Mike Robertson - Building a Non-Centralized MDT in High Performance Sport

Episode 166: In this episode of the Informed Performance Podcast Andy McDonald chats to Mike Robertson—one of the most sought-after coaches, consultants, and educators in the fitness industry. Known for his “no-nonsense” approach to coaching, Mike has worked with elite athletes across all major sports, with a special focus on basketball. As President of Robertson Training Systems and co-owner of the award-winning Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST), Mike has redefined how athletes train and coaches evolve.

✏️Topics Discussed
▪️ The Evolution of Coaching and Education in Modern Fitness
▪️ Understanding Non-Centralized Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT)
▪️ The Role of Geography in Shaping Athlete Training Strategies
▪️ How to Create a Unique and Impactful Training Experience

Key Points

• Mike Robertson's gym, iFAST, has undergone a significant transformation over its 16-year history. Initially operating with a traditional employee-based model and a rigorous internship program, the gym faced challenges with declining internship applications and increased recruitment of coaches by other organizations. To address these issues and refocus on his passion for coaching, Mike shifted to a model where coaches are independent contractors paying to use the space. 
•  The primary clientele at iFAST now consists of basketball players across various levels, from middle school to professional leagues such as the NBA and EuroLeague. This specialization has allowed Mike to tailor his approach specifically to the needs of basketball athletes, focusing on their unique physical demands and career trajectories. 
•  Working with overseas basketball players has presented unique challenges due to their grueling schedules. Unlike NBA players who typically have a four-month off-season, overseas players often have extremely limited training windows, sometimes as short as 6-7 weeks. This constraint has forced Mike to refine his assessment process and training cycles to maximize efficiency and effectiveness within these tight timeframes. 
•  The focus for overseas players extends beyond mere physical preparation to encompass career development. Mike emphasizes the business aspect of sports performance, aiming to help these athletes secure better contracts and maximize their earning potential during their limited career windows. This approach recognizes the sacrifices made by players competing far from home and the importance of financial stability in their careers. 
•  Mike's training philosophy has evolved to prioritize clear objectives for each training cycle, ensuring that athletes can maintain their health throughout the season while continually improving their performance. This approach is crucial given the limited off-season time available, especially for overseas players. 
•  The shift in iFAST's business model has allowed Mike to renew his focus on content creation and hands-on coaching. This change aligns with his passion for educating both athletes and other coaches, viewing education as a logical extension of coaching that can have a broader impact on the industry. 
•  Mike's experience spans a wide range of basketball levels, from developing young talent to fine-tuning professional athletes. This breadth of experience informs his coaching strategies, allowing him to apply lessons learned across different career phases and skill levels to benefit all his clients. 
•  The condensed training periods for many of Mike's clients have necessitated a streamlined assessment process. This adaptation ensures that even with limited time, athletes receive a comprehensive evaluation that informs their tailored training programs, maximizing the impact of their short off-season work. 
•  Mike emphasizes the importance of adaptability in coaching strategies, constantly adjusting his methods to meet the varying demands of players' schedules and career stages. This flexibility is crucial in professional sports, where athletes' needs can change rapidly based on their team situations, injury histories, and performance goals. 
•  The transition to a contractor-based model at iFAST has not only created a more sustainable business structure but has also allowed Mike to dedicate more time to his core clientele and content creation. This shift exemplifies how evolving business models in the strength and conditioning industry can support more focused, specialized coaching practices.

Where you can find Mike:

•⁠  ⁠Instagram

•⁠  Youtube

•⁠  LinkedIn

Sponsors

VALD: makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training.

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Teambuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.