60 A discussion with Jenelle Gilbert, Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, California State University Fresno. We discuss the importance of mental skills training in sports and beyond, her concept of the Psychological UNIFORM, using a Game Plan format to teach mental skills and her recent research looking at the stressors faced by coaches. Download…

59 A discussion with Bruce Hoyer, Martial Arts Coach at the Next Edge Academy in South Dakota. We discuss how Bruce has employed a variety of different ideas from sports science research in his coaching including using a flipped classroom, observational learning, giving feedback and reducing interference in motor learning. Download link More information about…

58 What do we mean when we say an athlete is “in the flow”? How often does it occur? What brings it on? Can we control it? How does it relate to “psychological momentum” and performance? Download link Articles: A systematic review of the experience, occurrence, and controllability of flow states in elite sport The…

57 A discussion with John Kiely, Senior Lecturer in Elite Performance from the University of Central Lancashire. Topics discussed include the evolution of theories of stress, anxiety and injury, the role of psycho-emotional factors in the stress process and designing supportive training environments to increase athlete buy-in. Download link More information about my guest: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/staff_profiles/john_kiely.php…

56 News: Listener picks for articles to review including more research on the effect of variability on motor learning, attention training to reduce the effects of stress on performance and the effect of explicit instructions. Download link Articles: High variability impairs motor learning regardless of whether it affects task performance The effects of attention training…

55 A discussion with Harri Mannonen, basketball coach based in Kouvola, Finland. Topics discussed include: why is it useful for coaches to look at basketball as a complex system, what is the best way to add variability to practice and what is the role of conscious control in sports. Download link More information about my…

54 How can we apply the principles of perceptual learning to improve information pickup on the sports field? Download link Articles/Links: Applying perceptual learning to achieve practical changes in vision Improved vision and on field performance in baseball through perceptual learning When less is more: Reduced usefulness training for the learning of anticipation skill in…

53 How does a performer become attuned to the perceptual information that is optimal for a task? Perceptual learning as a direct movement through information space guided by information for learning involving processes of education of intention, education of attention, and calibration. Download link Articles: Direct Learning http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/has-the-fly-ball-revolution-begun/ Learning to visually perceive the relative mass…

52 How does experience and practice change our ability to extract information from our environment and how can we best facilitate this process? What changes in our brain during perceptual learning? Download link Articles: Perceptual learning and human expertise Expert baseball batters have greater sensitivity in making swing decisions More information: Subscribe in iOS/Apple Subscribe…

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…