JD S&C

⚾️ Morning Primer = Afternoon Power 💥

What if a short, high-intensity session in the morning could boost your game hours later? This concept—known as priming—suggests that a brief explosive workout in the morning can lead to enhanced afternoon performance in power, speed, and readiness on the field.

Using low-volume, high-intensity movements like rotational throws, heavy power cleans, and split squats, athletes can activate their neuromuscular system without creating fatigue. The goal isn’t a full workout—it’s a strategic micro-dose of power training that “primes” the body.

Research insights show promising results: 75% of players improved ball exit velocity, along with reporting higher motivation and game readiness. The potential mechanism? Improved testosterone-to-cortisol balance and enhanced nervous system activation.

For coaches and athletes, the takeaway is simple:
Train smart in the morning → Perform better in the afternoon.

⚾️💪

Inside a school rugby program 🏉📚
Developing athletes. Building leaders.
Lessons on the field that last a lifetime.

Recovery basics every teen/athlete should know 💪🧠

Training hard is only half the work — progress actually happens during recovery.

If you want to feel stronger, move better, and avoid burnout, focus on the basics:
• Sleep like it matters (because it does)
• Eat enough to fuel growth and performance
• Hydrate before, during, and after training
• Take rest days seriously — they’re not lazy
• Stretch, breathe, and listen to your body
• Create a recovery plan

You don’t get better by doing more — you get better by recovering smarter.

My strength training philosophy has been shaped across professional rugby, school sport, tertiary and secondary education plus high performance s&c environments in both Australia and New Zealand 🇳🇿

My coaching philosophy has been shaped by every level of the game. From professional rugby pathways and representative sport, to tertiary and secondary education, and the everyday reality of school and club rugby. Each environment has reinforced the same belief: great coaching is about developing people first, and players second. Performance matters — but sustainable success is built through connection, clarity, and environments where athletes can grow on and off the field.

Lessons from coaching rugby 🏉
S&C edition 🦍

After coaching and playing across Nz and Aus - from schoolboy teams to elite environments - you pick up a few truths that never change. These are the lessons I keep coming back to, no matter the level.