Steph Mock, Assistant AD for Sports Performance at the University of Pittsburgh is on this week's episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast. Steph traced her journey from high school sports to a collegiate volleyball career at West Virginia University. She later transitioned into strength conditioning, working at Clemson University and Mississippi State University, before returning to her alma mater. Her mentors, especially Rick Franzblau, played a crucial role in her professional development.
The discussion turns to the experience of being a woman in the predominantly male field of strength and conditioning. Steph highlights the importance of viewing the role as one of leadership, emphasizing skills such as relationship building and managing complex situations, which are gender-neutral. She acknowledges the influence of female leaders within the University of Pittsburgh, including the Chancellor and the Athletic Director, in her career development. This segment underscores the evolution in the field, where gender is becoming less of a defining factor in defining one's leadership and professional capabilities.
A significant portion of the podcast is devoted to the topic of microdosing in training, particularly its application in collegiate sports. Steph delves into her first exposure to the concept at a conference in 2018 and how it influenced her approach to training the volleyball team at the University of Pittsburgh. She explains how microdosing, or splitting training sessions into shorter, more frequent sessions, is particularly effective for in-season training. This approach helps to navigate the constraints of athletes’ schedules, including practices, competitions, and academic commitments. She emphasizes that this methodology allows for more focused, specific stimulus in training sessions, aiding in better preparation and recovery for athletes. The adoption of microdosing was already in place at the University of Pittsburgh, thanks to the head volleyball coach, making it easier for Steph to implement and enhance the practice.
If you're looking to introduce micro dosing into your programming, check out this episode with Steph.
Main talking points:
Anaerobic speed reserve; maximising training prescription (part 1) with Gareth Sandford (Physiologist at Athletics Canada)
#Bitesize - Training speed with team sport athletes with James Wild
Understanding and maximising the potential of the modern athlete with David Joyce and Dan Lewindon
#Bitesize - Testing and training deceleration qualities with Damian Harper
The modern football fitness coach and the importance of deep technical and tactical knowledge with Adam Owen (UEFA Pro Licence Coach & High Performance Director)
Working with youth athletes; monitoring maturation, biobanding and training through rapid growth with Sean Cumming (Professor of Paediatric Exercise at Bath University)
The psychology of physical enhancement, attitude, effort and energy with Dan Abrahams (Sports Psychologist)
Triphasic training, the ‘performance pillars‘ system, and choosing the right athlete assessments with Matt Van Dyke (Director of Sports Science, Houston Texans)
How to incorporate eccentric training into a strength and power programme with John Wagle (Director of Performance Science and Player Development, Kansas City Royals)
The quadrant system; allowing creativity and structure in planning and periodisation with Daniel Bove (Director of Performance, New Orleans Pelicans)
Deceleration ability; testing, developing underpinning qualities and the braking strategy framework with Damian Harper (Lecturer at the Institute of Coaching & Performance)
Weight machines; the most under utilised way to train in-season in the NBA with Cory Schlesinger (Director of Performance at the Phoenix Suns)
Rethinking rehabilitation, tendon health and the rise in popularity of blood flow restriction training with Luke Vella (Lead S&C Coach at Melbourne Rebels)
Winning the Super Bowl, getting fired and making an impact in the NFL with James Hanisch (ex Director of Performance Science at Philadelphia Eagles)
Changing the way we think about training speed and agility, and implementing the methods of Frans Bosch with Leigh Egger (Head of Performance at Feyenoord Rotterdam)
How to develop some of the Premier League‘s most promising young talent with Matt Allen (Head of Academy Physical Development at Tottenham Hotspur)
Harnessing ego to increase player and coach performance with Martin Buchheit (Head of Performance Research at Kitman Labs) and George Perry (athletics coach and sports writer)
Jumping and plyometrics; testing options, the importance of jump strategy and its link to speed with Joseph Coyne (Director of High Performance at Lindisfarne Anglican College)
Why speed should be at the top of the decision making tree in a performance based approach to rehab with Jonas Dodoo (Speedworks) & Alan Murdoch (Speedworks - Bath)
Reducing and rehabilitating hip and groin injuries, monitoring readiness in team sports & isometric training with Ed Gannon (Head of S&C at Buffalo Sabres)
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