For Ep. 22 of The Training Ground Podcast I spoke with Dean Broaders. Dean currently works for the Football Association of Ireland as a Football Development Officer. It was great to have Dean on the show as a guest as he was highly recommend from previous guest Thomas Croke who featured in episode 12. We discuss... Dean's childhood football clubs and his transition to playing in the League of Ireland Coaching Education His experience playing for Ireland Colleges & Universities in Korea Soccer coaching courses with the FAI Player development pathways Training advice to his younger self and much more     If you found this episode valuable please share with others   To keep up to date with the podcast subscribe on your favorite podcast platform

In this episode we will be doing something a little different. Today Kevin will be doing a Q&A session of strength and conditioning and soccer related questions he got from his Instagram page (@strengthcoachkev) I hope you guys enjoy! We discuss... Meal Prep 101: how to shop, what to buy and how to schedule your week  What to focus on in the gym during pre-season  Best foods to eat the night before and morning of a game Exercises to relieve patellar tendonitis  Caffeine and soccer performance; is it helpful? My biggest lessons from 2020  Strategies and preventative methods to reduce injuries  Strength standards for soccer players  Learn how much water you need each day to perform at your best

The description of this episode is taken from ep. 99 of Straight Shot Radio. -- So what is it like to return to exercising after having COVID?  Strength and Conditioning Coach Kevin Barry found out first hand what it’s like after contracting COVID-19 in late 2020. During his illness and recovery, Kevin was extremely good with documentation and using both biometric and performance markers as indicators in his progress as he began slowly building his fitness back up. In this episode, Kevin joins me and brings all of his findings PLUS lots of detailed tips on how you can get back into training after being sick OR after taking extended time off from training for ANY reason

In Ep. 19 of The Training Ground Podcast I speak with Maddie Petry. Maddie is a Mental Conditioning Coach at IMG Academy   Maddie received her Master’s in Sport and Exercise Psychology from California State University Long Beach and is also a Certified Mental Performance Coach (CMPC) from AASP.  In this we discuss... Why athletes should develop a second or extended identity outside of sport. How to deal with motivation, stress, anxiety, and arousal related to game days How to develop a long-term positive mindset as an athlete Her career in sports psychology and her new position at IMG and much more.             To keep up to date with The Training Ground please subscribe/follow on your favorite podcasting platform.

In this episode I am speaking with Sam McCullough. Sam is a current musician and former professional and collegiate soccer player   We discuss... How and why he uses running as an avenue to improve mental health Best songs to listen to while running The state of the music industry today We talk Acceptance- his recently released single, as well as his upcoming album What we'd do differently to prepare for a college soccer season [if we were to do it again]    You can follow Sam on Instagram @sammcculloughofficial and can find links to listen to his music HERE.

In Ep. 17 of The Training Ground Podcast I speak with Mikie Rowe. Mikie is a professional soccer player with Galway United who play in the League of Ireland first division. Mikie is also a soccer scholarship consultant and helps place soccer players to universities across America. In this we discuss... Difference between American and Irish universities and colleges Considerations and questions to ask college soccer coaches prior to committing to university. His experience playing after college in the US His return to Ireland and transition to Galway United Why he decided to get into recruiting. And his advice to youth players wanting to go play college soccer in America. Follow Mikie on Instagram on @mikierowe10 or through his scholarship page @mikie_rowe_scholarships    To keep up to date with the podcast follow the host @strengthcoachkev

I had the pleasure of speaking with James Wagenschutz for episode 15 of The Training Ground Podcast. James is a coach and key account manager with Firstbeat. James is a certified strength and conditioning coach, has multiple soccer coaching certifications and has previously worked at the collegiate level as a soccer coach as well as a sport performance professional with Philadelphia Union and most recently with Colorado Rapids. To listen to this episode on Spotify click HERE. To listen on the website click HERE. In this episode we discuss... his winding path through the coaching world His sport science work with US national teams His advice to young coaches Blending his soccer coaching and sport science backgrounds His revelation on a mountain in Argentina How to increase joy and enjoyment for youth soccer players How to "win the moment" Designing engaging and free flowing warm-ups Insight into academy structure of MLS clubs First beat technology and how to maximize training Resources for coaches and parents to increase joy

In episode 15 of The Training Ground Podcast I speak with Tyler Miller. Tyler is a physical therapist assistant and strength and conditioning online coach with Anchored Strength. Tyler has a unique background as a "dual-role" coach. He is a certified strength and conditioning coach as well as a physical therapist assistant which helps him to bridge the gap between rehab and return to play to maximize on the field performance. In this episode we discuss... His background as a physical therapist assistant The value of of a dual-role in the performance world His job responsibilities and daily routine How he works directly with soccer players through community outreach/club roles Risk factors for ACL tears Why defenders may be at higher risk of ACL tears Programs and plans to reduce likelihood of ACL tears Why athletes get injured in the weight room The importance of strength training prior to ACL surgery Some of his favorite soccer specific functional return to sport exercises for his patients Why he throws ACL rehab timelines out the window Return to sport tests for ACL rehabilitation considerations for returning to soccer after ACL surgery and his rehabilitation and training philosophy for return to play from ACL surgery. If you, a friend or teammate are a youth soccer player and are returning from ACL surgery this episode is a must listen. You can listen to this episode here: For physical therapy inquiries or questions Tyler can be reached at [email protected] or for training related questions or programming at [email protected]

In this episode of The Training Ground podcast I am speaking with Adam Parr. Adam is a Strength & Conditioning Specialist with MLS club Minnesota United.   Winning soccer state championship in high-school His undergraduate degree and experience working as an intern with Core Performance [now EXOS] Why he wanted to combine sport science and strength and conditioning His coaching journey to the MLS His current role at Minnesota United Key metrics for understanding GPS data What the off-season training program looks like Playing in the bubble His transition from private personal training to professional team based training and much more...   You can follow Adam on Instagram @aparrfitness and his LinkedIn account can be found HERE   To keep up to date with The Training Ground Podcast follow the host @strengthcoachkev

In ep. 13 of The Training Ground Podcast I speak with Julian Sisman. Julian is the owner of Prepare for Performance, a private training facility located in Maryland. Julian works predominately with soccer athletes and is a former Division I soccer player.   We discuss problems with the current format of US youth soccer leagues His advice to youth players who want to play in college His thoughts on the beep test for soccer How to plan a training week   The most common soccer training mistakes and how to fix them and much more If you enjoyed this episode please share with others!   Follow me on Instagram (@strengthcoachkev) to stay up to date on The Training Ground Podcast.   Thanks for listening.