Brandon Stone, PhD

Mgr Performance Science - Colorado Rockies. Prev. OU FB/BsB, Blue Jays, USOC & Army Special Operations. PhD - Cellular & Behavioral Neurobiology @ OU

[Ian Rapoport @RapSheet]

“I’d love to get into it.”

Allow Kirk Cousins to take you to school

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

Coaching youth sports this fall has tested me in a variety of ways. “Be curious, not judgemental” has hit differently these past few weeks.

Skill and learning aren’t just about doing — they’re about seeing, copying, adjusting, and staying curious.

https://t.co/2gwLLp2PY6

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

We talk about the elite, but the biggest impact may live in youth sport. That’s why I jumped back into youth coaching this off-season — and I just might live to tell about it.

This is my journey. ⚾🧠⚽

https://t.co/2vb6pPgLVp

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of skill and learning.

As I’ve become frustrated by the “do this, not that” and “this is the one way” noise around skill development, I’ve been reminded how complex and contextual it really is in the messiness of sport.

[Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja]

McCade Brown's 3Ks in the 5th.

10Ks thru 5.

[Jon Root @JonnyRoot_]

“When I get called home to heaven one day, if all they talk about is this gold jacket, then I failed miserably as a father, a husband, & a friend. You two, [my daughters], are my legacy… Always put Christ first.”
- NFL Hall of Fame Inductee Jared Allen

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

Understanding implies that we know the underpinnings - that comprised, form the aggregate output. Prescription then means we’re able to deconstruct those into individual elements, weigh them accordingly, and reconstruct an “optimal” version. That’s a deep well of implication.

[Ryan McGee @ESPNMcGee]

Filed to ESPN: The Road to Omaha. Here, on the 75th anniversary of the College World Series in Omaha, the story how the MCWS became a town's pride and joy.
https://t.co/UPjNxbsDcK #MCWS

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

We’d call this absurd if we were talking about handwriting — but isn’t this exactly what happens in sports?

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

Imagine a child learning to write their name. At first, it’s messy. Maybe the letters are out of order, the spacing is uneven, or misspelled. But over time, with practice & guidance, it gets better. More legible. More confident. The letters land on line, in sequence, in rhythm

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

Over time, the child stops trying to learn and starts trying to comply. They stop exploring their own way and start guessing what version will earn approval. They may still get it “right,” but, if they do - At what cost? Creativity? Confidence? Ownership?

[Emilio Martinez @E_Mart97]

This isn't a strict rule for how everyone's center of mass should operate, but rather a starting point for understanding how we control movement down the mound.

[Sports Spectrum @Sports_Spectrum]

Right before the national anthem for every OKC Thunder game, a faith leader gives an invocation for the whole arena to hear.

"It not only honors God and acknowledges His authority, but also gives the rest of the league a glimpse into who we are."
https://t.co/plT5QbNV2j

[FoundMyFitness Clips @fmfclips]

Sauna benefits are dose-dependent

The more frequent the sauna use, the more robust the effect

For example, people who sauna 4–7 times a week have a 40% lower all-cause mortality compared to those who only sauna once weekly

But if you drop down to 2–3 sessions per week, the benefit shrinks to 24%

For the strongest cardiovascular and cognitive benefits, research recommends at least four 20-minute sessions weekly at 174°F

[John Ashley, PhD @PhD_JohnAshley]

Our new article @japplphysiol shows arterial stiffness as we age is associated with lower diastolic velocity of the ICA in particular. This contributes to the lower CBF observed with age.
Thanks to all the co-authors for helping push this paper through. https://t.co/DQcDLKs07S

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

Practice, then, isn’t just about repeating motor patterns—it’s about refining how patterns are selected and adapted under pressure. Control isn’t’ the absence of error, It’s the ability to adjust and revise. Skill is not about eliminating variation—it’s about harnessing it.

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

We often evaluate skill through a flawed binary:
Good is seen as bad + (e.g. they’re not doing X)
Bad is seen as good - (e.g. see how they’re doing Y)

This reduction implies skill is either the removal of flaws or the absence of errors. It assumes:

[Brandon Stone, PhD @BrandonLStone]

But skill isn’t static - It’s the ability to act intentionally, strategically, and responsively within complex, dynamic environments. To develop skill is to teach athletes how to organize their actions around a goal, grounded in both perception and intention.