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.

Cody is a Sports Physiotherapist and Strength & Conditioning (S&C) Coach who started his career with the Melbourne City FC and went on to become Head Physio for the Macarthur Bulls FC in the A-League. Cody is also one of few Australian’s who have gone onto work in the Indian Super League where he was trusted with the health and wellbeing of Socceroos greatest ever goal scorer Tim Cahill during his time playing for Jamshedpur FC. This is a conversation filled with adventure, courage and multiple sliding door moments which has taken Cody across Australia and the globe to now currently being one of few Australian’s working in the top tier of soccer in the US, for 2-time MLS champions the Seattle Sounders FC.

Highlights from the episode…

• As an accomplished middle distance runner himself, Cody was inspired to pursue a career in sport.
• Even after close to 4 years in private practice and 2 university degrees Cody shares the difficulties he had with getting his foot in the door of sport.
• The massive risk Cody took to finally get his first opportunity in sport with Melb. City FC.
• We discuss some of the costs of constantly pursuing his passion in sport.
• We discuss “why” we choose to continue working in sport despite all the shortcomings that can come with working in sport.
• After Melb. City FC, Cody took time off traveling and eventually found himself working in the Indian Super League after a phone call from Tim Cahill.
• What it’s like to work in India as Tim Cahill’s personal physio.
• How to best build collaborative relationships with clubs when you’re personally looking after individual players.
• How Cody secured a role as the Head Physio role with Macarthur FC and what it was like to work with a start up club.
• The importance of subjective monitoring and how technology may not be providing anymore benefit than one thinks.
• How Cody manages the freshness of the players during heavy match congestion periods.
• After primarily working as a physio for most of his career, how Cody was able to transition and secure a role as Head of Fitness for the Seattle Sounders FC.
• What it’s like to work in the MLS and what his role entails on a day to day basis.
• There has been a lot of discussion on the topic of progressions in rehabilitation but little on how to progress match minutes with injured athletes. Cody shares what he considers when progressing match minutes fr returning players.
• What Cody is excited to be working on over the next few years.

Cody Williamson contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-williamson-2a9261122/
• Website: https://www.cwperformancerehab.com/my-story

People mentioned:

• Anthony Crea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonycrea004/?originalSubdomain=au
• Tim Cahill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Cahill
• Adam Centofanti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-centofanti-04224790/
• Justin Dougherty: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-dougherty-185a0739/
• Daniel Arzani: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Arzani

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.

Simon is a Strength & Conditioning (S&C) coach who has worked in all 4 professional collision sports in Australia. He has held roles with the Newcastle Knights (NRL), Rugby Australia in both their Rugby Union and Rugby Sevens programs as well as with the GWS Giants (AFL). He is probably most well-known for his expertise in the athletic rehab and the return to performance space and currently is the Head S&C at NSWIS working with Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Alongside this he is also the founder of Performance Compass which provides consulting and mentoring to practitioners in the space of athletic rehab. This is a great conversation with someone who started his career having never stepped into a gym to then going on to be one of the most prolific voices in athletic rehab in Australia.

Highlights from the episode…

• Admittedly with almost no previous experience in S&C, how Simon was able to get his first role in professional sport with the Newcastle Knights.
• We discuss the art of teaching in coaching and how historically S&C coaches started from a background of PE teaching.
• After staffing changes at the Knights, there was uncertainty in his position so he courageously approached Rugby Australia with a proposal…
• “Be patient with the outcome but urgent in your process”. How Simon stayed patient and focused more on mastering his craft which eventually led to high profile roles.
• How Simon was able to propel through the ranks of Rugby Australia.
• The difference in “competency” and “capacity” when developing a rehab plan for an athlete.
• When monitoring athletes, “its less important to determine what the test is measuring than it is to understand what its not measuring”.
• The “tear drop” approach to collaboration between S&C coaches and Physios while managing injured athletes.
• How Simon was able to migrate from the game of Rugby to the AFL with becoming Senior Athletic Performance Specialist for the GWS Giants.
• He shares his philosophies around athletic rehab that can be used within many facets of developing athletic of performance.
• Simon provides a detailed insight into the recruitment process of him being selected for a converted role with NSWIS.
• NSWIS structure, allocation of services & resources, allocation of staff to certain sports, day-to-day roles and responsibilities etc.
• Simon’s current project “Performance Compass” and how this can help you navigate rehab with your athletes.

Simon Harries contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-harries/
• Sportsmith article: https://www.sportsmith.co/articles/developing-a-rehab-running-framework-for-soft-tissue-injuries/
• Performance Compass website: https://www.performancecompass.com.au/

People mentioned:

• Tim Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-rogers-96856441/?originalSubdomain=nz
• Alex Natera: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-natera-035a7765/
• Nick Poulos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-poulos-phd-a415a66/

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.

Emidio (Mids) has been working in the world of high performance sport for over 15 years across Australia, Europe and the USA. He’s worked as Head Physiotherapist for the Western Force (Super Rugby), Medical Service Manager for Carlton FC (AFL) as well as a Medical Coordinator for the AIS at their European Training Centre (ETC) situated just outside Milan in Italy. Currently he works in the Performance and Rehabilitation department of the New England Patriots in the NFL. This was one of my most enjoyable and authentic conversations with someone who has not only worked in some incredible countries but he has also worked across different sports with a diverse range of athlete types which has culminated to working with arguably one of the most famous sporting franchises not just in States but the world.

Highlights from the episode…

• Early in his career, Mids spent close to a year in Italy before spending time in the UK in the NHS system.
• After three years overseas, Mids returned home to Australia where he began his first role in sport with the Perth Football Club as well as buying into his own private practice.
• Mid talks about the importance of cutting his teeth in semi professional sport which has armed him with the skills he still uses to this day.
• We discuss the volatility and transitional nature of sport and how to deal with the comings and goings of players, staff and coaches.
• Mids shares how he acquired a rare role with the AIS in their ETC in Italy.
• We talk about how at the pointy end of sport it’s not your experience or knowledge that gets you the job…it’s something else.
• What its like to work at the ETC in an Olympic cycle.
• After the AIS, Mids moved back to Perth where he spent 4 season with the Western Force and got to work everyday with his brother.
• How Mids was able to transition into a Head Physio role in a sport he was unaccustomed too.
• After initially being rejected twice how Mids moved from Rugby to acquire a role in the AFL with the Carlton FC.
• How Mids balances humility with confidence in an industry that craves certainty
• “If you are a person who always want to be right this may come at the cost of playing it safe.”
• The benefits of tracking your own decision making.
• How an Aussie secured a role in the NFL with one of the world’s biggest sporting organisations.
• What it’s like to work in the NFL, staffing tree, resources, 100+ player squad and the nuances that exist only in the game of NFL.
• We discuss the difference in injury management philosophies between the US and Australia.
• The importance of building rapport with athletes and the challenges that can incur in the NFL.
• How getting my daughters to eat broccoli helped me get athletes to do things that they don’t want to do.

Emidio Pacecca contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emidio-pacecca-79bab335/

People mentioned:

• Johann Bilsborough: https://x.com/jbils1972?lang=en
• Ben Raysmith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-raysmith-22239a2b5/
• Craig Purdum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-purdam-6964293a/
• Aaron Coutts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-coutts-448a0024/

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.

Dean has held some incredible roles and experience in his already young career. He’s worked in the AFL as a Sports Scientist with the Western Bulldogs FC and as a Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Gold Coast Suns. Dean has also worked as a lead physical performance coach for the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) specialising in combat sports before moving into his current role with the UFC. Dean has a unique perspective having worked both in team sports and with individual athletes and shares the differences in delivering a high performance program for AFL athletes in comparison to training a sub specialty of combat athletes. This is a great conversation with someone who has progressed through his career from working in landscaping to now working with the biggest combat sports organisation in the world.

Highlights from the episode…

• Dean started his career as a landscaper but admits this never drove him, this led him to pursue his real passion and then going on to study sports science.
• Dean shares how he was able to secure a role in the AFL while still studying in his undergrad degree.
• At the ripe age of 24, Dean was able to secure a full time high performance manager role with the Western Bulldogs FC and shares what he did to best position himself for the role.
• What Dean sees as good leadership and how he personally leads.
• Dean shares why he made the move interstate from a premiership winning team to a team that finished last on the ladder, in the Gold Coast Suns.
• How Dean had to dramatically change his approach to performance enhancement from his approach at the Bulldogs to now working with one of the youngest playing lists in the AFL at the Suns.
• After 6 years at the Suns, Dean made the move back down to Melbourne and begun working in the sub specialty of combat sport.
• He shares some of the differences in training structure, funding, available resources, periodisation and openness/reluctance to sport science when comparing AFL team athletes to institute of sport individual combat athletes.
• Having built a successful career on the back of long hours in his role. Dean shares some of the costs, and we discuss if success in the industry can be achieved in any other way?
• How Dean was able to secure a senior role with the biggest combat sports company in the world the UFC, and what its like to work for the Performance Institute in Shanghai, China.
• Working with athletes who have their own performance teams and how the UFC work collaboratively with each fighter’s support staff.
• Dean describes what it’s like working in China and navigating a different culture, food, lifestyle and language.

People mentioned:

• Mathew Inness: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-inness-01036343/?originalSubdomain=au
• Justin Cordy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-cordy-40781149/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=au
• Duncan French: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-french-phd-a41bb9122/

Dr. Dean Ritchie contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-ritchie-phd-178927205/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdeanritchie/
• Website: https://drdeanritchie.com/

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.

David Joyce is one of the leading voices and practitioners in high performance sport. He has an extensive career in professional sport having worked in professional football with Blackburn Rovers FC & Galatasaray, in professional Rugby with Saracens and the Western Force, with both British and Chinese Olympic athletes with their respective institutes of sport as well as worked as Head of Athletic Performance for the Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants in the AFL. If that wasn’t enough, he has also co-authored two of the most well used books in the industry and now applies what he’s learnt from years working in professional sport across the globe by providing external consultancy services in both the sport and corporate sector. This is a deep conversation where we dive into his diverse career, the positive and negative impacts of being involved in sport and what he has learnt along the way that he now shares with some of his consultancy clients including the AIS, Victoria University and the City Football group.


Highlights from the episode…

• David shares how he ran every single day for a year, running a distance each day corresponding to the month of the year and why it was important for him to do that.
• After finishing his degree, he moved to the UK where he initially thought he’d be there 18 months which then led to a 10-year career in the UK working in various sports.
• The genesis of why he went onto study a masters and S & C and how bridging the gap between S & C and medical has been one of his assets.
• David is deep into the art of “bread making” and it provides an insight into how David thinks and fuels his curiosity.
• David is a veracious reader, we discuss reading and how it can have a positive affect on your own craft in sports.
• After a period with Blackburn Rovers, David took an opportunity to work with one of Australia’s most recognised footballers in one of Europe’s biggest clubs, Galatasaray.
• David share his personal philosophy to injury management and performance enhancement.
• What David learnt while working with Chinese Olympic athletes that has influenced his approach to maximising athletic characteristics.
• With David being exposed to the latest technology in both sport and cooperate, David shares where he’s sees AI being used and provides insights in the jobs that may be at risk with the growth of AI.
• David and I discuss the challenges of working in sport and he shares a personal challenge he faced when taking an enormous opportunity in China and the impact it had on his life outside of his career.
• What are you solving for in the long term?
• What excites David about the next 5 years in the industry.

David Joyce contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-joyce01/
• One Track Mind Podcast: https://trackvu.com/podcast

People mentioned:

• Kay Robinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-robinson1/
• Professor Sam Robertson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsonsj/?originalSubdomain=au
• Rob Naish: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robnaishphysio/?originalSubdomain=au

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.