Science for Sport Podcast

330: Frontal Plane Fundamentals with Dr Matthew Ibrahim

July 27th, 2026  |  30 mins 24 secs

adductor strength, athlete buy-in, athlete development, athlete monitoring, change of direction, coaching communication, criteria-based rehabilitation, data analytics, dr matthew ibrahim, force plates, frontal plane training, groin strength, high performance sport, injury rehabilitation, isometric strength testing, lateral lunge, lateral movement, lateral squat, lateral strength, load management, malden catholic, matthew ibrahim, performance data, readiness monitoring, rehabilitation, return to performance, return to play, richard graves, science for sport, science for sport podcast, sports science, strength and conditioning, student-athletes, training load, vbt, velocity-based training, wellness monitoring, youth athlete development

Dr Matthew Ibrahim joins Richard Graves to explain how sports science, strength and conditioning, wellness and education can work together within an integrated performance model. They discuss selecting meaningful athlete-monitoring data, moving beyond return to play towards return to performance, and why frontal-plane strength deserves a more prominent place in athletic development.

329: The Five Qualities of Speed Development

July 20th, 2026  |  33 mins 20 secs

1080 sprint, acceleration, agility training, american football, athlete monitoring, athlete recovery, athletic performance, catapult gps, change of direction, coaching psychology, college football, conditioning, curved sprinting, deceleration, elite sport, external load, force velocity profiling, high performance sport, horizontal force, individualised training, injury risk reduction, internal load, matt gebert, max velocity, maximum velocity, multidirectional speed, ncaa football, ole miss football, ole miss rebels, performance coaching, player availability, sleep and performance, speed development, sports performance, sports science, sports technology, sprint training, strength and conditioning, training load, velocity-based training, wellness monitoring, work capacity

Richard Graves is joined by Ole Miss Strength and Conditioning Coach Matt Gebert to explore how speed is developed, assessed and managed within an elite college football programme.

Matt explains how acceleration, maximum velocity, deceleration, change of direction and conditioning are trained across different position groups. He also discusses how Ole Miss uses sports science technology to profile athletes, manage training load and support player availability.

The episode provides a practical look at the relationship between speed, data, recovery and coaching judgement, while highlighting why effective performance programmes must be individualised to the physical and psychological needs of each athlete.

317: Building Effective Analysis Processes in Elite Teams with Jamie Cook

April 27th, 2026  |  30 mins 25 secs

analysis workflow, athlete performance, chelsea women, coaching, coaching process, cpd in sport, data analysis, decision making in sport, elite sport, football analytics, football coaching, high performance sport, match analysis, performance analysis, performance analyst, player development, sports data, sports science, sports technology, women’s football

Jamie Cook provides a clear, practical insight into modern performance analysis in elite football, highlighting the importance of communication, process, and player understanding. The episode focuses on how analysts can turn complex data into meaningful impact, avoid over-analysis, and support coaches and players in high-pressure environments.

316: Neuroscience and Coaching in High Performance Sport

April 20th, 2026  |  33 mins 43 secs

athlete development, athlete wellbeing, behaviour in sport, brentford fc, coaching, coaching science, decision making, elite sport, football coaching, football performance, high performance sport, human performance, nervous system, neuroscience, performance consistency, performance psychology, self awareness, sports psychology, sports science

This episode explores how human development, neuroscience, and coaching are converging in elite football. Dr Sally Needham explains how understanding the nervous system, self-awareness, and behaviour can unlock more consistent performance, while offering practical insights for coaches and practitioners looking to integrate these concepts into real-world environments.

314: Player Load, Practice Periodisation, and the Art of Keeping It Simple with Jackson Polk

April 6th, 2026  |  29 mins 24 secs

american football, athlete development, athlete monitoring, catapult, college athletics, college football, data analytics, elite sport, force plates, forcedecks, gps monitoring, high performance sport, jackson polk, load management, nfl preparation, oklahoma sooners, perch, performance data, player load, practice periodization, principal component analysis, recovery, richard graves, science for sport, sports analytics, sports performance, sports science, sports science podcast, sports technology, strength and conditioning, university of southern california, usc football, usc trojans, vald, velocity-based training, wearable technology

Jackson Polk, Director of Sports Science at USC Trojans football, joins Richard Graves to discuss how he built a sports science programme from the ground up using data analytics, GPS monitoring, and the art of genuine conversation. Jackson shares his unorthodox path from student videographer at Oklahoma to leading sports science at one of college football's biggest programmes, and offers a frank, grounded perspective on everything from Catapult metrics and force plate testing to the real limitations of AI in applied sport.

312: The Role of Environment in Player Performance

March 23rd, 2026  |  36 mins 30 secs

athlete mindset, coaching, coaching psychology, elite sport, football coaching, football development, football performance, high performance sport, leadership in sport, performance analysis, player development, player psychology, professional football, sports performance, sports science, talent pathways, team culture

A powerful conversation with Carl Asaba on the realities of professional football — from non-traditional pathways and career setbacks to team culture, psychology, and the importance of man management in elite sport.

308: Peak Demands and Decision-Making Under Fatigue with Stan Parker

February 23rd, 2026  |  30 mins 50 secs

afl, ai in sport, athlete monitoring, brisbane broncos, contextualisation, gps tracking, high performance sport, injury prevention, interdisciplinary collaboration, load management, peak demands, performance analytics, phd in sports science, sports science, sports technology, team sport analytics, western bulldogs

In this episode, Stan Parker explains how elite sports science is evolving beyond basic load monitoring toward contextualised performance analytics that genuinely inform coaching decisions. Drawing on experience across multiple professional codes, he outlines how data, vision, communication and interdisciplinary collaboration combine to enhance availability, performance and long-term athlete development.

306: The Evolution of Professional Cricket Through Ryan Sidebottom’s Career

February 9th, 2026  |  35 mins 3 secs

athlete longevity, athlete preparation, cricket performance, elite sport, england cricket, fast bowling, high performance sport, performance mindset, professional cricket, sports psychology, sports science, strength and conditioning, swing bowling, t20 world cup, talent development

Ryan Sidebottom joins the Science for Sport Podcast to reflect on a 20-year professional cricket career shaped by resilience, preparation, and constant learning. From semi-professional beginnings to World Cup success, Ryan shares honest insights into longevity, mindset, and the unseen work behind elite performance.

305: Building Resilient Athletes in High-Pressure Environments

February 2nd, 2026  |  38 mins 6 secs

applied sports science, athlete wellbeing, coaching philosophy, elite coaching, elite sport, football performance, high performance sport, leadership in sport, man management, performance culture, premier league history, professional football, resilience in athletes, sports psychology, team culture

Former England international Warren Barton reflects on elite football across contrasting eras, from Wimbledon’s culture-driven “Crazy Gang” to Newcastle United’s Entertainers, offering first-hand insight into resilience, leadership, and team identity. The conversation explores how psychology, man-management, and trust still underpin high performance, even in a modern game shaped by data, technology, and scrutiny.

304: Uncommonly Consistent: Football to Formula One with John Noonan

January 26th, 2026  |  36 mins 20 secs

athlete preparation, burnout in sport, decision making under pressure, elite athletes, elite performance, formula one performance, high performance environments, high performance sport, interdisciplinary teams, mental performance in sport, performance coaching, skill acquisition, sports psychology, sports science podcast, strength and conditioning

Elite performance coach John Noonan shares insights from working across football, rugby, Olympic sport, and Formula One, exploring what truly drives performance at the highest level. The conversation focuses on consistency under pressure, skill execution, and why relationships and decision-making often matter more than programmes and protocols.