I'm delighted to speak with Katja Rewitz in this week's episode. Katja is a second year PhD student at the Dynamics of Human Performance Regulation Laboratory at the University of Hamburg. Her research focuses on human sensations and their influence on decision-making and performance behaviour.

In this episode, we discuss a fascinating paper led by Katja which examines the explore-exploit framework related to decision making in sport and exercise.

The explore-exploit framework has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of decision-making across fields such as cognitive science, behavioural economics, and clinical psychology. The authors propose that the explore-exploit framework could provide valuable insights into decision-making processes in sports and exercise where decisions naturally occur in dynamic, uncertain environments with fluctuating rewards and inherent costs.

I speak with Dr Simon Quick in this week's episode. Simon is a lecturer in Sport Coaching at the University of Essex, specialising in sport pedagogy, coaching ethics, and holistic athlete development. Simon previously taught Physical Education in high schools holding leadership roles including Head of Physical Education, Athletic Director, and Deputy Headteacher.

Simon is an active researcher and collaborator, with recent publications in leading journals such as the International Sport Coaching Journal, Quest, International Journal of Sport Science and Coaching, and Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.

Simon completed his PhD at Leeds Beckett University. His current research focuses on the tensions between athlete performance and welfare in high-performance sport.

I'm delighted to speak with Dave Webb in this week's episode. Dave is a leading manager and coach who has been at the forefront of elite international and club football for more than two decades.

Dave has held various sporting director, coaching, and recruitment roles at the highest levels of the game both in the UK and abroad. He is currently the Georgia National Team Assistant Manager where he helped Georgia make history with qualification to a first-ever tournament as well as reaching the knock-out stages at the European Championships in 2024.

Dave holds a master's degree in sport psychology. He also has a UEFA A Licence and is currently working towards his UEFA Pro Licence.