Shows
The Inside Edge ProjectDr. Alex Lascu & Aaron Lilly | How To Design Training That Holds Up With PressureIn this episode, we sit down with Dr. Alex Lascu and Aaron Lilly to unpack what really makes training transfer to performance—especially in a sport as complex as cricket. We dive into why “more reps” doesn’t always mean better results, and how designing sessions that feel like the game (pressure, intention, problem-solving) can change everything.Alex breaks down key learning principles like “thinking, feeling, acting” and explains why training should challenge you with realistic conditions—not just perfect reps. Aaron shares the story behind creating the Swinger Ball, why players avoid discomfort in nets, and how competitiv...
2026-01-181h 05
The Sports Coaching Hub PodcastCRiC 2025 Bitesize: Dr Alex LascuIn this episode of the CRiC 2025 conference bitesize episodes, we received Dr Alex Lascu (Queensland Academy of Sport). In this very entertaining episode, Alex took us behind the scenes in her dual roles as a coach educator and researcher, and shared Enjoy!Alex Lascu: https://skillacqlascu.com/CRiC website: https://cricsportcoaching.com/Follow us on our social media: https://linktr.ee/sportscoachinghub
2025-06-2617 min
Talking PerformanceEp 168 - Alex Lascu - Learning Designer & Re-searcherIn this conversation, Jay Carter and Alex Lascu explore the multifaceted world of sports coaching, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue, the journey through various sports, and the dynamics of coaching, particularly in relation to gender. They discuss the essence of good coaching practices, the balance between fun and seriousness in youth sports, and the challenges posed by parental expectations. The conversation also delves into the debate on specificity in training, the understanding of muscle memory, and the role of technology in enhancing sports training. They discuss the implications of relying on technology for...
2025-01-261h 13
The Deep EndIf in doubt, get the goals out!In 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...
2025-01-2448 min
The Constraints Collective#23 Nonlinearity (in coaching, talent development and coach development) with Alex LascuDr Alex Lascu is a skill acquisition amateur (lover of) and researcher at the University of Canberra and Victoria University. Their love of learning and development is currently being explored with WA Cricket, in the hopes of helping every coach start, and continue, their own learning journeys to help young people love sport for a lifetime.Dr Alex also runs the https://skillacqlascu.com/ website. Enjoy!Check out the The Constraints Collective Patreon site at patreon.com/TheConstraintsCollective
2024-11-071h 13The Deep EndFalse dichotomies and verbing your nounsThis 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.
2024-10-191h 41
Building Better BasketballAlex Lascu - Building Better basketball Part 2!Welcome back, everyone! If you caught our last episode, you know we’re in the middle of a great conversation, and I’m excited to bring back our guest for round two. We couldn’t fit everything into the first session, so we’re diving back in today to continue where we left off.
For those just joining us, let me reintroduce Alex Lascu. Alex, or as she calls herself, a 'skill acquisition amateur,' is an Adjunct at the University of Canberra (look that one up!) and a Learning and Capability Specialist at WA Cricket. She works in...
2024-10-1830 min
The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics CoachingNonlinear pedagogy and being skill-full: levelling up your skills through experience with Dr Alex Lascu.In this episode of the River Tiger podcast, Dr. Alex Lascu joins me to discuss nonlinear pedagogy and its practical applications. Alex explains that nonlinear systems lack proportionality, meaning small changes can have unpredictable impacts, and emphasises the importance of understanding stability and noise in movement. We explore how these concepts challenge traditional coaching methods, advocating for adaptability and responsiveness over rigid plans. Examples include cricket coaching, where focusing on head movement rather than footwork enhances agility, and the slow development of tendon strength in climbing. The conversation highlights the need for coaches to embrace uncertainty and foster adaptable...
2024-10-021h 14The Deep EndDoing the doing firstIn 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."
2024-09-2145 minBuilding Better BasketballAlex Lascu - Building Better BasketballWe are going to do something new here on the podcast. We are going to have a guest on for the first time, but right out the gate we are saying, they are coming back for a second episode cause we are not getting it all done this morning! Podcast fanatics will know her name, the crazy band of people who like hearing me talk (shoutout my mum) will know her from when I appeared on her podcast and some of you I guarantee will have read one of her papers or like one of her tweets duting her...
2024-09-1328 minThe Deep EndThe Art of NoticingIn 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!
2024-08-071h 04
The Talent Equation PodcastSupporting coaches to be 'prepared rather than planned' - a conversation with Alex LascuAlex Lascu is a cricket coach that has doen in depth acadmeic study in coaching and skill development before turning her attention to coach development. She now works for one of the major state sports associations in Australia. Alex joined me to discuss all things coach educationa and development having listened to my recent 'Coach Education is broken series'. Through the discussion we explore some of the 'system shifts' that I have been covering and how they manifest into her work within cricket. We look at some of the practical solutions that are being implemented and how they s...
2024-07-251h 21The Deep EndCoaching with LoveIn 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...
2024-06-1652 min
The Transforming Basketball PodcastEP60: Playing by the Rules with the CLA with Dr. Alex LascuIn this episode, Alex Sarama welcomes back Dr. Alex Lascu as a guest. They discuss an upcoming coach development workshop called CLA Playing by the Rules, which aims to provide coaches with an interactive and genuine experience of using the ecological dynamics framework in basketball. They emphasize the importance of creating a supportive environment for coaches to learn and apply new concepts. They also explore the challenges of coach development and the need for ongoing support and collaboration among coaches.
Want to take a deep dive into the Transforming approach? Our FREE skill acquisition workshop is a c...
2024-05-0126 min
Out On The PaddockEpisode 27 - Senior Womens Country Week 2024 Special EpisodeThe March long weekend of 2024 saw the hosting of the annual Senior Womens Country Week Carnival in the Bunbury, Leschenault and Harvey Regions of WA Country. In what turned out to be an outstanding 3 days of Cricket across two grades, the final of the Womens A section in particular resulted in one of the greatest finishes seen in WA Country Cricket history. In this episode of Out on the Paddock, you can hear or relive how it all unfolded and ended up, with live commentary of the dramatic final ball. Also in this episode, is an interview with a very...
2024-03-2633 minThe Deep EndIt's just not playing anymoreAdrian, 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
2024-03-061h 01The Deep EndCoaching as a bad love languageWe have our first return guest with coach Liam Murphy, inspired by a question about session plans and the role they play, which quickly dissolved into motivating young people, coaching through hard seasons, nobody intends to do harm (but it still happens) and exploring our own coaching canon events.
2023-12-241h 17The Deep EndFlavour of the weekAaron Holt has been picking my brain over the last few months, and this time around we decided to think out loud together and record it. This conversation was sparked by a staff meeting about the physical education topics Aaron would like to cover next year, and coordination is often featured, but rarely explored. We had so much fun stumbling through what we each know and have noticed in our practice, I hope you enjoy our journey too.
2023-12-1642 min
Finding the EdgeReflecting on the 2023 Sport Movement Skill Conference with Garrett Baker & AJ FerraraIn this episode, we share our thoughts on the 2023 Sport Movement Skill Conference hosted by Emergence. In our conversation, we explore the importance of discovering the ecosystem of Art and Science, where it lives and breaths within an Ecological Approach. We discuss the need for athletes to be adaptable and resourceful in dynamic sporting contexts. The conversation highlights the role coaches play in creating practice environments that foster exploration and
problem-solving. We discuss the value of facilitating space for athletes to explore in order to find their authentic functional fit within the context of their sport.
Talks we highly...
2023-12-131h 52The Deep EndTransparency is the best currencyIn this episode, I had the pleasure of meeting Ben Matthews, a futsal coach in New Zealand who reached out to thank me for being a guest on another podcast. Like most coaches I interview, he wasn't sure he had much to offer, but as you listen to the richness of our emerging correspondence, you'll come to realise that this is never true.
I loved Ben's openness and dedication to making sure sport loves you back.
2023-11-241h 04The Transforming Basketball PodcastEP8: How Do Basketball Players Develop Skill with Dr. Alex LascuIn this episode, Dr. Alex Lascu joins the Transforming Basketball podcast to discuss how research can help, rather than hinder, practitioners within the basketball world. Alex highlights the importance of coaches 'trying new things', as well as the challenges coaches face in applying an ecological approach.
This leads onto a conversation about Talent ID. Alex and Dr. Alex Lacsu discuss the need to reconceptualize what ‘talent’ really means. Alex then shares some of the key themes from her last paper focused on deterministic and probabilistic approaches to talent identification and development systems.
Want to take a dee...
2023-10-2035 minThe Deep EndTurning the Tables: Guest interviews HostThis is Part 2 with Ricky Pachon, where about halfway through our 2.5 hour chat, he turned the tables and started interviewing me!
This is a great episode filled with exploration, pondering how we make sense of the world and how our coaching philosophies and practices evolve.
2023-10-121h 02The Deep EndExtremes, potential and designing your roomRicky Pachon is an untapped energy source who is ready to change the game when it comes to Brazilian Jiujitsu. At Gracie Barra in Bondi (Sydney, AUS), they're doing things differently - and its working. One of my favourite lines from this episode: "they got to do something they didn't think was possible, and they've never had someone crazy enough to encourage them to try."
This is Part 1 of a 2 part series because we chatted for 2.5 hours!
Trigger warnings: vomit, light swearing, and some loud sections because we're very passionate people and got carried away.
2023-10-051h 24The Deep EndScience my way out of thisIn this episode, I meet hockey coach Helen Weston who was kind enough to reach out and send a message of support after hearing one of our earlier episodes. Despite adamantly suggesting that she didn't have much to say, this episode was an absolute joy to record (as you will no doubt hear in our voices!).
2023-07-221h 24The Deep EndSlice of the Season 1Coach Yleia has started their journey with an U11's hockey team and throughout the season, we'll be catching up to record how they're treading water in this new deep end 🏑
2023-07-0138 minThe Deep EndThere is no secret sauceIn this episode, I have the pleasure of meeting Neil Gray for the first time. Together, we explore his vast coaching and development experiences across sports, countries and continents. In his various roles, he has inspired change, innovation, and reflection at every turn. In particular, I loved the comment around "good game coach"//"but I didn't do anything!"
You'll find him on Twitter at @nrg51628
2023-06-181h 06The Deep EndCompetere - Strive TogetherIn this episode, I am joined by the legendary community coach Michael Duff. He is a stalwart around the northern suburbs of Brisbane and his curiosity and openness have inspired a love of sport in countless young athletes - including a recent guest of the Paper by Paper podcast, Darcey Johnson.
This episode is titled 'competere' after the latin root of the word 'competition': the meaning of strive together is often forgotten in youth sport, where competition is often driven (by others) as winning or losing. There are some heartwarming stories of players stopping the game to...
2023-05-191h 23
The Adaptable Athlete PodcastHow "Real" Does Training Need to Be? w/ Dr. Alex LascuSend us a textDr Alex Lascu is a skill acquisition amateur (lover of) and research assistant at the University of Canberra. She exists in the gap between research and practice in sport coaching, in the hopes of one day bringing these worlds together. Alex also has a background as a cricket coach, which we get into during the episode.I had heard of Alex before but really first came across her work after after reading her article “What Needs to Be Real?” Which dives into representative learning design and how it can...
2023-05-171h 13The Deep EndInto the EtherOur first episode features Liam Murphy, a football/soccer coach turned pracademic that I have had the pleasure of interacting with for the past year. Together, we explore his coaching journey in its becoming, and touch on how learning theories and frameworks has supported our development as coaches in the deep end.
Check out Liam's YouTube channel about tactical analysis in football here.
2023-05-051h 19The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics CoachingPart 2: What is a coaching philosophy and why do we need one? A conversation with Dr Alex Lascu, Dr Carl Woods, Craig Morris and David Farrokh.Themes covered in this episode include:How our personal philosophies can be constrained by external metrics such as what we judged on (medals for example).Staying open to being surprised by what others can do.Replacing expectations and 'supposed to' with attentive responsiveness.Challenging our assumptions.Finding spaces to have time and the environment to explore thinking.How we might find out what others think our philosophy is.A guide to ontology, epistemology, and philosophical perspectives for interdisciplinary researchers. This is an excellent short article to explore...
2023-04-2850 minThe River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics CoachingPart 1: What is a coaching philosophy and why do we need one? A conversation with Dr Alex Lascu, Dr Carl Woods, Craig Morris and David Farrokh.Themes covered in this episode include:What is a coaching philosophy and do we need one?Understanding experiences from others perspectives.Learning through corresponding/ interacting together.Best intentions, staying curious and humble.My fabulous guests bios and links to other content and resources are in part 2 due to word constraints.BibliographyThe meaning of some 'long words' used in the podcast. Despite the complexity of the words, these are important and useful concepts to think about regarding philosophy and guiding principles in coaching.
2023-04-2751 minThe Talent Equation PodcastIs kicking a ball against a wall of any value? A Twitter Spaces conversation on isolated practicePhillip O'Callaghan (@mrtenniscoach on Twitter) hosted another one of his Twitter Spaces discussions recently and I was asked to join with Marrianne Davies, Alex Lascu and Cal Jones to talk all about isolated practice. Here are the key takeaways...1. Skill and technique are distinct concepts; technique refers to a movement pattern, while skill is the application of technique in response to a problem presented by a sport, activity, or game.2. Isolated practice tasks can be effective in skill acquisition if they allow athletes to couple perception with action, but they must maintain relevant information...
2023-03-311h 34
The Coaches Network PodcastSkill Aquisition with Dr Alex LascuEpisode #216 of The Coaches Network Podcast.The guest for this episode is Dr Alex Lascu.Dr Alex Lascu is a skill acquisition specialist by trade and currently lectures at the University of Canberra. Her passion for talent development and community sport is contagious, with over a decade in coaching and a PhD in skill acquisition for women’s cricket. She enjoys existing in the gap between research and practice in the hopes of bringing these two worlds together. Alex joins Coach Yas to share her insights around Skill Acquisition, what it is & what coa...
2022-11-1149 min
Talking SplitDr Alex LascuFantastic guest podcaster this week! Dr Alex Lascu is a skill acquisition specialist by trade and currently lectures at the University of Canberra. Her passion for talent development and community sport is contagious, with over a decade in coaching and a PhD in skill acquisition for women’s cricket. She enjoys existing in the gap between research and practice in the hopes of bringing these two worlds together. Find Alex on Twitter at @skillacqlascu, via email at Alexandra.lascu@canberra.edu.au and her website at www.skillacqwhisperer.com Huge thanks to Alex for jumping into the podcast, where she pr...
2022-11-0459 minThe Talent Equation PodcastRepresentative Learning Design - a Twitter Spaces chat with Philip O'Callaghan, Alex Lascu, Marianne Davies, Cal Jones & Mark O'SullivanThis is a bit of a different episode, it is the recording from my 'Twitter Spaces' conversation organised by Philip O'Callaghan to explore 'Representative Learning Design'. The chat features a range of people who have all featured on the podcast in the past, Alex Lascu, Marianne Davies, Cal Jones and Mark O'Sullivan. It's an interesting conversation that wanders all over the map of Representative Learning Design and also gets into coach education (because Mark tries to get me into trouble by baiting me into saying something about it - and I can't resist!)I hope you...
2022-10-261h 29The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics CoachingWhat is representative learning design (RLD) and why is it important? A conversation with Dr Alex Lascu and Jane Randall.In this episode we delve into the concept of representative learning design, what it is and why it matters. As always, the conversation is unscripted and only has a topic as a start point for a genuine curious conversation. Alex, Jane and I pull on the representative practice thread and go on a few off-piste explorations too.Topics including in this conversation:- Understanding the relationship of the task and performer (of any level).- Who is making the decisions and what information is being attended to?- What is the rider...
2022-09-021h 03
The Sports Initiative PodcastDr Alex LascuDr Alex Lascu is a lecturer at the University of Canberra. A specialist in skill acquisition, she had been investigating how developmental pathways and environemntal factors can affect athlete development as well as skill acquisition itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2022-07-051h 07
Rugby Coach WeeklyRoundup Rodeo Ep69: Reviewing the best contentSend us a textHost Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week. This week's guests: Adam Gorman, senior lecturer in skill acquisition at Queensland University of Technology, Alex Lascu, lecturer in skill acquisition and performance psychology and PhD candidate at the University of Canberra and Rob Mason, coach developer with Port Adelaide AFL club and researcher in feedback and communication. This week’s contentEnskilment: an Ecological-Anthropological Worldview of Skill, Learning and Education in Sport – Woods, Rudd, Gray & Davids, (2021)Videos Rules...
2021-11-211h 30
Rugby Coach WeeklyRoundup Rodeo Ep32: Reviewing the best contentSend us a textHost Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week. This week's guests:Sandro Fiorino, Rugby Canada Women's head coach and 7s academy head coach, Jack Hanratty, Rugby Canada academy coach and Canada Women U20s head coach and Graeme Moffat, Director of Rugby for Rugby Alberta and Wolf PackThe team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the g...
2020-12-121h 07
The Magic AcademySeason 6 - Episode 21 Alex Lascu and Courtney Winfield-HillAlex and Courtney chat all things cricket, representative design, mental skills and sledging, 2 great old friends chatting with Rusty! A must listen for all sports...
2020-12-101h 04
The Perception & Action Podcast309 - Journal Club #20: Sport Practitioners as Sport Ecology DesignersI am joined by Damian Farrow, Alex Lascu, Derek Panchuk and Carl Woods to discuss the article: Sport Practitioners as Sport Ecology Designers: How Ecological Dynamics Has Progressively Changed Perceptions of Skill “Acquisition” in the Sporting Habitat. We discuss: the shift from coach as instructor to coach designer, the challenges of “hands-off” coaching, do coaches need to understanding skill acquisition theory, and the importance of having a consistent purpose across the different disciplines in coaching (via a Department of Methodology). Article: Sport Practitioners as Sport Ecology Designers More information: http...
2020-07-021h 16The Perception & Action Podcast309 - Journal Club #20: Sport Practitioners as Sport Ecology DesignersI am joined by Damian Farrow, Alex Lascu, Derek Panchuk and Carl Woods to discuss the article: Sport Practitioners as Sport Ecology Designers: How Ecological Dynamics Has Progressively Changed Perceptions of Skill "Acquisition" in the Sporting Habitat. We discuss: the shift from coach as instructor to coach designer, the challenges of "hands-off" coaching, do coaches need to understanding skill acquisition theory, and the importance of having a consistent purpose across the different disciplines in coaching (via a Department of Methodology). Article: Sport Practitioners as Sport Ecology Designers More information:...
2020-07-021h 16The Talent Equation Podcast"There is no way my brain is just a hard drive from a computer" - A conversation with Alex LascuAlex Lascu is a researcher and Cricket Coach from Australia. She has dual Bachelor's degrees (Exercise Science & Psychology) from the Queensland University of Technology and is now studying a PhD at the University of Canberra. Alex is passionate in the pursuit of research in sport, focusing on talent development of female cricketers. In this conversation we explore some of Alex's thoughts about coaching and athlete development in cricket as well as delving into some of the really interesting findings of her research. In this conversation we cover the following...- Alex's approach to assessing...
2019-07-171h 33