Prepare Like A Pro

06/09/2026

#374 - Chris Barnes on Turning Data Into Decisions: Making Sports Science Practical

What happens when a performance team collects everything and still cannot act on it? Chris Barnes has spent a career inside professional football, rugby league and horse racing, and was one of the first full-time sports scientists in the English Premier League. He unpacks why more data does not mean better decisions, what changes the moment a new head coach walks in, the mistake he sees young practitioners repeat, and where he thinks AI could quietly go wrong.

🔑Highlights from the episode:

- Is data overload quietly overwhelming performance teams?
- Why saying nothing is sometimes the smartest call
- Your players are fit, just not fit yet
- The big mistake most sports scientists still make
- The hidden danger of AI in high performance

👉Connect with Chris

CB Sports Performance Ltd
[email protected]

Watch the full episode on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/

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🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
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Enjoy the episode and keep striving for high performance!

Do you have feedback on the show? We would love to hear from you. Send us your feedback and tell us what you love and what you think could be better. And if you’re enjoying the show, please leave us a review.

Feedback: https://preparelikeapro.com/contact/
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Our website link is in the comments below ⬇️

06/09/2026

“The players are fit. They're just not fit for you yet.”

Tomorrow we sit down with Chris Barnes to unpack why all that GPS and readiness data usually just confirms everything is fine, the mistake sports scientists keep making when they walk in desperate to impose what they learned, and where AI starts producing numbers nobody has validated.

▶️ Watch on YouTube:

What happens when a performance team collects everything and still ...

30/08/2026

#175 - Common Mistakes in Movement Mechanics for Field Sports (And How to Fix Them)

Could hidden movement mistakes be limiting your speed, agility and durability? We break down the mechanics field-sport athletes often get wrong, from upright running and overstriding to acceleration, cutting and defensive movement.

We also explore practical assessment methods, useful off-season training environments and the drills that can create genuine transfer to competition. Whether you coach AFL players or train for another field sport, this episode will help you view athletic movement through a sharper lens.

🔑Highlights from the episode:

- Is overstriding putting your hamstrings at risk
- What shin and torso alignment reveals
- Why efficient direction changes demand less footwork
- Are your movement tests giving reliable answers
- The off-season tools most athletes overlook
- How long should a movement training block last

Watch the full episode on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/

Listen Now & Subscribe!

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
📲 Follow us on Instagram:
💡 Learn more at preparelikeapro.com

Enjoy the episode and keep striving for high performance!

Do you have feedback on the show? We would love to hear from you. Send us your feedback and tell us what you love and what you think could be better. And if you’re enjoying the show, please leave us a review.

Feedback: https://preparelikeapro.com/contact/
Review: https://link.chtbl.com/PLPlivechats/

Our website link is in the comments below ⬇️

30/08/2026

Fast athletes can still move poorly. Tomorrow we unpack six common movement mistakes holding field-sport athletes back, including overstriding, poor shin and torso alignment, inefficient direction changes, unreliable testing, overlooked off-season tools, and training blocks that fail to transfer when competition begins.

▶️ Watch on YouTube:

Could hidden movement mistakes be limiting your speed, agility and ...

29/08/2026

Returning an athlete to play after a lower limb injury is one of the most important decisions in high-performance sport.

Join me live with internationally renowned sports physiotherapist and researcher Peter Malliaras as we discuss return-to-play decision making, rehabilitation, load management, reinjury prevention, and what it really takes to get athletes back performing at their best.

Whether you’re an AFL coach, S&C coach, physiotherapist, sports scientist, rehabilitation practitioner, or footballer, this session will provide practical insights you can apply immediately.

📅 Wednesday 16 September
🕛 12:00 PM AEST

Coaches, make sure to comment below ⬇️ with any questions, challenges, or topics you’d like us to discuss during the live podcast.

We’ll aim to cover as many as possible during the session.

25/08/2026

🏃‍♀️ Ash Barty wasn’t the fastest athlete... so how did she become one of the best in the world?
In this clip from the High Performance Podcast, Grant Jenkins, Founder of Propel Health Australia, explains why Ash Barty’s elite decision-making, anticipation, and agility gave her a competitive advantage from a young age.
For AFL strength & conditioning coaches, this is a powerful reminder that talent isn’t always found in the fastest sprint times or biggest physical attributes. Often, the athletes who can perceive, decide, and react quicker are the ones who separate themselves from the pack.
🎯 Key takeaways: ✅ Why decision-making is a performance skill
✅ The connection between agility and perception
✅ What coaches often miss in talent identification
✅ Lessons from Ash Barty’s development journey
If you’re serious about developing better athletes and advancing your career in high-performance sport, this episode is a must-listen.
👇 Comment “PODCAST” below and I’ll send you the link to the full episode.

23/08/2026

#373 - Grant Jenkins on What Separates Good Athletes from Great Ones

Why did the 10-year-old athlete who became world number one test as completely ordinary? Grant Jenkins has coached Ash Barty, Nick Kyrgios, and hundreds of athletes, and he holds an unpopular view on what separates the great from the good. Grant gets into why testing data keeps selecting the wrong players, what the best athletes do after losing, why he deliberately filled his academy with less-talented athletes, and the $120-an-hour job he now hands to AI first.

🔑Highlights from the episode:

- What actually separates the best at the highest level
- The quality he spotted in Ash Barty at ten
- Is the 10,000 hours theory getting talent wrong
- Why he recruited the less talented athletes on purpose
- The $120-an-hour job he now hands to AI

People mentioned:

- Ash Barty
- Nick Kyrgios
- Ashley Jones
- George Smith
- Vince Kelly
- David Hodge

Watch the full episode on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/

Listen Now & Subscribe!

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
📲 Follow us on Instagram:
💡 Learn more at preparelikeapro.com

Enjoy the episode and keep striving for high performance!

Do you have feedback on the show? We would love to hear from you. Send us your feedback and tell us what you love and what you think could be better. And if you’re enjoying the show, please leave us a review.

Feedback: https://preparelikeapro.com/contact/
Review: https://link.chtbl.com/PLPlivechats/

Our website link is in the comments below ⬇️

23/08/2026

What if talent testing picks the wrong athletes?

Tomorrow we sit down with Grant Jenkins, elite coach to Ash Barty, Nick Kyrgios, and hundreds of athletes, to unpack what separates good athletes from great ones, why he deliberately recruited less-talented players, and the $120-an-hour job he now hands to AI first.

▶️ Watch on YouTube:

Why did the 10-year-old athlete who became world number one test as...

16/08/2026

#174 - Building a Career in High Performance Sport: Mentorship, Networking & Interviews

What's the biggest thing holding aspiring high performance practitioners back from the roles they want? In this episode, we break down the most common mistakes early-career practitioners make, why mentorship doesn't have to be formal to be valuable, and what genuine networking looks like versus the moves that come across as cringe. We also get into what actually gets a CV shortlisted, why a personal referral can outweigh a perfect resume, and how bringing real examples into an interview sets candidates apart from everyone else in the room.

🔑Highlights from the episode:

- The number one mistake holding back aspiring practitioners
- Why mentorship doesn't need to be formal to work
- The cringe networking move everyone should avoid
- Why a personal call beats a perfect CV every time
- Why real examples win you the interview

Watch the full episode on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/

Listen Now & Subscribe!

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
📲 Follow us on Instagram:
💡 Learn more at preparelikeapro.com

Enjoy the episode and keep striving for high performance!

Do you have feedback on the show? We would love to hear from you. Send us your feedback and tell us what you love and what you think could be better. And if you’re enjoying the show, please leave us a review.

Feedback: https://preparelikeapro.com/contact/
Review: https://link.chtbl.com/PLPlivechats/

Our website link is in the comments below ⬇️

16/08/2026

The most cringe thing you can do at a networking event? Most people are doing it right now.

Tomorrow, Jack McLean pulls back the curtain on the biggest mistake keeping aspiring practitioners out of the roles they want, why mentorship doesn't need to be formal to work, and how a personal referral can outweigh a perfect resume.

▶️ Watch on YouTube:

What's the biggest thing holding aspiring high performance practiti...