It was a typical day at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The Aquatics Center was busy with USA Swimming National Team members and aspiring Olympians engaged in an altitude training camp. Coach Bob Bowman, one of America’s most successful coaches, was leading the session. In the water were some of the sport’s most decorated Olympians, including Michael Phelps. I was on the pool deck, working as a High-Performance Consultant for USA Swimming.

That day, Coach Bowman mentioned that something wasn't quite right with Michael's freestyle. So, I grabbed my equipment and took a closer look. I could see that Michael was breathing a little late on his stroke. This was affecting his biomechanics, causing a drop in efficiency and speed. I explained to them what I saw, showed a few video clips, and provided some examples of what his breathing technique would ideally look like. Both coach and athlete were grateful for the information.

This was a significantly different experience from my first visit a few years earlier, when I was simply an unfamiliar face on the pool deck.

Had I offered the very same technical advice in those first few days on their pool deck, it’s likely that I would not have been invited back. Despite my years of experience, educational background, and the endorsement of USA Swimming’s National Team Director, at that time, I was an unknown quantity.

That first visit to Baltimore was in the fall of 2008, shortly after Michael had won eight gold medals at a single Olympic Games. Coach Bowman was an assistant on the staff and had established himself as one of the best coaches in the world. But despite my credentials and endorsements, I knew better than to waltz onto their pool deck and offer any advice. Working with elite coaches and athletes is a privilege and requires more than a credential. Michael had achieved unparalleled success and had earned the right to pick and choose whose expert advice he would listen to.

I had the qualifications, but I had no connection or relationship with Coach Bowman or Michael. USA Swimming had hired a capable and accredited professional and had provided me with all the technical resources necessary for success. But what it could not give me was the trust of the coaches and athletes. That would have to be earned.

The distinction between presence and being present

Successfully embedding a practitioner requires thorough vetting and a careful evaluation of fit. While this guarantees a presence, it does not guarantee success. It is incumbent upon the embedded professional to appreciate their role in the embedded environment and turn their presence into being present.

What does it mean to be present? It means you are learning from your environment. You are engaged. You are listening more than talking. You are asking questions more than giving answers. You’re being available and aware. Your opportunity to make a connection may be a simple question answered, or a complex topic explained.

Fortunately for me, Michael’s strength and conditioning Coach, Keenan Robinson, and I had crossed paths in the past and we struck up a conversation on my very first visit. His professionalism and interest in what I could offer led to more engagement with the program, including Coach Bowman and Michael. I was able to learn about the training, the environment, and the needs of the program. I could ask the right questions and be available when most needed. Over time I was able to share my knowledge and become a trusted resource.

The importance of establishing relationships and earning trust seems like common sense, but it’s also backed up by research in the world of human performance. A review of research on strength and conditioning coaches found that technical expertise was only part of what mattered. The most effective coaches created supportive environments, built relationships, and understood the whole person rather than just the athlete.

Those findings put academic language around what I learned walking onto pool decks across the world: being a credentialed expert matters, but expertise flows best through trusted relationships.

My first connection with Michael, for example, had nothing to do with swimming. It was a conversation about football, when he — a Ravens fan — overheard that I was a Steelers fan. But a seemingly inconsequential discussion about Hines Ward opened a very important door.

Better answers begin with better conversations

A great environment and positive relationships are invaluable; however, results are ultimately how success will be measured. A recent review found that Special Operations units with embedded human performance support reported better physical performance, fewer self-reported injuries, and higher training-completion rates. ²

Data is central to any discussion about expertise, physical training, and results. In the high-performance realm, terabytes of data are collected every day. Expert credibility often hinges on data-driven observations. Our data must be accurate and advanced, but data itself has no characteristics. It is information waiting to be interpreted. As scientists and human performance specialists, we must have confidence that the data has been collected objectively and according to rigorous standards. We put our professional credibility on the line with every interpretation.

That doesn’t mean data interpretation is unambiguous. Experts are likely to see their area of expertise reflected differently even when provided with the same data. Disagreements may arise among experts and that’s okay if it leads to discussion and learning. Some of my most valuable learning took place as the results of athlete blood panels were discussed — and their insights argued — between physicians and exercise biochemists. The uniting force was the common goal to reach the most accurate interpretation for the athlete.

To overcome that ambiguity, human performance experts need to work as a connected team. Coaches and athletes must trust that the final version of data interpretation comes from a support team that has their best interests at heart, rather than from professionals operating independently of one another. Sourcing a team of embedded elite experts is an important first step. But their ability to build relationships and communicate with each other is critical to providing the best interpretation of data to the operator.

Sometimes, even though the data may appear to provide simple answers, the truth lies a few layers down. When you are working toward being a trusted embedded practitioner, the opportunity to establish a connection will arise. It may be a question requiring you to look beyond a number in a chart.

Consider, for example, a common question we get about difficulty sleeping. When asked, a practitioner could expel forth everything they have learned about sleep hygiene, proving their superior knowledge. Or they could ask questions. Is it every night, or after specific training protocols? Do you drink caffeinated drinks after 4:00 in the afternoon? What does your sleep setup look like at home?

After a few questions, you might learn there is a non-work-related stressful situation at home that is making sleep more difficult. Eventually, you may learn you are not the right expert to help solve this problem. But you can help them find that resource. An expert armed with an inherent curiosity and the desire to solve their problem is what the professional operators need, not the know-it-all waiting to lecture.

Earning the next conversation

Human performance practitioners spend years of their careers becoming educated, getting credentialed, and gaining experience. Your work may be published, and you may have been invited to speak in professional settings. But given the opportunity to work with elite professionals, whether they’re Olympians, professional athletes, or Special Operations Forces, it is important to realize you are never the most important person in the room.

You can, though, be a valuable resource for the most important people in the room. Making this transition requires the ability to communicate what you know. If you cannot do that, the expertise stays trapped within you. You must be curious and not waiting to pounce on every question as an opportunity to unload your encyclopedic knowledge. Instead, ask questions and get to the root of the problem. Remember, you are there to solve their problems, not to bring a box of solutions looking for a problem to solve.

My experience with Coach Bowman and Michael Phelps was a pivotal point in my professional evolution: how to go from an embedded resource to a trusted resource. I had the opportunity to work with both, and many other Olympians and National Team coaches, over the course of three Olympic cycles. The goal with every opportunity was to earn the next conversation.

Every embedded practitioner faces the same challenge. Your organization can provide you with credentials, technology, access, and data, but you are responsible for what happens next. You can be assigned to a team. You cannot be assigned its trust. That part you have to earn every day.

¹Gillham A, Doscher M, Krumpos JA, Martin D, Schofield G. Strength and Conditioning Coaches' Application of the Coach-Athlete Relationship. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34127611/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

²Acevedo AM, Zeigler Z. Human Performance Optimization in Special Operations Forces: Structure, Outcomes, and Readiness Implications. Military Medicine. Published online July 2, 2026. doi:10.1093/milmed/usag303. https://academic.oup.com/milmed/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/milmed/usag303/8723740