Turner who is the current Head of Basketball Performance at the University of Pennsylvania.
Before this, he worked with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers as a Sports Science/Strength & Conditioning Associate. Craig has also held additional roles as the Director of Sport Science and Associate Strength & Conditioning Coach at N.C. State University, Sport Science Researcher in conjunction with the Nike Sports Research Laboratory, a Sport Science Consultant with NK Istra 1961 Football Club in Croatia, and an Applied Sports Scientist/Strength & Conditioning Coach with The Nike Academy. 
Craig shares with me, his insights on performance hacks. He discusses enhancing warm-up and session flow using the 1x20 principle, standardising testing processes, and training male and female athletes differently. Craig emphasises the importance of streamlining processes without cutting corners and highlights the use of AMRAP sets for females to optimise training intensity. He also suggests integrating testing into training sessions to get a true performance outcome.
Craig can be found via:
Instagram @ctsportscience
Twitter / X @ctsportsci
LinkedIn @ctsportsci
Website www.ctsportscience.com
Today's episode is sponsored by FK Pro, the most versatile suspension training equipment I have ever used. They enable several exercise set up hacks and the independent strap system means they can be used in unison or isolation, and as a result of their success, they have partnered with World Rugby on several Education Projects.
As a product, they fly under the radar in my opinion and should be looked at as one of the simplest, but most effective additions to your traditional equipment and resistance methods. Visit their website at www.fkpro.co.uk and use the exclusive discount code CS20 for 20% off at checkout! Reach out if you'd like to know more about how I have used FK Pro too.
Enjoy the episode!
Dan