The UGP Podcast

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Nick Winkleman takes us on a fascinating journey through the science and art of coaching communication, drawing from his nine years with Irish Rugby and his pioneering work at EXOS with NFL athletes. This conversation explores the profound impact that coaching language has on athletic performance and skill acquisition.

Nick reveals how his early recognition that "what we say to athletes matters" evolved into a passionate quest to understand the mechanisms behind effective coaching communication. He shares the pivotal moment when he realized there was a significant gap in coaching education—everyone focused on what to coach, but few examined how to coach.

The discussion delves into the powerful distinction between "assembly line coaching" (sequential internal cues) and "automation" (unified external focus). Through compelling examples and evidence from three decades of motor learning research, Nick demonstrates why external cues consistently outperform internal cues across virtually all sports and skill levels. As he eloquently puts it, "The perennial problem for coaches and athletes is: I know what to do, but I don't know how to do it."

Perhaps most illuminating is Nick's exploration of attentional capacity. Using the analogy of trying to hold too many oranges, he explains why overcoaching overwhelms athletes' limited attentional resources. The conversation examines how different sports backgrounds create "movement languages" that significantly impact learning rates in new sports—like how a Portuguese speaker learns Spanish more easily than someone with no Romance language background.

Whether you're a coach, athlete, or movement enthusiast, this episode will transform how you think about communication and learning. As Nick reminds us, "The best cues are like bananas—the words are just the peel, while the nutritional value is the physical feeling that remains after the words are forgotten." Subscribe now to access more insights from leading experts at the intersection of coaching science and application.

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