The Long Term Athletic Development Podcast
LTAD Network 18 episodes Dec 15, 2025
A podcast for parents, sports coaches, PE teachers, support staff, and anyone interested in youth athletic development. It aims to support grassroots coaches in developing young athletes. Episodes feature interviews with technical coaches, support staff, researchers, and former athletes. The show offers practical insight to help listeners improve their coaching with young athletes.
Episodes
Mick Sterli (Katalyst Performance) - Building A Private Sector Youth S&C Program: From Garage Gym to Performance Facility
In this episode of the LTAD Network Podcast, James is joined by Mick Stierli, founder of Katalyst Performance, to unpack how he’s built a thriving private sector strength & conditioning programme for young athletes. Mick shares the story of growing his operation from sessions in his home garage to a fully equipped performance facility, and what’s actually involved in making that jump sustainab
Tom Clarke (Tanglin Trust School) - Building A Whole School Athletic Development Programme
In this episode of the LTAD Network Podcast, James is joined by Tom Clarke, Head of Athletic Development at Tanglin Trust School in Singapore. Tom shares the story of how he has built a genuinely whole-school athletic development programme in a large international school—joining up curriculum PE, co-curricular sport, and a structured S&C / physical development programme, with clear pathways fr
Stephen MacGabhann (NSWIS) - Enhancing Talent ID: Multi Sensory and Coachability Assessments
In this episode we are joined by Stephen McGhabban (UCRISE/NSWIS) — ex-elite Gaelic footballer, physiotherapist, UKSCA / ASCA L2 S&C coach, and PhD researcher focusing on enhancing talent identification with novel assessments of multisensory abilities and coachability.
In this conversation we cover:
How NSWIS supports talent ID for Olympic/Paralympic sports and links with 12 regional academi
Dan Howells (Collaborate Sports) - Energy System Development
In this episode of the LTAD Network Podcast, we’re joined by Dan Howells (Collaborate Sports) to unpack Energy System Development (ESD). During the converstion Dan and James discuss:
Conditioning vs Strength Training Priorities
Negotiation Strategies for Sports Coaches
Energy Systems Training for Athletes
Testing Protocols that “surf the curve”
Adapting Training for Diverse Groups
ES
Dr. Steve Barrett (PlayerMaker) - Talent ID in Football & Beyond
In this episode of the LTAD Network podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Steve Barrett from PlayerMaker to explore the evolving world of talent identification in football and beyond.
We discuss the shift from traditional scouting to a holistic, data-informed approach that blends expert judgment with insights from wearables, performance testing, and long-term athlete monitoring. Steve highlights why talent
Nathan Parnham - Brisbane Grammar School Athletic Development Program
Joining us for this episode of the LTAD Network podcast is Nathan Parnham, a strength and conditioning specialist based in Brisbane, Australia. With a career spanning over two decades, Nathan has worked across both amateur and professional sport, and is one of the few who has made the leap into elite-level coaching across both genders—working in the NRL as well as with Australia’s Women’s 7s.
He w
Dr. Scott Cocking - Performance Support for Developing Track & Field Endurance Athletes
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Scott Cocking - Senior sports physiologist at Aspire Academy and the performance support lead for the track and field endurance program. Additionally he provides physiology and nutrition consultancy to a number of Qatar senior athletes. Scott is a BASES accredited physiologist (CSci), certified nutritionist (cISSN) and anthropometrist (ISAK level 3).
During th
Growth & Maturation Panel Discussion with Sean Cumming, Marco Cardinale & Des Ryan
Thanks for listening into to the LTAD Network podcast, we hope you enjoy the panel discussion with Sean, Des and Marco. During this episode they discuss:
Why it is important to measure growth and maturation in an Academy setting
Different uses for the information including age and maturity evaluations, injury prevention and identifying selection biases
Tools available to coaches and practitioners
Simon Brearley (ETPI & England Golf) - Physical Profiling for Golf
In this episode, we are joined by Simon Brearley, who is a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the European Tour Group and England Golf. As well as the Head of Athlete Development and Rehabilitation at Cranleigh School in Surrey.
During the conversation, we take a deep dive into physical profiling for golf, exploring the metrics that matter, how Simon measures them and the types of training uses t
Kev Mannion & Rob Simpson (Sale Sharks) - Key Transition Points For Young Athletes
During this LTAD podcast, we are joined by Kev Mannion (Lead Academy S&C coach) and Rob Simpson (Senior S&C coach) from Sale Sharks to discuss key transition points for young athletes through the school and rugby academy systems in the UK.
We dive into some of common challenges they face and what strategies can be used to help them manage those transitions at a time in their lives when t
#Bitesize 3 - Ask Me Anything - Tips For Developing A Coaching Framework
In this episode, James responds to a listener's questions:
1) Do you have any tips for developing a coaching framework?
2) How is best to cater to a general group with a wider age range (10-15 years) of mixed ability?
James discussed the process of developing a coaching framework for young athletes, emphasizing the importance of understanding the environment, the athletes, and their future progres
Mike Young & James Baker - Developmentally Appropriate Speed Training
In this episode, Dr. Mike Young & James Baker, the co-founders of the LTAD Network discuss how they approach training speed at different stages of development.
During this episode they discussed:
What is and isn't appropriate for young athletes that are new to training
Making speed training engaging for young athletes
The whole-part-whole approach to developing speed using a blend of games and
Simon Brundish (StrengthLab) - Coaching young boys and girls post-CoVID & working in women's academy football
In this episode, we are joined by Simon Brundish the director of UK StrengthLab and creator of the Superheroes physical literacy programme.
During this conversation we discussed:
Current trends in Simon's movement competency assessment data from the Superheroes programme post-CoVID
The impact of CoVID on young boys and girls' ability to focus and learn in the classroom and strategies to improve e
#Bitesize 2 - Do traditional periodization models fit youth settings?
In this bitesize episode, Joe and James continue their discussion on LTAD models.
First, they tackle the question do traditional periodization models fit youth settings?
Then they discuss key movements of a foundation strength syllabus and how we utilize checklists to keep track of what we’ve covered with multiple groups when the inevitable curve balls pop up in the week.
Read Joe's article on L
Dr. Phil Kearney - Relative Age, Maturation & Early Specialisation
In this episode we are joined by Dr. Phil Kearney Associate Professor at the University of Limerick, co-founder of Movement Skill Acquisition Ireland, and Skill Acquisition Lead on Gaelic Games Sport Science working group, and the Irish representative of the Teaching Games for Understanding specialist interest group.
During this conversation Phil shares some great insights on:
The effects of relat
#Bitesize 1 - The need for flexibility when applying LTAD models
In this bitesize episode, Dr. Joe Eisenmann and James Baker discuss the common perception that LTAD models are rigid and the need to be flexible when applying them in youth sport settings.
Check out Joe's article on LTAD models here: https://ltadnetwork.com/blog/ltad-network-blog-frameworks
Do you have a question you want answered? Submit your question or topic for discussion
Martin Brockman (Brockman Athletics) - Coaching Youth Track & Field
In this episode we speak to Martin Brockman, a Commonwealth medallist in the Decathlon and Director of Brockman Athletics (http://www.brockmanathletics.com).
We discuss:
The current state of athletics teaching and coaching in schools and clubs
Challenges to good practise in youth settings
Benefit of incorporating Athletics to the PE curriculum
Coaching across the development continuum
Difference
Duncan Simpson (IMG Academy) - Mental Conditioning, Leadership & Character Development
In this episode we are joined by the Director of Personal Development at IMG Academy, Dr. Duncan Simpson. Duncan oversees the mental conditioning and leadership departments whose staff deliver mental and leadership & character development training to 1500 student-athletes and coaches across 9 sports at IMG.
We discuss:
- What great mental performance support looks like in a youth athlete set
