The Samurai Shift

Peter Jones
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  • Sports

The Samurai Shift podcast is a purpose-driven platform exploring how sport can evolve in service of the people within it. It invites sports administrators, policymakers, program directors, coaches, and athletes past and present, who care about sport as a vehicle for human expression to pause, step back, and reflect on questions that are often overlooked.FORMATIONEp 1: Carl Graham - Founder of Northern Beaches Volleyball AssociationEp 2: Nathan McLeod - Director of SA Beach in South AustraliaEp 3: Boris Georgieff - President of Volleyball QueenslandCOMPRESSIONEp 4: Louise Bawden OLY - VA Board of DirectorsEp 5: Damian Schumann OLY - The 'outsider' who broke throughEp 6: Michael Nelson - Olympic Coach now AIS Coach DevelopmentFRACTUREEp 7: Alistair Lyne - Director of Vic Beach Ep 8: Andrew Schacht OLY - Olympic Coach piloting AIS Coach Wellbeing programEp 9: Natalie Cook OLY - Olympic Gold Medalist and founder of the Aussie Athlete FundINTEGRATIONEp 10: Lauren Soderberg - Olympic Coach & National Body Wellbeing Systems LeaderEp 11: Craig Carracher - Volleyball Australia PresidentEp 12: Baz Weidmeier - Former Volleyball NSW General Manager and International Event Manager

Episodes

  1. 16h ago

    Episode # 9 Lauren Soderberg

    What does a sporting system lose when too few women are given the opportunity to coach at its highest level? In the final episode of The Samurai Shift’s Fracture Arc, Peter “Chico” Jones is joined by Lauren Soderberg — Australia’s first female Olympic beach volleyball coach and an internationally experienced high-performance coach, coach developer and consultant. Lauren’s journey has taken her from Australia to Vanuatu, Denmark and high-performance environments around the world. Along the way, she has seen vastly different approaches to coaching, culture, parenthood, athlete voice and the development of coaches themselves. Together, Peter and Lauren explore why women remain significantly underrepresented in high-performance coaching, the hidden barriers within the coaching pathway, and why the issue goes far beyond quotas or representation. The conversation examines talent identification, maternity and re-entry, sustainability, the “leaky pipeline” of female coaches, and the importance of creating environments in which the best coaches — regardless of gender — can develop, gain experience and thrive. They also explore a larger question emerging throughout this season: Are we developing coaches to fit existing systems, or designing systems that allow great coaches to emerge? As the Fracture Arc draws to a close, Lauren’s perspective invites us to look beyond who currently holds coaching positions and ask something deeper: Who has been given the opportunity to become good enough to compete for them?

  2. Aug 4

    Episode #8 - Andrew Schacht

    Who looks after the people responsible for developing our athletes? For decades, conversations around high performance have centred on athletes. Their preparation. Their performance. Their wellbeing. But what about the coaches? In this episode of The Samurai Shift, Peter Jones sits down with two-time Olympian and high-performance coach Andrew "Schotty" Schacht to explore the evolving role of coaching in Australian beach volleyball and why coach wellbeing has become a critical focus for the Australian Institute of Sport. Drawing on more than thirty years in the sport—as an athlete, national coach and now a leader in coach development—Andrew reflects on the changing identity of high-performance coaching, the increasing complexity of the role, and the pressures created by funding, performance expectations and evolving athlete needs. The conversation also explores the unique culture of Australian beach volleyball, the relationship between grassroots communities and national programs, and how good intentions can sometimes create unintended divisions within a sporting ecosystem. Rather than looking for blame, this episode asks a bigger question: What if the future of high performance isn't about demanding more from coaches—but supporting them to become more fully human? In this episode:  The evolution of Australian beach volleyball over the past three decades.  Why coaching is no longer just about teaching skills.  How coach wellbeing became a national priority.  The hidden pressures of high-performance coaching.  Building athletes by developing people—not just performers.  Why authentic relationships remain one of sport's greatest competitive advantages.

  3. Jul 20

    Episode #7 - Allister Lyne

    What happens when everyone wants the best for 'the sport', yet relationships still fracture? For nearly three decades, Allister "Big Al" Lyne has dedicated his life to growing beach volleyball in Victoria. As Director of Vic Beach, he's built one of Australia's strongest beach volleyball communities—not by focusing on results alone, but by consciously creating experiences that keep people coming back. In this conversation, we explore the often-overlooked relationship between grassroots providers councils and sporting governing bodies. Why do organisations with the same goal sometimes find themselves working against each other? What role do trust, communication and stewardship play in building healthy sporting ecosystems and where does the players interests sit in all this? And how much energy is lost by fractured relationships that could instead be invested in growing the game? Al shares a perspective of the challenges of running community sport, and the lessons learned from navigating sponsorships, councils and governance. This episode isn't about assigning blame. It's about asking better questions to work towards greater understanding and alignment. If sport exists to serve people, how do we build relationships that allow everyone to move in the same direction? In this episode we explore:  Why community is built through experiences, not competitions.  The difference between leadership, stewardship and control.  Why communication and trust sit at the heart of healthy sporting ecosystems.  Lessons from over twenty five years of building Vic Beach.  What sporting organisations can learn from grassroots communities.

  4. Jul 9

    Episode #6 - Mick Nelson

    In this episode of The Samurai Shift, Peter "Chico" Jones is joined by renowned high-performance coach and coach developer Michael Nelson. Having coached Australian athletes through multiple Olympic campaigns before transitioning into national coach development with the Australian Institute of Sport, Mick brings a rare perspective on what it takes to build not only successful athletes, but thriving coaches and healthy sporting environments. Together, they explore the pressures that exist inside high-performance sport, the evolving role of the coach, and why culture, relationships, and purpose are becoming just as important as performance itself. The conversation examines how coaching is changing, what the next generation of coaches need most, and why developing people—not just results—may be the key to creating sustainable sporting success. As The Samurai Shift continues its Compression Arc, this episode asks a powerful question: If coaches shape athletes, how are we shaping the coaches?

  5. Jun 23

    Episode #5 - Louise Bawden

    What is the ultimate purpose of a sporting system? In this episode of The Samurai Shift, Peter "Chico" Jones sits down with three-time Olympian, Volleyball Australia Board Member, and President of the FIVB Athletes' Commission, Louise Bawden. Having experienced sport as an athlete, leader, and international athlete representative, Louise offers a rare perspective on the pressures, opportunities, and responsibilities that exist throughout the sporting ecosystem. Together, they explore the relationship between performance and identity, the challenges athletes face during and after their competitive careers, and the role sporting systems play in shaping human development beyond medals and results. The conversation examines what athletes truly need to thrive, why athlete voices matter in governance, and how sport might better serve the people at its centre. As The Samurai Shift continues its Compression Arc, this episode asks a fundamental question: If sporting systems exist to serve people, what should they ultimately be producing?

  6. Jun 8

    Episode #4 - Damian Schumann

    In this episode of The Samurai Shift, Peter "Chico" Jones sits down with Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and Olympian Damian Schumann to explore a journey that challenged conventional thinking about talent identification and athlete development. Repeatedly told he was too short for Australia's high-performance pathway, Damian found another way forward. Supported by a passionate beach volleyball community and driven by an unwavering belief in what was possible, he developed outside the traditional system before eventually becoming one of Australia's most successful beach volleyball athletes. Together, Peter and Damian explore the tension between measurable attributes and human potential, the role of community in athlete development, and the alternative pathways that can emerge when formal structures aren't yet able to recognise what lies beneath the surface. More than a story about sporting success, this conversation raises deeper questions about how systems identify talent, what they prioritise, what they sometimes overlook and ways that things could potentially improve. As The Samurai Shift moves into the Compression Arc, Damian's journey provides a powerful lens through which to examine the pressure points that exist between human potential and system expectation.

  7. May 18

    Episode 3 - Boris Georgieff

    What do our sporting systems actually produce? In this episode of The Samurai Shift, Peter “Chico” Jones sits down with Boris Georgieff — long-time President of Volleyball Queensland — to explore the realities of building and sustaining a state-wide sporting system. From grassroots participation through to representative pathways, this conversation examines how systems are structured, what they prioritise, and how those priorities shape the experience of athletes, coaches, families, and communities. Together, they explore the tensions that emerge as sport moves from participation into performance… and the challenge of keeping human development at the centre of increasingly complex systems. This episode raises deeper questions about modern sport: Who is the system ultimately serving?  What happens when performance becomes the dominant priority?  And how do we create environments where people remain connected to the game long after competition ends? As The Samurai Shift continues to explore how sporting ecosystems shape human experience, this conversation moves further into the architecture beneath the game itself.

  8. Apr 29

    Nathan 'Wombat' McLeod

    What does it actually take to create opportunity in sport? In this episode of The Samurai Shift, Peter “Chico” Jones sits down with Nathan “Wombat” McLeod — whose journey through volleyball spans grassroots events, national tours, and international competition. From building local beach volleyball series to working across the national and global stage, Nathan offers a unique perspective on the unseen work that underpins the game. This conversation explores the realities of creating environments for players to compete, connect, and grow — and the pressures that come with it. It also raises a deeper question: What do our sporting systems really produce? Through stories of event delivery, community building, and athlete development, this episode highlights the balance between opportunity, sustainability, and the human experience of sport. As the series moves from origin stories into system design, this conversation begins to reveal how structure, decisions, and priorities shape the pathways people move through.

  9. Apr 13

    Carl Graham - Founder of NBVA

    Where did beach volleyball in Australia begin? In this episode of The Samurai Shift, Peter “Chico” Jones sits down with Carl Graham — one of the founders of Australia’s first beach volleyball community on Sydney’s Northern Beaches more than 40 years ago. Long before formal pathways and high performance systems, the game was built through simple, community-driven experiences — portable courts, shared effort, and a deep connection to the people involved. Carl reflects on the early days of building the Northern Beaches Volleyball Association, the challenges of establishing a new sport in public spaces, and the culture that allowed it to grow — grounded in accessibility, volunteerism, and a genuine love of the game. Through this conversation, we explore what made those early environments work… and what they might teach us about the way sport is structured today.

  10. Mar 28

    The Samurai Shift - Introduction

    What is sport really for? In this opening episode of The Samurai Shift, Peter “Chico” Jones sits down with Sarah Maxwell to explore the thinking behind the podcast — and the question that has shaped his 40-year journey in sport. From grassroots beginnings to Olympic pathways, Peter reflects on the evolution of sporting systems and the growing tension between performance and human experience. Drawing on powerful personal stories, including a defining moment during an Olympic qualification campaign, he introduces the core idea behind The Samurai Shift: What if sport was designed to serve the human first? Through the lens of the Samurai — where “to serve” is the foundational principle — this conversation explores how sporting ecosystems might evolve to better support athletes, communities, and the people who move through them. This episode sets the foundation for a series of conversations examining sport from the ground up — from grassroots participation through to governance and high performance.

    The Samurai Shift - Introduction
  • 10 Episodes

About

The Samurai Shift podcast is a purpose-driven platform exploring how sport can evolve in service of the people within it. It invites sports administrators, policymakers, program directors, coaches, and athletes past and present, who care about sport as a vehicle for human expression to pause, step back, and reflect on questions that are often overlooked.FORMATIONEp 1: Carl Graham - Founder of Northern Beaches Volleyball AssociationEp 2: Nathan McLeod - Director of SA Beach in South AustraliaEp 3: Boris Georgieff - President of Volleyball QueenslandCOMPRESSIONEp 4: Louise Bawden OLY - VA Board of DirectorsEp 5: Damian Schumann OLY - The 'outsider' who broke throughEp 6: Michael Nelson - Olympic Coach now AIS Coach DevelopmentFRACTUREEp 7: Alistair Lyne - Director of Vic Beach Ep 8: Andrew Schacht OLY - Olympic Coach piloting AIS Coach Wellbeing programEp 9: Natalie Cook OLY - Olympic Gold Medalist and founder of the Aussie Athlete FundINTEGRATIONEp 10: Lauren Soderberg - Olympic Coach & National Body Wellbeing Systems LeaderEp 11: Craig Carracher - Volleyball Australia PresidentEp 12: Baz Weidmeier - Former Volleyball NSW General Manager and International Event Manager

Information

  • Creator
    Peter Jones
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Samurai Shift
  • Show Website
    The Samurai Shift