Rapid Fire—Episode #16 Featuring George Green: Holistic Athlete Management

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Episode Summary

In this episode of Rapid Fire, Host Justin Ochoa connects with George Greene — Director of High Performance at UMass Football — for a deep dive into holistic athlete management at the college level. George shares how he’s building trust with a brand-new roster, how data helps shape practice and training, and why being a good human is performance coaching. You’ll hear about:

Managing staff, sport coaches, and athletes through one connected vision.
Using force plates, NordBord, and Catapult data to drive decisions.
Creating buy-in with college athletes.
Supporting young coaches and interns with confidence and opportunity.
Turning the dining hall into a secret weapon for performance.

A powerful episode for any coach looking to lead people, not just programs.

Key Quotes

On player buy-in:
“If they don’t believe in you, they’ll never believe in the program.”
On sports science tools:
“The data is only as good as what you’re willing to act on.”
On managing teams:
“We’re not strength staff vs. sport coach — we’re one team, chasing one goal.”
On young coaches:
“Give them the floor. Give them reps. Then step back and watch them grow.”
On culture change:
“You don’t flip a culture overnight — you cook it slow and stay consistent.”

Time-Stamps

00:00–03:00 — Intro and George’s background
03:00–06:30 — Managing staff and building alignment between departments
06:30–11:00 — Using Hawkin Dynamics, NordBord, and Catapult for better decisions
11:00–17:30 — Creating buy-in with new athletes and building trust first
17:30–23:30 — George’s holistic performance model: sleep, food, training, recovery
23:30–28:00 — Teaching young coaches how to lead with confidence and context
28:00–32:00 — Training culture at UMass and building long-term adaptations
32:00–35:00 — UMass Dining: an underappreciated performance edge
35:00–End — Final thoughts, leadership advice, and where to connect with George