Podcast
The Deep End
Hosted by Alex Lascu · EN
Sports coaching is not easy, especially at the community level. This podcast is a collection of interviews and stories of everyday coaches, the people in the deep end of their own coaching journey, wayfinding their way through practice and pedagogy.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
ACLs and Uncertainty in Conversation
Feb 1600:58:48Tap to summarizeSparked by seeing Lindsey Vonn go down in the final of the Downhill Skiing, I jumped on a call with one of my favourite people in the world in Martijn Lips - someone who will forget more about ACL rehab than I will ever know. In this episode, you'll hear our uncertainty as we grasp what we witnessed, what we noticed, and the emerging narratives that surrounded that moment and beyond - zooming out from 'the knee' and exploring what these moments mean for whole people. Complemented by a brilliant recent paper by Charlie Corsby and colleagues (2026), we have no definitive answers, only questions, and that is okay. No apologies for the giggly mess at the end of this episode, it's a little reminder that we are just everyday people, thinking out loud together.
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Messy Mondays and Flexecution
Jan 1801:06:29Tap to summarizeRecently, Lúcás Ó'Ceallacháin put out a call on LinkedIn to engage in more podcasts and I selfishly obliged. A brilliant thinker, playful soul and multi-linguist with some incredible stories and rich life experiences - there's so much to take from this episode!
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Starting with a question
Jan 500:51:15Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I am joined by the kind of budding athlete, coach and scientist that brings me hope for the future. Andreas Weickhardt joins me this time to wander/wonder through questions of technology, coaching, feedback, learning and performance with wisdom beyond his years.
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Go fast alone or slow together
Oct 1800:58:37Tap to summarizeThis is the kind of episode that we joked about for weeks in the group chat we made to keep each other sane. Here, two of my favourite Kiwis in coach education and development join me to ponder some of the questions we face in our daily work: how do we co-design with community coaches, who gets to decide what's worth knowing, and how do we balance "what they need to know" with "what they want to know". Thank you again to George Robinson and Liam Mulcahy for their time to record this, and their ongoing friendship 🙏🏻
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If in doubt, get the goals out!
Jan 24, 202500:48:59Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I am joined by the kind of coach that I'm sure every kid wishes they had. Craig Stone from Nordic Soccer Club in Burlington, Vermont reached out after I wrote a heartfelt edition of my newsletter, where he quoted this line: The only thing we should be maximising is a sense of wanting to be there, of belonging, of psychological safety and joy and laughter. Our conversation winds down this road and many more, I hope you enjoy! You can find the original post in The Thought Garden newsletter (and many more editions!) here: 'you write like you have nothing and everything to lose'
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False dichotomies and verbing your nouns
Oct 19, 202401:41:55Tap to summarizeThis is our longest episode yet, but I couldn't bring myself to artificially split it in two. Join me in this wonderfully open, curious and pondering adventure through expertise, learning, thinking, knowledging and science as inquiry. I am joined by Martin Camiré and Carl Woods for this correspondence, something I never thought I'd say! As we weave through the things that capture our attention while we're always not/working, I would love to hear how these topics manifest in your world.
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Doing the doing first
Sep 21, 202400:45:19Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I think Seb Wilson surprises himself as to why he's on the podcast. As a thoughtful, intentional basketball coach on his own learning journey, the podcast reflects what our coffee catch ups often sound like: meandering through topics until we forget how we got here, and "gardening our thinking" to find meaningful ways to connect with research and real people. You'll love it even more than I enjoyed hosting it! Listen out for my favourite quote: "the rules of the game [of basketball] are not fundamental."
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The Art of Noticing
Aug 7, 202401:04:28Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Jenny Coe indulges me in a wandering discussion about the intersection of performance analysis and sport psychology, how we often leave wellbeing for last, and the wonders of movies like Inside Out 2 to help us connect with ourselves. I have had many years of these correspondences that make my heart sing, and I love that I can share one with you!
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Coaching with Love
Jun 16, 202400:52:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I am joined by Aslan Odev - a coach that is not only going against the grain in an unforgiving football/soccer landscape, but doing so with an admirable amount of humility and integrity. Ever wondered how to get buy-in from your players? Coach with love. This is a sentiment I have felt but never expressed in these words, and hearing Aslan say them was somewhat liberating. If you show you care, if you really take the time to connect with your learners, you don't need to manufacture buy-in.. they'll trust you enough to try it. And don't forget to admit that you're learning too! Music credit: Balynt - Chase the Sundown on Soundcloud
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It's just not playing anymore
Mar 6, 202401:01:29Tap to summarizeAdrian, better known as @ecohoops, is the kind of coach that every kid deserves. Led by his curiosity, he's dedicated to creating environments that inspire fun and enjoyment. We cover so many topics in this episode, including playfulness, designing training for skill development, and who really has the answers (quick tip: nobody does!). Hope you enjoy half as much as I enjoyed recording! Music credit: Balynt - Chase the Sundown on Soundcloud
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