The “hybrid” S&C coach: Physical preparation, rehabilitation and data management with Jermaine McCubbine

On this week's Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob is speaking to First Team Strength and Conditioning Coach at PSV Eindhoven, Jermaine McCubbine. Jermaine has worked at PSV for a number of years, progressing from an academy position into a role within the first team.

Jermaine's journey and the work he is doing at PSV as an English practitioner is why we wanted to get him on the podcast. He is actually started out as a sports therapist which led this conversation nicely into something Jermaine has spoken about before which is the "hybrid" S&C coach. Being an S&C coach is becoming so much more than coaching athletes in the gym or weightroom. Data analysis and rehabilitation are just two areas that S&C coaches now need to confident in so we chat to Jermaine about how he has gone about upskilling in these two areas.

In the first half of the conversation, he also describes how he works with the coaching staff to create conditioning drills that not only tick the physical development box, but also encorporate technical aspects too. And its not just all about small sided games!

Given Jermaine's background as a therapist, we also dive into the rehabilitation of football's most common injury, the hamstring. He takes us through a rehab with a hypothetical athlete, detailing his benchmarks, his exercise prescription and how things we change based on the reaction of the injury along the journey.

If you're interested in working overseas and want a route to get there, or want to hear want one of Europe's biggest do with their players, check out this episode.

Main talking points:

• Getting a job and working overseas
• The modern day "hybrid" S&C coach
• Preparing for an increased influence/expectation on RTP
• Preparing for an increased demand on data analysis skills
• Conditioning and reconditioning players at the highest level - Is it all about SSG's?
• Top-ups - how do you keep non-starters conditioned and fresh?
• Returning a player from a hamstring injury