Every month we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. In the August edition we start off looking at some lessons we can learn from a recent editorial giving an elite athlete’s perspective on training and load management. We also look at the modern consensus on hamstring injury risk, coaching resilience, how the athlete biological passport has impacted performance, team comedians, and more. Read more
On Episode 10, we wrap up season 1 by looking back at our past episodes, and what we learned from talking to Olympians, NHL captains, elite coaches, and my father. In addition, we share our key thoughts on development and put together a checklist for what to look for in a successful development program. Read more
On Episode 7 of the Jack Skille Show we are joined by Craig Smith of the Nashville Predators. A fellow Madison native, Craig’s journey to the pros took many unique turns. He walks us through what it took to make it to the top. Read more
On Episode 6 of the Jack Skille Show we are joined by Lee Skille. Not only did Lee raise his son Jack to become a successful hockey player (and person), he was also a collegiate hockey player himself, and has decades of experience coaching youth and high school hockey. On this episode he discusses his own experiences in parenting and coaching. Read more
Many talent identification programs are based primarily on testing, but when we look at what has worked best historically, one-off testing has consistently shown itself to be insufficient. On this week’s podcast, talent development expert Paula Jardine takes a historic look at talent identification and shares some best practices on what works to develop champions. Read more
I’m excited to announce a new project in collaboration with HMMR Media: the Jack Skille Show. The first show will drop on May 1, but you can already subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or via RSS on other platforms. Read more
Back in 1993, Anders Ericsson made his name by publishing a study in which he claimed that deliberate practice—the time spent practicing a skill designed solely for the purpose of performance enhancement—was the main differentiator between good and elite violinists. This soon became highly popularized—although Ericsson is keen to point out not by him—as the 10,000 hour rule. Read more
We took a step back to the basics this month by looking at building foundational strength. Foundational strength is that strength quality that establishes the trainability for all the other strength qualities. Throughout the month we put together 1 new video, 3 new podcasts, and 4 articles from 10 contributors. Read more
As young people go through their growth spurts their bones become longer. In the short term this can be detrimental to skill and strength as they become accustomed to their longer levers. They have become long, but not strong. Imagine rolling modeling clay out on a table. You start off with a solid ball and watch as it gradually gets longer and thinner. You pick it up and it flops around, useful for shaping, but more likely to fall apart. Read more
Building the athlete from the ground up requires a strong foundation. But what materials go into that foundation? When is it built? How do we maintain it? On this week’s GAIN cast we bring together a roundtable with guests James Marshall and Steve Myrland to discuss the topic from all angles. Read more
