Megan Young: Data, Decision-Making, & The Complexities of Performance Coaching in the MLS

This episode features a conversation with Megan, a performance expert with a background spanning professional soccer, collegiate athletics, and personal health. Broadcasting from the Pacific Northwest during a busy soccer season, Megan shares insights into the demands of high-level competition and the evolving landscape of athlete performance. The discussion explores how training, recovery, and overall wellness intersect, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to perform at an elite level — both on and off the field.

00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:05.280
Megan thank you so much for joining me today 
how you doing great thanks for having me of

00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:09.640
course I understand that that sun is coming out in 
Seattle which means I know you got to get outside

00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:16.280
the house soon but uh tell me what's going on 
in the Northwest um it is March it is soccer

00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:21.520
season so we actually have a game tonight we're 
in Champions Cup with the Seattle Sounders so I

00:00:21.520 --> 00:00:29.240
think we're playing Cruz aul tonight and yeah that 
in between the middle of MLS kickoffs so uh busy

00:00:29.240 --> 00:00:36.400
time here but exced exting time all right and I 
uh I showed you off air I had a mug from Stoneway

00:00:36.400 --> 00:00:43.560
Cafe so first question is number one are you a fan 
of course and question number two is what is your

00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:50.400
order when you're there okay so back when ston 
w was at the old spot at the bottom of the hill

00:00:50.400 --> 00:00:54.280
that's when I would always go I would travel out 
to Seattle to see my partner we were doing long

00:00:54.280 --> 00:01:00.200
distance and I go down there I get the breakfast 
burrito duh um so it just depends on what your

00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:05.960
is though so sometimes the pastries they have 
on on Deck just from the bakery are incredible

00:01:05.960 --> 00:01:11.280
so if that also happened that's a Vibe uh I 
think your first answer was the right answer

00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:17.440
which was breakfast burrito yeah um all right 
well really excited to talk to you today about

00:01:17.440 --> 00:01:23.080
you know performance and uh you know the 
world of performance in soccer as well and

00:01:23.080 --> 00:01:27.040
I understand your background is very rich in 
experience spanning from professional soccer

00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:31.520
Collegiate Athletics and you know even your own 
personal health so how these things really shaped

00:01:31.520 --> 00:01:37.640
your philosophy and and your principles as a 
performance coach yeah I mean the great thing

00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:43.840
is regardless of sport regardless of like my own 
story or my own golden retriever in the background

00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:51.920
is that physiology is physiology right and science 
is science so it's taking conceptual logic and

00:01:51.920 --> 00:02:00.040
applying that in different lenses and sport 
is one of the coolest I guess uh lenses to use

00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:05.520
that because it's entertainment for people um that 
aren't in professional sports but when you're in

00:02:05.520 --> 00:02:09.880
the Wheelhouse of the team behind the team in 
professional sports there's so much that goes

00:02:09.880 --> 00:02:16.960
into that and um you need the years of expertise 
um to be able to make the five minute decision

00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:21.960
right and that's where games are one and lost and 
that's where the big calls are made is having all

00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:27.400
the expertise to build the systems and hire 
the right people to have on the team yeah

00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:31.480
awesome thank you and you know I've heard you talk 
about before about having no bad days as part of

00:02:31.480 --> 00:02:35.640
your outlook you know how does that mindset also 
translate into working with these high performance

00:02:35.640 --> 00:02:40.720
athletes yeah I mean I think it's the two very 
different things like it's not saying that people

00:02:40.720 --> 00:02:47.800
can't have bad days emotionally like everyone 
shows up in a different space right and it's also

00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:53.320
having Grace and for people that you meet outside 
of work and understanding everyone's going through

00:02:53.320 --> 00:03:00.760
something different um but what I meant more 
by that was um in the cancer specific Community

00:03:00.760 --> 00:03:07.920
your mindset is also it is one of the tools in 
your toolbx just like being an athlete and if

00:03:07.920 --> 00:03:15.240
you're going through I just spoke to a amazing 
group up here in uh Seattle of cancer survivors

00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:22.040
and you know one of the things that helped me in 
that Outlook is there wasn't a bad day um because

00:03:22.040 --> 00:03:30.080
you're still in the fight and you have one job 
and that's like that's survive so um I think that

00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:35.680
the people that support that team just like what 
I do in professional sports it's the team behind

00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:41.400
the team that's not showing you everything they 
have going on and when they do come in to see you

00:03:41.400 --> 00:03:46.280
or you know be with you or have a procedure 
or anything like that they put on that face

00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:50.200
of like you know what I don't get to have a bad 
day because this person's going through the worst

00:03:50.200 --> 00:03:55.760
moment of their life potentially and I'm going to 
show up for them and then trying to bring that in

00:03:55.760 --> 00:04:02.240
as a coach is like um some coaches call it like 
bringing the juice every day it's like regardless

00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:06.760
of what I have going on I'm going to show up 
it doesn't mean that I can't be authentic and

00:04:06.760 --> 00:04:11.680
say like hey I'm struggling this is happening or 
whatever but I have to I have to bring that juice

00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:16.840
every day I have to show up and be willing to do 
the job and in our job it is being emotionally

00:04:16.840 --> 00:04:22.920
available it is um being able to balance point 
between 16-year-olds moving into their first

00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:28.840
apartment and uh 30-year-olds becoming firsttime 
dads and all of the things in between right and

00:04:28.840 --> 00:04:34.440
there's a lot happen happening within the human 
um I love one of my friends Vernon says you know

00:04:34.440 --> 00:04:43.400
it's um it's humans are complex but they're not 
complicated U everything we do is complex but

00:04:43.400 --> 00:04:48.720
it doesn't have to be complicated when you can 
show up and hold space and then have logic and

00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:54.640
rationale and reasoning at the end of the day like 
there are many big decisions to make and a lot of

00:04:54.640 --> 00:04:59.040
small ones along the way and how you treat people 
but relationships are what going to take you from

00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:06.280
one level to the next yeah that's awesome well 
said Thank you and for you as you go through this

00:05:06.280 --> 00:05:14.400
this daytoday um work week and then week to week 
month to month do you have a trigger or something

00:05:14.400 --> 00:05:19.080
in your day that's a reminder maybe a poster 
just like some sort of way to flip the switch and

00:05:19.080 --> 00:05:28.200
quote bring the juice yeah I mean I think um uh I 
think when I get to work like uh in football clubs

00:05:28.200 --> 00:05:33.080
anywhere in the world right like you probably have 
somewhere that your gear is stored your training

00:05:33.080 --> 00:05:43.240
gear and it's like once you put on the uniform 
that day it's like I'm coach now and so it's that

00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:47.080
when I put the clothes on to taking them off and 
it's very different than college right at College

00:05:47.080 --> 00:05:52.160
all your gear is at your house it's like okay on 
Mondays we wear orange Tuesdays we wear blue or

00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:58.080
whatever but in professional sports it's like you 
go to work but then you prepare for the work there

00:05:58.080 --> 00:06:04.120
a lot of the times and I love that within soccer 
culture it's you know you put on the pants you put

00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:08.760
on the training jacket you zip it up you have the 
crest or the badge on your chest and that's when

00:06:08.760 --> 00:06:15.320
the the day starts that's great thank you and I'm 
really excited uh for later of our conversation

00:06:15.320 --> 00:06:18.960
we're going to talk more about that human element 
side of things and how that plays a role in some

00:06:18.960 --> 00:06:24.680
of your decision-making but if we can jump into 
maybe this quote load management side of soccer

00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:29.960
which you know load management especially with 
the NBA in the last few years has picked up um a

00:06:29.960 --> 00:06:35.400
lot of steam uh in the news and people are talking 
about it more it seems even though to you may just

00:06:35.400 --> 00:06:39.760
seem we've been doing this for a long period of 
time that's what training is it is load management

00:06:39.760 --> 00:06:44.160
um regardless there are more conversations 
surrounding that so um soccer you know there

00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:48.880
are congested schedules there's travel sometimes 
interruptions for international play how do you

00:06:48.880 --> 00:06:55.920
approach uh in a general sense as load management 
for your players across a long season yeah I mean

00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:01.480
it always starts with the competitions right like 
whether it's VA whether it's soccer whether it's

00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:07.680
College whether it's Pro it's getting that game 
schedule then allows you to reverse engineer right

00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:12.920
um and for us like yes you can't predict which 
tournaments you're going to progress all the way

00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:20.280
through versus getting to quarters or semis but 
you have to prepare for um one of my colleagues

00:07:20.280 --> 00:07:25.960
he is our Sports scientist he's like the worst 
case scenario I'm like I hate the name of it but

00:07:25.960 --> 00:07:32.840
he's so right uh in that I remember when we were 
prepping some players in Chicago for the World Cup

00:07:32.840 --> 00:07:37.240
um Don Scott was with the Women's National Team 
and she's like you know Megan we got to prepare

00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:42.880
them for the three games they're going to face in 
eight days and I was like okay so we would be at

00:07:42.880 --> 00:07:47.720
training and go through the training session and 
I'd look at Julian and I'm like we still have a

00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:55.040
lot of work to do uh so it it just is that's where 
load management isn't really about management it's

00:07:55.040 --> 00:08:02.240
about performance um and I think that that's why 
sometimes even the terms matter right like if I

00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:08.320
call you I call your exercises before training 
prehab it's like I've had an NFL player say to

00:08:08.320 --> 00:08:11.800
me well there's nothing wrong with me and now 
you're telling me there's something wrong with

00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:17.520
me and if I'm like if I call it resiliency 
well that's a way different psychological

00:08:17.520 --> 00:08:22.440
understanding of why we're doing what we're 
doing um so the same can be said for like load

00:08:22.440 --> 00:08:29.920
management versus just performance data and this 
is performance data cuz all it is not gener um

00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:35.640
it is not predictive data it is outcome measure 
data we are literally downloading or digesting

00:08:35.640 --> 00:08:42.280
information after an event has happened now can we 
understand based off means and averages and roles

00:08:42.280 --> 00:08:47.880
to predict kind of what load measures could be 
down the yeah absolutely no problem but we do that

00:08:47.880 --> 00:08:53.960
what's the end goal so you have to have people to 
ask the right questions and to understand like is

00:08:53.960 --> 00:08:57.800
there a problem we're trying to solve or are 
we just trying to dive into different things

00:08:57.800 --> 00:09:04.360
and I think that for me it always starts with a 
competition and trying to best prepare ourselves

00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:11.160
to have um the highest level of performance in 
those competitions I like what you said about

00:09:11.160 --> 00:09:17.040
renaming thing and renaming things and that uh 
language really matters I worked for Coach R Roose

00:09:17.040 --> 00:09:23.680
at G as a ga at University of Texas we called our 
prehab daily vitamins um which for the players

00:09:23.680 --> 00:09:26.800
like they love that they understood the concept 
okay you got to come in you got to take these

00:09:26.800 --> 00:09:35.000
this is part of the routine um you talked about 
key metrics uh and having things be more outcome

00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:39.360
based so when you're looking for these outcomes 
I mean what outcomes are you actually searching

00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:43.400
for and what metrics are actually important 
to you and you're like okay like I have a good

00:09:43.400 --> 00:09:46.480
understanding where these people at because the 
game itself there are things that happen within

00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:51.480
a game that they just happen but when you look 
at metrics through games and performance what

00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:57.160
are you actually looking at yeah I mean I think 
it's just like in the in the waight room right

00:09:57.160 --> 00:10:04.000
like volume is one indicator intensity is another 
metrics fall into both those buckets that's how

00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:09.560
we kind of understand people and purpose intent 
and adaptation you have people in the gym that

00:10:09.560 --> 00:10:16.000
can handle a lot of volume but they you Spice in a 
little intensity and they break um or if you have

00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.800
changes in intensity they kind of hang out in this 
range all of a sudden they take a little Spike

00:10:20.800 --> 00:10:26.240
up you're like oh wow they're wrecked they're 
really sore same to be said for data management

00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:31.560
of performance metrics right so on the field 
specifically Ally everyone in soccer is going to

00:10:31.560 --> 00:10:37.920
talk about running or achieving 90% Max velocity 
and using that as kind of like you're saying a

00:10:37.920 --> 00:10:44.000
checklist I I feel like the a lot of ways people 
think in soccer is like a checklist of okay we did

00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:51.680
this this this and this to kind of um make sure 
athletes are ready to perform and it's ticking

00:10:51.680 --> 00:10:57.440
them over and that's unfortunately like in the 
highest levels of football it's not necessarily

00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:04.480
about making them better it's about making them 
ready um and making them ready is making them

00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:09.800
better because then you have player availability 
for the majority of your games throughout the year

00:11:09.800 --> 00:11:16.160
so you've given yourself and your management the 
opportunity to leverage the roster you've built

00:11:16.160 --> 00:11:20.120
now that being said do I believe as a performance 
coach that we don't make people better throughout

00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:25.080
year heck no I I wouldn't be here if I'm just 
like okay I'm just here to move you along through

00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:31.000
the process you know take take you from here to 
here that's it believe that at all there's all

00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:37.120
the little 1% gains and for us we're together 11 
and 1/2 months of the year so 11 and 1/2 months

00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:45.800
of 15 minutes a day is a lot um so uh it's it's I 
kind of Akin it to like uh in college basketball

00:11:45.800 --> 00:11:52.680
in the NBA where they start started doing postgame 
lifts and then pregame pre-practice lifting right

00:11:52.680 --> 00:11:59.840
it's like that became hey we don't need two-hour 
training sessions and lifting sessions to get the

00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:07.720
most effective response for the least uh negative 
repercussion of adaptation so meaning how much

00:12:07.720 --> 00:12:14.480
can we get for giving as little as possible and 
I love that dance um and I think that's that's

00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:21.560
the fun part of working in a pro team now on the 
other side of that we have um an academy system

00:12:21.560 --> 00:12:26.600
as well man that's where development happens 
and that's where it's fun and that's where it's

00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:31.200
like having really good coaches and we have some 
really good coach is here right now and um when

00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:35.400
you talk about speed development you talk about 
strength development and looking at phv and all

00:12:35.400 --> 00:12:41.680
these different things it's like that's where you 
get to have a little bit more um intricacies in

00:12:41.680 --> 00:12:47.760
the recipe of performance because they are at all 
these different stages and it is about literally

00:12:47.760 --> 00:12:53.480
developing them so that we understand who is 
a shot of being on this roster in six years 8

00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:59.240
years 10 years um so I think that performance 
looks very different in a professional setting

00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:06.720
vers an inseason versus an offseason setting 
um and I I missed the offseason setting like

00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:12.080
I what is it like to have a 14-week off season I 
hope I never know again in Pro Sports because it

00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:16.480
probably means that we're doing pretty well but 
do I miss that and being able to say you know

00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:21.640
we're going to get after it for four days a week 
or five days a week absolutely uh it's just not

00:13:21.640 --> 00:13:26.280
the world I currently live in I could see it's 
there though and you you're like you're thinking

00:13:26.280 --> 00:13:31.280
about it you're like man I love that part of it 
totally you know people are like oh do you ever

00:13:31.280 --> 00:13:39.560
Miss like college football and I'm like do I miss 
100 players getting better and the energy that

00:13:39.560 --> 00:13:45.320
comes from that and the energy from having team 
runs and the energy absolutely it's way different

00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:53.720
having 26 versus 122 or whatever they're limited 
down to now but the the capacity of what you're

00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:59.280
doing is different because at the end of the 
day it's like being technically tactically Sharp

00:13:59.280 --> 00:14:04.480
efficient hitting these metrics like we talk 
about and so to go to answer your question

00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:09.240
too just about metrics like I care about spread 
distance I care about highspeed running I care

00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:15.280
about excels and desels over certain acceleration 
zones I care about how an athlete looks when they

00:14:15.280 --> 00:14:23.480
move and I think that um that's the coaching eye 
doesn't come out in GPS um and you know if you

00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:28.400
if you talk to Stu and some of these guys from 
Altus and you have been around track and field

00:14:28.400 --> 00:14:36.280
for a long time time it's how people move changes 
throughout a year um whether it's from um fatigue

00:14:36.280 --> 00:14:44.560
whether it's from contact whether it's from uh 
specific adaptations or just compensations it's

00:14:44.560 --> 00:14:48.400
understanding what a player's Baseline movement is 
and being able to understand how that's changing

00:14:48.400 --> 00:14:53.680
throughout a year and um what we're doing for that 
and then on the other side that's like giving them

00:14:53.680 --> 00:15:00.360
different exposures so whether it's using we're 
fortunate enough to have um some 1080 Sprint twos

00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:07.120
here to do acceleration work and getting that 
across the line with our first team I think is

00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:12.160
been a huge check mark for us um really excited 
to see that implemented versus like how much work

00:15:12.160 --> 00:15:18.360
we're doing with the academy um so all that looks 
different but those are the intensity metrics and

00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:24.080
percent max speed and then on the volume side yet 
total distance um and then just depends on what

00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:29.960
we're dealing with right like we play today then 
we play Saturday and then we play two Tuesday so

00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:36.040
we're playing with less than 72 hours rest between 
games and traveling to Mexico City um to play

00:15:36.040 --> 00:15:40.600
at altitude so it's like all those contextual 
factors play into like is this the right time

00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:48.040
to push probs not like probably the right time 
to play games and um manage your roster really

00:15:48.040 --> 00:15:54.400
well and that's where the daily decisions come in 
and that's not just me that's that's a whole team

00:15:54.400 --> 00:16:01.320
of medical and performance together all right so 
many great things uh that were said there so I'm

00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:05.880
going to try to break them down a one at a time 
um number one I like what you said about making

00:16:05.880 --> 00:16:10.640
them ready and having your focus be on making them 
ready not necessarily better because the reality

00:16:10.640 --> 00:16:17.240
is ready makes them better um and then you talked 
about the academy where it seems like making them

00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:23.600
better actually allows them to be ready th% which 
is the opposite um okay so you're getting ready

00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:26.760
for this week though right now which sounds 
like a pretty crazy week I mean you mentioned

00:16:26.760 --> 00:16:30.960
the altitude you mentioned going to Mexico so um 
you said you're having these conversations with

00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:34.760
everybody that's involved in performance so I mean 
Enlighten us like what are those conversations

00:16:34.760 --> 00:16:39.680
like what's being said if you're able to share 
or just maybe give us some insight into like I

00:16:39.680 --> 00:16:43.440
mean this is great this is this is a week right in 
front of us right now that we can maybe talk about

00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:49.040
where's your head at a lot of what we talk about 
are kind of the Baseline things of how are players

00:16:49.040 --> 00:16:56.200
sleeping and eating uh can we fill those two big 
buckets you know that we have the ability to use

00:16:56.200 --> 00:17:00.360
things like hyperbaric chambers and saunas and C 
PL and stuff like that but at the end of the day I

00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:06.120
want to understand are we sleeping to recover from 
the demands of the games how are we traveling how

00:17:06.120 --> 00:17:11.440
did we make decisions around that travel and what 
is the food timelines and the quality of the food

00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:16.480
and the types of the food so um we're really 
fortunate that I work with our Chef here the

00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:23.120
Sounders and um you know we also have individual 
understanding of player needs around nutrition

00:17:23.120 --> 00:17:29.400
from some work we did in preseason so we are able 
to dive into that and the players have of course

00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:35.320
are bought into their individual needs um so with 
that being said they understand that right now

00:17:35.320 --> 00:17:39.760
like they're eating a pretty anti-inflammatory 
diet they may not call it that but they like oh

00:17:39.760 --> 00:17:44.920
yeah I'm eating a lot of berries um and doing 
this or that and you know then we say on the

00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:50.760
other side of that how are you sleeping and am I 
giving things to help you sleep um and adjust and

00:17:50.760 --> 00:17:55.640
then understanding that whether it's capturing 
information through Aura and then looking back

00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:59.960
at that or individual player education and also 
understanding just different phases of life like

00:17:59.960 --> 00:18:04.680
if they have kids at home it's doesn't matter 
that we have a game tonight they're still going

00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:10.560
to do school drop off tomorrow morning um and then 
just really trying to understand that as opposed

00:18:10.560 --> 00:18:15.480
to being like well that's not the plan the plan 
doesn't matter if it doesn't fit the person um

00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:21.120
so the individual needs on those things and just 
understanding that we've prepared these players

00:18:21.120 --> 00:18:26.400
as best we can through preseason through match 
intensity through training to handle this this is

00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:32.360
where they get to show up and show off um um and 
we'll handle as many parts that they'll never know

00:18:32.360 --> 00:18:37.200
about in terms of the travel the logistics the 
decisions and of course that comes down to like

00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:41.920
also the room right our head coach sitting with 
our high performance director and saying like this

00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:48.920
is the plan all the people underneath have put 
in place we have to get side off on it you know

00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:58.720
one second hey come here golden retrievers never 
cease to exist to interrup interrupt come here

00:19:01.400 --> 00:19:08.040
sorry about that no problem uh I like what you 
said there about making sure that the plan has

00:19:08.040 --> 00:19:12.400
to fit the player and I think ultimately right 
there like that's your Buy in the player knows

00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:15.800
this is made for them they know it's well thought 
out you don't need to convince them that this is

00:19:15.800 --> 00:19:19.360
the best thing for them um they just see it in 
action when you're having these discussions which

00:19:19.360 --> 00:19:24.600
I think was great um so let's talk about going in 
Mexico I me what does that look like I mean what

00:19:24.600 --> 00:19:29.040
are the decisions you're making in the weight 
room in terms of loading more loading less and

00:19:29.040 --> 00:19:35.720
and what you're thinking with this travel coming 
up um I think that we play Home and Away leg of

00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:41.360
the same team so seeing the same opposition 
and then playing anyone that knows soccer to

00:19:41.360 --> 00:19:48.040
America versus soccer uh in Mexico and what the 
culture is like of going to a Central and South

00:19:48.040 --> 00:19:55.040
American country is always exciting because um 
of how the fans show up and the fan the fandom

00:19:55.040 --> 00:20:01.920
in America has grown exponentially um but but 
it's always a cool opportunity for that so the

00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:07.560
team we're going to play on short rest because we 
also have a big game against a western conference

00:20:07.560 --> 00:20:13.200
opponent on the Saturday it's not you're just 
trying to recover between games to be honest and

00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:18.240
then you're also trying to make sure you're doing 
the best job for the second half of the roster so

00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:22.160
um in the three games you might have players that 
play all three you might have players that play

00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:26.520
two you have might have players that play one you 
might have players that play none so it's almost

00:20:26.520 --> 00:20:30.680
kind of thinking about it in terms of like that 
starting rotation in baseball but every player

00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:35.400
is a starting pitcher and then how do we get 
the best out of them as they move forward that

00:20:35.400 --> 00:20:41.760
that's who we try to be at all times and it's like 
okay can we get a post game lift with this group

00:20:41.760 --> 00:20:46.720
of players actually can we get a little training 
session with these guys here and then uh everyone

00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:51.120
can be on this schedule for this but then we're 
going to do this for these guys here here and here

00:20:51.120 --> 00:20:58.600
um and that's literally how we talk is player 
by player Group by group and then team by team

00:20:59.960 --> 00:21:03.360
okay so question for you how do you handle 
disagreements then within your group you know

00:21:03.360 --> 00:21:09.000
you have this closed room of coaches and and 
performance uh people and and decision makers

00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:13.320
you know how often are you disagreeing on things 
um and not in a bad way just like how often are

00:21:13.320 --> 00:21:17.400
you disagreeing and ultimately like how do you 
handle those decisions you know outside of the

00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:22.440
room yeah I mean at the end of the day you have 
to have someone that's saying like this is the

00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:27.200
path you have to have leadership saying this is 
what we're going to do um I think that within our

00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:33.680
Collective Performance Group we do a really good 
job of everyone has a voice um but you also have

00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:37.240
and we also have a little bit of lightning in 
the bottle and that a lot of the people in our

00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:43.080
roles like we've been in around performance for 
a long time none of us are less than 5 years of

00:21:43.080 --> 00:21:50.960
experience um and a lot of us have over 10 and so 
it's just like we have a mutual respect for each

00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:57.600
other's point of view um and it may not even just 
be from experience it's also we all have different

00:21:57.600 --> 00:22:02.240
relationships with players so maybe I'm getting 
piece of information from a player that you're

00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:06.840
not getting cuz we have different relationships 
and guess what you're with them on the field every

00:22:06.840 --> 00:22:10.320
day but I'm only with them in the gym that day 
and so I'm going to get something different if

00:22:10.320 --> 00:22:17.400
they're frustrated or whatever and trying to put 
all that emotional context and player feedback

00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:22.120
and then looking at the plan and saying like where 
where do these come together and making the best

00:22:22.120 --> 00:22:30.200
decision there but I I think that we do a really 
good job of having productive disagreements um

00:22:30.200 --> 00:22:36.080
and like professional decorum and how to do 
that and you know if you weren't passionate

00:22:36.080 --> 00:22:43.480
about your position you probably aren't going to 
say anything um so we know that when we do bring

00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:49.760
something up it's probably because we have some 
scientific evidence some practical application

00:22:49.760 --> 00:22:56.400
experience and then a gut feeling um so I think 
that we we truly do respect each other's point of

00:22:56.400 --> 00:23:04.080
view and decisions and most comment ends up being 
very similar and we realize we're like trying to

00:23:04.080 --> 00:23:13.800
shave a half% we're not 10% off so right right I 
think that that's also interesting and what's your

00:23:13.800 --> 00:23:20.160
process as a organization and performance staff 
for evaluating decisions after the fact right so

00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:25.320
you do all this prep work for this crazy week that 
you have um when you finally have time I mean is

00:23:25.320 --> 00:23:29.680
this part of your weekly process or do you try to 
make time or is at the end of the season like when

00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:33.880
do you actually evaluate these decisions and and 
you know in hopes to make things better for the

00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:41.560
future you know I think it's a very good point 
because there's no Playbook that says this is

00:23:41.560 --> 00:23:48.080
how you have to do pro sports you can go through a 
year and have ups and downs and never do anything

00:23:48.080 --> 00:23:56.360
to look back or report or show your body of work 
and um I've learned a lot from our current group

00:23:56.360 --> 00:24:04.800
on how we do that and um we do that at least three 
times of year a PO we do like a preseason initial

00:24:04.800 --> 00:24:12.520
intake uh a preseason report after preseason 
a mid-season and an end of year um and that's

00:24:12.520 --> 00:24:18.880
full team type of availability individual player 
reporting uh Reflections and Evolutions like how

00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:24.880
how do we make things better uh and I love that 
process I think that a lot of coaches have their

00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:30.480
own way of doing that but having a formalized 
process for that not just in performance but

00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:37.320
also in the medical space allows us to make it 
medical and performance together um and then you

00:24:37.320 --> 00:24:44.640
know if it's worth doing then you probably need to 
know what your departmental value emission is and

00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:50.000
then your departmental philosophy because I can 
have my own philosophy as a coach but if that's

00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:55.880
way over here and it's actually not in alignment 
with this probably not going to be happy every

00:24:55.880 --> 00:25:03.480
day cuz and we haven't acknowledged why but if 
your philosophy is a team philosophy and end of

00:25:03.480 --> 00:25:08.080
the day it's like doing what's best for the player 
but then also understanding how we're going about

00:25:08.080 --> 00:25:13.080
that because we've all agreed to this thing that's 
really good systems and Frameworks and that's what

00:25:13.080 --> 00:25:18.960
allows for success and again I think when people 
hear systems Frameworks data they're like these

00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:27.520
people only look at reports and I'm like if people 
understood it's like it's so much talking and then

00:25:27.520 --> 00:25:34.840
uh annotating and then deciding and um I don't I'm 
not I am not the key decision maker at the end of

00:25:34.840 --> 00:25:42.920
the day in this role here um but I'm a key staff 
member in delivering the best information possible

00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:48.520
up chain so that we make the best decision and 
I think that's also a thing that coaches need

00:25:48.520 --> 00:25:53.200
to realize is a lot of people strive I've been a 
high performance director a lot of people are like

00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:58.560
I need to be the director to make the call and 
I'm like well sure okay if that's what you want

00:25:58.560 --> 00:26:02.760
do you want it just because like that's the 
highest paid do you want it just because you

00:26:02.760 --> 00:26:07.320
want to be a soccer coach do you want it 
like what's the actual intent there and I

00:26:07.320 --> 00:26:14.480
think that um coaches get lost along the way of 
like not realizing what their true skill set is

00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:18.520
and saying like they're really good at that 
like what if you're just really really good

00:26:18.520 --> 00:26:24.480
on field and guess what as soon as you're in more 
meanings you're not going to be on field as much

00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:30.120
maybe your really good sweet spot for you is in 
the rehab and return to play process and as you

00:26:30.120 --> 00:26:36.040
go up you're not in that because you're so busy 
making the calls that so it's understanding what

00:26:36.040 --> 00:26:39.560
the role and the responsibilities are so that 
you understand how your time is going to be

00:26:39.560 --> 00:26:47.880
spent yeah absolutely it seems like um in Pro 
Sports and I mean even in the college space

00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:52.840
too you're starting to see more coaches work with 
maybe one or two teams it just seems like there's

00:26:52.840 --> 00:26:58.520
more room for Specialists um now especially in 
Pro organizations like hey you do this really well

00:26:58.520 --> 00:27:05.360
okay like you're hired to do this really well um 
and even in college just to like I started off

00:27:05.360 --> 00:27:12.080
with multiple Sports and right my last four years 
five years at Auburn I was research and women's

00:27:12.080 --> 00:27:20.560
soccer that was it and um I think that that didn't 
mean that I was a specialist in soccer it meant I

00:27:20.560 --> 00:27:26.760
had a singular focus of team sport I think that 
that's also where coaches maybe are falling into

00:27:26.760 --> 00:27:31.320
a trap where it's like you you don't have to be a 
sport coach to be a really good performance coach

00:27:31.320 --> 00:27:38.520
at any sport so just I I did not play soccer at 
a professional level I did not play soccer at a

00:27:38.520 --> 00:27:44.600
college level do I love the game absolutely um 
do I try to say that I understand what it's like

00:27:44.600 --> 00:27:51.160
to Ping a 65 yard ball perfectly to a guy with a 
diving header no but I feel like I understand how

00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:59.000
that good that feels um so I think that realizing 
it's like instead of being a specialist it's like

00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:05.680
being Universal being a performance coach is a 
universal skill that we apply in these specialty

00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:11.360
lenses yeah instead of feeling like you have to 
just do this and that's all you're known for it's

00:28:11.360 --> 00:28:18.720
like well what if you change you've given yourself 
no range as a coach to decide guess what I'm going

00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:26.440
to work track and field um guess what I know how 
to help this NFL DB in the off season guess what I

00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:31.600
understand speed from a whole team perspective and 
it doesn't matter what sport it is I understand

00:28:31.600 --> 00:28:36.520
movement from a whole human perspective doesn't 
matter who's in front of me and it's I think being

00:28:36.520 --> 00:28:43.200
Universal is way better than being a specialist I 
like how you frame that um having a focus versus a

00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:49.480
specialty um I I like that a lot um something you 
mentioned earlier was Stu and his group there and

00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:56.600
and using your coaching instincts and blending 
that with the data so my question to you is you

00:28:56.600 --> 00:29:02.080
know have you faced the situation maybe recently 
where the numbers they all said something they

00:29:02.080 --> 00:29:08.720
painted a story in a certain in a certain way 
but you just knew that in your gut in your coach

00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:13.520
with your coaching experience that there was a 
decision that needed to be made in a different

00:29:13.520 --> 00:29:20.840
direction I'll tell a story um this is one of my 
favorite athletes all time she doesn't matter if

00:29:20.840 --> 00:29:26.800
I talk she doesn't care if I talk about her Sarah 
Gordon is hands down one of the fastest athletes

00:29:26.800 --> 00:29:32.720
I've ever worked with she plays center back in 
uh the professional women's league in America

00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:38.320
we were working together in Chicago and I remember 
we were in a congestion period of three games and

00:29:38.320 --> 00:29:44.600
now you're flying commercial you don't have a chef 
uh you don't have true accountability into their

00:29:44.600 --> 00:29:50.520
sleep schedule uh you have zero control over a 
lot of the things that will help and you're going

00:29:50.520 --> 00:29:56.720
to drive 45 minutes to training every day and an 
hour and a half on a Friday so it's like the deck

00:29:56.720 --> 00:30:05.720
stacked against right right and uh she's had a 
decent output by anyone's means on the data uh in

00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:11.480
these two games and she looks after at me after 
the midweek game where we've played an opponent

00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:17.480
that I know we're going to play in playoffs and 
she's like I'm not tired I was like great I was

00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:21.600
like I'll see you in the locker room she's and I'm 
doing postgame top up she's like I'm going to do

00:30:21.600 --> 00:30:27.960
Sprints and I was like well that goes against like 
everything I'm thinking about for the next game

00:30:28.680 --> 00:30:34.560
and I could just tell she was pent up with this 
energy and emotion of excitement but also being

00:30:34.560 --> 00:30:40.320
like they they don't understand because they don't 
even know and I was like this player if anyone

00:30:40.320 --> 00:30:45.360
is built for sprinting and high-speed running and 
if you know anything about soccer that is not the

00:30:45.360 --> 00:30:49.920
profile of a center back um she can play fullback 
as well and so I was like all right we're going

00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:55.360
to do this so there is nothing in literature that 
says that's a wise decision given two games played

00:30:55.360 --> 00:31:03.080
and going into a third she played lights out in 
the third she sometimes like what a player feels

00:31:03.080 --> 00:31:09.360
we do not separate the brain from the physiology 
output there is no separation in mental and and

00:31:09.360 --> 00:31:19.160
physical output um so you have to really know 
your player really well and then when you side

00:31:19.160 --> 00:31:26.160
with them that's a decision that will help you 
later down the road now had she like gotten hurt

00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:31.840
in the next game or something happened what I said 
feel differently sure probably but at the end of

00:31:31.840 --> 00:31:38.600
the day am I still going to back in the player 
that I have years of experience with and know

00:31:38.600 --> 00:31:46.880
um yeah nine times out of 10 yeah I love what 
you said about players uh the players feel at

00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:52.680
the end of the day they know theirselves the best 
right they know their body's the best they know

00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:58.240
their capacity is the best they know how they're 
feeling so to be able to tap into that um is great

00:31:58.240 --> 00:32:03.160
regardless of what maybe the numbers might say 
you you talked about recovery a few times now

00:32:03.160 --> 00:32:08.160
um the and the important things that go into 
it I guess if you were to zoom out and just

00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:14.520
say hey this is kind of like my decision tree for 
Recovery like um athlete walks in or maybe I know

00:32:14.520 --> 00:32:19.080
this information before they walk in through the 
door but if you can maybe just expand on maybe

00:32:19.080 --> 00:32:24.440
what your decision tree looks like on both sides 
um that would be uh really interesting to hear um

00:32:24.440 --> 00:32:29.080
about like maybe what modality is required based 
on how they're feeling yeah I think there's some

00:32:29.080 --> 00:32:33.920
coaches and some researchers that have made some 
really simple Frameworks based on how you feel

00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:39.120
like if you feel heavy if you feel irritable 
if you feel tired and kind of following simple

00:32:39.120 --> 00:32:45.120
decision trees from that it's literally um if 
you can fill in the missing letter at the front

00:32:45.120 --> 00:32:50.320
it's hit but with an s on the front uh that that 
type of framework I think works really well cuz

00:32:50.320 --> 00:32:55.720
it's player Le you're just like what do you feel 
and they're like this this and this and this and

00:32:55.720 --> 00:33:04.920
I'm like great all four so do everything no um I a 
lot of it is again reverse engineering off of that

00:33:04.920 --> 00:33:10.400
scheduled timeline right like we're not probably 
using the infrared sauna or sauna Match Day minus

00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:15.160
one because I care more about hydration at that 
point and trying to get the carbs we need to be

00:33:15.160 --> 00:33:23.160
able to fuel appropriately for a game logic um 
days after we have an extensive day on the field

00:33:23.160 --> 00:33:28.040
and we lift trying to encourage them that's a 
great day for Assa and the extra work we need

00:33:28.040 --> 00:33:32.200
because I need you to wait 45 minutes before 
you're exposing yourself to cold so we really

00:33:32.200 --> 00:33:38.680
get the strength adaptations we want science Logic 
on Match Day minus 4 when it's predominantly upper

00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:43.480
body do I care if they're still sore three days 
after a game in a typical week if they contrast

00:33:43.480 --> 00:33:49.400
early or getting cold because they're stiff sore 
irritable tired no logic so a lot of times it's

00:33:49.400 --> 00:33:54.240
just building a robust enough framework where 
the player knows um and then players getting

00:33:54.240 --> 00:33:59.760
their own intuitive habits um I in something 
you said earlier I'm I'm going to actually push

00:33:59.760 --> 00:34:05.200
back against and that a lot of players don't know 
their body that's part of our job especially when

00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:09.960
they're younger because you got to remember our 
players come in and sometimes they're 16 and it's

00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:15.320
like they're still growing into their body and 
they're like they feel something they don't know

00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:23.440
the difference in between like severe pain injury 
and Doms and stiff and it's like it's really

00:34:23.440 --> 00:34:28.880
that's where like doing a simple questionnaire and 
I totally get if I'm in in a college setting or

00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:33.040
working one-on-one with someone that might look 
different but having them fill out information

00:34:33.040 --> 00:34:37.640
about themselves and then being able to provide 
that reflective piece for them of how they're

00:34:37.640 --> 00:34:42.880
saying they feel all the time that's them talking 
about themselves so that they start to make that

00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:47.720
connection as opposed to just it being up to 
the day because emotions are so triggered into

00:34:47.720 --> 00:34:52.320
how the body feels when we win tonight and it's 
going to be a great game I'm just speaking that

00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:58.120
into existence how our players will feel soreness 
wise will be less than if we didn't didn't have

00:34:58.120 --> 00:35:04.040
that result so that's where we also have to have 
understanding of context it's um everyone knows

00:35:04.040 --> 00:35:11.600
after a loss soreness hurts more Nicks and little 
contusions and things like that it's different so

00:35:11.600 --> 00:35:16.240
um I think that it's also our job to help a player 
understand how their body is responding if they

00:35:16.240 --> 00:35:21.800
don't have the best and it's like every time after 
sprinting your left hamstring feels a little this

00:35:21.800 --> 00:35:26.880
or that but you don't want to do any prep the next 
day it's like here's how I'm gonna help you I'm

00:35:26.880 --> 00:35:32.840
gonna help you gain some context into what I see 
you saying is a presentation and I'm saying it's a

00:35:32.840 --> 00:35:38.960
pattern I appreciate you pushing back on 
it because as I was saying it I was almost

00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:44.800
pushing back on myself I worked in in college 
baseball um and I was just laughing because

00:35:44.800 --> 00:35:47.680
there's a few people that come to mind right 
that I used to work with and I'm not going

00:35:47.680 --> 00:35:52.320
to mention them by name but really in that 
population and even just Collegiate athletes

00:35:52.320 --> 00:35:57.640
I I do agree with you younger athletes 
don't know themselves as well um and

00:35:59.080 --> 00:36:04.920
baseball athletes are like on this constant 
search of like every single little thing like

00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:09.400
what does this mean what does that mean but um 
yeah I I agree I think older athletes I think

00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:14.680
I was really you know thinking about these older 
more experienced athletes um really understanding

00:36:14.680 --> 00:36:19.440
themselves better than maybe some younger athletes 
but on that point um every time you fill out a

00:36:19.440 --> 00:36:24.160
questionnaire every time you ask somebody how 
they're doing you are in essence educating them

00:36:24.160 --> 00:36:28.360
on like these are the things that you should be 
thinking about so my question to is really what's

00:36:28.360 --> 00:36:34.720
the importance of you know education I imagine 
you value it a ton um but really like are you

00:36:34.720 --> 00:36:39.640
conscious about certain moments of the day where 
you're like this time is going to be time blocked

00:36:39.640 --> 00:36:44.360
and dedicated towards education um or is it more 
of this kind of like natural flow throughout your

00:36:44.360 --> 00:36:52.840
day-to-day yeah I mean I think in in an ideal 
world it's like okay we're going to sit down

00:36:52.840 --> 00:36:57.800
and once a week we're going to educate the team 
on this topic no that's not how it works in for

00:36:57.800 --> 00:37:02.920
sports I think that that speaks more to that 
Academy and developmental side is how much can

00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:08.800
we teach them all the things like when we designed 
this new facility their wait room has the similar

00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:14.440
equipment to us so that as they come up and then 
eventually into a first team they already know

00:37:14.440 --> 00:37:20.800
how this feels familiar so how can we make things 
feel familiar from a environmental standpoint to

00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:26.320
where the education is done when they're 12 and 
not when they're 20 um I think on the the flip

00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:34.400
side of that is the individual meetings versus 
the team I think with I had uh our former intern

00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:41.560
who's now our Academy coach shout out Katie um 
to a presentation and I stole this idea from a

00:37:41.560 --> 00:37:48.880
coach friend of mine shout out hoodie um on the 
difference between gen Z and gen Alpha and I was

00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:57.840
like how do we best understand what's coming and I 
see that play out in terms of individual oneon-one

00:37:57.840 --> 00:38:04.480
information about themselves has a really high 
correlation of being taken on as things they need

00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:10.080
to do and then they drive that whereas if I just 
send a general thing out I'm like hey here's this

00:38:10.080 --> 00:38:17.160
thing they're like okay cool and that that's it 
because it has no connection to them so I think

00:38:17.160 --> 00:38:23.120
the basics like when we talk about nutrition 
like a timeline pre-match minus one daily flow

00:38:23.120 --> 00:38:29.320
it's like okay that's a helpful reminder but when 
we talk about individual needs changing your diet

00:38:29.320 --> 00:38:33.400
your lifestyle you just moved from a different 
country I need to understand your needs I need to

00:38:33.400 --> 00:38:37.840
understand your family Dynamic of how many people 
are we feeding are you cooking for kids and then

00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:42.480
for yourself or you just eating your kids chicken 
nuggets like those are the Dynamics of the things

00:38:42.480 --> 00:38:47.920
that have to be an individual conversation and 
that has to come from a relationship if I'm asking

00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:53.200
that day one of a player it's like that's bad on 
me because they've just probably done a medical

00:38:53.200 --> 00:38:58.120
intake a performance T intake and assessment and 
now you're going to sit down and try and get to

00:38:58.120 --> 00:39:03.440
this really deep meaningful information they're 
fried because they've tried to show up and bring

00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:10.200
the juice right um so I I think it's understanding 
the person in front of you and good things take

00:39:10.200 --> 00:39:17.400
time um SO waiting on that relationship by honing 
in on it every day and how do you hone in on it

00:39:17.400 --> 00:39:22.840
it's just being authentically yourself and showing 
up in your role I don't have to be anything other

00:39:22.840 --> 00:39:29.600
than what my role is every day and by doing that 
every day for 11 and 1/2 months they realize I'm

00:39:29.600 --> 00:39:34.200
going to be the same person that's like I'll see 
you after a film for Activation I'm going to be

00:39:34.200 --> 00:39:39.040
the same person that sees you after the field it's 
like great reminder did you have your protein and

00:39:39.040 --> 00:39:45.760
your creatine great let's do these things and 
you become that consistent theme that's just

00:39:45.760 --> 00:39:50.680
part of what they do and when you're consistent 
you can add little things to it and that's where

00:39:50.680 --> 00:39:57.560
I try and go is the consistency of the individual 
versus the team I love what you mentioned there

00:39:57.560 --> 00:40:03.920
and some things stood out to me some words 
authenticity connection consistency and

00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:07.440
patience like you understand these things are 
important these are important conversations

00:40:07.440 --> 00:40:11.280
that you're going to be having doesn't mean you 
need to have them immediately I really I really

00:40:11.280 --> 00:40:15.800
thought that that was um well said and then it 
connects back to something else you said earlier

00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:22.360
which is context like two players that are the 
same age with the same skill set have maybe two

00:40:22.360 --> 00:40:27.320
completely different lives at home and how they 
adapt to stress might be completely different y

00:40:28.160 --> 00:40:35.120
and and there support for those things yeah 
no that's great and um I'm curious a moment

00:40:35.120 --> 00:40:42.680
of reflection here for you um young coach Megan 
like year one year two right out of GA like are

00:40:42.680 --> 00:40:48.360
are these the kinds of things that you were 
expecting to drive your coaching principles

00:40:48.360 --> 00:40:53.080
philosophies whatever term you want to use um 
and as you kind of reflect back on what that

00:40:53.080 --> 00:40:58.840
person was like and that coach was like I mean are 
you kind of excited about where you're at now I

00:40:58.840 --> 00:41:04.480
don't think the coach has changed at all just the 
context and the experience I think that the way I

00:41:04.480 --> 00:41:11.720
went about things then still had an underpinning 
of connection she that coach though she probably

00:41:11.720 --> 00:41:19.520
cared a lot more about her Excel sheets being 
tidy um back then where um now that technology

00:41:19.520 --> 00:41:25.840
is allowed a lot a lot of those things to automate 
so I get to be more about the connection piece um

00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:32.360
so if anything I think that instead of that being 
a part of it it's like oh that's the majority

00:41:32.360 --> 00:41:39.280
piece curious now too with all of your experience 
and it seems like you're pretty dialed in with

00:41:39.280 --> 00:41:44.320
every you know kind of your day-to-day what things 
are you interested in terms of training where do

00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:49.240
you think maybe training might be going I mean 
you have your everything you're doing now with

00:41:49.240 --> 00:41:53.000
your team but then maybe you're like looking and 
thinking okay in the future it may look a little

00:41:53.000 --> 00:41:57.880
bit something like this is there anything that 
kind of um strike is striking you or or you're

00:41:57.880 --> 00:42:07.640
curious about couple things I think that um 
if you look at Fitness trends like as a whole

00:42:07.640 --> 00:42:15.160
the early 2000s was like the Revival of Olympic 
lifts through CrossFit um if you look at what's

00:42:15.160 --> 00:42:20.800
happening now is like everyone's now a hybrid 
athlete or into high rocks but also you have this

00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:25.840
underpinning movement of machines are awesome 
so I'm loving seeing like from the old from a

00:42:25.840 --> 00:42:31.720
bodybuilding perspective that's trickling into Pro 
Sports there's way more machines than there used

00:42:31.720 --> 00:42:37.040
to be and it's like oh yeah these serve a purpose 
and but we've become super complex right like the

00:42:37.040 --> 00:42:43.200
Keiser is actually a good example the a400 line of 
what we have being able to see range of motion and

00:42:43.200 --> 00:42:48.000
then record that data on an individual player and 
see the load difference left to right like that's

00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:53.200
fascinating the ability to have those things so 
it's not just a weight stack right like we've

00:42:53.200 --> 00:43:01.120
gotten I can nerd out with any now um in the 
weight room as opposed to vbt used to be solely

00:43:01.120 --> 00:43:06.320
for a trap bar deadlift and now it's like oh no 
it's on our belt squats on our leg extensions on

00:43:06.320 --> 00:43:15.440
our leg curl it's so we've gotten the ability 
to be less complex but meet a complicated need

00:43:15.440 --> 00:43:21.680
in terms of rehab or specific need whether it's a 
tendonopathy or muscular skeletal injury and like

00:43:21.680 --> 00:43:27.640
return from those things I think that that's been 
awesome because it's like I am still performance

00:43:27.640 --> 00:43:32.640
coach but I have better tools it's like I have 
a little GPS in every machine for the sports

00:43:32.640 --> 00:43:38.600
scientist out there it's now we can talk and dial 
in that load that intensity that range and look

00:43:38.600 --> 00:43:43.680
at all of these things and then Tempo is not our 
only tool load is not our only tool that we have

00:43:43.680 --> 00:43:49.200
in our toolkit anymore I'm laughing because 
I'm thinking about when I was coming up as a

00:43:49.200 --> 00:43:55.200
strength conditioning coach and I was looking at 
you know uh internship opportunities gas you're

00:43:55.200 --> 00:43:58.640
looking at websites and you're thinking about 
like what's your philosophy like that question

00:43:58.640 --> 00:44:04.280
or what are your principles and um so many of 
the websites for Olympic sports like were so

00:44:04.280 --> 00:44:11.120
similar in terms of like um Department philosophy 
it was like we use we Implement like groundbased

00:44:11.120 --> 00:44:18.800
multi-joint movements you know um and I kind of 
laugh yeah and I just kind of laugh at that now

00:44:18.800 --> 00:44:24.000
um at the idea of that that it it was almost like 
oh this one person had it so now this is just what

00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:28.960
we write because we're supposed to do this and 
that's athleticism and I started laughing about

00:44:28.960 --> 00:44:34.760
it when you mentioned machines making a comeback 
um certainly at Keiser you know machines have been

00:44:34.760 --> 00:44:40.240
around for a very long time but um yeah Olympic 
lifting was like really really really big and

00:44:40.240 --> 00:44:45.680
these multi-joint groundbased movements because 
sports are groundbased movements but then machines

00:44:45.680 --> 00:44:49.800
kind of make a re-entrance where it's like okay 
well what's the goal of our training like what

00:44:49.800 --> 00:44:55.520
do we what what is adaptation what adaptation are 
we seeking and like can we measure it and can we

00:44:55.520 --> 00:45:03.080
measure it objectively and and can we retest for 
it and is this you know can we maybe accept that

00:45:03.080 --> 00:45:08.480
adaptation at in one specific spot might have a 
more Global adaptation somewhere else you know

00:45:08.480 --> 00:45:13.560
I think part of what the reason that happened too 
just like context for younger coaches it may have

00:45:13.560 --> 00:45:19.920
not have been around is before when machines were 
in like a football weight room it was probably

00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:26.960
high-intensity training and you can shout out the 
guys that were doing this in the 80s and '90s and

00:45:27.560 --> 00:45:36.160
they were pushing time-based intervals or rep 
based schemes of high volume high intensity

00:45:36.160 --> 00:45:43.040
and um with short Restorations and so you 
can imagine this is where a lot of like the

00:45:43.040 --> 00:45:49.440
negative side of where strength coaches were 
perceived came from and so I think that's why

00:45:49.440 --> 00:45:57.040
we kind of said oh machines are bad no tool 
is bad until it's given the wrong purpose

00:45:57.040 --> 00:46:03.640
yeah and so then that's where people were also 
understanding like mus muscles are one part of

00:46:03.640 --> 00:46:08.720
the body movement is also really important so 
I feel like it just kind of swung all the way

00:46:08.720 --> 00:46:14.680
the other way and coaches were like I need to 
just look at whatever and I love abandoned ankle

00:46:14.680 --> 00:46:20.640
distraction and you know like I'm super into 
what Kelly was building in the early 2000s and

00:46:20.640 --> 00:46:26.920
being in 2010 and trying to you know use those 
tool they're all tools what's the purpose and

00:46:27.520 --> 00:46:33.560
what's the need of the person in front of 
you and I think that now when you ask a

00:46:33.560 --> 00:46:39.280
departmental philosophy hopefully it's not just a 
training philosophy yeah right like it used to be

00:46:39.280 --> 00:46:42.560
we're high-intensity training we're Olympic 
lifting we're movement based ground up I'm

00:46:42.560 --> 00:46:50.160
like how about like yeah we all train humans 
okay no one's training it okay great so what

00:46:50.160 --> 00:46:55.320
is it you care about in the human perspective 
and how do you attack that and then what are

00:46:55.320 --> 00:47:02.560
the principles of your philosophy because a 
philosophy has no purpose if it has no tools

00:47:02.560 --> 00:47:11.160
right um I was grabbing I have my yeah I have 
that and and a bunch of other ones underneath

00:47:11.160 --> 00:47:17.280
here but I I you had mentioned that one by name 
so I figured I'd pull out where um look I like

00:47:17.280 --> 00:47:21.360
what you said like every tool is a tool and 
it's only the wrong tool if it's used in the

00:47:21.360 --> 00:47:26.840
wrong way or it's serving the wrong purpose and 
is the answer maybe a little bit of everything

00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:32.440
maybe uh it depends on the person I suppose but 
I like that you had some principles related to

00:47:32.440 --> 00:47:36.960
your training your recovery but then also like 
you talked about it's the human in front of you

00:47:36.960 --> 00:47:41.120
and you actually have a lot of principles related 
to like this human interaction and maybe how that

00:47:41.120 --> 00:47:45.880
is communicated so I really appreciate that aspect 
of it as well and it doesn't for you just doesn't

00:47:45.880 --> 00:47:51.760
end at X's and O's of maybe physiology yeah 
yeah I mean I think that you have to have the

00:47:51.760 --> 00:48:00.240
underpinning education right to be in the room and 
maybe may maybe a connection someone helps you get

00:48:00.240 --> 00:48:06.960
a job but it's what you know and how you execute 
that keeps you a job um and that's why like I love

00:48:06.960 --> 00:48:16.040
the sport coaching world and what it's what it 
offers a coach because it isn't I think the people

00:48:16.040 --> 00:48:21.720
that are in it chasing working for a certain team 
or badge they're out of it just as fast as they

00:48:21.720 --> 00:48:27.560
come into it hopefully um because they realize 
like that that'll burn you out because it is 11

00:48:27.560 --> 00:48:33.520
and 1/2 months you know we're talking now so that 
I can head into early rehab then have a game it's

00:48:33.520 --> 00:48:40.040
like that that's not oh that's not Glitz and Glam 
the anyone that works in the NBA can tell you they

00:48:40.040 --> 00:48:45.960
see more of the undersides of stadiums than the 
courts of stadiums right like we see the wires

00:48:45.960 --> 00:48:54.440
in the concrete not where the fans are with the 
Jumbotron so sport is is the entertainment for

00:48:54.440 --> 00:49:00.400
the world but it's the the purpose and which 
we've decided to work in and um to do that you

00:49:00.400 --> 00:49:04.480
have to really want to do it because there is 
a lot of Demands and push and pull and you're

00:49:04.480 --> 00:49:10.160
still dealing with players and personalities and 
they're not you don't get to tell them what to do

00:49:10.160 --> 00:49:16.640
you get to invite them and when you invite people 
man that's awesome because then it's also their

00:49:16.640 --> 00:49:21.800
decision and then that's a really cool culture 
when it just trickles down it's like I'm going

00:49:21.800 --> 00:49:27.080
to invite you to do what we think is best for 
you um and if you have a different op opinion

00:49:27.080 --> 00:49:33.040
you voice that great and a lot of times it comes 
across not like in a nice little dialogue right

00:49:33.040 --> 00:49:38.880
it's emotion at the end of a game it's like what 
do you mean you had a and I'm like great do you

00:49:38.880 --> 00:49:44.120
want to do this they're like yeah I'm like okay 
uh so you just have to be able to read between

00:49:44.120 --> 00:49:49.400
the emotions to actually understand what they're 
saying not how they're saying it yeah awesome

00:49:49.400 --> 00:49:54.760
well said I mean packed a lot here into 50 minutes 
um just some things I want to close with here if

00:49:54.760 --> 00:49:59.880
someone wants to reach out to you um coach Megan 
Young what's the best place for them to reach out

00:49:59.880 --> 00:50:08.040
to you excuse me where is the best place yeah um 
probably just social media the you know you can

00:50:08.040 --> 00:50:15.520
find me on Instagram just coach Mega strong um and 
I'm not I'm not huge on social media but I have a

00:50:15.520 --> 00:50:21.160
social media so reach out to me there awesome 
well a huge huge thank you to Seattle Sounders

00:50:21.160 --> 00:50:26.840
FC performance coach coach Megan Young for joining 
me today in the Keiser Human Performance podcast

00:50:26.840 --> 00:50:32.520
as she had mentioned please show her some love and 
follow her on IG at coach meast strong on behalf

00:50:32.520 --> 00:50:37.200
of the Keiser and the human performance world 
we appreciate your time thank you so much um