logo
episode-header-image
Mar 30
49m 21s

#340 Declan O'Connell - Adaptive Experti...

Dan Abrahams
About this episode

I speak with Declan O'Connell in this week's episode. Declan is a coach and performance consultant with over 20 years working with elite sports, global executive teams, and high-performance environments across the world.

Declan is currently finalising his Doctorate in Elite Performance Psychology at Dublin City University. His doctorate research focuses on developing adaptability in individuals, teams and organisations.

In this episode we discuss a paper Declan co-authored with Dr Robin Taylor "What got me here, won't get me there – how the world's best sports coaches successfully adapt their expertise in different environments". The study explores how world-class coaches develop and apply Adaptive Expertise (AE) across multiple high-performance settings.

The findings offer a practical framework for developing Accelerated Learning and underscore its value in navigating the uncertainties and transitions inherent in high-performance sport.

Up next
Apr 13
#341 Daniel Coyle - Flourishing
I'm delighted to speak with Daniel Coyle in this week's episode. Daniel is the award-winning author of multiple New York Times bestsellers including The Talent Code and The Culture Code. Daniel's work explores how people and groups grow, perform, and thrive. He combines immersive ... Show More
54m 18s
Mar 16
#339 Dr Andreas Küttel - Exploring Mental Health and Performance Dynamics
I'm delighted to speak with Andreas Küttel in this week's episode. Andreas is a Swiss former ski jumper who won five World Cup competitions from 2005 to 2007, and placed third in the overall World Cup in 2006. He won a gold medal in the individual large hill event at the 2009 Ski ... Show More
58m 40s
Mar 2
#338 Dr David Moran - Grouping by Ability in Youth Sport
I speak with Dr David Moran in this week's episode. David is a coach and coach developer in Gaelic games. He is a post-doctoral researcher with the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics and the School of Health and Human Performance at Dublin City University. We disc ... Show More
57m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
Alex Auerbach on How to Perform Better (EP358)
In this week’s basketball coaching conversation, performance psychologist Dr. Alex Auerbach joins The Basketball Podcast to share ideas on how to perform at your best.Dr. Alex Auerbach has spent his career exploring how high performers, from athletes to business leaders, deliver ... Show More
49m 25s
Jan 2021
238: Alex Brooker and Mike Guadango on The Power of Belief, Placebo Effects in Training-Rehab and Becoming Your Own Coaching Superhero
Our guests today are Mike Guadango and Alex Brooker.  Mike and Alex (“Brooker”) met when Alex interned for Mike at DeFranco’s gym a decade ago, and they now have a podcast together, “The Mike and Brooker Show”, in addition to their coaching careers. Alex is the owner and opera ... Show More
1h 22m
Sep 2025
Mark Upton on Better Coaching and Skill Development (EP388)
In this week's basketball coaching conversation, ShootXP founder and skill acquisition expert Mark Upton joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on better coaching and skill development.Mark Upton is a globally respected coaching and skill acquisition expert with over two ... Show More
1h 2m
Jan 2022
Joel Smith Q&A on Reflexive Dynamics of Athleticism and Surfing the Force-Velocity Curve
Today’s show is a Q&A with Joel Smith.  It’s a lot of fun to see the questions you all have, and putting together a list of answers. Some major themes in this show included the dynamics of how an athlete learns and acquires a skill, how to give athletes ideal constraints to le ... Show More
1 h
Jun 2025
273: Creating Complete Athletes
In this episode, Richard Graves is joined by performance specialist Julia Eyre, a sports scientist and psychologist with a rich background in elite sport. From working with U.S. collegiate athletes to roles with German Olympic federations and the TSG Wieseck Football Academy (a p ... Show More
34m 46s
Jan 2025
252: How to Maximise Athlete Performance & Recovery
This week we are unlocking the Secrets of Elite Performance with Dr Peter Tierney! From the high-pressure world of professional rugby and football to cutting-edge performance apparel, Dr Peter Tierney has seen it all. In this episode, we dive deep into what it takes to win at the ... Show More
29m 21s
Jul 2024
225: Reclaiming The Soul Of Youth Sport
In episode 225 Michael McElhenie and Greg Dunn Founders of Exult Sport, join us. Specifically they will be looking at: Importance of youth sport Developing a positive culture Maximising the impact of youth sport About Michael & Greg Dr. Michael McElhenie is a leading figure in le ... Show More
27m 24s
Aug 2024
Dr. Gio Valiante on Humiliation and Losing, Mastery Orientation, and Understanding Confidence
<p>Slappin&apos; Glass is joined this week by one of the world&apos;s most successful and sought-after high performance coaches, Dr. Gio Valiante. Dr. Gio is renown for his work with pro golfer, NBA and NFL players and coaches, and some of the top investors on Wall Street. The tr ... Show More
47m 24s
Mar 2025
Lindsey Wilson on Belief is a Skill (EP364)
In this week's coaching conversation, mindset and mental performance coach Lindsey Wilson joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss belief as a skill.Lindsey Wilson is a mindset and mental performance coach best known as The Sports Hypnotist™. With a professional basketball career ... Show More
50m 38s