Dr. Garrison Draper’s story spans from small-town Wisconsin to the highest levels of professional soccer. A collegiate athlete turned sports scientist, he’s worked with MLS giants including Seattle Sounders, Inter Miami, and now FC Cincinnati, helping shape performance cultures around world-class players — even icons like Lionel Messi.

Today, Garrison serves as Vice President of Sport Performance and Health and holds a PhD in Sports Science, blending data, culture, and human connection to redefine athlete care. He’s also the co-founder of the PSPA — the Professional Soccer Performance Association — building a global network of practitioners who are advancing the profession from the inside out.

In this conversation, we dive into three key insights:

1. Redefining Sports Science — why it’s more than load management and how communication, storytelling, and empathy make it work.
2. Lessons from Superstars and Miami — how elite performance demands cultural understanding, not just data.
3. The Future of Athlete Care — from player data ownership to mental health and the next evolution of sports science in MLS.

This conversation is a masterclass in what modern performance really means — blending technology, human behavior, and genuine care for the athlete.

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Dr. Matt Midkiff’s path to sports physical therapy didn’t follow a straight line.

He was a college soccer player at Westmont, a youth coach who built one of Arizona’s top club programs, and today he’s a leading sports PT who helps young athletes stay healthy and competitive.

In this episode of Finding Small Wins, we dive deep into the youth soccer ecosystem — where passion meets pressure.

You’ll learn three key lessons from Matt’s experience:

First, why collaboration between parents, coaches, and providers is the missing link in youth athlete development.

Second, how the pay-to-play model and overloaded schedules are quietly creating injury epidemics.

And third, the practical fixes — from communication templates to smarter training periods — that can keep kids performing without breaking down.

Whether you’re a coach, a parent, or a clinician, this conversation is a reminder that the next generation’s success depends not on more games — but on better guidance.

Sign up for the FREE 3P Injury Prevention Toolkit at www.AdamLoiacono.com

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For FREE Webinars, rehab tips, and performance plans, check out Adam's YouTube channel

Need a trusted supplement to improve your health and performance? Go to out Momentus.com for 35% off your first subscription!

Steve Tashjian’s career began on the treatment table — as a physical therapist helping athletes rebuild, recover, and return stronger. That foundation in human performance carried him into the pressure cooker of professional sport, where he spent years with the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer, before stepping onto an even bigger stage as High-Performance Director for Everton FC in the Premier League and later with the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Now, through his leadership and performance consultancy, The Elevation Project, Steve applies those same lessons from the field to the boardroom — working with organizations like Stanley, Lego, and others to redefine what high performance looks like under pressure.

In this conversation, Steve reveals how elite leaders and teams endure when the stakes rise.

• We explore how pressure isn’t the enemy but a signal for alignment
• Why systems and processes become your anchor in uncertainty
• How the best leaders stay people-first — even when the environment isn’t.

From the locker room to the corporate stage, Steve Tashjian shows that true high performance isn’t about escaping chaos — it’s about learning to thrive within it.

Want to come hang with Adam and Steve? Join us this December 11-13 in Atlanta, GA for the Pro Soccer Performance Association (PSPA) annual event! https://www.pspa-performance.com/conference

Sign up for the FREE 3P Injury Prevention Toolkit at www.AdamLoiacono.com

Follow Adam on Instagram for the latest insights on injury prevention and performance @Adam.Loiacono

For FREE Webinars, rehab tips, and performance plans, check out Adam's YouTube channel

Need a trusted supplement to improve your health and performance? Go to out Momentus.com for 35% off your first subscription!

Dr. Pat Davidson is a rare mix of scientist and athlete. He earned his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology, taught at Springfield College, and has coached athletes from MMA to the NFL.

He’s competed in strongman, bodybuilding, and still trains like a scientist testing his own data.
Pat’s ability to translate complex biomechanics into practical systems has made him one of the most respected minds in modern strength and conditioning.

In this episode, we explore three key ideas that will reshape how you train:
First, why torque, not load, determines true mechanical tension and growth.
Second, how training muscles in lengthened positions doubles the stimulus for hypertrophy.
And third, how volume, stability, and exercise selection form the framework for smart, sustainable progress.

Get ready to rethink the way you build muscle, prevent injury, and understand the physics of strength.

Sign up for the FREE 3P Injury Prevention Toolkit at www.AdamLoiacono.com

Follow Adam on Instagram for the latest insights on injury prevention and performance @Adam.Loiacono

For FREE Webinars, rehab tips, and performance plans, check out Adam's YouTube channel

Need a trusted supplement to improve your health and performance? Go to out Momentus.com for 35% off your first subscription!

Today I am joined by Dr. Cassidy Papa, Performance Physical Therapist for the Charlotte Hornets. A former Stanford water-polo athlete, Cassidy earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy from USC, completed a sports residency, and later a Division I fellowship at Wake Forest—all experiences that shaped her expertise in elite performance rehab.

She’s part of a new wave of NBA clinicians blending data, biomechanics, and teamwork to redefine how athletes recover and perform.Cassidy shares her path from water polo to the NBA sidelines, lessons in collaboration, and how technology and trust shape athlete care.

Together, we explore what it means to build longevity, adapt under pressure, and find small wins inside the world of the NBA.

Sign up for the FREE 3P Injury Prevention Toolkit at www.AdamLoiacono.com

Follow Adam on Instagram for the latest insights on injury prevention and performance @Adam.Loiacono

For FREE Webinars, rehab tips, and performance plans, check out Adam's YouTube channel

Need a trusted supplement to improve your health and performance? Go to out Momentus.com for 35% off your first subscription!

Today’s guest is Jarred Boyd, a clinician-turned performance therapist whose path has taken him from outpatient physical therapy clinics all the way into the trenches of the NBA. Over seven seasons—and countless hours in training rooms and practice courts—he’s refined a nuanced lens on how we think about rehab, performance, and injury risk.

Jarred doesn’t accept the blanket slogan “rehab = training.” Instead, he suggests rehab is about managing risk and restoring lost capacity, while training is about pushing boundaries to build new capacity. That seemingly small distinction changes the way we make decisions—what we’re willing to challenge, what we’re cautious about, and when we lean in or hold back.

In this episode, we’ll unpack:

• Why variability (metabolic, mechanical) is critical for both performance and longevity
• How Jarred’s “pluralism, essentialism, adaptive intent” framework guides program design
• The real cost of binary thinking—how we lose chance for innovation when we oversimplify
• And practical takeaways you can use, whether you coach, rehab, or train athletes of any level

Sign up for the FREE 3P Injury Prevention Toolkit at www.AdamLoiacono.com

Follow Adam on Instagram for the latest insights on injury prevention and performance: @Adam.Loiacono

For FREE Webinars, rehab tips, and performance plans, check out Adam's YouTube channel

Need a trusted supplement to improve your health and performance? Go to out Momentus.com for 35% off your first subscription!

Sign up for the FREE 3P Injury Prevention Toolkit at www.AdamLoiacono.com

Follow Adam on Instagram for the latest insights on injury prevention and performance @Adam.Loiacono

For FREE Webinars, rehab tips, and performance plans, check out Adam's YouTube channel

Need a trusted supplement to improve your health and performance? Go to out Momentus.com for 35% off your first subscription!

Start your journey to better performance and rehab insights by visiting www.AdamLoiacono.com and follow along on Instagram at @adam.loiacono for more behind-the-scenes education from sports and human performance.

In this episode, Adam sits down with Dr. Jennifer Reiner-Marcello, a sports chiropractor with over 20 years of experience in professional baseball, collegiate athletics, and private performance rehab. Together, they dive deep into one of the most misunderstood topics in movement science—posture—and challenge the outdated notions of “good vs. bad” movement.

You’ll learn why posture is simply the body’s response to load, sport, and environment, and how performance professionals must stop forcing perfect alignment and start appreciating adaptive capacity. Dr. Marcello breaks down the concept of narrow vs. wide archetypes, explains how training affects rotational athletes differently, and offers real-world case studies from her work with MLB pitchers.

They discuss manual therapy, positional assessment, and movement retraining—tying them together across the rehab-performance continuum. You’ll hear candid takes on DNS, PRI, FMS, and SFMA and learn how Dr. Marcello integrates these models into her individualized programming strategies.

Why posture isn’t “good” or “bad”—and why it just is

How Jen's journey from UCSD to MLB shaped her holistic philosophy

The critical difference between narrow and wide archetypes in programming

How posture and movement are adaptations to sport—not dysfunctions

When and how to intervene on movement patterns in elite athletes

The blending of manual therapy, exercise, and performance work across the continuum

Jen’s take on DNS, PRI, SFMA, and FMS—and how she integrates their best parts

Why pitchers are uniquely sensitive to small mechanical changes

Case study: how changing training strategy helped a 6’9” MLB pitcher regain velocity

Advice for clinicians and athletes on building their own movement awareness

This episode is a must-listen for anyone working in sports rehab, physical therapy, or performance training.

🎧 Listen now, and for more exclusive insights and upcoming episodes, visit the podcast hub at: adamloiacono.com/category/podcast

Sign up for the FREE 3P Injury Prevention Toolkit at www.AdamLoiacono.com

Follow Adam on Instagram for the latest insights on injury prevention and performance @Adam.Loiacono

For FREE Webinars, rehab tips, and performance plans, check out Adam's YouTube channel

Need a trusted supplement to improve your health and performance? Go to out Momentus.com for 35% off your first subscription!

Visit www.AdamLoiacono.com and follow Adam on Instagram at @adam.loiacono for more tools, education, and behind-the-scenes insights into sports rehab, performance, and recovery.

In this episode of Finding Small Wins, Adam Loiacono sits down with Anthony Kjenstad, founder of Firefly Recovery, to explore the science and simplicity neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in sports recovery and post-op recovery.

From his start in orthopedic devices to landing a successful pitch on Shark Tank, Anthony shares the journey of Firefly—from medical necessity to high-performance essential. The two unpack the physiology behind NMES and its head-to-head comparisons with pneumatic compression boots. Whether it’s reducing swelling overnight, enhancing fluid movement on long flights, or even accelerating recovery post-pitch for MLB and NFL athletes, this conversation covers it all.

Adam and Anthony also discuss how understanding the principles of circulation and muscle activation unlock countless uses—from managing stiffness post-surgery to supporting sleep recovery.

For exclusive podcast notes, head to adamloiacono.com/category/podcast

Sign up for the FREE 3P Injury Prevention Toolkit at www.AdamLoiacono.com

Follow Adam on Instagram for the latest insights on injury prevention and performance @Adam.Loiacono

For FREE Webinars, rehab tips, and performance plans, check out Adam's YouTube channel

Need a trusted supplement to improve your health and performance? Go to out Momentus.com for 35% off your first subscription!