Episode 184: In this episode of the Athletic Shoulder Podcast, powered by Inform Performance and hosted by Ben Ashworth, we’re joined by Hon. Professor Ian Horsley, a renowned Chartered Physiotherapist and Athlete Health Lead at the UK Sports Institute. With over 25 years of experience in elite sport, Ian has worked with England Rugby, Rugby League, professional football clubs, and was part of Team GB’s HQ physiotherapy team at four Olympic and two Commonwealth Games.

Ian is internationally recognized for his expertise in shoulder dysfunction, upper limb rehabilitation, and dysfunctional breathing. He also serves as Clinical Director at Back in Action Rehabilitation and holds an honorary professorship at the University of Salford, where he contributes to the MSc in Sports Rehabilitation program.

• The importance of respiratory health in movement and rehab

• Assessing thoracic shape and breathing patterns to support shoulder function

• How cranial nerves and eye movements influence pain and range of motion

• Using the brain’s activation to enhance rehabilitation exercises

• Case studies from elite sport showcasing holistic assessment techniques

• The 'not the shoulder' approach to shoulder treatment

• The role of proprioception in athlete performance and recovery

• Innovative methods like sensory input and non-threatening assessments

• Gaps in current functional and overhead testing for athletes

• The value of collaborative research in advancing shoulder rehab

Tune in for a masterclass in shoulder performance and rehabilitation, combining neuroscience, biomechanics, and decades of elite sport experience.

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Where you can find Ian:

• LinkedIn
• ResearchGate
• X/Twitter
• Back in Action (Rehabilitation) Physiotherapy in Wakefield

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Sponsors

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

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Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

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Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Alistair McKenzie
• Dylan Carmody
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight

Episode 183: In this episode of the Sports Science Insights Podcast, powered by Inform Performance and hosted by Steve Barrett, we’re joined by Mitch Cholewinski, Coordinator of Football Sports Science at the University of Nebraska. Now in his second season with the Cornhuskers, Mitch plays a key role in collaborating with strength & conditioning, athletic medicine, and coaching staff to monitor workload and enhance athlete performance.

Before Nebraska, Mitch served as Associate Director of Applied Sports Science at the University of Texas, where he helped shape data-driven performance systems for the Longhorns' football program.

• What sports science looks like in college football

• The importance of recovery strategies in a demanding football environment

• Blood flow restriction training (BFR) – how it’s used and why it matters

Tune in for a unique behind-the-scenes look at how sports science is integrated into elite college football programs to maximize athlete performance and recovery.

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Where you can find Mitch:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Google Scholar

•⁠ X

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Sponsors

VALD: makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training.

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Teambuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.

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Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

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Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Alistair McKenzie
• Dylan Carmody
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight

Episode 182: In this episode of the Sport Performance Leadership Podcast host Pete McKnight speaks to Luke Passman, a seasoned performance leader with experience across rugby, tennis, baseball, and football at the elite level. Luke is currently the Head of Performance Sciences – Academy at Chelsea FC, where he oversees S&C, sport science, and nutrition.

Luke’s career spans top roles including Strength & Conditioning Coordinator for the New York Mets, where he oversaw player development systems in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, and Head of Sport Science Support at SotoTennis Academy, leading multidisciplinary teams. He’s also a private performance consultant on the WTA Tour, working with players at Grand Slam and WTA 250/500 events.

• Career journey – From coaching in Spain to leadership at the Mets and Chelsea FC

• Transition to leadership – Moving from S&C delivery to managing multidisciplinary teams

• Leadership at the Mets – Navigating decentralised systems and empowering staff

• Strategic performance impact – Leading initiatives like performance scouting for the MLB Draft

• Learning to lead – Mentorship, reflection, and executive leadership training at Oxford

• Navigating change – Managing staff and culture through leadership turnover

• Core leadership principles – Authenticity, clarity, autonomy, and honest feedback

• Cultural adaptability – Leading across Spain, the U.S., and the UK

• Future of performance leadership – Data-driven systems, generational shifts, and staff development

• Advice for aspiring leaders – Be self-aware, seek support, work hard, and own your growth

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Where you can find Luke:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Instagram

•⁠ X

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Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Remaker: The Portable Strength Tracking Ecosystem. Remaker provides real-time insights to optimise your performance, making even the smallest improvements in your strength training visible in an engaging and powerful format. Remakers integrate seamlessly with the exercise equipment you already use, and the app provides meaningful metrics for every rep, of every set, of every exercise.

VALD: makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training.

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Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

-

Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Alistair McKenzie
• Dylan Carmody
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight