In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob is joined by James Bunce, Performance Consultant & Owner, XG Performance. James shares his journey, starting from Southampton, where he climbed up to head of the department from initially starting as an intern in the academy, through his transition to the Premier League to develop a high-performance department, to taking on challenges in the US and Monaco. Reflecting on his experiences, James discusses the excitement and challenges of setting up his consultancy, including working on the 30th MLS franchise in San Diego.
The episode delves into the essence of succeeding in the competitive sports industry, highlighting the need for hustle, differentiation, and continuous learning. It underscores the importance of professionalization and modernization of coaching practices, alongside advocating for a focus on athletic development and player performance pathways. The discussion also covers the challenges of transitioning to consultancy roles, the value of professionalizing football environments, and the need for education and awareness in talent identification and development.
Rather than just being a bio, James dives into the detail of some key areas that he is particularly proud of during his career. He describes what the catalyst was which enabled him to transition from intern to head of department at Southampton FC. Then he answers a lot of questions on why the Premier League close to support certain rules like the necessity for BASES accreditation for its academy staff, while also diving deep into the reasons why growth and maturation monitoring is so key for the development of elite players. His time at Monaco is also an area where James provides some really actionable insights, particularly around data collection and implementing standards.
If you're working in football and are looking for insights into what its really like working at a Premier League club, a league or federation, this episode with James Bunce is for you.
Main talking points:
Training tendons; implications for sprinting, jumping and rehabilitation with Keith Baar (Professor of Molecular Exercise Physiology at University of California, Davis)
EPL > NHL > NFL; lessons from working in three of the biggest sports in the world with Jo Clubb (Sports Performance Consultant)
Contextual strength & coordination training, traditional strength training and intelligent science with John Pryor (Senior S&C Coach at Rugby Australia [Wallabies])
Programming for early and late maturing athletes, athlete case studies, and identifying gaps in development with James Baker (Senior S&C Coach at Aspire Academy)
Assessing growth and maturation, developing an LTAD framework, and talent identification with James Baker (Senior S&C Coach at Aspire Academy)
Murderball & training intensity; creating the fittest team in the Premier League with Benoit Delaval (1st Team Fitness Coach at Leeds United FC)
Eccentric training; the why, when and how with Angus Ross (Senior Strength & Conditioning Specialist at High Performance Sport New Zealand)
Developing some of the most impressive young athletes in the world at Duke University with Aaron Getz (Associate Director for Performance [Football] at Duke University)
From Olympic hockey gold to European football: what we can learn from other sports with Rick Cost (Head of Performance at Feyenoord)
What is data science (and what isn't), data informed decision making, and the gamification of coaching with Sudarshan Gopaladesikan (Head of Sports Data Science at S.L. Benfica)
Winning the Rugby World Cup, alcohol periodisation, and conditioning rugby players with Aled Walters (Head of Physical Preparation at Leicester Tigers)
The future of fitness qualifications in football, 24/7 support staff and what happened to the 'fitness coach' (?) with Paul Balsom (Fitness Coach for the Swedish National Football Team)
From NFL > esports: working in esports as a performance coach, what coaches can bring, and how can you pivot into this area with Taylor Johnson (Chief Performance Engineer at Statspace)
Expectations of sports science, the rise of the PhD, and the 'problem' with research with Barry Drust (Industrial Professorial Fellow at University of Birmingham)
Performance recovery, working with Olympic sprinters, and growing industry trends with Robin Thorpe (Sports Performance Scientist)
Recovery, load monitoring and a decade working at the biggest football club in the world with Robin Thorpe (Sport Performance Scientist)
Blood flow restriction (BFR) training; more than just a rehabilitation tool with Chris Gaviglio (Senior S&C Coach at the Queensland Academy of Sport)
Isometric training; the why, when and how with Danny Lum (Head of S&C at Singapore Sport Institute)
Shifting the training 'ideal' when working in the NBA with Carl Bergstrom (Head Performance Coach at Golden State Warriors)
Bridging the gap between competition demands & physical capabilities in footballers with Ben Rosenblatt (Physical Performance Coach at The FA) & Martin Evans (Physical Performance Coach at The FA)
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