Firstbeat Sports Podcast

Roman Fomin is the Director of Sport Science at the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is based at the UFC APEX, a state-of-the-art, 130,000-square-foot production facility in Las Vegas that opened in 2019. Roman has a Ph.D. in Physiology and more than 20 years of experience in sports science, technology, and performance.  He has been with the UFC since 2018, and prior to that he worked as Director of Research & Science Innovations for Omegawave, and as a Senior Research Scientist for the Research Centre of Sports Medicine in Moscow. Roman's background (2:00) Roman's role in UFC and tools they use (3:38) Over 50 different technologies with UFC athletes - how is it balanced? (7:25) Are UFC athletes interested in their performance data? (14:08) What does Roman mean with “Biological money”? (17:31) Has Roman seen athletes out of shape before training camp, but ended up dominating UFC after camp ended? (22:20) What made Roman and UFC go with Firstbeat? (30:38) What Firstbeat metrics does Roman focus on with UFC athletes? (37:28) How much does external and psychological factors affect training data? (41:07) Roman's career tips to young sport scientists (43:56)

Dr Tamara Hew-Butler is a podiatric physician and associate professor of Exercise and Sports Science at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Topics of this episode include hydration, internal and external load, salt intake and combining the art of coaching with science. Timestamps: Tamara's background (1:40) Tamara's thoughts and preferences about internal and external load (4:21) Athlete with Rhabdomyolysis - who is responsible and why does it happen? (6:47) Dangers of overhydration for athletes (9:02) Was there backlash from the episode of “Adam Ruins Everything - Why You Don't Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day”? (13:18) How did the “Adam Ruins Everything”- show find Tamara? (14:27) What liquids are the athletes having on the sideline of Wayne State Football? (16:39) If there would be an unlimited budget, what liquids Tamara would get for athletes? (17:26) Is players drinking pickle juice still a thing? (18:37) Training adjustments after pandemic and combining the art of coaching with science (20:16) Working with the new Football coach Tyrone Wheatley at Wayne State University (26:56) The reason why WSU Football got Firstbeat (27:34) Firstbeat Quick Recovery Test trends over the years (31:00) The most useful Firstbeat features and metrics for WSU Football (31:56) Analysis of different TRIMP values from last year to this year (32:50) Adam Ruins Everything - Why You Don't Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day

Steve Chouinard is Associate Athletic Director for Health and Performance at Colgate Athletics. He has been promoted from head athletic trainer to his new leadership role overseeing health and performance but also physical education, recreation and outdoor education after serving 23 years within the department. While Chouinard previously worked with nearly every sport within Colgate Athletics, most recently being the men's hockey and rowing teams, he will continue with athletic training duties for the men's golf program. In July 2019, Chouinard also received a Maroon Citation for his significant and invaluable personal contributions to Colgate University. Timestamps: Steve's background (1:29) From Head Athletic Trainer to Associate AD for Health and Performance - what are the differences in day-to-day work? (2:47) Icing sports injuries nowadays - yes or no? (4:11) New upgrades to the Colgate Athletics facilities and it's possibilities (6:01) Did the pandemic create any permanent changes to Athletics? (10:38) How are things looking for Ice Hockey and Basketball teams in Colgate? (11:33) Steve's thoughts of NCAA's Name, Image and Likeness policy (12:19) Quickfire round (15:44) What made Steve go with Firstbeat (18:07) Most useful features and metrics to use with the teams (18:43) How has using Firstbeat changed during the years with the teams? (21:05) Differences of using Firstbeat with Basketball vs Ice Hockey (21:54) If Steve could time travel, what tip would he give to himself of using Firstbeat in year one? (22:57)

Welcome to the Firstbeat Sports Podcast where we talk with coaches and sports scientists to explore the latest in performance monitoring and how it is making a difference in NCAA and pro sports alike. We're going to connect you with practical advice from the best in the business to help you take your athletes to the next level. In this episode, we're chatting with Katie Delude. Katie is Head Athletic Trainer at Northeastern University where she works with the women's ice hockey team who have won five championships in a row since 2018. Timestamps: Katie's background (1:06) Katie's research projects (4:40) Secret sauce behind Northeastern Ice Hockey's continuous success (7:35) Adjusting training decisions based on data findings (9:21) Is social media helping or hurting the coaching and rehab field? (11:18) What work aspects does coordinator of care entail? (12:45) Dealing with over half the spots to fill in a roster (15:42) Northeastern's recruiting focus (16:33) Is it worth icing injuries anymore? (19:30) Quickfire questions (20:36) Changes in Firstbeat utilization between first season and latest season (22:53) Have the coaching staff ever worn a Firstbeat sensor during a game? (25:17) Goalie heart-rate data (27:08) Process of getting heart-rate data to coaches and players (28:33) The future of college hockey (29:44) Getting the most out of the data with teamwork (32:18) Would you like to listen to more content like this? Subscribe to our mailing list.

Welcome to the Firstbeat Sports Podcast where we talk with coaches and sports scientists to explore the latest in performance monitoring and how it is making a difference in NCAA and pro sports alike. We're going to connect you with practical advice from the best in the business to help you take your athletes to the next level. On the line today is Jaime Fernandez. Jaime is the Assistant Performance Enhancement Coach at the University of Arizona where he works specifically with the Wildcats Women's Basketball program. Timestamps: Jaime's background (1:16)  Recruiting processes for Wildcats Women's Basketball (9:11)  Role of sports technology in strength & conditioning (11:50)  How did the pandemic influence the current season? (13:50)  Did being in the bubble make coaching easier or more difficult? (17:40)  Playing Stanford in the NCAA Championship (19:46)  Dealing with several cancelled games back-to-back (20:34)  Quickfire questions (22:38)  What made Wildcats choose Firstbeat? (24:23)  Most important Firstbeat Sports data points and features (25:20)  Training load differences between positions on the court (28:12)  How did athletes accept tracking training data? (29:21)  Best advice for upcoming S&C coaches (30:25)  Would you like to listen to more content like this? Subscribe to our mailing list.

Penn State’s Assistant Director of Performance Enhancement talks about the Ice Hockey programs transition from club level to Division I, the traits of elite student-athletes, and how monitoring intensity helps build a winning program.  On the line today is Cam Davidson. Cam is Asst. Director of Performance Enhancement at Penn State where he works with the ice hockey, volleyball and track & field programs.  Topics discussed in this episode: The journey from Club to Division 1 Ice Hockey | S&C social media – the good and the bad | The value of intensity data | Honing elite talent and turning student-athletes pro | Dealing with COVID-19 protocols  >>> More information about Firstbeat Sports >>> firstbeat.com (http://firstbeat.com/)  

We talk with coaches and sports scientists to explore the latest in performance monitoring and how it is making a difference in NCAA and pro sports alike. We’re going to connect you with practical advice from the best in the business to help you take your athletes to the next level. www.firstbeat.com/sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/)

On the line today is Stephen Volek. Stephen is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Binghamton Devils, the top minor league affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. Topics discussed in this episode:  How the team is adapting during the Coronavirus pandemic  Training programs during grueling AHL schedule  Strategies for low game minute players   Collaborating with the New Jersey Devils  Position-specific data – what it shows  Timestamps:  Stephen's background (0:54)   How has Coronavirus affected Binghamton Devils (2:43)  What Athlete Management System do Devils use (4:02)  Main differences between college and pro sports S/C programming (5:40)  Cal Dietz' triphasic programming (7:48)  Building training program during busy in-season schedule (8:38)  Balancing high-minute and low-minute players (10:04)  Collaborating with New Jersey Devils (11:35)  Quickfire round (13:12)  Differences with Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) implementation at Yale and Binghamton Devils (14:45)  How the Devils use Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (16:21)  How to present Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) data to head coach (17:53)  TRIMP differences per position and game data (19:07)  Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) buy-in from players (22:08)  Stephen's best advice for new S/C coaches (23:43)  Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FirstbeatSportsPodcast: Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/)

On the line today is Martin Spohrer. Martin is Strength and Conditioning Coach at Bundesliga soccer club Eintracht Frankfurt. Topics discussed in this episode:  The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic  Monitoring players remotely   Keeping players focused and motivated   Building fitness of new signings  Playing ‘ghost games’   Timestamps:  Martin’s coaching background (0:55)    How Coronavirus has affected Eintracht Frankfurt (3:23)    Eintracht Frankfurt's remote training program (4:24)    Using internal load data when not being able to see athletes (5:10)    Home workout videos on social media (6:09)    How to implement home workouts with athletes (8:29)    Playing 'Ghost games' with no fans (9:55)    How to complete the Bundesliga season - a game every day? (10:44)    Quickfire questions (11:37)   How Eintracht Frankfurt uses Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) in normal situations (14:45)    Getting new players up to speed conditioning-wise (15:57)    Key Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) metrics for Eintracht Frankfurt (17:19)    Communicating data to coaching staff and players (17:44)    Martin's best advice for aspiring S&C coaches (19:34)  Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

On the line today is Darrell Gray. Darrell is the High Performance Director at Burke Mountain Academy, the leading ski racing academy in the United States.  Among the topics Darrell will discuss are the unique travel and environment demands of alpine skiing, his eight key domains of high performance, and techniques to enhance recovery in athletes.  Topics discussed in this episode:  Spotting and developing Olympic-level athletes  Balancing training and academics  Informing coaching through data  Eight key domains of high performance  Factoring in recovery into training/competition   Timestamps:  Darrell’s background (0:52)  What it means to be a High-Performance Director (1:45)  How the sport/industry has changed in 20 years (2:30)  Dealing with brutal weather conditions (5:30)  Tailoring programs for high school athletes (6:30)  How does Alpine Skiing training differ from e.g. Basketball or Football? (7:26)  Key abilities to develop in Alpine Skiers (9:12)  Finding the balance between academics and training (10:25)  Quickfire questions (11:38)  Driving force behind Burke Academy's success (12:28)  The reason Burke introduced Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (14:14)  How Burke uses Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (15:31)  Utilizing overnight recovery data (17:20)  Effective methods to boost athlete recovery (20:05)  Data-influenced training decisions - examples (22:32)  Athlete and coach buy-in to Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (24:26)  Technology in Alpine Skiing now and in the future (25:35)  Eight key domains in high performance (27:07)  Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

In this episode, we'll look back at some of the highlights from the conversations we've had with our guests over the past 10 episodes.    We'll hear from athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, directors of performance, program coordinators, and the coaching staff themselves, as they offer their unique perspective and expert advice on topics ranging from load management and recovery to talent optimization and the practicalities of using data.   Over the episode, you'll hear insights from the worlds of basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer and hockey. Timestamps: Kevin Cronin, Ex-Colorado College, currently UMass Lowell • Debating 'Strength and Conditioning' vs. 'Conditioning and Strength' (0:36) Michael Vaughan, Merrimack Women's Ice Hockey • Protocols for athlete well-being (2:10) Henry Barrera, Liberty Men's Basketball • Maintaining winning streaks (3:55) Andy Bliz, Buffalo Men's Basketball • Return to play protocols (5:35) Jeff Nevolo, South Carolina Women’s Tennis • Data-influenced training decisions (7:34) Pat Trainor, Tampa Bay Rays • Adapting training programs to fit busy travel schedules (9:47) Jen Mavis, UMBC Soccer • Utilizing TRIMP to plan and review training and games (12:50) Benjamin Jensen, Firstbeat • Most underutilized Firstbeat metrics (15:00) Mark Egner, William & Mary Field Hockey • How to communicate better with staff and athletes (16:21) Ed Lippie, AS Roma • Establishing infrastructure and being evidence-based (19:54) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

On the line today is Ed Lippie. Ed works as a Senior Performance Advisor for AS Roma and is also Director of Health and Fitness at Raptor Capital Management. Among the topics Ed will discuss are the value of infrastructure in performance departments, the role of connected technology, and the links between high performance in business and sports. Topics discussed in this episode:  Building a strong performance infrastructure  Balancing the art and science of coaching  Customizing individual player load  Backing up the ‘eye test’ with data  Similarities between elite athletes and private sector workers  Timestamps:  Ed’s background (1:00)  Ed’s main priorities at AS Roma (3:20)  Establishing infrastructure and being evidence-based – what does that mean? (3:56)  Key foundations for successful performance departments (6:37)  API between Firstbeat Sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) and Kitman Labs (https://www.kitmanlabs.com/) (7:46)  Sports tech product checklist (8:20)  Quickfire questions (11:09)  Why Ed wanted Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) to AS Roma? (14:41)  Why is internal load important? (17:38)  Securing player and coach buy-in to tech (19:47)  Working in AS Roma vs working in private sector (20:52)  Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) in corporate fitness (21:36)  Similarities in private sector clients and pro sports athletes (23:07) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

On the line today is Mark Egner. Mark is Associate Head Field Hockey Coach at the College of William and Mary. He’s also worked with USA Field Hockey and in with the national youth teams in his native Ireland.  Among the topics Mark will discuss are building team culture, load management, and developing athletes beyond hockey. Topics discussed in this episode:  Weekly schedule of a top 20 program  Holistic approach to athlete development  Pre-season and in-season load management   Defending from the front   Natural traits of exceptional players  Timestamps: Discussing William & Mary's NCAA ranking (1:36) Mark’s career pathway (2:38) A typical week for field hockey program (6:55) The keys to William & Mary's recent success (11:20) Mark’s tips for a strong defense (16:43) Traits of highly successful players (20:02) Quickfire questions (21:30) How is Firstbeat Sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) implemented at William & Mary (22:47) Typical TRIMP (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/blog/real-time-trimp-min/) values weekly and in games (24:49) How to communicate better with staff and athletes (27:10) Helping student-athletes juggle academics and sports (31:01) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

Today we’re speaking to our very own Benjamin Jensen, Firstbeat Sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) Director of North American Sales & Research and the usual host of the podcast. A former coach, BJ has worked with elite sports programs for over six years through Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) and will be sharing some of the insights he’s picked up along the way.  Topics Discussed in This Episode:  Differences in coaching in Europe vs USA  The advances in sports science at the college level in the last 5 years  Recovery – A skill that can be developed?  How different sports use internal load data  The rise of position-specific training  The most popular Firstbeat metric, and why Timestamps: • Ben’s background (0:45) • How Ben ended up in Finland and at Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (3:22) • Biggest changes in College & Pro sports training in last 6 years (4:37) • Most effective talking points between coaches and athletes (5:45) • Most effective load variables (6:30) • TRIMP/min (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/blog/real-time-trimp-min/) – how coaches use it and for what? (7:10) • Differences in coaching practices in USA and Europe (8:15) • Recovery – A skill that can be learned? (9:30) • Do some athletes recover better than others? (10:29) • Quickfire questions (12:35) • What is the general interest level in the data from coaches? (14:34) • How modern athletes interact with the data vs older generation (15:30) • Most under-utilized Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) feature (16:12) • Personalization vs Positionization (17:28) • Training loads in American Football and Soccer (19:02) • How to deal with multiple data sources and platforms (20:52) • Biggest lessons Ben has learned from coaches over the years (21:50) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

On the line today is Jen Mavis. Jen is Assistant Coach and Director of Camps and Clinics for UMBC Women’s Soccer. She has previously held positions at William & Mary and the University of Oklahoma. Among the topics Jen will discuss are building trust between coaches and athletes, adapting in-season training, and preventing soft tissue injuries. Topics Discussed in This Episode: The fundamentals of a successful soccer program?  Building trust between coaches and athletes  The growth of exercise science in soccer  The ‘student’ element of a student-athlete  Combining objective and subjective data  Preventing soft tissue injuries  Timestamps: • How Jen ended up at UMBC (1:05) • The fundamentals for a successful college soccer program (1:40) • Today's student athletes vs when Jen was playing (2:27) • Jen’s main coaching philosophies (3:32) • Learning from mistakes to improve coaching (4:55) • How college soccer has changed (6:08) • Should the NCAA change the substitution rule? (7:34) • Rapid fire questions (9:40) • How UMBC Women's Soccer use Firstbeat Sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (10:58) • How UMBC apply Firstbeat’s (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) Quick Recovery Test with their athletes (11:41) • Athlete buy-in (13:40) • HR data vs RPE questionnaire (16:11) • Using sports technology with the new generation of athletes (18:05) • Making training decisions from Firstbeat Sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) data (18:32) • TRIMP scores for different player positions (20:08) • Weekly TRIMP scores UMBC aim for (21:05) • Preventing soft-tissue injuries (22:20) • The future of soccer in the U.S. (23:18) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

On the line today is Pat Trainor. Pat is the Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator with the Tampa Bay Rays where he works with the club’s four affiliate teams. He has previously spent time with the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians. Among the topics Pat will discuss is his role in helping develop future talent, the use of heart rate data in Major League Baseball and the value of data when working with specific positions.  Topics Discussed in This Episode: The complex role of an MLB minor league S&C coordinator  The difference between training programs that nurture talent vs MLB veteran program  How to adapt training programs around busy travel schedules  Individualizing training for different body types/positions  The key metrics to monitor in baseball conditioning sessions  How data (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) influences workload and recovery decisions Timestamps: Patrick’s background, and what led him to the Tampa Bay Rays (1:06)  What being a minor league S&C coach entails (2:51)  Differences between minor and major leaguer programs (3:44)  Balancing the physical side with keeping the position coaches happy (5:06)  Common traits Major League players share (6:52)  Player routines away from the practice facility (8:24)  Adapting training programs for busy travel schedules (9:35)  Moving away from the old school mentality (11:12)  Patrick's coaching philosophies (12:21)  Doing things for a purpose, not just because other teams are doing it (14:52)  Why Patrick chose Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (16:10)  Metrics that Patrick looks at (18:10)  How Patrick kept track of training sessions before using Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (20:00)  Protocol with pitcher training (21:20)  Buy-in from players and coaches (23:08)  Examples of data that influences training decisions (24:25)  How much time Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) adds to the weekly workload (25:50)  Why has HR monitoring in MLB been slow to catch on? (26:45)  The value of objective data in individualizing training programs (28:45) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

On the line today is Jeff Nevolo. Jeff is the Associate Head Coach for University of South Carolina Women’s Tennis. He is the 2018 ITA National Assistant Head Coach of the Year and has previously spent time with Air Force and Alabama.  Jeff is here to discuss topics including, the end of ‘no pain, no gain’ training, how data can help avoid overtraining and the differences between international and U.S. athletes.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: Learning and developing in a power conference  Using Heartrate analytics (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) to design training  Working with international and US athletes  The end of 'no pain, no gain' training? What’s next  The impact of off-court lifestyle on student-athletes  Timestamps: • How Jeff ended up at the University of South Carolina (1:06) • Jeff’s day-to-day role as Associate Head Coach at USC (4:17) • Differences between international athletes and US athletes (5:23) • What's behind the team's recent success? (6:47) • Is the no pain-no gain-mentality dying off? (8:50) • What attracted Jeff to Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (10:25) • How Jeff uses Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (11:52) • Data-influenced training decisions (13:47) • Player buy-in (15:00) • How Jeff considers player lifestyle and routines (15:55) • Advice for Tennis coaches adding a performance monitoring system? (17:20) • What’s next for the Gamecocks Tennis program? (19:23) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

On the line today is Andy Bliz. Andy is in his 6th year as Athletic Trainer for the University of Buffalo Men’s Basketball program. During this time, the Bulls have won 3 MAC Championships and appeared in the NCAA Tournament four times – including this year as 6 seeds. Andy holds a Bachelor's degree in Athletic Training and a Master’s degree in Sports Management. He has previously worked with the Michigan State University football program. Andy is here to discuss the role of an athletic trainer in DI sports, why he promotes a proactive rather than reactive approach to sports medicine, and the value of data in informing coaching decisions and the return to play protocol. Topics Discussed in This Episode: The day-to-day role of a DI Athletic Trainer  Techniques to secure player buy-in to monitoring  Taking a proactive rather than reactive approach to sports medicine   How data (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) informs decisions at different stages of game week and season  Injury prevention and return to play protocols Timestamps: • How Andy ended up at the University of Buffalo (1:45) • Jumping from Football to Basketball – What’s different? (2:16) • Andy’s day-to-day roles at Buffalo (3:25) • How much Andy uses his own protocols on himself (4:34) • What's behind the team's success in the last 2 years? (5:12) • Proactive vs. Reactive approach to sports medicine – how does it differ? (6:05) • How student-athletes buy into prehab (7:05) • Andy’s mentors (8:13) • Why did he choose to work with Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) ? (8:55) • What metrics Andy and coaches look for (10:09) • How easy was the buy-in from the coaches towards data? (10:38) • Why is the game data so valuable? (11:51) • TRIMP scores for different practices and games (13:11) • Andy’s return to play protocol (14:06) • Soft tissue injury numbers in the last two years (15:30) • Are all soft tissue injuries preventable? (15:55) • How does the proactive approach differ in season and tournament time (16:48) • Examples of data influencing training decisions (17:23) • Using Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) as a recruiting tool (19:15) • Buy-in from the players (21:11) • How much Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) adds to Andy’s weekly workload (22:39) • How things are looking for the basketball program next season (23:24) Thanks for listening.  Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

On the line today is Henry Barrera. Henry is the Director of Performance for the Liberty Men’s Basketball program, who are heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 after being crowned Atlantic Sun Conference Champions in their first season in the conference. His 14-year career in coaching and performance training has included stops at Nike World Headquarters, Concordia University and West Linn High School – one of the top programs in the United States. Henry also trains athletes world-wide as part of his basketball and performance training company Hoop Diaries, and runs the Master Minds project connecting coaches on key industry topics.  Topics Discussed in This Episode: • How to quantify individual training loads • How Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) metrics are used on a daily basis • Securing athlete and coach buy-in when monitoring athletes  • The four pillars of performance mindset  • Henry’s unique journey from high school to a mid-major basketball program Timestamps: • How Henry ended up at Liberty University (1:07)  • Jumping from High School to D1 – How was the transition? (4:01)  • Combining Men’s Basketball Director of Performance with Director of S/C in Olympic Sports role – what has changed? (4:53)   • What makes the Liberty experience ‘different’ (6:08)  • Following up 5 losing seasons with 3 straight winning seasons – How?  (6:37)   • What qualities does Henry look for in players (7:29)  • Henry explains his Master Minds project (8:14)  • Why Henry chose to go with Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) four years ago (9:47)  • How Henry uses Firstbeat Sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (10:50)  • How is the new athlete buy-in for Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) ? (11:46)  • Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) in new Liberty facility (12:31)  • How important is game data for Henry (13:23)  • How did Henry begin to educate the Head Coach about Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (14:17)  • Head Coach buy in (15:17)  • The future for Liberty Men’s Basketball (15:43)  • The future for Henry Barrera after previous NBA interviews (16:30)  • Cross-sport communication with coaches about player monitoring (17:27)  • What kind of TRIMP numbers does Henry typically see in games (18:15)  • Major talking points in performance training in the future (19:18) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

On the line today is Michael Vaughan. Mike in his fourth year as Director of Women’s Ice Hockey Operations at Merrimack College where he also serves as the team’s Strength and Conditioning Coach. He has previously worked with the United States Women’s National Hockey Team and has spent time as a S&C coach at Mike Boyle’s Strength & Conditioning.  Topics Discussed in This Episode: • Putting together a sport-specific training program • The challenge of load management in ice hockey • The critical importance of monitoring student-athlete well-being • How data can be used to empower student athletes • Advice on how best to implement technology into your program (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) Timestamps: • Mike’s path to Merrimack College (0:58) • How Mike juggles between Director of Operations and Strength & Conditioning (2:51) • What Mike considers when tailoring a strength & conditioning program for Ice Hockey (4:00) • How has the programming changed after stepping up from club to D1? (4:56) • How much Mike looks into aerobic/anaerobic split from data (5:31) • Why Merrimack chose Firstbeat Sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (6:00) • How has the buy-in been with athletes and coaches? (6:42) • The most important data points for Mike (8:00) • Differences between back-to back games (8:37) • Morning skates – are they needed? (9:42) • TRIMP numbers of morning skates (10:32) • Examples of data influencing training situations (10:55) • Have the data identified any red flag situations? (11:48) • What protocols Mike uses for their athlete well-being (13:25) • Future of NCAA Hockey (15:07) • How much time Firstbeat Sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) adds to Mike’s weekly workload (15:57) • Mike’s best advices for new coaches using Firstbeat Sports (16:31) • The role of technology in strength & conditioning (17:15) • How Mike would respond to a Head Coach asking who’s working hard and who’s not (18:12) • Have athlete well-being protocols helped open up conversations with athletes? (19:03) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (http://www.firstbeat.com/)

Topics Discussed in This Episode: • Kevin's thoughts on the role of today's strength & conditioning coach • How to improve buy-in amongst coaches and players when working with new technology • Is it better to lift before or after running? • Differences between internal and external workloads • Balancing D1 and D3 athletes • Kevin's best insights from Firstbeat Sports (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) ' athlete monitoring platform Timestamps: • How Kevin ended up at CC (1:02) • Balancing D1 and D3 athletes (4:30) • Is it strength and conditioning or conditioning and strength? (7:10) • 39 Million dollar facility (8:35) • Why now for investing in sports technology? And why Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) ? (9:55) • Using Firstbeat on a day-to-day basis with the soccer program (11:50) • Choosing which data points to show coaches (13:06) • Player buy-in (14:29) • Did the team feel they've benefited from Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) ? (15:30) • How important is to get game data? (16:50) • Examples of data influenced coaching decisions (18:54) • How easy is it to manage two systems? (Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) for internal load and PlayerTek for external load)  (21:02) • Benefits of monitoring both internal and external load (22:32) • Role of technology in strength and conditioning industry (25:31) • What other tools Kevin used before Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (28:48) • What recovery protocol Kevin uses to deal with away games (29:48) • Kevin's advice for getting started with Firstbeat (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/) (31:09) Thanks for listening. Follow us on socials and share your favorite episodes using #FBsportspodcast:  Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstbeat) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstbeattechnologies/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firstbeat_technologies/?hl=en) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstbeat-technologies-oy/) Catch up on all previous Firstbeat Sports Podcast (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/podcasts/) episodes here! For more information about us and our sports monitoring systems: 435-363-9533 sports@firstbeat.com www.firstbeat.com (https://www.firstbeat.com/en/professional-sports/team-solutions/)