The LTAD Network Podcast

 ​Sascha Hartel is the Head of Performance at TSG Hoffenheim He is responsible for Performance Diagnostics in the Professional Teams, Youth Teams (Male & Female), also Adler Mannheim (Ice-hockey) and Rhein-Neckar-Löwen (Handball). He also leads the team of S&C coaches as well as sharing responsibility for dat strategy and innovation. He is a consultant within the TSG ResearchLab a non-profit-organisation "bringing Science and Research from Sports to Society”.

Ludwig Ruf is a strength and conditioning coach at TSG Hoffenheim academy and research assistant at the TSG ResearchLab. He completed a PhD on monitoring load and fatigue in elite youth soccer at Saarland University, Germany. Prior to this he completed an MSc in Strength and Conditioning at Cardiff Metropolitan University and did an annual internship with Adelaide United, Australia. The main aim of his PhD was to enhance our understanding of applied practice by investigating the usefulness of measurement instruments to assess acute responses to load in elite youth soccer players throughout adolescence. Special consideration is given to growth and biological maturation within the framework of monitoring the youth athlete.

In this podcast the pair discuss:

• What caused Hoffenheim to become interested in monitoring maturation in their players.

• The methods they were previously using.

• How they have integrated the BAUSport device into the organisation.

• The efficacy an influence of the device within Hoffenheim.

• The effect of the new information on decision making processes.

• Future research projects taking place within the club

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Glenn is a specialist in research and innovation in Sport related health, and winner of the International Federation of Sports Physiotherapy HvU Award for outstanding achievement in this field.

He is a chartered physiotherapist and the former Head of Science and Medicine and Performance Innovation in athlete health at UK Sport, and the senior consultant in Performance Innovation at the English Institute of Sport, where he managed the health research and innovation program related to ~ 1400 athletes across 40 core Olympic and Paralympic sports. Glenn also facilitated the 'top secret' development and delivery of new and novel ideas, approaches and equipment related to athlete health, which have had a performance impact over the last 5 summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic games.

Glenn has a Master of Science degree with distinction in Sport Medicine and a Master of Arts degree with distinction in Innovation and behaviour change and is driven by translating research and evidence into real world practice and evidencing that benefit.

In this episode, Glenn discusses:

• His previous roles as a Physiotherapist and Lecturer.

• The hunger to get back into performance sport.

• His time at UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport for multiple olympic cycles.

• How you make the best in the world even better.

• How he ended up at Podium Analytics.

• Why the SportSmart program is such an important initiative.

• How schools and sports organisations can get involved.

Ray Zingler is a Strength Coach, Entrepreneur, Consultant, and Author. He is the Owner of Zingler Strength & Conditioning, LLC., an Industry Leader in Performance Training for athletes, busy professionals, and military personnel. 

Ray is recognized as a Certified Physical Preparation Specialist and has been serving the Metro Atlanta, Georgia area since 2009. His blue collar, consistency and hard work approach to research based training has allowed him to serve thousands of clients. 

In addition to operating his training facility, Ray consults current and perspective gym owners on business structure and implementation. Beyond mentoring strength professionals, Ray consults high school sport and strength coaches, aiding in the development of program structure and design.  Ray also does contract work within local high schools and club sport organizations, implementing S&C programs within the team settings of a variety of sports.

In this episode Ray discusses:

• Growing up in a family of coaches.

• Taking an unconventional route into S&C Coaching.

• Why for him impact is more important than income.

• The meaning of "Hammers Only".

• Why the value of S&C Coaching can go far beyond the physical.

Kate Shilland and Fran Taylor are Registered Sports and Public Health Nutritionists (AfN). Kate is a Performance Nutritionist with over 10 years' experience working with athletes, of all levels across various sports.  She has helped a number of athletes, including teens, achieve National & World Champion status in a variety of sports. She has been working at Crystal Palace Football Club Academy for 6 seasons and works with a number of tennis academies, sports clubs and schools. Fran has over 13 years' experience as a Public Health Nutritionist. She works with schools, youth and community organisations promoting fad free, no nonsense nutrition advice. She also works with young athletes & sports clubs including elite junior taekwondo, rugby, netball, gymnastics and athletics.

Together under the banner of "Performance Canteen", they work with elite young athletes, parents and coaches in academies, sports clubs and schools. They also have teenage athletes of our own and see first hand the lack of good nutrition advice out there, and the challenges that come with this.

In this episode they discuss:

• The high energy needs of youth athletes compared to there siblings or peers.

• The dangers of taking nutrition advice from Tik Tok or Instagram.

• The simple nudges a parent or coach can make to improve a youth athletes nutrition.

• Supporting youth athletes on plant based diets.