Episode 4: Season 5 Episode 4- Derek Savage- Fostering Trust and Collaboration in Team Dynamics

In this episode, Jay DeMayo and Derek Savage discuss the unique dynamics and challenges of strength and conditioning at Colorado College. They explore Derek's journey from volunteer to director, the importance of building athlete buy-in, and the innovative triangle meetings that foster collaboration among coaches, medical staff, and strength coaches. The conversation highlights the significance of mentorship, trust, and communication in achieving success in collegiate sports.Takeaways Building strong relationships is key to athlete buy-in. Mentorship plays a crucial role in career development. Triangle meetings enhance collaboration and communication. Trust and communication are vital in team dynamics. Derek's journey from volunteer to director is inspiring. Colorado College's unique block plan presents challenges. Collaboration with medical staff is essential for success. Attention to detail is critical in strength coaching. Networking and building connections are important. Adapting to different coaching styles is necessary. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Background 00:00:00 Derek's Journey to Director 00:00:00 Building Athlete Buy-In 00:00:00 Triangle Meetings and Collaboration 00:00:00 Mentorship and Trust 00:00:00 Challenges and Successes at Colorado College

In this conversation, Michael Chatman and Jay DeMayo discuss a pivotal moment in a basketball game, focusing on the energy and mindset shifts that come with performance. They reflect on the importance of embracing new energy and the impact of significant plays on team dynamics.TakeawaysThe first play of the game can set the tone.Energy and mindset are crucial in performance.Embracing new energy can lead to better outcomes.Players evolve, and so should their roles.A memorable dunk can change the game's momentum.Team dynamics are influenced by individual performances.Humor can lighten the pressure in competitive situations.Expectations can shift based on past performances.The importance of wanting the best version of teammates.A positive mindset can lead to greater success.

In this episode, Jay DeMayo welcomes Cam Davidson back to the podcast to discuss his journey through various coaching roles, including his recent transition to NC State. They explore the importance of family dynamics in coaching, the evolution of training methods, and the philosophy of high challenge and high support in athlete development. Cam shares insights from his experiences at different institutions and how they shaped his coaching style, emphasizing the need for adaptability and continuous learning in the field.TakeawaysCam Davidson discusses his transition from Colorado to NC State.Family dynamics play a crucial role in coaching decisions.High challenge and high support are essential for athlete development.Training methods must evolve based on the athlete's needs and environment.Cam emphasizes the importance of collaboration among coaching staff.Lessons learned from previous coaching stops inform current practices.The significance of creating an enjoyable training environment for athletes.Adaptability is key in coaching different sports and levels.Cam's training philosophy has evolved over the years, incorporating various methodologies.The podcast highlights the importance of mentorship and networking in coaching. Chapters00:00 Cam's Journey: From Penn State to NC State06:17 The Importance of Family in Coaching10:10 Lessons Learned from Different Coaching Environments18:12 High Challenge, High Support: A Coaching Philosophy21:28 Finding Balance in Coaching and Life24:25 The Evolution of Coaching Styles31:02 Adapting Training Methods for Different Sports35:56 Continuous Growth and Learning in Coaching

On this week’s episode I got to sit down and discuss the preparation process with basketball players with a coach that has been on my “wish list” for guests to have on The Podcast, David Deets. David has had a really awesome voyage that to his position now at Tulsa, and this has helped him formulate a unique philosophy and mindset when it comes to all aspects of preparation. Throughout the 30-minute discussion Coach Deets and I get into:  1)     Where the origin of his passion for the warm up aspect of perpetration, but for training and practice came from2)     The value of keeping similar patterns in the warm up, but changing the movements as often as possible 3)     Examples of how he prescribes these variations including specific examples of some of these patterns4)     Why and where we find value in barefoot training5)     What training them for the sport not the numbers mean to him Such a great conversation with a fantastic practitioner who has a unique perspective on developing the basketball players, and a discussion that, quite frankly, has made me have some second thoughts about some things that I do, specifically with our daily practice warm ups. Coach Deets is really doing great work, and I’m so grateful for his open and candid sharing today. Make sure you give him a follow on The Gram at @ coachdeets23 and on the Twitter-sphere at @coachdeets. I truly hope you took as much from this discussion as I did, and if so, and could please help me out with three HUGE favors I’d be super grateful. If you could please: 1) share this with a colleague that would find value in the episode; 2) subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform; and 3) while you’re there, please leave us a 5-star review. Thank you so much for helping us grow The Podcast.  

Today we have a really awesome discussion about connecting the physical aspects within our vocation and how it can be related back to the technical tactical side of the games we work in with Federico Pizzuto. Throughout this sensational 30-plus minute chat, Federico and I get into:  1)     The model that he utilizes when connecting the technical tactical side with the physical preparation of the athletes.2)     What he’s looking at to build out his progressions, and the ways it impacts buy in with the players3)     Where autonomy for the players fits in his perpetration and RTP programming.4)     Video’s impact on communicating the goals and objectives of the program 5)     Simple ways he has found success building out individualization in his programming So much great insight from a practitioner working at the highest level, this episode is full of great, practical, real world tactics that we can all utilize (or adapt from) with our return to play progressions. I can’t thank Federico enough for being so open to sharing with us today because this was absolutely fantastic. Make sure you keep up with what he’s doing up in Columbus by following him on IG @federicocapacci. If you found value in the show and could do me three huge favors I’d really appreciate it if you would: 1) share the show with a colleague, this is the best way to spread the word; 2) subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player to stay up to date with all our shows; 3) please leave us a review to help others find our show when they search for strength and conditioning based podcasts.  

This week I’m fired up to sit down and talk conditioning with Tim Kettenring. Tim has been doing some awesome work helping coaches have a better understanding of how they can build bigger engines with the Conditioning Cohort. Throughout the great 30-plus minute chat, Tim and I get into The areas of physiology that he feels are overlooked by coaches and where coaches can look to have a better understanding of what the “cohort” is trying to teach. What are some of the driving questions behind his deeper dive into energy system development that has led to his desire to help coaches have a better understanding of these physiological adaptations. Reasons behind some of the “standoffishness” towards low intensity conditioning work, and how we could possibly counteract those Where the autonomic nervous system fits in their education model, and why it’s so important to understand the basics of ANS physiology and how it relates to conditioning levels and performance. Next steps in progressing conditioning work once the athlete has a “solid base” Ways to make your energy system work be a bit more practical in the team setting A ton of great insight into what Tim is doing with, not just the course but what his training philosophy is and the driving factors behind it. Make sure you give him a follow at @timkettenring on X and tap in for more info on the training program at Conditioningproject.com. Just like all our shows, if you have found value in the show please and could do me three favors I’d greatly appreciate it if you could: 1) share the show with a colleague, this is the best way to spread the word; 2) subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player to stay up to date with all our shows; 3) please leave us a review to help others find our show when they search for strength and conditioning based podcasts.Who is Tim Kettenring?Tim Kettenring is a 16 year strength and conditioning veteran with experience at every level ofsport. His current role is as the High Performance Director for Nola Gold Rugby of Major LeagueRugby. Tim is also the President of Maverick Human Performance which provides coaching, consultingand education services to athletes and coaches around the world.Prior to his current roles, Tim was the head strength and conditioning coach at LoyolaUniversity-New Orleans for 6 years, director of sports performance at Revolution SportsPerformance for 2 years, and assistant strength and conditioning/sport coach at Holy CrossHigh School for 4 years.

Today I have the pleasure of sitting down and discussing the development of the physical preparation programming for H2F with Carson Randall. Carson is leading the way with the development of the H2F programming, and all of its branches, helping to better prepare the best of the best, the American Soldier. Throughout the greater then 30-minute discussion Carson and I get into:  1)     Where a military background both helps and hinders in the tactical training world2)     Things that coaches need to understand when making the transition to the tactical side3)     How defining terms, or at least coming together on the goals of the higher ups, is a game changer4)     Comfortable lifestyles effect on how they need to program for soldiers, and how it could be a positive for their realm of the profession5)     Making a scalable training system on a grand scale using basic and simple assessments6)     Why general training, is always general, and its supportive nature to the specific, if it’s team sport or the military7)     Educations vital role within boot camp with preparing the soldiers to make better decisions once they’re moved around the world Such and awesome look into a unique training environment, I can’t thank Carson enough for spending the time with us today and being so open and candid in his sharing. Physical preparation for the tactical “athlete” is a realm in our vocation that is growing by the year, and a lot is due to the great work that Carson is doing with H2F, laying the foundation for more strength coaches to build upon. As with all our content, if you found value in the discussion please feel free to share the show with a colleague, and if you haven’t yet, please subscribe to the show on our favorite podcast player to stay up to date with all our shows.

I am elated to welcome Aaron Abraham to The Podcast this week. Aaron is doing some really awesome work up at Eastern Michigan. His voyage to EMU is one that many have looked at and turned their nose up at, but as a guy who started at a Division III school I have a ton of respect for coaches who start at DII and DIII because of the unique perspectives that you can gain at those levels.  1)     Pros of working at a Division II school for a starting point in your professional evolution2)     What the impact of being the son of immigrants on work ethic and humility3)     The leadership role he feels that we can play as a vocation including examples that he utilizes4)     Three terms that he teaches to dictate how the program will progress, that have nothing to do with progressions5)     Advice for coaches who are rotating in internships and could possibly be getting frustrated about it6)     Ways he has found success connecting with other practitioners, and its effect on the projection of his career.  There are so many great lessons that I learned as a DIII strength coach, and I’m so happy to hear a similar story from Aaron. A great voyage to EMU that lead to a great strength coach working in the MAC in college basketball, it really hits close to home with Old Greybeard. Aaron is doing some fantastic work up at EMU, so make sure you give him a follow on x @strengthcoacha and on IG at @strengthcoachabe to keep up with everything he’s got cooking and make sure to sign up for the newsletter while you’re checking out his content! There’s so much value in Aaron’s journey and the lessons he shared today, and I took a ton from this conversation. If you found value in it as well please feel free to share the show with a colleague, and if you haven’t yet, please subscribe to the show on our favorite podcast player to stay up to date with all our shows.

Today I am so excited to welcome Justin Landry to The Podcast. Justin is doing some absolutely great work with the development of basketball players. He’s had a really great path to get him to Atlanta that has molded a unique philosophy with his training. Throughout this aweseome 30-minute conversation Justin and I get into: 1)     Driving factors behind the directions of the programming he utilizes for his athletes2)     Simple evaluations of common sequences that help him drive programming decisions3)    The role of still photos and video in his practice4)    Examples of his progressions in different mobility and stability situations5)    Autonomy’s role in his program6)    What the transfer portal has changed in his programs7)    How he defines functional training, and how that definition impacts how he evaluates and trains his guys8)    Monitoring/Tracking of practice as an evaluation of preparation A great conversation with a fantastic practitioner who has a unique perspective on developing the athlete’s he gets to work with. Justin is really doing great work, and I’m so grateful for his open and candid sharing today. Make sure you give him a follow on The Gram at @jland_perf. I truly hope you took as much from this discussion as I did, and if so, please share this with a colleague that would find value in the episode. Also, if you haven’t subscribed on your favorite podcast platform yet and could do that for us, we would greatly appreciate it.

On this week’s episode of The Podcast I have the pleasure of sitting down and discussing training, nutrition, and the life on the NASCAR Circuit with Ashley Muschiatti. Ashley has a unique background and qualification of being both a Registered Dietitian and Strength and Conditioning Coach, thus qualifying her to both prescribe training and the nutritional requirements for both success in training and performance. The uniqueness of the athlete that she gets to work with, both as a sport but also individually Where each of her “hats” impact decisions with programming daily and in the long term Driving factors behind training and programming decisions Positive aspects of being a licensed nutritionist and registered dietitian and how it works symbiotically with her role as a performance coach How taking this different route in her education could be a great example for younger coaches to increase their marketability What coaches can do when they don’t travel to help best educate their athlete’s on how they can do better for themselves on “game day” Such a cool conversation with an awesome person with a really cool job. This show was an absolute blast for me, so many unique aspects to what Ashley’s practice and the athlete’s she gets to work with, it’s really fascinating to me. I can’t thank her enough for being so open to sharing with us today. To keep up with everything she’s doing make sure you give her a follow over on Instagram at @amuschiatti. I hope you found as much value in the chat as I did, and if so, please help me out by doing three things: 1st, please share this with a colleague that you think would find value in the show, 2nd if you haven’t please subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player, and 3rd if you could please leave us a review I’d greatly appreciate it.Who is Ashley Muschiatti?Ashley Muschiatti RD, LDN, CSCS is a sports dietitian and certified strength coach who has worked with high school and college athletes, as well as the general public who wants to reach their health and wellness goals. She has experience with body composition and analysis using the BodPod as well as performance nutrition counseling.​She received her B.S. in Exercise Science and B.A. in Spanish Language at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. During her time at Appalachian State, Ashley was a thrower on the track and field team where she sits high in the school’s All-Time record books. She then went on to attend Delaware State University’s Coordinated Dietetic Program where she became a Registered Dietitian. Throughout her years of education, Ashley completed multiple strength and conditioning and sports nutrition internships at multiple NCAA Division 1 Institutions.​Ashley enjoys helping athletes reach their full potential on and off the field. She combines her experience and knowledge in strength and conditioning and nutrition to help athletes of all ages fuel properly and reach their performance goals.Ashley lives in Charlotte, NC where she is a Performance Specialist with Novant Health Sports Performance.Muschiatti's previous positions include:​ Performance Specialist & Registered Dietitian at Novant Health SportsPerformance Assistant Strength Coach & Nutrition Coordinator at Delaware State University Professional Strength and Conditioning Internships: ​Clemson University Basketball UNC Chapel Hill Olympic Sports Appalachian State University Olympic Sports University of Delaware Football