The Talent Equation Podcast Stuart Armstrong

A new dog walk diary where I begin a new multi part series talking about all of the ways that coach education and development needs to change to meet the needs of a new generation of learners.

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Scott Young makes an extremely welcome return to the podcast having written a new book about learning that follows up on the smash hit 'Ultralearning'. 'Get Better at Anything' has a different flavour as it takes us on a more practical journey to explore the development of skill in multiple domains. 

I was gripped by this conversation as we explored: 
What Tetris players can teach us about getting better.Why the mind is not a muscle! Why we should value variability over repetition.Why improvement is not a straight line. Why practice must meet reality. Amongst a whole heap of other things. 

I hope you enjoy as much as I did. 

Link to Scott's podcast 

Link to the blog and newsletter 

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In this episode I am joined by Josh Peacock from 'Combat Learning' and the 'Combat Learning Podcast'.

Combat Learning is about radically improving teachers and learners of martial arts using the ecological approach to training. They explore the little-known frontiers of skill adaptation, perceptual-motor learning, and human performance science for combat sports.

As Josh says...."After teaching martial arts for several years, I realised that most instruction is based on unexamined traditions handed down from one instructor to another. Little to no science or research is ever incorporated…Hungry to explore ways to improve myself as an instructor, I set off to study educational psychology and motor learning. In that process, I discovered the games-based and constraints-led approaches to coaching, which are radically different methodologies than what I had seen anywhere in my career as a martial artist…In fact, these methodologies are built around designing practice exercises that allow students to explore the solutions to problems on their own, rather than teaching them solutions directly or having them do lots of technique repetitions". 

It's a fascinating conversation about the challenges of tackling tradition and culturally resilient beliefs. 

Hope you enjoy



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This episode features guest Kevin Mulcahy from Cork, Ireland, who is an S&C coach with experience coaching Gaelic Football and Hurling. 

The episode explores... 
The historical context of these sports and their contemporary changes, including rule standardisation and the impact of lighter balls on game dynamics.Challenges in youth sports development, such as facility access and the influence of successful teams on community participation. How ideas from ecological dynamics are becoming more prevalent across Irish sport and how that is translating to elite success as well as a growth in participation. Kevin shares insights into integrating human movement, strength, and conditioning into Gaelic football coaching and fostering leadership within teams.We explore design principles for training and practice - how Kevin integrates principles of human movement with principles of team dynamics and principles of invasion sports. We discuss how action capacities differ from action capabilities and also look into 'interaction capacities and capabilities'. Hope you enjoy. 

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Reflecting on my conversation with Mike Jagacki and some of the thoughts it threw up!!

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This episode is another in my new series focussed on having conversations with people I don't 100% agree with.

Mike Jagacki joins me to explore the nuances of his basketball coaching philosophy which takes a 'best of both worlds' approach' trying to integrate ecological ideas with concepts from information processing. 

Key Themes Discussed:Balancing Coaching Styles: the importance of finding the right mix between structured and flexible coaching approaches. We delve into how aligning coaching philosophies within the staff and incorporating various styles can lead to optimal team performance.Influence of Mentors and Philosophy Integration: The episode highlights how mentors have played a crucial role in shaping Mike's coaching beliefs and practices. We explore the significance of building a solid defensive foundation and how integrating different coaching philosophies enhances player capabilities.Player Development Methodologies: Unpacking the balance between isolated skill drills and game-like contextual training, in fostering player growth. The focus is on the necessity of blending foundational skill-building with decision-making and real-game scenarios for effective skill transfer.Dynamic and Adaptive Training: Training methods that are not only dynamic and adaptive but also encourage creativity. These methods aim to refine specific skills while ensuring they fit within a structured sports system.Building Confidence and Teamwork: We examine the role of drills in fostering confidence, teamwork, and a positive player mentality. The episode also covers how pre-practice rituals can instill core values in players.Overcoming Challenges and Instilling Core Values: From desensitizing players to fear and hesitation to the use of specific terminology for smooth transitions from individual skills to team play. 

I enjoyed the conversation - I hope you do too. 

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