Rob

51 – Rule Changes to Make Sports More Exciting

51 Sports Science Shorts: will baseball’s new proposed rule changes to speed the pace of play make the game more exciting and attract new fans? What can we learn from similar attempts made in soccer? What determines a sport’s fans level of excitement Download link Articles: How to Make Soccer More Attractive? Rewards for a…

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50 – Structure of Motor Variability & Learning Rate, Facebook & Anxiety, Child vs Adult Motor Learning

50 News: A look at a few recent articles in the area of motor learning and performance. Can the structure of motor variability predict the rate at which a performer learns a new skill? Does using social media before a game increase anxiety in an athlete? What differs between the way in which I child…

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49 – Interview with Danny Newcombe, Oxford Brookes University, CLA & Coaching

49 A discussion with Danny Newcombe, Lecturer in Sports Coaching and PE, Oxford Brookes University. Topics discussed include: applying the constraints-led approach to practice design and physical education curriculum, research on the constraints-led approach –what does it tell us about its effectiveness and are we using the correct methods of evaluation? Download link More information…

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48 – Interview with Diane Ste-Marie, University of Ottawa, Observational Learning & Feedback

48 A discussion with Diane Ste-Marie, Professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. Topics discussed include: why do athletes tend to perform better when they have control over the feedback they receive and when is self-controlled feedback ineffective? How do athletes use observation of themselves or others to acquire or…

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47 – Interview with Dave Collins, Institute of Coaching & Performance, UCLAN

47 A discussion with Dave Collins, Professor & Director of the Institute of Coaching & Performance, University of Central Lancashire. Topics discussed include: what it’s like to be a sports psychologist, talent development, performance analytics, technique change, bridging the gap between research and practice, and the role of social media in research. Download link More…

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URSS4: Recovery, Anatomy of a BQ, Mantras & Elephant Mountain 50K

4. A look at my recovery from my 100 miler and some recovery science. Two race reports: The Elephant Mountain 50K and the Tucson Marathon. What was my secret to qualifying for the Boston Marathon? Does talking to yourself and using mantras while running really help your performance? How should your self-talk change for the…

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46 – Self Talk & Mantras in Sport

46 Do athletes perform better when they talk to themselves? Should the talk be motivational or instructional? Positive or negative? Does it work for both novices and experts? Download link Articles/links: The influence of self-talk on the performance of skilled female tennis players Self-talk influences vertical jump performance and kinematics in male rugby union players…

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URSS3: Constraints-Based Training, the Coldwater Rumble 100 & Hacking an Ultra

3. My weeks in training including my “Get Me Home” workout, a race report from my first attempt at a 100 miler – The Coldwater Rumble. How did it go? What did I pack in my drop bags? What did I learn and would do differently? An introduction to the constraints-based approach (aka non-linear pedagogy)…

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45 – Soccer Illusions, Detecting Opponents with Sound & Training with Mirrors

45 News: A look at a few recent journal articles. Do soccer players and referees sometimes see an event that never really happened? Can a basketball player detect where a dribbler is headed using sound alone? Is doing exercise in front of a mirror effective? Download link Articles: Seeing the unseen? Illusory causal filling in…

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URSS2: Complex Systems & San Tan Scrambles

2. First full episode of the podcast featuring a look at my Forest Gump “I just felt like running” training philosophy, a race report from the San Tan Scramble 50K, introducing ultra, trail running as a complex system, and questioning the validity of the common advice: “don’t do anything new on race day” Download link…

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