Kelly Penfold is currently the speed and conditioning coach for the St George Illawarra Dragons NRL team and perhaps one of the first full-time female S&C coaches at first grade NRL level. She has previously been the Head of S&C at the Queensland Firebirds and a longtime coach at QAS with Olympic sports, and in particular field hockey. She is an AS…

ASCA High School & Youth Podcast 2503 - Pyke & Mathews by Joseph CoyneBy Joseph Coyne

In this episode of the ASCA Women's Advisory Committee Podcast, we sit down with Sophie Dodd, Head of Athletic Development at Somerset College and a passionate leader in the school-based strength and conditioning space. Sophie takes us through her inspiring journey from high-performance dreams in rugby union to her current role shaping adolescent a…

Kaarle McCulloch is a former Olympic Track Sprint Cyclist with a 15-year career at the top of her sport including Olympic Bronze and 4 World Championships. Retired in 2021, Kaarle went on to coach the British Women’s Sprint Team from 2022-2023 with great success and recently returned to Australia in late 2023 to fulfil the same role as Australian W…

Chris Bartels is currently the coordinator of health performance at the New South Wales Police and also works with the Sydney Roosters as head S&C for their Academy program. Previously he was a Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Royal Australian Air Force Human Performance Optimisation team located at RAAF Base Richmond. and supported th…

The ASCA High School and Youth Podcast, sponsored by AlphaFit, features an in-depth conversation with Luke Edgell, owner of Edge Performance, Speed Academy, and Assistant Director of Athletic Performance at Shore School, Sydney. With over 12 years of experience in strength and conditioning, Luke shares insights from his career, including coaching O…

In this episode, Wesley College’s high-performance manager, Dr. Daniel Hiscock, shares insights from his seven years at the institution, detailing how the school’s long-term athletic development (LTAD) program supports students from pre-kindergarten through year 12 in building athletic ability, healthy habits, and life skills.Daniel highlights the …

Dr. Jamie Tallent is the Director of the Human Performance Research Group at the University of Essex, previously holding the position of Associate Professor in Strength and Conditioning at St Mary's University. Jamie earned his PhD from Northumbria University, UK, focusing on corticospinal adaptations from eccentric and concentric resistance traini…

Dr Gareth Sandford has a consulting business that helps Olympic, Pro & College coaches with individualized conditioning. Recent consulting clients include: Manchester City Football Club (EPL), England Football Association (International Football), Australian Institute of Sport (Olympic/Paralympic Sport), Melbourne Football Club (AFL), Kerry GAA (Ga…

The ASCA High School and Youth Podcast, featuring Rob Le Guen, explores his journey as an S&C expert and his role at Maribyrnong Sports Academy. Rob's career includes key positions at the University of South Florida, Manchester City Football Club, and as England Girls Youth Physical Performance Coach. At Maribyrnong, he focuses on integrating athle…

This episode explores the vital role of strength and conditioning in youth athletic development, featuring insights from experienced coach Justin Blee. With a career spanning roles at the Melbourne Storm, Melbourne Rebels, VFL, and now St. Kevin’s College, Justin shares his philosophy on long-term athlete development, emphasising foundational physi…

Cohen Crispin is the QRL Sport science coordinator and former strength and conditioning coach within Surfing Australia's high-performance program. Cohen is an ASCA Elite L3 elite coach and holds a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science. In addition to his commitments in surfing, Cohen is also an assistant strength and conditioning coach and sports …

Paul Comfort is a Professor of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Salford (UK) and an adjunct professor at Edith Cowan University (Australia). Paul is a founder member and accredited member of the UKSCA and was a board member of the NSCA from 2020-2023. He regularly consults with numerous team sports and has authored / co-authored >150 …

OverviewThis podcast features Marco Mastrorocco, a highly experienced strength and conditioning coach originally from Italy, now working in Australia. Marco is the director of his own gym, Athletix, and holds various roles, including consulting for the Queensland Bulls and coordinating strength and conditioning at Villanova College. He recently bec…

Coach John Hofman is the Strength and Conditioning Specialist for the Guardian Resilience Team at LA Air Force Base where he oversees the strength and conditioning protocols designed to enhance improve muscular resiliency, cardiorespiratory fitness, and reduce musculoskeletal injuries in the operational environment. Prior to joining United States S…

James is currently the Head of Talent Identification & Athlete Development at Elite Sport UAE and a Visiting Fellow at Northumbria University. James brings a unique blend of skills and experience as an accredited S&C coach, physical education teacher, sport scientist and researcher. His current research is focused on the effect of growth and matura…

Dr. Max McKenzieMax is a S&C Coach with the QAS Swimming Hub on the Sunshine Coast. Max has worked with elite swimmers for almost a decade across three Olympic/Paralympic cycles. Working within a multidiscipline performance support team servicing several swimming programs and coaches has shaped Max’s philosophy on the physical preparation of swimme…

In this episode of the ASCA high school strength and conditioning podcast, Sean O'Connor, S&C coach at St. Lawrence’s College, discusses the comprehensive athletic development program implemented at the school. The program caters to students from year 7-12, focusing on movement competency and holistic long-term athlete development (LTAD). With a mi…

Dr Steven Duhig is Senior Lecturer and Researcher at Griffith University and an ASCA Elite L3 Elite Strength and Conditioning Coach who has demonstrated significant expertise in both academia and practical aspects of sports performance and coaching. His career encompasses recent roles as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Burleigh Bears Rugby Lea…

Today, we're diving into the world of youth athletic development with Brad Lawton, a passionate strength and conditioning coach with a rich background in exercise science. Starting his career as a personal trainer, Brad discovered his love for strength and conditioning, working with various clubs such as Bond University, Griffith Rugby Sevens, and …

Shane Lehane currently works as Athletic Performance Coach for the Sydney Swans Football Club in the AFL. Prior to this Shane worked in professional Rugby Union for 12 years in both Europe and Australia with Leicester Tigers, Melbourne Rebels, and the Wallabies. Shane graduated from Loughbough University in Sport & Exercise Science and is currently…

In this episode of the ASCA High School and Youth Podcast, the journey of professional surfer Sophie McCulloch is highlighted, showcasing her triumph in the 2022 Challenger Series and subsequent injury setback, which she overcame to return to the World Surf League in 2024.The episode features an in-depth interview with her coach, Kerry Keightley, a…

Simon Harries is an accomplished performance coach, holding a PhD in Human Physiology from The University of Newcastle and accredited as an ASCA Elite L3 S&C coach. He currently serves as the Head of Strength & Conditioning at the NSW Institute of Sport, where he leads a team of Strength & Conditioning coaches to develop and deliver world-class per…

Dan is an Accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach with the UKSCA. His experiences spans Professional, Olympic and Paralympic sports in both the UK and the USA, working in sports such as Rugby Union, Rugby 7s, and Major League Baseball. His work with the Team GB Rugby 7s teams took him to Rio in 2016 where the team placed Silver, and Tokyo in 2021 …

Ben Norcott is an ASCA Level 3 Elite coach specialising in Human Performance. Ben's career spans various industries, including Rugby Union, League, Defence and Law Enforcement. He has worked with numerous organisations, including the Australian Federal Police, Royal Australian Air Force, Rugby Australia, ACT Brumbies, and Vikings Rugby. He is curre…

Nathan Spencer is an innovative and passionate practitioner with over 10 years experience developing and coordinating cutting edge strength and conditioning, sports science support and end stage rehabilitation service to elite athletes across the world at the professional level. Currently the Strength & Power Coach at the St. George Illawarra Drago…

Tim Suchomel has a PhD in Sport Physiology and Performance from East Tennessee State University. He is currently an associate professor of exercise science and the program director for the Sport Physiology and Performance Coaching graduate program at Carroll University. In addition to his teaching, Tim is the Director of the Carroll University Spor…

Brendan Inkster obtained a Masters degree from the University of Technology – Sydney researching applied biomechanics and then went on to work with the Manly Sea Eagles (NRL) in rehabilitation and sports science. After a stint with the New Zealand Warriors (NRL), Brendan is now working for the Parramatta Eels (NRL) where he has gone from the rehabi…

Gavin Pratt is currently the Director of Strength & Conditioning for the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. He is an accredited ASCA Elite L3 coach and holds a Masters in Exercise Science (Strength & Conditioning) from Edith Cowan University. Prior to this role, he was the Performance Manager at EXOS in Shanghai, China. This involved working w…

Dr Lachlan James is a Senior Lecturer, Sport Scientist, Course Coordinator of the Master of Strength and Conditioning degree at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, and an ASCA Professional L2 coach. He has published over 40 peer reviewed articles including 25 as first or senior author. Lachlan currently supervises 7 PhD students with researc…

Mike McGurn is Head of Athletic Performance at Queens University in Belfast. He has a BSc in Sports Science from Temple University in Philadelphia, U.S.A. and an ASCA Professional L2 accreditation. Mike has worked for over 20 years in Professional Sports as a S+C coach preparing athletes and players for 3 World cups, 3 Olympics, EPL, Commonwealth G…

Leading a multidisciplinary team at the Australian institute of Sport, Ross has over 25 years strength and conditioning experience working across multiple sports and organisations. Since 2004 at the AIS working with development and elite athletes across sports including netball, boxing, taekwondo, judo, athletics, cycling, rowing, basketball, moder…

Sarah Hervert has a PhD in Sport and Exercise Science from James Cook University and is an ASCA Associate L2 Coach. She specialises in strength and conditioning for team sports, injury prevention and rehabilitation and has a keen interest in advocating for S&C in the wider community from adolescents through to older athletes. Following the completi…

Nathan Parnham is the Head of Performance Development at Brisbane Grammar School. His career spans over two decades having set up multiple school athletic development programs across the country, to working in professional sport in the NRL and the Rugby Australia Women’s 7s. Nathan is a bestselling author of The Sporting Parent - an invaluable reso…

Glenn Stewart is a physical and personal skills preparation specialist and manager. He has extensive experience as a S&C specialist and spent two decades developing Australia’s leading athletes and sporting teams professionals to international standards. He's a skilled researcher in physiology, biomechanics and team performance measurement. Glenn h…

Des is one of the leading youth coaches and performance managers in sport and a world-renowned practitioner and speaker in the field of youth athletic development. In joining Setanta College, Des contributes to the College’s mission to deliver industry defining Education, application and insight to communities at a local and global level. Des joine…

Professor Chris McLellan is the Vice President of Sports Performance at the Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League (NHL) and Professor of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Southern Queensland. He is also the co-founder of Horyzen Performance LLC offering bespoke athlete profiling and strength and conditioning services to prof…

Gareth Webber is a Strength and Conditioning Coach from Cardiff in the U.K. He has a BSc in Sport & Exercise Science and MSc in Exercise Physiology from Loughborough University and is a ASCA level 3 PCAS Elite coach. He has been involved in high-performance, professional sport for over thirteen years and has worked in three national institutes and …

James Wild is a research & development and speed consultant with Harlequins Rugby Club and as a Lecturer in Applied Sport Science at the University of Surrey. Using a blend of physical preparation and biomechanics techniques with skill acquisition and motor learning principles, James has worked with coaches and athletes across a full spectrum of ab…

Dr. Chris Gaviglio has been involved with elite sport for over 20 years working across multiple Winter and Summer Olympic sports and professional football codes in both the northern (Bath Rugby) and southern hemisphere (Queensland "Maroons" Rugby League team, Wallabies – Australian National Rugby Union team and Gold Coast SUNS AFL). More recently, …

Alex Calder is the Head of Sports Science with Houston Dynamo, competing in the Major League Soccer (MLS). He is an accredited Level 3-Elite Coach with the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA), as well as holding accreditations through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and Collegiate Strength and Condition…

Scott hails from Northern Ireland where he started his career as an S&C coach with the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland. Having worked with multiple sports, he ultimately became Physical Preparation Lead for British Swimming. He oversaw significant transformation of several swimmers through to Rio 2016, including multiple Olympic, World, Europe…

Stephen Smith is the Human Performance Optimisation Program Manager for the RAAF at Amberley and Townsville. In this role, he is responsible for the integration of performance enhancing projects across high risk roles within the organisation. Previously, Stephen worked for the New South Wales Institute of Sport for 11 years, finishing his time ther…

Paul Downes is the Head Of Athletic Performance and Pathways at Moana Pasifika Super Rugby Franchise in New Zealand. He is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh and is an accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach with the UKSCA and ASCA. Within his 18 years applied coaching experience he has worked with developmental and elite athletes in…

Martin Buchheit is a very passionate strength and conditioning coach that progressively developed into an applied sport performance scientist, with a main emphasis on football (soccer). Martins (>200 publications) focused on intervention strategies and profiling assessments that may improve players’ physical and technical potential, using a scienti…

Janina Strauts is currently the Lead Physical Preparation Coach for the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA). Based in NSW, she spends most of her time working with the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) at both their Sydney and Jindabyne facilities. In this role she oversees the S&C support for the winter national network spanning across multi…

Dr. Mark Abel, is a Professor and Director of the First Responder Research Laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Abel conducts research to improve the safety, health, occupational readiness of firefighters and law enforcement officers. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journa…

Boyd Epley is one of the most decorated strength coaches in history and is the recipient of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN) Lifetime Achievement Award. Lindy’s National College Football magazine named him one of College Football’s Top 100 Most Important People of the Century after his training program helped produce…

Ben Serpell is a strength and conditioning coach with the Geelong Cats, an adjunct associate professor at the University of Canberra and Senior Lecturer at University of New England. He completed his PhD through the medical school at the Australian National University, investigating musculotendinous stiffness and lower limb injury. He has since sup…