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.
Episodes
115 episodes
Skill Adaptation > Skill Acquisition
*Checkout the free practice guide at the end of the show notes!For decades, coaches and scientists have used the term skill acquisition — but what if that’s not what’s really happening?In this short episode, we di...
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Episode 114
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10:42
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Why Athletes Don’t "Acquire" Skill—They Adapt it w/ Duarte Araújo
*Checkout the free practice guide at the end of the show notes!What is skill, really? And what if it’s not something athletes acquire — but something they continuously adapt?In this episode, Duarte Ara...
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Episode 113
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56:30
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, ...
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Episode 112
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58:46
Why Exploration Beats Perfection: 25 years of Coaching Fighters w/ Adam Singer
Adam Singer is the head coach of SBG Athens, where he and his brother Rory have been developing fighters for over 25 years. A longtime practitioner of ecological dynamics in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, Adam has coached multiple ath...
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Episode 111
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1:35:58
Practice That Transfers: From Problem Solving to Game Day w/ Shawn Myszka
Shawn Myszka (the “Movement Miyagi” ) returns to the pod to discuss the theme he and his NFL athletes embraced this offseason: Wu Xin, or “no-mindedness.” It’s an idea that runs throughout skill acquisition — how athletes c...
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Episode 110
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1:03:07
Breaking Free from Perfect Mechanics w/ Garrett Baker
Garrett Baker, Skill Acquisition Specialist and pitching coach with the New York Mets, returns to the Adaptable Athlete Podcast to dive deep into the realities of skill development in baseball.In this episode we discuss:Why b...
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Episode 109
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55:38
6 Minutes of Skill: How Does the Weight Room Fit within an Ecological Approach?
Welcome back to the Adaptable Athlete Podcast! In this episode, we dive into another edition of the 6 Minutes of Skill series — where Coach Jav breaks down a key skill acquisition concept in under 6 minutes (or close enough)....
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Episode 108
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11:06
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Talent is Not Linear: Rethinking Player Development in Soccer w/ Justin Ferguson
In this episode of the Adaptable Athlete Podcast, I'm joined by Justin Ferguson — Director of Player Development at Minnesota United FC and a coach who’s deeply committed to modern coaching principles.We dig into what it r...
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Episode 107
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1:04:40
Speed, Skill, and Solving Problems: A Preview of My Altis Speed Summit Session w/ Stu McMillan
This episode is a special repost of my conversation with Stu McMillan on the ALTIS Podcast, originally recorded as a lead-up to the ALTIS Speed Summit where I will be presenting. If you’re attending the Summit this weekend, this wi...
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58:01
SMSC 25' Speaker Spotlight: Michael Zweifel
This 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, Min...
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47:47
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SMSC 25' Speaker Spotlight: Scott Sievewright
In 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 Podca...
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1:04:43
SMSC 25' Speaker Spotlight : Garrett Baker
SMSC 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 Ne...
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48:38
SMSC 25' Speaker Spotlight: Dr. Rob Gray
In 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. ...
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56:00
Why This Year’s SMSC Is Going to Change the Game
In 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
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41:13
From IndyCar to the NCAA: Coaching High Performance Across Sports w/ Sean Smith
In this episode of the Adaptable Athlete Podcast, Javi sits down with performance coach Sean Smith, who shares lessons from a unique career that’s spanned elite collegiate volleyball and the high-octane world of IndyCar racing.<...
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Episode 99
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59:56
6 Minutes of Skill: Finding Your Challenge Point
In this Six Minutes of Skill episode, Coach Jav explores the concept of the Challenge Point—both for athletes and coaches. He breaks down how finding the right level of difficulty in training can accelerate skill acquisition, impr...
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Episode 98
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9:23
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Coaching Hockey IQ w/ Jim Haverstrom
In this episode, Javi sits down with Jim Haverstrom to explore a fresh approach to youth hockey coaching. Jim explains how his game-based, small-area practices transform the way young players develop skills and decision-making. Rather than isol...
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Episode 97
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56:46
The Power of Unstructured Learning in Coaching and Sport w/ Marianne Davies
In this episode, Javi sits down with Marianne Davies to explore a fascinating blend of topics, from adventure sports and ecological coaching to the power of language and learning. They dive into how language shapes perception, the unique relati...
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Episode 96
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1:02:23
Analyzing the Transcendent Movement Skill of Lamar Jackson w/ Shawn Myszka
In this episode, we dive deep into the transcendent movement skill of Lamar Jackson with special guest Shawn Myszka!In addition to having partnered with 139 NFL athletes and many pro bowlers, Shawn also has been deeply investigating...
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1:12:21
Unlocking Potential Through Creativity and Donor Sports w/ Brian Neff
Welcome to today's show!Today I'm joined by Brian Neff of US Ski and Snowboard!Brian is an athletic development coach for US Ski and snowboard and specifically works with US Paralympic, Alpine and snowboard athletes. Pri...
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Episode 94
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57:31
6 Minutes of Skill: What Information is Present in Your Training Environment?
Welcome to today's show! Today we are going to be doing another installment of our "6 Minutes of Skill" series. A series where we dive into a topic related to skill acquisition, in under 6 minutes. To catch the last installm...
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10:57
Challenging Tradition: The Case for Modernizing Hockey Coaching w/ Brian Gillam
Welcome to today’s episode! My guest today is Brian GilliamBrian works in hockey and has been working in player development for 39 years. He's the owner of Brian Gillum Hockey, which specializes in player and coach development. He is a H...
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Episode 92
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1:20:38
Learning To Be An Ecological Coach w/ Rob Gray
On this episode I'm joined by Dr. Rob Gray! Rob is a multi-time guest on this podcast and is always a fan favorite. He is truly a giant in the movement community and one of the most knowledgable people around.In this convo...
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Episode 91
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52:48
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