Sportsmith

Sportsmith X Top 5 - September 2025 Edition

We’re working with each month to deliver a GPS-style leaderboard of Sportsmith’s 5 most-read articles. The metrics that matter: your clicks, reads, and saves

It’s your monthly pulse check on the ideas, methods, and insights that are landing hardest with coaches, physios, and performance staff around the world.

See what’s making an impact ⬇️

1. Isometric hamstring testing in sport: Protocols, metrics, and practical application ||

2. No ankle sprain is just “a simple ankle sprain” || Fraser McKinney

3. Metabolic and mechanical perspectives on reconditioning ||

4. Taking a systematic approach to evaluating new tools and tech || 

5. The what and how behind mental health practices as an S&C practitioner ||

Go to our highlights for the link to each article. 
If you’re looking for performance data that works for you, make sure to check out

Today’s the day

500+ attendees from 35 countries.
16 world-class speakers.
One global community.

Welcome to the Sportsmith Strength & Power Conference.

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A sold-out start to the weekend

natera kicked off the Strength & Power Conference with a hands-on pre conference workshop on Run-Specific Isometric Training. Two hours of deep dives, data collection, and applied problem-solving

Attendees walked away with clear strategies to use isometrics across everything from return-to-play to fixture congestion. Practical, detailed, and immediately actionable.

A massive thank you to everyone who attended 🙌🏼

Comment “CAREER” for the link to the whole article.

Most S&C coaches would never train an athlete without a plan, yet many approach their own careers without one.

In this article, breaks down why so many coaches stall in their development: no structure, no goals, and no clear roadmap from education to elite performance.

Just as athletes need periodised programmes, coaches need professional ones with short, medium, and long-term goals. Success doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through intention, planning, and persistence.

Nick will also be speaking at the Sportsmith Strength & Power Conference, this weekend, on how to turn obstacles into opportunities and how the same mindset that drives athletes can shape more resilient, adaptable coaches. Tickets are selling fast, don’t miss out!

Drop “ISOS” in the comments, and we’ll send you the details!

Most coaches understand reps in reserve for traditional lifts.
Few apply the same logic to isometric training.

In this clip, .natera breaks down the concept of Repetition Duration Reserve (RDR): the amount of time the isometric action is performed as a percentage of the maximal duration before output drops.

By manipulating RDR, coaches can fine-tune set durations, manage fatigue, and target specific adaptations

From Alex Natera’s Isometric Strength Training Course.
Drop “ISOS” in the comments, and we’ll send you the details! Plus, we will throw in a free article from Alex: “All isometric training is not the same: differences in the ex*****on, prescription and use of pushing and holding isometrics”

Comment “FLOW” for the link to this article

“Play” isn’t a distraction from performance, and on-ground rolling and momentum drills bring it back into youth training.

Far from just “messing around,” these playful movements teach athletes how to control momentum, invert their centre of mass, and coordinate their bodies in space. 

Written by and , this article explores why rolling, tumbling, and playful movement patterns still deserve a place in modern athletic development.

Jack will also be presenting: “Rediscovering play: Unlocking creativity across the development journey” this weekend at the Sportsmith Strength and Power Conference. Comment “CHALLENGE” for more information

The countdown is on ⏳
The Sportsmith Strength & Power Conference lands in Manchester this weekend, and we’re almost at capacity.

Over 500 coaches and performance professionals from 35+ countries are flying in to connect, learn, and challenge common practice.

Join us for two days of world-class ideas, live practicals, and honest conversations about what really drives performance.

Comment CHALLENGE for more information

Sixteen speakers who refuse to accept “that’s how it’s always done”, including:
✅ .natera
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✅ Frans Bosch
✅ Dan Tobin
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✅ Eamonn Flanagan
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🚨Final tickets left - comment CHALLENGE and we’ll send you everything you need to join the global conversation happening this weekend.

“A topic 23 years in the making.”
Exclusively at the Sportsmith Strength & Power Conference.

natera , Manager of Performance Sciences at NSW Institute of Sport, brings over two decades of research and applied practice to the stage.

His presentation on Repeat Power Ability (RPA) will redefine how coaches understand repeatability and high-volume power training, a misunderstood yet essential quality in high-performance sport.

After years refining this concept in both science and practice, Alex will present it on a global stage for the first time.

Final tickets remaining.
Be in the room when it happens - October 11–12, Etihad Stadium, Manchester.

Comment CHALLENGE for more information.

We’re less than a week out from the Sportsmith Strength & Power Conference at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester and tickets are almost gone.

Joining the lineup is , First Team Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach at Newcastle United, with his session: The Obstacle is the Way. Nick will unpack how the world’s best coaches turn setbacks into growth, reframing injuries, performance dips, and daily challenges into opportunities for progress and resilience.

After 20+ years across elite football, rugby, and Olympic sport, Nick knows that adaptability is the real performance edge.

Don’t wait. Secure your spot today before registration closes. Comment “CHALLENGE” for more information

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Comment “REDS” for the link to this article

RED-S remains one of the most under-recognised challenges in sport. Its signs are often subtle, masked by language that celebrates hard work, “resilience”, or body composition, and its impact reaches far across sports.

In this Sportsmith Six, .maybury ( ), Pippa Woolven ( ), and Tansey Hensley bring a nuanced, practitioner-focused look at why RED-S continues to go unnoticed, how cultural and systemic factors sustain the problem, and what coaches can do to make meaningful change. From training load management and fueling education to the role of language and leadership, this piece reframes RED-S as an issue of performance systems, not just isolated individual behaviour.

For more information on RED-S, check out

Just 5 days out from the conference, and we’re excited to announce as a speaker at the Sportsmith Strength & Power Conference, Etihad Stadium, Manchester (11–12 October).

Currently Lead Physical Performance Coach at , Mat brings over a decade of experience across elite football and rugby, including roles at Southampton FC, Valenciennes FC, and Hartpury Rugby Club.

At the conference, Mat will present Neuro vs Muscular: Rapid Adaptations to Strength & Power in a Unique Training Environment. Using case studies, he’ll show how neuromuscular profiling, priming, and contrast training can drive targeted gains in jump and force production, highlighting how individualised strategies make a measurable impact on performance.

This is a chance to see how careful programming and collaborative support can unlock rapid adaptations in elite athletes.

Comment “ROI” for the link

What tool has given the best bang for your buck?

We asked six high-performance leaders what piece of equipment delivered the highest return on investment in their environment. From wellness questionnaires and force plates to NordBords, LPS, and the 1080 Sprint, their answers show what’s worth your budget and why.

Each expert shares why their choice mattered, whether it was uncovering asymmetries, guiding rehab, enhancing speed diagnostics, or simply creating conversations that drive better decision-making.

Full insights from , , , , and are now live in this Six of the Best. Supported by