Science for Sport Podcast
Behind the Scenes of Elite Performance – Unlocking the Science, Stories, and Strategies That Make the Best Even Better
Displaying Episode 1 - 10 of 11 in total of Science for Sport Podcast with the tag “high performance”.
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296: The Mental Game: What Athletes Really Carry with Them
December 1st, 2025 | 27 mins 36 secs
athlete support, athlete welfare, athlete wellbeing, british basketball, elite sport, high performance, kofi josephs, mental health, performance psychology, preventative mental health, psychology in sport, richard graves, science for sport, sport, sports science, whynoti
Former GB basketball player Kofi Josephs joins Richard Graves to share his powerful journey through elite sport, opening up about injury, pressure, mental health, and the reality behind performance. He also reveals how his platform WhyNotI is helping teams take a preventative, data-driven approach to athlete wellbeing.
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291: Managing Workload and Performance in the NHL
October 27th, 2025 | 31 mins 39 secs
ai in sport, applied research, athlete monitoring, catapult, coaching, data analytics, high performance, ice hockey, load management, new jersey devils, nhl, performance analysis, phd research, recovery, return to play, sports data, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning, workload management
In this episode, New Jersey Devils Sports Scientist Steven Nightingale joins host Richard Graves to discuss how data, workload management, and recovery strategies are applied in the NHL’s demanding 82-game season. He shares insights from his global career and PhD research, revealing how science and practical experience combine to keep athletes performing at their best.
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290: Rewiring Performance: The Neuroscience Behind Mindset and Recovery
October 20th, 2025 | 32 mins 7 secs
athlete development, born superhuman, brain training, chatgpt said: mindset, coaching, dan metcalfe, elite performance, high performance, human potential, leadership, mental training, motivation, neuroscience, performance psychology, recovery, rehabilitation, resilience, richard graves, science for sport podcast, sports science
In this episode, performance coach Dan Metcalfe joins host Richard Graves to discuss the neuroscience of mindset, recovery, and human potential. Drawing on his remarkable journey from paralysis to coaching elite athletes, Dan explores how belief, brain training, and resilience shape performance at every level.
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287: Data With Purpose: How the Houston Texans Use Sports Science to Drive Performance
September 29th, 2025 | 42 mins 20 secs
applied sports science, artificial intelligence in sport, athlete monitoring, athlete recovery, collaboration in sport, data-driven decision making, exercise physiology, high performance, houston texans, marc lewis, nfl, performance science, research to practice, sports analytics, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning, subjective monitoring
In this episode, Houston Texans Director of Applied Sports Science Marc Lewis shares his journey from the U.S. Army to the NFL, highlighting how discipline, research, and collaboration shaped his career. He explains how effective systems, clear communication, and purposeful data collection drive athlete performance and decision-making in high-performance environments.
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285: Ellie Wilson: Inside the High-Performance World of Women’s Football
September 15th, 2025 | 35 mins 28 secs
acl recovery, athlete development, athlete mindset, elite sport, ellie wilson, england youth teams, high performance, injury rehabilitation, melbourne victory, performance psychology, player welfare, sports science, strength and conditioning, talent pathways, women’s football
Professional footballer Ellie Wilson joins host Richard Graves to share her journey through elite women’s football — from academy rejection and England youth caps to overcoming a 13-month ACL injury and helping Melbourne Victory break club records. She offers powerful insights into the demands, psychology, and support systems needed to thrive in high-performance sport.
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284: Club Plans & Personal Coaches: Adding An Edge?
September 8th, 2025 | 32 mins 14 secs
athlete monitoring, case studies mahomes lebron brady, central contracts, club vs personal coach, coaching philosophy, collaboration in sport, communication in teams, data sharing, elite sport, external practitioners, football performance, gps tracking, high performance, injury prevention, load management, multidisciplinary teams, olympic sport, performance pathways, periodisation, player availability, player welfare, premier league, programme design, recovery strategies, regeneration, return to play, rugby performance, s&c, sports science, strength and conditioning
Richard Graves and performance coach Daniel Booth debate how clubs, national teams, and personal practitioners can align around “one athlete, one plan” without adding risk—covering communication, data sharing, contracts, and load management. Practical takeaways draw on football, rugby, Olympic sport, and case studies like Mahomes and LeBron to show what good collaboration looks like in practice.
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279: Culture, Consistency, and Coaching Success in Elite Sport with Steve McNamara
August 4th, 2025 | 35 mins 27 secs
athlete development, catalans dragons, coaching, coaching philosophy, elite sport, england rugby league, high performance, performance sport, player development, rugby league, rugby podcast, sports coaching, sports leadership, steve mcnamara, team culture
In this episode, Richard Graves speaks with legendary Rugby League coach Steve McNamara about his 36-year journey through the sport, from playing in Hull to coaching England and Catalans Dragons. Steve shares powerful lessons on leadership, culture, and the evolution of the modern game.
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272: Inside Catapult: Global Trends, Common Pitfalls & the Future of Sports Science
June 16th, 2025 | 43 mins 21 secs
athlete monitoring, athlete performance, catapult sports, coaching insights, data analytics in sport, elite sport, fatigue monitoring, gps tracking, high performance, performance analysis, performance trends, professional sport, sports data, sports science, sports science careers, sports scientist, sports tech, sports technology, training load, wearable technology
Catapult’s VP of Customer Success, Chris Polley, joins the show to share global trends, common pitfalls, and real-world insights from working with 4,400+ elite teams. Discover how the world’s best apply sports science tech to gain a competitive edge.
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271: Strength First: Why It Underpins Everything
June 9th, 2025 | 28 mins 21 secs
athletic development, coaching, elite sport, gps data, high performance, injury prevention, performance coaching, periodisation, physical preparation, player monitoring, player wellbeing, power training, preseason planning, return to play, robustness, rugby league, rugby performance, rugby union, sports science, strength and conditioning
Leicester Tigers’ Head of Performance, Matt Parr, shares insights from coaching across both rugby union and league. From building strength and robustness to managing return-to-play and player wellbeing, this episode dives deep into the science behind elite performance.
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256: Catapult: Rugby's Game-Changing Data Revolution
February 24th, 2025 | 34 mins 49 secs
athlete management, athlete monitoring, catapult, concussion prevention, data analytics, elite sport, gps tracking, high performance, injury prevention, performance analysis, performance metrics, player analytics, player load, player safety, player welfare, professional rugby, rugby development, rugby performance, rugby technology, rugby union, smart mouthguard, sports broadcasting, sports data, sports innovation, sports science, sports technology, sportstech, tom may, training load, womens rugby
Join former international rugby player Tom May, now Head of Global Rugby at Catapult Sports, as he reveals how cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing rugby from traditional 'brute force' approaches to data-driven decision making. From GPS tracking to smart mouthguards, discover how advanced analytics are transforming player performance, safety, and the future of the sport at all levels