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:
Recovery, sleep & nutrition; the other 22 hours with Pete Tierney (Physical Performance Coach at The FA) & Chris Rosimus (Lead Performance Nutritionist at The FA)
Working with the BEST footballers in the country with Bryce Cavanagh (Head of Physical Performance, Medicine & Nutrition at The FA)
Conditioning vs fitness. A paradigm shift in professional football with Shayne Murphy (Performance Coach Consultant)
Managing & leading in elite sport in a foreign country with David Cosgrave (Head of Physical Performance at FC Copenhagen)
Triphasic training & the importance of experimentation with Cal Dietz (Associate Director at the University of Minnesota)
Success leaves clues. Reflections from NRL, NBA & AFL with Lachlan Penfold (Director of Performance at Melbourne Storm)
Nutrition for the S&C Coach with James Morehen (Performance Nutritionist)
Getting a job and navigating a career in elite sport with David Slemen (Founding Partner at Elite Performance Partners)
Performance intelligence research, industry innovation and leaving pro sport with Martin Buchheit & Stephen Smith (Head of Performance Research CEO/Founder at Kitman Labs)
Designing effective conditioning sessions in football and manipulating small sided games with Andrea Riboli (Head of Sports Science at Atalanta B.C)
Velocity based training: preventing overtraining AND undertraining with Jeremy Jacobs (Assistant Strength& Conditioning Coach at LSU)
Effectively designing conditioning sessions & challenging sports tech companies in the NBA with Lorena Torres (Performance Director at Philadelphia 76ers)
The illogic of being data driven, self screening and coaching the developing athlete with Paul Gamble (Consultant, Coach and Author)
Force plate analysis & assessing fatigue in the NFL with Adam Lachance (Sports Science Coordinator at Miami Dolphins)
Real-world training load monitoring and winning the World Cup with Guilherme Passos (Sports Scientist for the Brazilian National Football Team)
Getting athletes fast when time is limited with Les Spellman (Owner of Spellman Performance)
Delivering holistic performance support with world class tennis players with Dan Lewindon (Head of Performance Science & Medicine at LTA)
Speed training in football, advice for young coaches, and overcoming Covid challenges with Alek Gross (Head of Sports Science at Southampton FC)
Industry longevity, speed training education, and industry trends with Nick Ward (ALTIS Program Director)
Programming and planning jump training & the importance of variation with Joel Smith (Coach, Podcaster & Author)
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