Send us a textThis episode of the Adaptable Athlete Podcast is part of our special SMSC 25’ Speaker Spotlight Series, highlighting some of the world-class minds presenting at the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference, June 26–27 in St. Paul, Minnesota.We're bringing back a classic: Episode 8 with Michael Zwiefel, an impactful voice in our field and a longtime influence on how we approach athlete development. Formerly the founder of Building Better Athletes, Michael now serves as Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he applies ecological principles in a team setting.Key Topics Discussed:✅ Making warmups representative and engaging ✅ Transitioning from coaching with instructions to guiding with environment ✅ Working with youth athletes in a way that ignites passion, not burnout ✅ Progressing from 1v1 to more complex and chaotic movement problems ✅ Why strength coaches must understand tactical demands of sport ✅ Finding “aliveness” in warmups—starting sessions with real movement problemsf you work with athletes in any context—private or team, youth or elite—this one is packed with insight.Register for SMSC 2025 Come see Michael live at this year’s in-person Sport Movement Skill Conference: 🔗 Register hereResources + Mentions:Warm-Up Course: Reconceptualizing the Warm-Up “Change of Direction vs. Agility” (Young et al., 2002)Origins CourseMichael on XEmergence WebsiteCredits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat!Twitter: @thecoachjavIG: @thecoachjav
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SMSC 25' Speaker Spotlight: Scott Sievewright
Send us a textIn this repost episode of the podcast, we revisit one of our most favorite conversations — a deep dive into combat sport skill acquisition with Scott Sievewright, founder of Primal MMA and host of the Primal MMA Coaching Podcast.Scott brings an athlete-centered and constraints-led approach to his work with MMA athletes. In this conversation, we discuss how to design representative practice without traditional drills, how to keep intensity high while still respecting athlete safety, and why coaches should shift from cueing movement to shaping it through context.Scott will be one of our featured presenters at the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference happening June 26–27 in St. Paul, MN. Get your ticket at:🔹 Key Topics Discussed:✅ What a live, constraints-led approach looks like in MMA ✅ Why Scott eliminated drilling entirely from his practice ✅ Managing contact, safety, and intensity in striking and grappling ✅ How ecological dynamics helps simplify coaching ✅ Why Scott avoids over-coaching and embraces organized chaos ✅ What it means to train perception and action together📌 Resources & Mentions: Primal MMA Coaching Podcast Primal MMA Website Scott’s Coaching Philosophy & Framework SMSC 2025 Tickets & Info💡Like what you hear? Then you’ll love what Scott brings in person at this year’s conference.Register now and join us in St. Paul, MN – June 26–27, 2025.Stay connected at The Adaptable Athlete for more great conversations.Want to take your coaching to the next level?...check our our courses at Emergence.Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat!Twitter: @thecoachjavIG: @thecoachjav
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SMSC 25' Speaker Spotlight : Garrett Baker
Send us a textSMSC Speaker Spotlight: Garrett Baker In this episode, we’re highlighting one of our featured presenters for the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference — Garrett Baker, Skill Acquisition Specialist and Pitching Coach for the New York Mets. Garrett joins us to talk about the current state of skill development in baseball and why he believes coaches must move beyond traditional notions of “perfect mechanics.”We dig into how Garrett blends theory and practice in the bullpen, what makes his learning environments unique, and how his approach helps athletes become more adaptable and attuned to the real problems they face in competition.You’ll also hear:Why skill development in baseball needs to move beyond “perfect mechanics”How Garrett builds constraint-based bullpens that sharpen decision-makingCoaching intent and perception: why the why matters more than the howThe value of creating environments where athletes compete and adaptWhy “error” in skill learning is a gift, not something to avoidWhat it looks like to coach with the athlete, not at themGarrett’s approach to designing reps that mirror the complexity of real gamesWhat to expect from his session at SMSC 2025 — and why it’s relevant across sportsCredits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat!Twitter: @thecoachjavIG: @thecoachjav
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SMSC 25' Speaker Spotlight: Dr. Rob Gray
Send us a textIn this Speaker Spotlight episode, Coach Jav sits down with Dr. Rob Gray—renowned researcher, author, and podcast host—for a timely re-release of their impactful conversation on ecological dynamics, information, and movement learning. Rob is one of the featured speakers at the upcoming 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference, taking place June 26–27 in St. Paul, MN. As the SMSC returns to its in-person roots, Rob shares a preview of the thinking that’s shaped his writing, research, and applied coaching work across sport and skill domains.The episode explores the concepts behind Rob’s book Learning to Optimize Movement, as well as deeper takes on specifying information, variability in practice, and the athlete–environment relationship. If you’ve ever wondered how to make movement learning more meaningful—or want to go beyond drills and deepen your theoretical lens—this conversation is a must.🔑 Key Topics Discussed:✅ The purpose and origin of Rob's book Learning to Optimize Movement ✅ What Gibson really meant by “specifying information” ✅ The practical dangers of relying on non-specifying info (like cones or pitching machines) ✅ Why variability is the lowest-hanging fruit for most coaches ✅ The real secret sauce of coaching and when to intervene ✅ Movement efficiency, not just effectiveness ✅ Why skill lives in the relationship between athlete and environment ✅ What coaches can do to guide without over-prescribing solutions ✅ Shifting from acquiring skill to adapting skill📚 Resources & Mentions:📍 Register for the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 26–27 in MN)📘 Learning to Optimize Movement by Rob Gray — Available on Amazon🎧 The Perception & Action Podcast – Hosted by Rob Gray: perceptionaction.com📍 Register for the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference (June 26–27 in MN): theadaptableathlete.com✅ Emergence Website: emergentmvmt.com📖 Keith Davids & Duarte Araújo’s article: What is Acquired During Skill Acquisition? (Referenced in conversation)Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat!Twitter: @thecoachjavIG: @thecoachjav
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Why This Year’s SMSC Is Going to Change the Game
Send us a textIn this special episode of the Adaptable Athlete Podcast powered by Emergence, Javi welcomes back movement specialist and Emergence co-founder Shawn Myszka for the official preview of the 2025 Sport Movement Skill Conference (SMSC).They break down what to expect at this year’s in-person event -including immersive learning sessions, athlete-led demos, roundtable discussions, and a new certification opportunity -all designed to help coaches better understand and apply ecological dynamics in sport. Shawn also shares what it’s like coaching elite NFL players, how to identify skill gaps in All-Pro athletes, and why 2025 is the year to return to face-to-face collaboration in the coaching community.🗓️ The 2025 SMSC will be held June 26–27 in St. Paul, MN. Early bird pricing is available now. 🔗 Register here: Sport Movement Skill Conference🔹 Key Topics Discussed: ✅ How Sean identifies and addresses skill gaps in elite NFL athletes ✅ The value of ecological dynamics in high-performance coaching ✅ Why SMSC is returning to an all in-person format in 2025 ✅ What coaches can expect from this year’s conference lineup ✅ The debut of the Certified Skill Acquisition Specialist (CSAS) program ✅ The real difference between theory and practice—live on the field ✅ Why learning in community is irreplaceable for growth📌 Resources & Mentions:✅ Register for the 2025 SMSC✅ Emergence Website✅ The Adaptable Athlete Podcast Website✅ Article: The Value of Opposed and Unopposed TrainingCredits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io Let's Chat!Twitter: @thecoachjavIG: @thecoachjav
The Adaptable Athlete Podcast is a podcast for coaches and practitioners who want to learn more about modern approached to sport movement and skill acquisition; and who ultimately, want to help to their athletes become more adaptable. Host, Javi Miller-Estrada engages in discussions with some of the absolute best sport coaches, trainers, and practitioners in the world. Coaches who are truly pushing the industry forward.
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