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:
#Bitesize - An athlete and coach’s view of an ACL rehab process with Alan Murdoch and Anthony Watson
Building a sports science department from the ground up: From “one-man bands” to large organisations with Teofe Ziemnicki
#Bitesize - How to use velocity loss to maximise adaptation with Dan Baker
Jump training and the specificity myth in athlete development with Håkan Andersson
#Bitesize - Training and testing agility versus change of direction with Shawn Myszka, Tom Dos’Santos and Ian Jeffreys
How to use the warm up as a movement screen and revolutionising technique analysis with computer vision and artificial intelligence with Jonas Dodoo
#Bitesize - Creating change of direction drills that transfer to the field with Shawn Myszka
Resisted speed training: Effects on mechanics, how to programme it and its impact on sprint performance with Jason Hettler, George Petrakos and Hakan Anderrson
#Bitesize - Using resisted speed training with youth athletes with Micheál Cahill
Understanding what we need to change to improve acceleration, and how we go about coaching it with James Wild
#Bitesize - How to increase eccentric strength which transfers to improved deceleration with Joey Guarascio
Analysing England rugby player Anthony Watson’s ACL rehab and how he got faster than ever with Alan Murdoch and Anthony Watson
#Bitesize - The most effective ways to use blood flow restriction training to increase strength with Stephen Patterson
Getting athletes fast on short timeframes and creating a long term speed system with Les Spellman
#Bitesize - Using isometric training to get specific with exercise selection with Danny Lum
Testing deceleration, reducing injury risk during cutting and maximising the use of the 1080 sprint with Ola Eriksrud
#Bitesize - Which assessments to use during the RTP process from athletic hip and groin injuries with Enda King
Testing and training the foot for rehabilitation and improving sports performance (part 2)
#Bitesize - Testing and training the calf to reduce injury risk with Colin Griffin
Testing and training the foot for rehabilitation and improving sports performance (part 1) with Romain Tourillon
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