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Send us Fan Mail This episode is a different format from our usual show. It's Ian Renshaw's acceptance speech for the Emergence Lifetime Achievement Award in Movement and Skill Acquisition, recorded live and shared here in full. Ian is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology and one of the most respected names in the constraint-led approach. He has spent over 30 years teaching and researching across England, New Zealand, and Australia, co-edited books with Keith Davids, and co-founded The Constraints Collective. In his own words, he walks through: Backyard football and cricket, and how unstructured play shaped his coachingWhy drills built in isolation don't transfer to the gameThe move from information processing to ecological psychologyA homemade experiment with a fake umpire on a cricket pitchMeeting Keith Davids and the research years at QUTCoaching his own son to a professional cricket careerIf you coach or work in skill acquisition, this is a direct look at how a pioneer in the field built his career. Resources: The Constraints CollectiveEmergenceCertified Skill Acquisition Specialist (CSAS)2026 Skill Acquisition Retreat, November 6 in Chandler, AZCredits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail Is speed a capacity, or a skill? Most coaching treats them as the same thing, and that's where the gap starts. Speed as a capacity, not an outcome: why a stopwatch measures something real, but not the thing that actually shows up in a gameSpeed through the constraints triangle: task, environment, and individual, why the same physical capacity looks completely different depending on the sport, the surface, and the athlete standing in front of youSpeed as problem-solving: why raw speed without perception is an incomplete tool, and why some of the fastest testers never make it in their sportA short, direct episode on a topic almost every coach thinks they already understand. Join us this November in Chandler, Arizona for the Skill Acquisition Retreat, and stay the next day for CSAS testing, the Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist certification. Free Modern Coach's Checklist Podcast website: theadaptableathlete.com  Emergence: emergentmvmt.com Follow along: @thecoachjav on Instagram Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail What if skill isn't something an athlete has, but something a moment gives them? This episode pulls together three conversations that each answer a piece of that question, more directly than any single guest could get to on their own. What skill actually is: Duarte Araújo defines skill as potential, not possession, using an example from Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon to show how the same person moves completely differently depending on their circumstancesThe mechanism underneath it: Alan Dunton breaks down metastability, the concept explaining why staying adaptable between states, rather than locked into one ideal pattern, is what makes skill possible in the first placeWhat it looks like in practice: Garrett Baker, skill acquisition specialist with the New York Mets, explains why he trains pitchers with more variability before working toward stability, the reverse of what most coaching assumesDefinition, mechanism, application. Three different sports, three different guests, one throughline. This one's for coaches and practitioners who've felt the tension between what "good technique" is supposed to look like and what actually holds up under real competitive pressure. Guests referenced in this episode: Duarte Araújo — full conversation in Ep 113, Why Athletes Don't "Acquire" Skill, They Adapt ItAlan Dunton — full conversation in Ep 112, What Is Metastability, Making Theory PracticalGarrett Baker, skill acquisition specialist, New York Mets — full conversation in Ep 109, Breaking Free from Perfect MechanicsJoin us this November in Chandler, Arizona for the Skill Acquisition Retreat. Garrett Baker, featured in today's episode, will be one of the practitioners on site the next day for CSAS testing, the Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist certification. Free Modern Coach's Checklist Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a strength coach spends nine years unlearning everything she was taught about "correct" technique? Molly Binetti is the Women's Basketball Sports Performance coach at the University of South Carolina, where she's built a program around a really high player availability rate and a training philosophy that runs counter to how most strength coaches are taught to operate. She brings a variability-driven, athlete-centered approach to a field that still leans heavily on uniform technique and control, and the conversation goes deep on movement, motivation, and the limits of data. Topics covered: Why "pretty" isn't the goal — the case against cookie cutter technique cues and what actually happens when athletes are allowed to move differentlyRebuilding her coaching philosophy — what changed after her first year at South Carolina and why the dictator coaching model didn't workSelf-determination theory — the three psychological needs behind real athlete buy-in, and why most coaching problems are human, not technicalVariability as injury prevention — how training in a wider range of positions plays into her program's track record on player healthA contrarian take on tech — why she's skeptical of force plates, GPS, and the broader data obsession in strength and conditioningIf you coach in a setting where "the way we've always done it" gets treated as fact, this conversation is worth your time. Find Molly on Instagram @mbinetti22. Don't forget to join us in Arizona for the Skill Acquisition Retreat! If you want to go deeper on skill acquisition, check out the Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist certification over at emergentmvmt.com. Free Modern Coach's Checklist Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat!  Twitter: @thecoachjav  IG: @thecoachjav Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually mean to train a boxer to be adaptable when the most representative practice, hard sparring, also causes permanent damage? Adam Haniver is a boxing coach and England Boxing DISE program lead who's spent years working through exactly that tension. He brings an ecological dynamics lens to a sport that has historically treated tradition as gospel, and the conversation goes deep on skill acquisition, affordances, and what most boxing training gets fundamentally wrong. Topics covered: "Anything but the thing" — why most boxing training is unopposed, decomposed, and doesn't transfer to competitionPerceive to act AND act to perceive — how the best boxers generate opportunities rather than wait for themThe GAP framework (Great, Average, Poor) as a tool for athlete-directed intention before sparringTeaching boxers to punch versus teaching them to land — why these are two completely different thingsNaseem Hamed and Brendan Ingle as examples of what freedom in movement actually producesPlay sparring, head trauma, and how to build representativeness without increasing injury riskIf you coach in any combat or contact sport and you're thinking through how to square representative practice with athlete safety, this conversation is worth your time. Find Adam at www.theboxgathering.com and on the Box Gathering Podcast on all platforms. England Boxing DISE program: @dice_boxing_brighton on socials. Don't forget to join us in Arizona for the Skill Acquisition Retreat! If you want to go deeper on skill acquisition, check out the Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist certification over at emergentmvmt.com. Free Modern Coach's Checklist Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail Nine years in, and the "room" for SMSC keeps getting smarter every year. This one landed three genuinely different debates, a set of award winners worth knowing, and a founder's-eye view of what the conference has become. Coach Jav starts us off with some quick takeaways from a busy month of June traveling across the country, presenting at various conferences and events, before turning to his main reflection on SMSC 2026. Then Shawn Myszka, founder of the Sport Movement Skill Conference, gives his own take on this year's event and what's ahead for 2027. Altis and the NHL: Where capacities fit in athlete development, and what a full day with 30-plus NHL and AHL coaches revealed about translating skill acquisition into a pro environmentQuestioning industry claims: Why the industry needs to audit ideas it treats as settled, using the SMSC debate stage as the case studySMSC 2026 debates: What came out of this year's public debates, where they landed, and where they didn'tAward winners: This year's Lifetime Achievement, Researcher of the Year, and Practitioner of the Year recipientsThe challenge point: This year's conference theme, and what it actually means to get pushed to the edge and stay thereShawn Myszka's reflection: Nine years in, what's changed, and a first look at where SMSC is headed for 2027For coaches and practitioners trying to figure out where skill acquisition actually fits inside a performance organization, not just in theory. 🎟 The next CSAS testing is November 7 in Chandler, Arizona. Learn more and apply. Shawn Myszka | Instagram | Twitter Resources The Adaptable Athlete Coach Jav on Instagram Emergence Free Modern Coach's Checklist Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail You can't talk a fighter into confidence. And if you've been trying, Andy Grahn has been quietly building it the right way for 30 years. Andy Grahn is a martial arts coach at The Academy MN in Minneapolis, a co-author of the 2024 ecological dynamics MMA paper in Sports Coaching Review, and one of a small group of combat sports coaches actively applying motor learning science to what happens on the mat. This conversation covers how he got there and what it actually looks like in practice. Competence before confidence: Why telling athletes to "just be more confident" doesn't work, and what the ecological approach says about how confidence actually developsAlive training in combat sports: What representative practice looks like in an MMA gym, how Andy navigates the line between safety and specificity, and why sparring is still the anchorThe partner probability paradox: How to design practice when you don't have the right training partner, and what constraints-led coaching looks like when the pairing isn't idealJKD to ecological dynamics: The philosophical thread connecting Bruce Lee's framework to Gibson's ecological psychology, and how Andy's background primed him for the shiftWriting the paper: What it was like to co-author peer-reviewed research as a practitioner alongside Keith Davids and the rest of the teamFor coaches in any sport trying to build real skill, not just clean-looking technique. 🎟 Listeners of the podcast receive 10% off the Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota) using code JAVI26 at registration. Andy Grahn | The Academy MN The Academy MN Instagram Facebook Applying an Ecological Dynamics Approach to Mixed Martial Arts Resources The Adaptable Athlete Coach Jav on Instagram Emergence Free Modern Coach's Checklist Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail The best pass rusher in NFL history didn't break the sack record because he's fast. He broke it while being double or triple-teamed on more than half his snaps. Shawn Myszka returns for the annual Mover of the Year episode. This year's pick: Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. But this conversation isn't about stats. It's about what Garrett's movement actually tells us about dexterity, practice design, and how athletes solve problems under pressure. Dexterity vs. athleticism: Why raw physical tools don't explain Garrett's dominance, and what Bernstein's framework reveals about how he actually movesAbundance precedes adaptability: How having a wide range of movement strategies, not one elite technique, is what separates Garrett from every other pass rusherPerceiving to and through: How elite performers take in multiple information sources simultaneously, with examples from football, basketball, and combat sportsAdversity as a teacher: What Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson tell us about how constraint-rich environments shape movement skill over timeWhat Movement Miyagi would do: Three specific practice design ideas for developing Garrett's perceptual and movement capabilities even furtherFor coaches working at any level, in any sport. Listeners of the podcast can receive 10% off the upcoming Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota) using the code Javi26 when registering. Shawn Myszka | Movement Miyagi Football Beyond the Stats Blog 2025 Mover of the Year: Myles Garrett Enhancing Skill in American Football X | Instagram Resources The Adaptable Athlete Emergence Free Modern Coach's Checklist  Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail NBA shooting coach Dave Love has spent over 15 years working at the highest level of basketball, with the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, and currently an Eastern Conference team. He's also one of the few practitioners at that level actively contributing to peer-reviewed research. In this episode, Dave and Coach Jav dig into why the pursuit of a repeatable, perfect shot is the wrong goal entirely and what coaches should be focused on instead. They break down the sandbox analogy, the PoST framework, how to design practice that actually reflects the game, and how to meet athletes where they are when introducing evidence-based methods. If you coach shooting at any level, this one is worth your time. Topics covered: No two shots are the same — and why chasing a repeatable shot is the wrong goalThe sandbox analogy — how Dave thinks about functional movement solutions and what it means to be in or out of the sandboxPositive and negative power — his framework for identifying what's actually causing a player to missThe PoST framework — how to periodize skill training the way you would strength or conditioningPractice design and the challenge point — using defenders with intention and building variability into every sessionMeeting athletes where they are — how to introduce ecological principles to players attached to traditional methodsListeners of the podcast can receive 10% off the upcoming Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota) using the code Javi26 when registering. Links: Dave's platform and newsletterResearch paper: "Skill Adaptation in Basketball Coaching" International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 2025Sport Movement Skill Conference (use code JAVI26 for 10% off)Dave on XDave on instagramPodcast websiteEmergenceCredits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail Use Code: Javi26 for 10% off of your SMSC registration 🎟️ In this "Ask Emergence" episode, Coach Jav answers three questions from coaches about skill acquisition, constraints, and practice design. The conversation starts with a foundational question: What is skill?  Too often skill is viewed as repetition or the ability to reproduce the same movement over and over. But in sport, athletes must adapt to constantly changing problems. Coach Jav shares his current definition of skill and why adaptability is central to performance. The episode then explores how coaches can use constraints to shape movement and guide athletes toward effective solutions without prescribing every action. Finally, Coach Jav discusses how to think about complexity in training environments, why he prefers that term over “chaos,” and how coaches can scale the level of complexity to better prepare athletes for competition. Listeners of the podcast can receive 10% off the upcoming Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota) using the code Javi26 when registering. In This Episode A modern definition of skill and why repetition alone is not enoughHow constraints guide movement and decision making in sportHow to scale complexity in training environments to better prepare athletes for competitionEpisode Resources Sport Movement Skill ConferenceEmergence WebsiteCheck out The Modern Coach’s PlannerSMSC preview episode with Sean MyszkaThe Adaptable Athlete PodcastCheck out the pod on YouTubeCredits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Coach Jav sits down with Steve Whalen to explore his journey into coaching, his shift toward ecological dynamics, and what it means to truly design learning environments that transfer to competition. Steve shares how he entered tennis coaching from a non-traditional background, the tensions he experienced within traditional coach education, and the turning points that led him toward a constraints-led approach. The conversation unpacks why players who look sharp in practice often struggle in matches, how coaches can better understand learning and performance, and what it takes to bridge the gap between research and real-world coaching. They also discuss Steve’s work mentoring coaches globally, his upcoming research in ecological dynamics, and the broader direction of modern coach education. The upcoming Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 5–6) is also discussed  you can learn more and register here If you’re looking for a practical starting point for designing more effective sessions, download the Modern Coach’s Practice Checklist and check out thecoachjav.com for more resources! Episode Resources Steve's websiteSteve on Instagram 2026 Sport Movement Skill Conference (SMSC) Modern Coach’s Practice Checklist - Free coaching guide The Adaptable Athlete PodcastEmergenceSupport & Contact If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.  You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav or by email at [email protected] Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Coach Jav sits down with Emergence co-founder Shawn Myszka to preview the 2026 Sport Movement Skill Conference (SMSC). They unpack this year’s theme — “Challenge Point” — and explain why the conference will feature debate-style matchups between leading voices from differing theoretical foundations. The conversation explores why now is the right time to bring contrasting coaching philosophies back to the table, how intellectual sparring can sharpen clarity, and what attendees can expect from both the debates and hands-on practical sessions. From matchups like Shawn Myszka vs. Tony Villani , Tyler Yearby vs. Jeff Moyer and Jav vs. Tony Holler, to practical sessions spanning MMA, baseball, team sport environments, and Olympic preparation, this year’s SMSC aims to challenge assumptions while fostering connection. The 9th Annual Sport Movement Skill Conference takes place June 5–6 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Don’t forget: The Modern Coach's Planner is now back in stock!!  Get it here     Resources Sport Movement Skill Conference 2026Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist (CSAS) InformationPodcast WebsiteEp. 110 with Shawn Support & Contact If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.  You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav or by email at [email protected] Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Adaptable Athlete Podcast, Coach Jav breaks down three mistakes he made while applying ecological dynamics and the constraints-led approach in his coaching. From prioritizing drills over principles, to progressing athletes from decontextualized work instead of designing representative learning environments, to failing to give athletes ownership in the skill acquisition process, Coach Jav reflects on what changed — and why it matters for modern coaching. If you’re a coach exploring ecological dynamics, skill acquisition, or looking to move beyond traditional drill-based training, this episode offers a practical and honest look at what applying these concepts actually requires in real-world settings. This conversation touches on principles vs drills, contextual training design, scaling complexity, athlete feedback, and how to build adaptable performers. Resources & Links: The Modern Coach PlannerSport Movement Skill Conference 2026More Pod EpisodesWatch the show on Youtube Support & Contact If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.  You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav or by email at [email protected] Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, coach Jav breaks down the most common mistakes coaches make in agility training—and why many popular drills fail to transfer to sport. Inspired by a recent Six of the Best contribution with Sportsmith (Emergence Co-founder Shawn, Myszka was also featured), the the episode centers on a core problem: coaches often give athletes the answers instead of setting real problems to solve. Jav explains why repetition without context limits adaptability, why randomness alone isn’t enough, and how poor information sources—like verbal cues, lights, or inanimate objects—can disconnect training from competition. He closes with three practical shifts coaches can make immediately to design more effective, sport-relevant agility environments. This episode is for coaches who want to move beyond scripted drills and develop truly adaptable athletes. Don’t forget: The Modern Coach's Planner is now back in stock!!  https://thecoachjav.com/products/modern-coach-planner Support & Contact If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.  You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav or by email at [email protected] Resources & Links The podcast on YouTubeSportsmith The Adaptable Athlete Podcast:EmergenceCredits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav

Send us Fan Mail The Modern Coach's Planner — built for coaches who think differently — Back! Order yours today at: https://thecoachjav.com/products/modern-coach-planner In this episode, coach Jav sits down with Rob Gray to explore what comes after the basics of ecological dynamics and the constraints-led approach. They discuss why “fundamentals first” thinking continues to persist in sport, how constraints can lose their effectiveness over time, and the difference between developing skill and maintaining it at higher levels of performance. Rob also shares practical insights from his work across multiple sports, including how to scale difficulty, design more representative practice environments, and avoid turning data into rigid technique prescriptions. This conversation is for coaches who are already experimenting with modern approaches and want to go deeper into how athletes actually adapt, learn, and perform. Don’t forget: The Modern Coach's Planner is now available for pre-order at https://thecoachjav.com/products/modern-coach-planner Support & Contact If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with another coach or athlete who’d appreciate it.  You can reach Coach Jav on social media at @thecoachjav or by email at [email protected] Resources & Links Rob Gray – The Advanced Ecological ApproachRob Gray’s websiteThe Adaptable Athlete Podcast:Emergence Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat! Twitter: @thecoachjav IG: @thecoachjav