What really separates good performance from elite performance, and how much happens beyond the physical? In this episode, John Dams sits with Tarek Michael-Chouja and Jay Hedley to explore the human side of high performance. Drawing on his journey through Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, the Waratahs, and global performance strategy, John shares how failure, mental skills, data, AI, culture, self-awareness, and shared understanding shape elite performance. You’ll learn why data only becomes powerful when people know how to use it, how AI is changing sport, and why curiosity, discomfort, adaptability, and joy matter. Listen now and get ready to rethink what it really takes to perform at your best.

If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a review on this listening platform!

Our favourite quotable moments:

“By failing, that's kind of how you get to understand these different areas of what you do.” - John Dams

“The best teams are the teams that have a shared understanding of where they're going.” - John Dams

“Be okay to be uncomfortable, that's everything.” - John Dams

Resources:

Kitman Labs Website: https://www.kitmanlabs.com/

The Game Changer Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2beKBNPaezzi3KeTu1l2Bv?si=6e069c3f596440ad

- Get 15% off our Mental Skills Training course. Simply go to Functional Training Institute and input 'PDM15' at the cart checkout: https://functionaltraininginstitute.com/mental-skills-training-for-coaches/
- Check out our best selling book Purpose Driven Movement by host Tarek Michael-Chouja and Dan Henderson: https://amzn.to/499x6nO
- Join Our Mailing List: https://sa319.infusionsoft.app/app/form/vowsignup

About Our Guest: John Dams is a high-performance coach and performance strategist with extensive experience across elite rugby and global sport. His career includes roles with Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, and the Waratahs, before moving into performance strategy and data with Kitman Labs. John brings a holistic approach to performance, combining physical preparation, mental skills, data, technology, and human connection to help athletes and teams perform at their best.

Podcast production by Jamie Brooke.

We sometimes include links to products and services we find interesting. These may or may not be affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This podcast is sponsored by ZIVA. Discover more at www.ziva.com.