7 High Performance professionals you should learn from
Meet the Pros who work with your favourite athletes
Hello friends! 👋
Welcome to the SportsGrad Newsletter. Each week we take a deep dive into how people are growing their careers in sport.
Here you’ll find insights, tactics and tools to help you win jobs, get promoted, work around the world, make an impact, and still get paid fairly in sport.
Plus the latest on what’s happening in the SportsGrad Community - a private group of legends lifting each other toward the careers of their dreams.
Today, we’re deep diving into High Performance!
Below we’ve collated an epic list of professionals working in high performance who have been on the podcast. Each episode takes a slightly different angle.
Some guests explain their role in detail, such as a biomechanist, some share how they use data and analytics to enhance performance, some are working as team doctors, and some tell you what it’s like working in football recruitment and on draft nights!
This playlist of HP experts has something for everyone, especially if you love hearing what it’s like working up close with athletes - make sure you add these to your listening queue this week and enjoy!
Before we begin, have you got your Meetup tickets?
Meetups are starting next week, and tickets are limited (Melb, only 20% of tickets left)! Click on your city below to be sent to the right page. Remember, if you’re a SportsGrad Member, you get a discount - you can find the code in the Community Discord, or message me on LinkedIn and I can help you out!
Ep #240: How to be a Biomechanist at the Victorian Institute of Sport with Victoria Brackley
Meet Dr. Victoria Brackley, a Biomechanist at the Victorian Institute of sport.
What’s Biomechanics?
Biomechanics uses data, physics, and technology to improve performance and reduce injury. In simple terms, they help athletes move better.
Victoria works specifically with Australia’s best swimmers, and even helped to shave seconds off Mack Horton’s tumble turn to help bring home Olympic gold at Rio 2016.
We chat through her career journey to date, essential skills and study to be a Biomechanist, and how a hula-hoop is all you need for the perfect dive.
Ep #230: Performance Analysis at Collingwood Super Netball with Bianca Litchfield
Meet Bianca Litchfield, Performance Analyst (AFLW & Netball) at the Collingwood Football Club, and a young inspiration for women in the sports industry.
We chat about the journey to her dream job, what it’s like travelling with a Super Netball team, how to analyse the performance of Netballers, female inspirations in working in the sports industry, and what can be done to promote gender equality in sport.
Ep #227: How to be a Performance Analyst for Pro Tennis Players with Shane Liyanage
Do you dream of working with elite athletes?
If you’re the analytical type, a career as a Performance Analyst could be just for you. To find out exactly how to get there and what it’s like, we’ve called on Shane Liyange, the champion Analyst of Australian Open winner, Aryna Sabalenka.
We talk about Shane’s journey from law to sport, how he learnt to be an incredible analyst, getting his first professional athlete client, and tips, tricks and habits that keep him at the top of his game.
Ep #215: How to become an AFL recruiter with Kall Burns
Think you can spot athletic potential when you see it? Perhaps a career in recruitment is for you?
Meet Kall Burns, the longest-standing staff member of the Gold Coast Suns, and the National Recruitment Manager.
His experience at the Suns began as a Recruiter and Data Analyst, and since then has climbed his way up.
Ep #195: How to be a team doctor in the NRL with Dr. Jason Chan
Calling all future-sport Medicos!! This is how you become a Doctor in elite sport.
Introducing Dr. Jason Chan from the Melbourne Storm, the doc behind one of Australia’s most successful teams in recent history.
Tune in to learn exactly what he does day to day, and the pathway to one of the best gigs in sport (according to Jase, it’s easier than you think!)
He goes through how to get the most out of volunteer roles in grassroots, and why loyalty is the most valued trait for getting a foot in the door at the Storm (might explain the 11 straight finals appearances)
Ep #173: How to launch your career in sport science with Jacob Tober
We may have just found the model sport science grad!! Now well and truly a professional, Jacob Tober is a learning machine. At uni he was top of his class, at 22 he became a @coreadvantage business partner. And now he’s created his own app called ‘Metric VBT’ to make Velocity Based Training accessible and easy to use!
We find out why soft skills aren’t soft, what it’s like wearing multiple hats across science, technology and business, creating content for social media, and how arrogance almost stood in the way of his entire career.
Ep #142: How analytics guides AFL list management with Binuk Kodituwakku
You've seen the selections, but what REALLY goes on behind the scenes on draft night?
How do clubs make decisions on players?
How do they forecast the ladder to predict the value of future picks?
And how do you get to be THE analytics person behind the biggest recruiting decisions?
Binuk Kodituwakku is on the pod to answer all those questions and more.
What’s happening in the Community?
Community Wins ⭐️
Here’s what SportsGrad Members got up to last week...
Lachie Burns received an internship position with KOJO
Liam Green is joining Golf Australia as an Event Coordinator
SportsGrad Members have landed over 610+ jobs in sport.
If you've had a win, share it with us in the #wins channel on Discord!
At the Deakin Uni Sport Talks session!
Upcoming Member Events 💛
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Job Opportunities 💼
Looking for a new gig? Here’s a few organisations who want to hire SportsGrad Members (Members, you check out which organisations they are in the Discord):
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Need help hiring sports industry talent? Get in touch with Ryan.
Enjoy your weekend!
Catch you soon,
Acacia 💛
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