Best Constraints Collective Podcasts (2025)

1
#74 Ian Renshaw on the Cricketer Podcast 20:01

Play Pause

8h ago20:01

20:01

He's raised a Test opener, now Matt Renshaw's dad wants to help fellow coaches the world over. The Cricketer chat with Ian Renshaw, who has written a new book with Stephen Rollnick that aims to get coaches thinking differently about how they get the best out of their players. You can purchase your copy of the book via Amazon here: https://www.amazo…

1
"Memory is a verb, not a noun" - The Ecological Explorers Christmas Lecture feat Andrew Wilson 2:05:47

1d ago2:05:47

2:05:47

In this special 300th episode of the podcast my good friend Andrew Wilson from Leeds Beckett University delivers a ;Christmas Lecture for members of the Ecological Explorers Club and The Guild of Ecological Explorers. In the lecture he navigates a fascinating discussion about how ecological psychology reconceptualises memory. Rather than viewing me…

1
The Volley Pod @ The AVCA Convention 2025 with Samantha Erger, Leonard Armato, Tony Ker, and Jeff Grove 39:04

2d ago39:04

39:04

Tod and Davis are at the 2025 American Volleyball Coaches Convention in Kansas City, Missouri! Our hosts meet the head women's volleyball for Southern Methodist University Sam Erger and talk about a few cool ideas she used this season to win more points. Next, Davis and Tod talk volleyball with Leonard Armato, the former owner of the AVP. He discus…

1
Behavioral Thermodynamics Part 1: Beyond the 4th Law? 30:47

2h ago30:47

30:47

In this week's Frankly, Nate takes thermodynamics out of the physics classroom, utilizing its principles to explain the invisible forces behind growth, competition, and complexity in our world. Competing life systems build organization out of chaos in order to maximize power usage today, even if it potentially undermines survival tomorrow. Within o…

1
End of Year Reflections: Four Years of The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens 27:13

2h ago27:13

27:13

In this week's episode, Nate reflects on four years(!) of the podcast by answering listener-submitted questions, which cover a broad range of topics related to The Great Simplification. He invites subscribers to investigate how they navigate a complex and ever-changing world, while avoiding overly prescriptive solutions that brush aside personal ag…

1
Dog Walk Diary - How to help coaches avoid ‘picking the ripe bananas’ 24:33

7d ago24:33

24:33

In this Dog Walk Diary episode, I explore a powerful metaphor about bananas and talent selection to unpack why traditional coach education falls short, and argue that we need to think ecologically about the environments coaches operate within rather than just pumping them full of content. Three Key Takeaways: 1.The knowing-doing gap isn’t about lac…

1
Seasonal Leadership Experiments: Efficiency, Culture, and Connection 16:17

5h ago16:17

16:17

This episode dives into how leaders can use experimentation to navigate the intensity of the December season with more clarity, efficiency, and humanity. The conversation explores practical strategies for running purposeful meetings, setting clear expectations, and respecting time during a high-pressure month. You’ll also hear fresh perspectives on…

1
Sunk Cost and the Superorganism | Frankly 116 23:29

5d ago23:29

23:29

In this week's episode, Nate unpacks the pervasive behavioral pull of sunk cost as a force shaping our material reality, identities, and collective expectations about the future. Past investments – in careers, possessions, and cultural narratives – lock us into patterns of defending what might no longer actually serve us. This tendency becomes more…

1
Season Insights from Villanova University Head Coach Josh Steinbach 41:03

4d ago41:03

41:03

In this engaging conversation, the hosts discuss various aspects of volleyball coaching with Josh Steinbach, who reflects on his recent successful season at Villanova. The discussion covers highlights and lowlights of the season, coaching philosophies, innovative techniques, the use of technology in training, and the importance of player adaptabili…

1
Fighting for a Livable Future: Exploring Frontier Climate Interventions with Kelly Erhart 1:06:57

4d ago1:06:57

1:06:57

While current conversations about global heating tend to center around a few well-established pieces of science, we don't often hear about the scientists and leaders working at the frontier of what is still unknown about Earth's systems. This includes unpredictable tipping points and cascading effects of our rapidly changing climate, as well as the…

1
#73 Developing Your Coaching Craft 35:05

6d ago35:05

35:05

If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheCon…

1
Inflation, Deflation, & Simplification: The 8 Things That Influence Prices | Frankly 115 26:09

1h ago26:09

26:09

In this week's Frankly, Nate explores how the prices we encounter in our daily lives are influenced by not only how much money is in the system, but also by resource depletion, technology, affordability by 'the masses,' and trust within a complex global system. Prices are deeply intertwined with the biophysical reality that underpins our society, a…

1
10 Reasons To Use a Middle Front Setter 4-2 with No Block, When Your Team Passes Great in Practice But Not Games, and VolleyMovement with Daniel Maciel 37:48

18d ago37:48

37:48

The conversation emphasizes the importance of personal development in coaching, highlighting how an individual coach's improvement can lead to overall team enhancement. It discusses the ripple effect that occurs when a coach becomes better, positively impacting all team members. Anything you do along the lines of coaching improves your team. The fa…

1
"Leadership is a practice...not a position" - a conversation with Hayley Lever 1:21:29

20d ago1:21:29

1:21:29

In this episode, I sit down with Hayley Lever, Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Moving, to explore what authentic leadership really looks like when you're trying to create systemic change. Hayley has been one of the biggest influences on how I think about leadership, culture, and the power of creating environments where people can truly thrive…

1
If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: How Artificial Superintelligence Might Wipe Out Our Entire Species with Nate Soares 1:40:55

12d ago1:40:55

1:40:55

Technological development has always been a double-edged sword for humanity: the printing press increased the spread of misinformation, cars disrupted the fabric of our cities, and social media has made us increasingly polarized and lonely. But it has not been since the invention of the nuclear bomb that technology has presented such a severe exist…

1
#72 Mark O'Sullivan 1:14:03

19d ago1:14:03

1:14:03

If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheCon…

1
#71 Round Up 5 27:05

25d ago27:05

27:05

If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheCon…

1
What coaches can learn from locksmiths - a conversation with Scott Benbow 1:30:00

26d ago1:30:00

1:30:00

In this episode, I sit down with Scott Benbow, a Football Fun Factory franchise owner in West Cumbria who's on a mission to transform grassroots coaching through learning science. After an 11-year break from coaching and a deep dive into neuroscience and learning development, Scott returned to football with a radically different approach—one that p…

1
Tips To Teach Everyone How To Set, 10 Benefits To Attending a Coaching Clinic, and The Volleyball Journey 36:29

27d ago36:29

36:29

The conversation emphasizes the importance of personal development in coaching, highlighting how an individual coach's improvement can lead to overall team enhancement. It discusses the ripple effect that occurs when a coach becomes better, positively impacting all team members. Anything you do along the lines of coaching improves your team. The fa…

1
Reimagining Ourselves at the End of Our World: Kinship, Interconnection, and Spirituality in the Metacrisis with Samantha Sweetwater 1:33:51

29d ago1:33:51

1:33:51

Over the past decade, the world has become increasingly chaotic and uncertain – and so, too, has our cultural vision for the future. While the events we face now may feel unprecedented, they are rooted in much deeper patterns, which humanity has been playing out for millennia. If we take the time to understand past trends, we can also employ practi…

1
Clarity Precedes Accountability, Beating Teams That Are Bigger, Stronger, and Faster, and How Minds Change 33:01

1M ago33:01

33:01

In this conversation, Tod Mattox and Davis Ransom emphasize the importance of clarity in accountability, defining player roles, and understanding effort metrics. They explore strategies for adapting to physical opponents, developing diverse scoring methods, and maintaining ball control. The discussion also highlights the significance of tactical aw…

1
Directional Advice for the (More Than) Human Predicament | Frankly 114 40:17

19d ago40:17

40:17

Over the past decade, the world has become increasingly chaotic and uncertain – and so, too, has our cultural vision for the future. While the events we face now may feel unprecedented, they are rooted in much deeper patterns, which humanity has been playing out for millennia. If we take the time to understand past trends, we can also employ practi…

1
Dog Walk Diary: Fix the system…not the coaches 16:15

1M ago16:15

16:15

In this episode, I dive into a subject that's been weighing heavily on my mind, sparked by the writing of fellow ecological explorer, Steve Whelan and observations across the coaching landscape. I explore why coach education systems continue to default to instructional, directive models when we know that contextual, experiential learning can be far…

1
#70 New Website and Book 15:19

1M ago15:19

15:19

If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheCon…

1
Two Ways of Knowing: How Merging Science & Indigenous Wisdom Fuels New Discoveries with Rosa Vásquez Espinoza 1:22:05

1M ago1:22:05

1:22:05

For centuries, modern science has relied on the scientific method to better understand the world around us. While helpful in many contexts, the scientific method is also objective, controlled, and reductionist – often breaking down complex systems into smaller parts for analysis and isolating subjects to test hypotheses. In contrast, indigenous wis…

1
#69 Podcast Summary 5 - Eric Brymer 41:07

1M ago41:07

41:07

If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheConstra…

1
What Coaches Get Wrong About Armswing, Coaching for End of the Season Elimination Matches, and Volleyball Explained 31:41

1M ago31:41

31:41

In this episode, Tod and Davis discuss the upcoming virtual clinic for volleyball coaches, emphasizing the importance of arm swing as a fundamental skill in volleyball. They explore various coaching techniques to enhance hitting, the significance of preparing for end-of-season matches, and innovative practice strategies to keep players engaged. The…

1
#68 The Value of Opposed and Unopposed Practice 37:24

1M ago37:24

37:24

In this episode, we dive into one of coaching’s most persistent debates: Should athletes learn through unopposed drills or through messy, opponent-driven, game-like action? A new paper entitled "The value of opposed and unopposed practice: An ecological dynamics rationale for skill development" argues that if we want athletes to develop skills that…

1
11 Discoveries That Changed My Worldview | Frankly 113 37:41

1M ago37:41

37:41

In this episode, Nate weaves personal reflections into an exploration of the human predicament, unpacking a series of chronological insights that have reshaped his worldview. What began years ago as an investigation into oil has morphed into a deep lifelong journey into the complex web of energy, psychology, evolution, and systems that drive today'…

1
Will We Artificially Cool the Planet? The Science and Politics of Geoengineering with Ted Parson 1:21:43

1M ago1:21:43

1:21:43

Global heating continues, despite the increased use of renewable energy sources and international policies attempting otherwise. Even as emissions reduction efforts continue, our world faces more extreme weather, sea level rise, and human health impacts, all of which are projected to accelerate in the coming decades. This raises an important but co…

1
#67 Stuart Armstrong 1:31:08

2M ago1:31:08

1:31:08

Stuart Armstrong is a workforce development system builder, learning innovation architect, skill acquisition specialist, and ecological dynamicist, and host of the Talent Equation Podcast. Enjoy!By The Constraints Collective

1
10 Questions with Catalyst Volleyball Club Director Tobias Herrera IV (Part 2) 30:01

2M ago30:01

30:01

In this episode of The Volley Pod, Tod and Davis are joined by Tobias Herrera, the Director of Catalyst Volleyball Club in Houston Texas. He joins the pod to discuss key questions that coaches want to know! This week the trio discuss how to incorporate music in practice, how to handle missed practices without compromising the team results, the diff…

1
Hacking Human Attachment: The Loneliness Crisis, Cognitive Atrophy and other Personal Dangers of AI | RR 20 1:53:14

2M ago1:53:14

1:53:14

Mainstream conversations about artificial intelligence tend to center around the technology's economic and large-scale impacts. Yet it's at the individual level where we're seeing AI's most potent effects, and they may not be what you think. Even in the limited time that AI chatbots have been publicly available (like Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, et…