Welcome to the Global Performance Insights blog! To mark this first new article here, I wanted to share the journey up to this point, and explain what you can expect from the discussions here going forward.
The Sports Discovery Story
All of the articles prior to this one were originally posted on the Sports Discovery website. The Sports Discovery blog was founded by David Penny, Jonny Bloomfield, and myself (Jo Clubb), inspired by the work of the late Nick Broad.
Nick was a pioneer of sports science support in football, working for Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, and Paris St Germain, before we lost him in a road traffic accident in January 2013. Nick was a trailblazer, who had a lasting impact on so many of the staff and players he worked with, as highlighted in stories on Sports Discovery and beyond, such as his essay on nutrition for football, Carlo Ancelotti's tribute, and remembering a performance pioneer by Training Ground Guru.
The Sports Discovery blog explored sports performance thinking with research reviews, debates, and interviews posted from 2014 until 2020. Inspired by Nick and created by people who were brought together through his innovative work, the blog aimed to be a small part of the widespread legacy he has given to our industry.
While David (with Inchartis and PwC), JB (with the new and innovative Oopla app) and now myself (with Global Performance Insights) have each gone on to new projects, we are proud of the part Sports Discovery played in honouring Nick and spreading sports performance thoughts and ideas. Global Performance Insights is built upon the foundation of Sports Discovery, and upon the legacy of Nick Broad.
A New Chapter of Insights
2021 saw the launch of Global Performance Insights. As I set out on a new venture, this blog will continue to provide a platform to disseminate research, news, and ideas around high performance. It is also a place to bring other people’s thinking into the conversation through research, interviews, and guest posts. As such, it serves a function in growth and connection, which are two of my core values.
To get a taste of what you can expect, check out some of my most popular posts:
New posts coming soon include what naïve interventionism looks like in sport, the dark side of expertise, and what COVID-19 teaches us about injury.
In the meantime, if you have questions, comments, or ideas for the blog, I would love to hear from you. Comment on a particular blog, connect via social media, or contact us by filling in the form.