In this episode, Justin Ochoa talks with Matt Tometz (a.k.a. Coach Big Toe), a former speed coach turned marketing strategist for 1080 Motion. They discuss Matt’s career transition from coaching at Northwestern to his behind-the-scenes marketing role with 1080, where he manages content, strategy, and global coordination.
Matt shares deep insights on load velocity profiling (LVP)—explaining the importance of athletes “peaking out” to get valid performance data, how to assess R² values for data accuracy, and the practical decisions involved when results don’t match expectations. He emphasizes tailoring protocols to the athlete’s experience level and maintaining consistency in data collection.
The conversation also covers the evolving role of sports technology. Matt underscores that while tools like the 1080 Sprint offer powerful data, effective coaching still hinges on intuition, experience, and observation. He differentiates between being “data-driven” vs. “data-informed”, advocating for coaches to use data as a guide rather than a rulebook.
For coaches with limited resources, Matt recommends cost-effective tools like resistance bands for speed work, and explains how to implement velocity decrement training using simple tools like a stopwatch and Excel.
Rapid Fire Epsiode #13: Full Video
Rapid Fire Excerpt #1: Matt Tometz on resisted sprints
Rapid Fire Excerpt #2: Matt Tometz on the difference between “data driven” and “data informed”
