The Adaptable Athlete Podcast
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.
The Adaptable Athlete Podcast
What Is Metastability? Making Theory Practical w/ Alan Dunton
*Checkout the free practice guide at the end of the show notes!
Alan Dunton is a lecturer in Coaching Science and Skill Acquisition at Munster Technological University (MTU) in Cork, Ireland. A former Taekwondo athlete and coach, Alan has spent his career exploring how people learn, adapt, and perform skill under dynamic conditions. In this conversation, we unpack metastability — what it means, how to design for it, and why adaptability is the hallmark of expert performance.
In This Episode:
- Alan’s background in Taekwondo and how it shaped his approach to coaching
- Understanding metastability: from theory to practical application
- Exploration vs. stability — what do athletes really need?
- Designing training environments for adaptability
- The launch of the new MSc in Skill Acquisition for Sport at MTU
This episode is heavy and theory AND applied information, and I know you will benefit from giving this a listen!
Download your Free Practice Design Checklist!
Referenced Links:
- Free Coaching Guide Download → Get it here
- MTU MSc in Skill Acquisition for Sport → https://www.mtu.ie
- Alan Dunton on X → https://x.com/alandunton
- Emergence → https://www.emergentmvmt.com
- The Adaptable Athlete Podcast on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@thecoachjav
Credits: Song- "Starstruck" by Freebeats.io
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