In episode #13, Tomás Freitas, Head of S&C in UCAM Murcia CB Academy, join us.

In this episode:

- Agility vs Multidirectional Speed - what differentiates them?;

- Why is agility such an important component in youth athletic development?;

- What are the best tests to assess agility in youth athletes?;

- How important is it to include reactive or decision-making elements in agility training?;

- How can agility training be integrated into warm-ups or tactical sessions?

- Etc.

About Tomás:

- Head of S&C in UCAM Murcia CB Academy, since 2016;

- Lecturer & High-Performance Researcher at UCAM, since 2015;

- Guest Researcher at Núcleo de Alto Rendimento Esportivo de São Paulo, since 2020;

- Social Media: @tomás-t-freitas-7399211b7 (Linkedin)

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In episode #12, Francesco Ruffolo, Head of Youth S&C and Assistant S&C Coach of Pallacanestro Reggiana, join us.

In this episode:

- What is Long-Term Athlete Development, and why is it essential for coaches and parents to understand?

- Early Specialization - risks associated;

- What role does biological age play compared to chronological age in athlete development?

- What comes first when building a young athlete? What physical skills should be focused on first?

- What’s the role of fundamental movement skills in setting the foundation for advanced athletic performance?

- Olympic lifts: when to introduce them to young athletes and why?

About Francesco:

- Head of Youth S&C and Assistant S&C Coach of Pallacanestro Reggiana, since 2022;

- Worked as Assistant S&C Coach at Purdue University;

- Worked as Strength & Rehab Specialist at Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln;

- Social Media: @ruffoloperformancecscs

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In episode #11, Jay Sutaria, Founder of STF Houston & Athletic Trainer, join us.

In this episode:

- Individual approach to an athlete: First things to look on the athlete? Where to start?;

- Pillar Preparation - importance of proper breathing & core stability; - Importance of seeing how an athlete moves on the court;

- Biggest challenges athletes face when it comes to remote training, especially during competitive seasons?;

- How to maintain a personal connection and understanding of an athlete's needs when not physically present?;

- How to balance team training schedules with the need for personalized individual training during the season?;

- How to collaborate with an athlete’s team staff (coaches, medical team, nutritionists) to ensure a holistic approach to their training?.

About Jay:

- Founder & Director of STF Houston, since 2011;

- Athletic Trainer with various years of experience, working with NBA & Euroleague Players such as Dwight Howard, Patrick Beverly, Anthony Lamb, among others;

- Bachelor Degree in Kinesiology – Exercise Science from the University of Houston;

- Social Media: @stfhouston

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In episode #10, Miguel Sousa, Director of Sports Performance at Combine Academy, join us.

In this episode:

- Mobility vs Stretching: how important is to differentiate both oh them?

- Key assessments or tests to evaluate an athlete's mobility;

- Can stretching or mobility work reduce the risk of injury?;

- Common mobility issues that players tend to have;

- How can technology help coaches to assess mobility issues?.

About Miguel:

- Director of Sports Performance at Combine Academy, since 2018;

- Lecturer at Sports Academy, since 2020;

- Massage Therapist, since 2024;

- Worked as Head of Strength & Conditioning and Swim Coach at Nässjö SLS in Sweden;

- Worked with various sports and teams as Strength & Conditioning Coach such at Ovarense Basquetebol, Clube de Ginástica de Oliveira do Hospital and Sampaense Basquetebol;

- Social Media: @miguelsousasc

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In episode #9, Roberto Iezzi, Head of Performance at Pallacanestro Brescia, join us.

In this episode:

- Structure of a professional team staff;

- Collaboration of the performance staff with technical and medical staff within the team;

- How to build strength and conditioning programs to meet the specific needs of individual athletes while also aligning with the overall team goals and strategies?;

- How is the approach of the performance department on injuries and rehabilitation processes?;

- How is the approach of the performance department with technical staff on load management strategies to prevent overtraining and optimize performance?.

About Roberto:

- Head of Performance at Pallacanestro Brescia, since 2021;

- Worked as Strength & Conditioning Coach on U20 Boys Italian National Team;

- Worked as Head of Strength & Conditioning at Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club;

- Worked with various other basketball teams as Strength & Conditioning Coach such as Moncalieri Basketball, Scaligera Basket Verona and Stella Azzurra Basketball Academy;

- Social Media: @roberto_iezzi34

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In episode #8, João Barreira, PhD Researcher & Physiologist of Portugal U17 Boys Football Team, join us.

In this episode:

- Why sleep is the main recovery method to optimize performance?;

- Sleep stages? How can them impact the quality of sleep?;

- Strategies for improving sleep duration and quality;

- How can performance coaches measure the sleep of the athletes?.

About João:

- PhD Reseracher;

- Work as Physiologist for Portugal U17 Boys Football Team;

- Speaker at several seminars of the Portuguese Football Federation;

- Worked with various other football teams as Strength & Conditioning Coach;

- Social Media: @joaobarreira_

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In episode #7, Rett Larson, Strength & Conditioning Coach of German Women's Volleyball Team, join us.

In this episode:

- Warm-Ups: Benefits? What are the components of a dynamic warm-up? Warm-up as an additional practice?;

- No-Zombie Warm-Ups!;

- Gamification of training: Why is it so important to compete in practice? Why is it so important to have athletes having fun during practice? How can we increase intrinsic motivation during weight room practices?

About Rett:

-Strength & Conditioning Coach for German Women's Volleyball Team;

- Worked as Strength & Conditioning for Netherlands Women's Volleyball Team;

- Worked as Strength & Conditioning for Chinese Women's Volleyball Team;

- Worked with EXOS as Project Manager leading a team of performance coaches who prepared the Chinese Olympic teams for the 2016 Games in Rio;

- Social Media: @rettasaurus

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In episode #6, Tomás Mota, Performance Coach & Teacher/Lecturer, join us.

In this episode:

- Isometrics: Benefits? How you can use it? Types of it? How can you adjust the variables dependent on your goal?;

- Training Specificity: What is? Why is important to work also with this type of movements on the gym?;

- Valgus Knee: Is it really a problem? What a coach has to do with this cases?

About Tomás:

- Sports Performance Coach: work individually with professional players since 2018;

- Worked as Sports Performance Coach in professional teams: Rayo Vallecano, Boavista F.C.;

- Track & Field Coach;

- Teacher / Lecturer since 2018.

- Social Media: @tomasmota_pfs

If you have some particular guest that you wanted to be listened here, give me the feedback!

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