> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://adamringler.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # An Instagram Live Conversation with Adam Ringler - URL: https://adamringler.com/an-instagram-live-conversation-with-adam-ringler/ - Published: 2022-01-05T15:53:59.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-13T20:37:08.000Z - Description: Jay and I get the great opportunity to catch-up about how we can maximize some of the time and opportunities in our COVID down time. - Author: Adam Ringler - Tags: Blog, Career Development, Athlete Monitoring [Central Virginia Sport Performance The Podcast](https://soundcloud.com/user-328578099?ref=adamringler.com "Central Virginia Sport Performance The Podcast") · [My Movie Podcast 238- An Instagram Live Conversation with Adam Ringler](https://soundcloud.com/user-328578099/my-movie-podcast-238-an-instagram-live-conversation-with-adam-ringler?ref=adamringler.com "My Movie Podcast 238- An Instagram Live Conversation with Adam Ringler") > “We better be prepared too, at the least, bridge the gap between where the athletes are and where the coaches want them to be.” Jay and I get the great opportunity to catch-up about how we can maximize some of the time and opportunities in our COVID down time. We discuss the role of: continuing education, connecting with coaches and athletes, and the unique challenges that we were both having “working from home” and how these will impact us going forward. I voluntarily run down the rabbit hole of return to play, which is a project I've been working on, and what impact that has on my view on how we will need to be involved in “return to sport” in multiple levels for our athletes. I later dive into where facts and opinions both fit into the discussions we are about to have with our athletes and coaches, and how important it is to work the objective and subjective together to make the best decisions. ## Key Takeaways From The Conversation This conversation happened during the COVID shutdown, when every coach on earth suddenly had time and no athletes to spend it on. The specifics were about 2020, but the principles are permanent. Here is how I think about each topic Jay and I covered. ### 1\. Use Downtime To Sharpen The Axe When the world stops, the coaches who keep learning separate from the coaches who wait. Downtime is not time off. It is the rare window where you can study, build systems, and think deeply without the daily grind pulling at you. Read the research. Call a mentor. Build the return-to-play framework you never had time to write. The coaches who used 2020 well came back sharper. The ones who waited came back rusty. That lesson applies to every off-season, every break, every quiet week. Never waste a window. ### 2\. Return To Play Is A Process, Not A Date Coming back from extended time away, whether it is a pandemic, an injury, or an off-season, is not about picking a date on the calendar. It is about rebuilding capacity in the right order: movement quality first, then tissue tolerance, then intensity, then chaos. Athletes will always want to skip steps. Your job is to hold the line with logic and empathy. Be rigorous about the progression. Be human about the frustration. That is the trust triangle at work: authenticity about where they are, empathy for how badly they want to be back, and logic in the plan that gets them there. ### 3\. Work The Objective And The Subjective Together The best decisions I have ever made came from blending what the numbers said with what my eyes told me. Force plate data plus a conversation. GPS numbers plus knowing the athlete just went through a breakup. Neither side works alone. Data without context is just trivia. Instinct without evidence is just guessing. The coaches who thrive are the ones fluent in both languages, and humble enough to let each one check the other. ### 4\. Separate Facts From Opinions When you sit down with athletes and coaches, be ruthless about labeling which is which. "Your countermovement jump is down twelve percent" is a fact. "I think you look tired" is an opinion. Both are useful. Confusing them is dangerous. Lead with facts, then offer your interpretation clearly marked as yours. That honesty builds trust, because athletes can feel the difference between evidence and agenda. If you fake certainty, they will recognize it and hold it against you. ### 5\. Bridge The Gap That quote at the top is the whole job. The athletes are where they are. The coaches want them somewhere else. Your value lives in the bridge between those two points. Some days the bridge is a training program. Some days it is a hard conversation. Some days it is simply being present, being where your feet are, and giving a damn. Build bridges every day and the program takes care of itself. #### How Should Coaches Use Unexpected Downtime? Treat it as a rare window to study, build systems, and think deeply without the daily grind. Read the research, call a mentor, and build the frameworks you never had time to write. Coaches who use quiet windows well come back sharper. #### What Is The Right Way To Handle Return To Play? Rebuild capacity in the right order: movement quality first, then tissue tolerance, then intensity, then chaos. Be rigorous about the progression and human about the frustration. Athletes will want to skip steps; your job is to hold the line with logic and empathy. #### How Do You Balance Data With Coaching Instinct? Blend what the numbers say with what your eyes tell you. Data without context is trivia, and instinct without evidence is guessing. Be ruthless about labeling facts versus opinions when you talk to athletes and coaches. [More Conversations](https://adamringler.com/podcast/)