Finding Small Wins

How Sports Science is Redefining Recovery, Training, and Longevity for Athletes ft. Dr. Garrison Draper PhD

Episode Summary

Dr. Garrison Draper, Vice President of Sport Performance & Health for FC Cincinnati and co-founder of the PSPA, joins Adam to explore how sports science is redefining recovery, training, and athlete longevity. Together, they unpack lessons from Messi, MLS, and the evolving world of sports technology, data, and human performance.

Episode Notes

Dr. Garrison Draper’s story spans from small-town Wisconsin to the highest levels of professional soccer. A collegiate athlete turned sports scientist, he’s worked with MLS giants including Seattle Sounders, Inter Miami, and now FC Cincinnati, helping shape performance cultures around world-class players — even icons like Lionel Messi.

Today, Garrison serves as Vice President of Sport Performance and Health and holds a PhD in Sports Science, blending data, culture, and human connection to redefine athlete care. He’s also the co-founder of the PSPA — the Professional Soccer Performance Association — building a global network of practitioners who are advancing the profession from the inside out.

In this conversation, we dive into three key insights:

1. Redefining Sports Science — why it’s more than load management and how communication, storytelling, and empathy make it work.
2. Lessons from Superstars and Miami — how elite performance demands cultural understanding, not just data.
3. The Future of Athlete Care — from player data ownership to mental health and the next evolution of sports science in MLS.

This conversation is a masterclass in what modern performance really means — blending technology, human behavior, and genuine care for the athlete.