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An exploration of the role of sport science in winning Olympic gold now, and in the future, and how it fits with evidence-based coaching.

Exercise Science is a theory-based, research-led discipline that seeks applied solutions to health problems related to physical inactivity.

A player can feel it during a game when they hit a match-winning goal or when they miss a wide open net. A team can feel it when they come back from a deficit late in the game or when their lead in the league vanishes. A fan can feel it as their team "catches fire" or goes "as cold as ice". And, play-by-play announcers love to talk about it. We know it as the "Big Mo", the "Hot Hand", and being "In The Zone" while the psychologists call it Psychological Momentum. But, does it really exist? Is it just a temporary shift in confidence and mood or does it actually change the outcome of a game or a season? As expected, there are lots of opinions available.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are as many as 300,000 sports and recreation-related concussions each year in the U.S., yet the diagnosis, immediate treatment and long-term effects are still a mystery to most coaches, parents and even some clinicians. So what i a concussion?

For years, sport science and motor control research has added support to the fundamental assertions that "practice makes perfect" and "repetition is the mother of habit". However, many questions still exist as to exactly how we learn these skills. What changes happen in our brains when we teach ourselves a new task? What is the most effective and efficient way to master a skill? Do we have to be actually performing the skill to learn it, or could we just watch and learn?

An interesting post about the role of the statistical guru in sports performance, from 'Moneyball' Billy Beane in baseball, to Opta and Match Analysis in soccer, and the APBR in Basketball. To what extent is use of statistical analysis to improve selection and performance becoming the orthodoxy in professional sport?

Is Sport Science research ever actually used to improve athletic performance? How can a sports coach or athlete understand, combine and transfer this information into their game?

What's the best approach to coaching tactics and technique to children? This blog outlines some different approaches and suggests a mix and match approach.

How do tennis professionals like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal manage not only to see, but estimate the speed and movement of the ball, before deciding how to play their shot? Are they born with the visuomotor systems to meet the "interceptive timing task requirements" of their sport, or can they be trained?