VALDCAST

Episodet

• Trevor Short: Why Great Performance Starts With Better Systems 18.06.2026 33min

  How do you build a performance system that actually improves decision-making? In this episode of VALDCAST, Trevor Short shares his approach to high-performance leadership, discussing how sport science, sports medicine, strength & conditioning, nutrition and mental health can work together to improve athlete outcomes. Drawing on his experience overseeing multidisciplinary performance teams, Trevor explains why the goal isn't simply collecting more data — it's creating systems that increase...
• Dawn Scott: Building World Champions - The Evolution of Athlete Monitoring in Women's Sport 11.06.2026 33min

  In this episode of VALDCAST, Dawn Scott reflects on her journey from introducing sport science to England's Women's National Football (Soccer) Team in the early 2000s to helping drive performance innovation with the U.S. Women's National Soccer (Football) Team during an era that included multiple World Cup and Olympic successes. The conversation explores: • How women's football has evolved over the last 25 years • Building sport science programs when resources and technology were limited • Th...
• Anna Cruse: Building Collaborative Sport Science Systems 04.06.2026 38min

  What does effective sport science actually look like in practice? In this episode of VALDCAST, host Dylan chats to Anna Cruse, Assistant Athletic Director for Applied Health and Performance Science at the University of Utah. They delve into the systems, relationships and decision-making processes that underpin successful sport science programs — explaining why collaboration, data quality and athlete-centered thinking are essential for turning information into meaningful action. The conversati...
• Braylon Tatum: Athlete Profiling, Objective Data & Working in Elite Sport 28.05.2026 18min

  What does it actually take to work in elite sport environments? In this episode of VALDCAST, Braylon Tatum discusses athlete profiling, objective data and the realities of operating in high performance sport. From managing elite athletes to building systems that support performance decision-making, this conversation dives into how modern practitioners approach performance, monitoring and development at the highest level. The conversation explores: Athlete profiling in elite sportUsing o...
• Ziad Dahdul: Inside Modern ACL Rehab 21.05.2026 33min

  What does elite ACL rehab actually look like in 2026? In this episode of the VALDCAST, Ziad from Ignite Phyzio breaks down how objective data, athletic development and clinician education are reshaping modern rehab. From using ForceDecks and ForceFrame testing to guide decision-making, to integrating sport-specific drills early in the rehab process, this conversation explores what it really takes to return athletes to performance — not just participation. The discussion also dives...
• Dave Hamilton: Building Performance Systems That Actually Win 14.05.2026 33min

  In this episode of VALDCAST, high‑performance leader Dave Hamilton shares insights from over 25 years across Olympic sport, collegiate athletics and the NFL. From his early days at the UK Institute of Sport to leading performance units in elite team environments, Dave breaks down how he cut's through complexity and builds performance models that genuinely move the needle. Dave explains why simplicity beats dashboards full of noise, how objective testing like jump metrics can reveal readiness ...
• Jarrod Antflick: Why Loading Beats Quick Fixes in Tendinopathy 07.05.2026 37min

  In this episode, clinician and researcher Jarrod Antflick breaks down the real drivers of tendinopathy across the Achilles tendon and patellar tendon. From systemic influences like metabolic and hormonal factors to the impact of high load sport, Jarrod explains why diagnosis is everything and why not all tendinopathies are created equal. He dives into the key differences between Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, how tendon structure and length influence performance and what the key f...
• Mark Fitzgerald: Coaching Intuition vs Data — Why the Best Coaches Use Both 30.04.2026 24min

  What’s really changed in high performance over the last 20 years? In this episode of VALDCAST, Mark Fitzgerald shares lessons from decades in elite sport — from early days with minimal data to today’s tech-driven environments. He dives into: Why coaching intuition still matters (and how tech should support it)Managing athlete relationships and “owning the room”Making better decisions with both objective and subjective dataBuilding trust so athletes actually buy inWhy your real value as a coac...
• Jess Elis: Rehab Isn’t a Protocol 23.04.2026 32min

  In this episode of #VALDCAST, host Dylan sits down with Jess Ellis — founder of Rehab Code and former NBA health and performance director — to challenge some of the most common assumptions in modern rehab. From structure and function in elite athletes, jump testing and pathomechanics, Jess discusses the topics in rehab and performance that many often shy away from. In this conversation, Jess reflects on mentorship, the dangers of rigid systems and how clinicians can avoid getting trappe...
• Marc Lewis: Building Athlete Monitoring Systems That Actually Work 16.04.2026 39min

  In this episode of #VALDCAST, our host Ryan sits down with Dr. Marc Lewis — Director of Applied Sports Science for the Houston Texans and co‑founder of the Sport Science Network — to unpack what it really takes to build and run a high-performance system in the NFL. Shaped by his military background, Marc shares how systems based thinking underpins everything from in‑season decision‑making to long‑term performance strategy in the NFL. Together they explore how to manage the chaos of a season, ...
• Chris Bramah: Preparing and Profiling HYROX Athletes 09.04.2026 48min

  In this BONUS episode of VALDCAST, Ryan sits down with physio, biomechanist and researcher Dr. Chris Bramah to explore how practitioners can better profile and prepare athletes for HYROX. Chris breaks down the unique demands of the sport, highlighting why running remains the central performance driver and how factors like plantar flexor strength, tendon stiffness and reactive qualities underpin performance and recovery between stations. He shares practical insights into profiling the HYROX at...
• Tyler Collings: Validity, Reliability and Measuring What Matters 30.12.2025 30min

  In this episode of VALDCAST, our host Ryan sits down with biomechanist and Griffith University researcher, Tyler Collings, to break down one of the most common and most misunderstood topics in sports technology: validity and reliability. Tyler explains what these terms actually mean in practice, why they’re often confused and how human variability, testing protocols and “gold standards” influence the data practitioners rely on every day. The conversation unpacks common misconceptions in valid...
• Bobby Esbrandt: Building Athlete Profiles Beyond the CMJ 26.12.2025 16min

  In this episode of VALDCAST, Dylan sits down with physical therapist and Impact Sports Physical Therapy founder Bobby Esbrandt to unpack what it really means to assess, treat and develop athletes beyond a single metric. Bobby shares why relying solely on the countermovement jump can leave critical gaps in decision-making, and how building a complete athlete profile — spanning strength, power, rate of force development and reactive qualities — leads to better outcomes, particularly in po...
• Taylor Evernden: Bridging Rehab and Performance Through Data, Culture and Care 18.12.2025 25min

  In this episode of VALDCAST, Ryan sits down with Taylor Evernden, coach and Co-Founder of ORKA Performance, to explore what truly effective return-to-performance looks like when rehab, performance and people are fully aligned. Taylor shares how ORKA has built a collaborative model that moves athletes seamlessly from acute rehab into performance — balancing objective data, subjective feedback and the human side of coaching. The conversation spans RTP evolution, criteria-based transitions, comm...
• Hannah Marchant: Managing Complex Knees with Data-Informed Rehab 11.12.2025 28min

  In this episode of VALDCAST, Dylan sits down with physical therapist at New York City Football Club, Hannah Marchant, to unpack one of the most challenging cases in knee rehabilitation: medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction, recurrent patellar instability and complex cartilage lesions in a Division I-bound football athlete. Hannah walks us through the full journey — from baseline testing and load management to force plate assessments, athlete decision-making, asymmetry debates ...
• Daniel Cohen: Decoding Force Plate Truths 04.12.2025 35min

  In this episode of the VALDCAST, our host Ryan sits down with the co-founder of ForceDecks Dr. Daniel Cohen — sports scientist, researcher and long-time leader in force plate methodology. Together they unpack one of the most important (and misunderstood) areas in athlete assessment: what force plate data actually means. Dan breaks down the insights behind VALD's 2024-25 Premier League Report, including which CMJ metrics truly discriminate elite from sub-elite, why “fatigue monitoring” misses ...
• Travis Gaudet: Creating Tech-Informed Cohesion 28.11.2025 24min

  In this episode of VALDCAST, our host Dylan sits down with Physiotherapist and ORKA Performance Co-Founder Travis Gaudet to unpack what meaningful technology integration looks like at a company level. Travis breaks down the growth of ORKA’s clinical and educational arms and explains how technology became a central driver in that evolution. We cover: ✅ How to create cohesion in testing processes across multiple clinics ✅ How data can open conversations with patients during re...
• Karl Goodman: Building a High-Performance Business — Lessons from Athletes Authority 20.11.2025 36min

  In this episode, Ryan sits down with Karl Goodman, co-founder of Athletes Authority, for a deep dive into how one of Australia’s leading performance facilities was built (and rebuilt) through smart use of technology, clear business principles and hard-earned lessons. Karl explains how Athletes Authority used testing and objective data to differentiate their brand from day one, elevating athlete outcomes while creating real commercial pathways through outreach testing, front-end offers a...
• Tony Shield: The Turning Point in Hamstring Rehabilitation 13.11.2025 33min

  Our host Dylan sat down with co-inventor of the NordBord, Dr. Tony Shield, to unpack the origins of the world’s leading hamstring testing system. In this episode, Tony discusses the evolution of hamstring research, the rise of eccentric training and how a pair of load cells became a global standard for injury prevention and performance. Tony also shares insights into why dosing, data and simplicity still matter most in hamstring performance and injury prevention.
• Jo Clubb: Rethinking High-Performance Careers — From Pro Teams to Consulting 06.11.2025 46min

  In this episode of VALDCast, our host Ryan sits down with Jo Clubb — founder of Global Performance Insights and one of the most respected figures in applied sport science — to unpack her journey from elite team environments to life as a private consultant. Jo reflects on formative experiences across the Premier League, NHL and NFL, including her time with Chelsea FC, the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bills. She shares how working across different cultures and codes shaped her approach to per...