Coaching agility using a constraints led approach with Shawn Myszka

This week on the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob is speaking to Movement Skill Acquisition Coach at Emergence, Shawn Myszka. Shawn currently serves as a personal performance advisor and movement coach for more than a dozen NFL players.

Coaching agility is much more than setting up cones and letting the athletes run routes around them. Agility is much more than just change of direction ability. But with so much complexity to improve the physical quality of "agility", how can we coach it effectively to ensure transfer to the field? In this episode, Shawn details his approach which dives into the world of ecological dynamics and a constraints led approach. He explains how his approach differs to a "traditional" approach of pre-planned movements and drilling them time after time. Shawn presents an example of a closed drill which aims to improve cutting and develops it into a much more open drill so the athlete has to react to a changing environment, much like they would have to do on game day.

This is an excellent episode for anyone that wants to ensure their time spent on the field developing "agility" is actually transferring to the field.

Talking points -

• Typical NFL drills to improve agility and how they can be improved

• Traditional approach versus an ecological approach to drill design

• How to integrate a constraints led approach into agility training

• Closed drills vs open drills

• Problems with coaching to a fixed movement profile