Mark has over 20 years experience in the industry working with various sports, roles and organisations across the globe. This has included working in the UK with the English Institute of Sport, Nike Athletics and as Head of Medical Services for England Cricket. He has also worked in Australia with Victorian Institute of Sport, Australian Institute of Sport and as Head Physiotherapist for the Geelong Cats (AFL). This is a rare and inspiring interview with someone who has been able to transition from a clinician to an executive role now with the QAS where he is responsible for over 120 staff who provide high performance support to over 500 athletes in preparation for the upcoming LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games.

Highlights from the episode…

• After sustaining multiple knee injuries as a promising volleyball player this inspired him to pursue a career in high performance sport.
• In a chance encounter Mark worked with leading tendinopathy experts early in his career which little did he know was the catalysts to future opportunities.
• Having worked at the VIS, AIS and being offered a dream role with an AFL club, Mark chose to give it all up to backpack around the UK & he explains why!
• We discuss the value of gaining novel experiences outside of conventional clinical professional development that can benefit you as a clinician.
• After arriving in the UK with no job, how Mark secured a role working with the world's best track sprinters.
• Mark reflects on a story of how he provided critical advice to an elite athlete who consequently went on to sustain a devastating injury the next day, and what he learnt from that experience.
• Despite the advice and the ensuing consequence to the world’s fastest man, interestingly the team still wanted Mark to continue providing physiotherapy services for the team.
• We discuss how the value of a physiotherapist may be gauged by attributes that exist outside of one’s clinical skills.
• How Mark secured one of the most coveted roles as Head of Medical Services for the England Cricket Team.
• Mark returned back to Australia and secured a role with Geelong Cats (AFL).
• We discuss the fallacy in the industry that acquiring more degrees (Bachelors, Masters, PhD) is what gets you a job in sport…its not!
• 3 questions Mark asks himself when recruiting top talent.
• QAS is currently in search for various performance staff and Mark shares details around those opportunities.
• Why Mark pivoted away from a predominately athlete facing role to a consultant/executive role and highlights some considerations he had and what others may consider when pivoting.

Mark Young contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-young-b2aaa520/
• QAS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qldacademysport/
• QAS website: https://www.qasport.qld.gov.au/
• QAS jobs: https://www.sportspeople.com.au/jobs/classification/medicine-science-psychology-physio-strength-conditioning-athlete-services-jobs?q=QAS

People mentioned:

• Michael Snelling: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5nCo1yeak0V4NLNN9itlXZ
• Peter Blanch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-blanch-50900b106/
• Jill Cook: https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/jlcook

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review.

If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode or would like to be part of an email list where I send out tools and tips other leaders in professional sport use to excell in their roles simply send me an email.

Pat is one of the leading Athletic Trainers (AT) in the US and has held various coveted positions across different organisations and sports. Pat has worked in the MLS in his current role as Head Athletic Trainer for FC Cincinnati and as a Director of Performance for Orlando City SC. He has also worked with tactical special operations group, professional Baseballers with the Baltimore Orioles and spent a bulk of his career working with the world famous multi-sport student athlete program, IMG Academy in Florida, USA and in this conversation he provides an unprecedented insight into this internationally renowned athlete academy. This is a great conversation around what's involved in the role of an to AT in US sports and Pat uniquely shares his experience, lessons and highlights from a career spanning over 20years in the high performance sport industry.

Highlights from the episode…

• Having come from a sporting family and his Dad suffering a Achilles injury himself, this motivated Pat to dive into the world of AT in high performance sport.
• Pat provides an in-depth insight into the differences in roles and responsibilities between an AT and Physical Therapist (PT) and why he chose to be an AT.
• How Pat got his first role in the sport of Baseball with a Major League organisation the Baltimore Orioles.
• After working a few seasons with the Orioles Pat shares how he got a role with the multi sport IMG Academy in Florida.
• After a year Pat was then thrusted into the lead AT role. We discuss leadership and how most are not equipped, or ready, for the responsibility of a leadership role even though this may be viewed as a natural progression.
• Pat provides an unprecedented insight into the IMG Academy from the history, services, facilities, the athletes who have graduated from the academy to the medical & performance departments, staff roles, responsibilities etc.
• With admittingly limited experience in the performance side to sport, Pat shares how he navigated the challenges & responsibilities of now overseeing the performance and medical departments of the first team, women’s team and academy team of newly established MLS franchise Orlando SC.
• In an outcome driven industry there is a huge risk of validating your work through wins and losses with the reality that all but only one team can win the championship.
• After spending 4 years out of sport while working with special forces, for the first time in his career he found a role that provided stability and a balanced family life but also felt a strong desire to get back into sport. We discuss navigating the difficult decisions of doing what is right for the family and still being pulled to what Pat feels he was called to do.
• Advice on navigating challenging conversations with coaches.
• What Pat is excited to see over the next 5 years professional & personally.

Patrick Tanner contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-tanner-ms-atc/

People mentioned:

• Gary Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-walker-511b2712/
• Jason Stallons: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-stallons-pt-dpt-ocs-scs-omt-c-b39a0010a/
• Alex Calder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-calder-aa432480/

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review.

If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode or would like to be part of an email list where I send out tools and tips other leaders in professional sport use to excell in their roles simply send me an email.

Jess is probably most well known as the author of the best selling ACL book “Pop: when sport brings us to our knees” that explores 13 elite athletes on their own ACL injury journey. But what people may not know about Jess is that she has also had an eclectic career in high performance sport including working over a decade with some of the worlds best winter sports athletes, to being a sports physio for Sailing Australia, to spending 4 years in the AFL with the GWS Giants. Much like the books she's authored this conversation is filled with multiple chapters including working across various sports, to being a mother in high performance sport, to diverging from the norm as to carve out her own personal and professional journey in high performance sport.

Highlights from the episode…

• Having being profiled as a 2000 Olympic volleyball prospect and suffering many injuries of her own, this led her down a pathway to sport.
• Jess than moved from sunny Noosa to snowy Wanaka NZ, where she worked with the worlds best half pipe and slope style winter athletes, including Shaun White.
• How working with winter athletes differs from working with professional field sports athletes.
• Jess shares what it’s like to provide pitch side (slope side) emergency support when covering a winter sports event.
• After over 10 years in winter sports Jess made the move to Sailing Australia and in the AFL with the GWS Giants.
• We discuss why Jess chose to give up her role traveling the globe and working with the worlds best winter athletes.
• How "pushing a car" can help you excel in the sports industry.
• Jess shares her unique role at GWS where she was responsible for elevating movement efficiency beyond the historic gym based culture in football.
• Jess provides details of the contrarian approach GWS were using at the time to build resilience in their players.
• Having built incredible momentum working in winter sports, sailing and AFL, Jess decided to chuck it all in and bought a yacht to sail the globe…and why?
• We discuss mothers in elite sport and what Jess had to considered when pursuing personal and professional goals.
• What inspired Jess to write the best selling ACL book “Pop”.
• We discuss the next chapter in Jess' life, now with a focus on women’s health and what things we should consider when working with high performing female athletes.

Jess Cunningham contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-cunningham-46816097/details/experience/
• Optima Female Performance: https://www.optimafemaleperformance.com/team.html
• Surf to Summit Physiotherapy: http://www.surftosummitphysio.com/
• Pop (book) website: https://www.jesscunningham.com.au/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesscunninghamphysio/?hl=en

People mentioned:

• Anthony Hirst: https://surreystreetclinic.com.au/antony-hirst/
• Shaun White: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaun_White
• Donna White: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-white-71753744/
• David Joyce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-joyce01/

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review.

If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode or would like to be part of an email list where I send out tools and tips other leaders in professional sport use to excell in their roles simply send me an email.