Libsyn Directory

272 Sport Coaches: 15 Tips To Help You Become A Better Coach

Release Date: 01/10/2025

299 Emotional Flexibility & Versatility: Inside the Minds of Professional Footballers on Loan

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In this episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, host David Charlton is joined by former professional footballer and coach, and current Assistant Loans Manager at Newcastle United, Peter Ramage, who pulls back the curtain on what it’s really like for young players when they go out on loan. We talk about the often-unseen side of the loan pathway: adapting to new environments, dealing with being away from family, handling uncertainty and change, and the social-media comparison trap that many players fall into. Peter provides real world insight from his time at clubs like...

298 Run Your Race: The Power of Consistency, Faith, and Mental Strength

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In the second part of our conversation David Charlton speaks with endurance athlete, coach, and world record holder Pierce Showe, who completed 153 consecutive half marathons to raise awareness about health and nutrition. Together, they explore what it really means to run your race in sport, business, and life. Pierce shares his philosophy of focusing on your own journey, avoiding the comparison trap, and finding strength through faith and purpose. He also talks about how goal setting and discipline form the foundation for consistent growth and long-term success, lessons that resonate...

297 How Endurance Challenges Build Mental Toughness – Lessons from Pierce Showe

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In this powerful episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David sits down with endurance athlete, coach, and world record holder, Pierce Showe. From a lacrosse player to completing gruelling 200-mile ultra marathons, Pierce shares his journey of developing resilience, faith, and belief through extreme endurance. Pierce opens up about how early life challenges shaped his hunger for growth, the defining moment that unlocked his belief system, and why mental toughness isn’t something you’re born with and it’s built through hardship, practice, and reflection. He and...

296 How to Take Control of Your Emotions: Building Your Personal Playbook for Confidence and Calm

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In the second part of our conversation, David Charlton talks with anxiety and fear coach Matt Young about why emotional control and emotional mastery is the key to lasting confidence and calmness under pressure. Matt challenges the common idea that we can only manage our emotions. Instead, he explains how emotions like anxiety, fear, or procrastination are learned traits that serve a purpose. By understanding why they appear, athletes and coaches can start to take ownership and use their emotions intentionally rather than reactively. Drawing parallels between sport and everyday...

295 Taking Control Of Your Emotions: Lessons from Ex-Footballer and Anxiety Coach Matt Young

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In this episode of Demystifying Mental Toughness, David Charlton speaks with Matt Young, an anxiety and fear coach and former professional footballer, about how emotional control can help athletes and coaches achieve lasting freedom and confidence, on and off the pitch. Matt shares how his playing career at Southampton and other clubs exposed deep insecurities and a constant need to control outcomes including; selection, performance, and judgment from others. That same drive for control, he explains, often leads athletes into anxiety, superstition, and burnout. True freedom, he argues, comes...

294 The 3-Second Reset: How Stuart Barnes Helps Cricketers Perform Under Pressure

Demystifying Mental Toughness

High performance in cricket and sport in general is about far more than technical ability. In this episode of The Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, I’m joined by Stuart Barnes, Bowling Coach at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, for the second part of our conversation. Together we explore the unique pressures cricketers face and how coaches and psychologists can work hand in hand to support player growth, confidence, and resilience. The Player at the Centre Stuart highlights the importance of a joined-up approach between coaches, psychologists, and teammates, with the athlete...

293 How Cricket Coaches Build Mental Toughness: High Challenge, High Support with Stuart Barnes

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In this episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, I’m joined by Stuart Barnes, Bowling Coach at Warwickshire County Cricket Club. With over 27 years of coaching experience, Stuart shares fascinating insights into the demands of elite cricket, the brutal nature of today’s schedules, and the importance of balancing challenge with support. We dive into how coaches can help players thrive under pressure, the role of self-awareness and process, and why some athletes fear success. Stuart also discusses the fine line between surviving and thriving in professional sport—and what...

292 Breaking Barriers in Sport: Culture and Inclusion in India & the Middle East

Demystifying Mental Toughness

Today’s episode is the second part of my discussion with Gayatri Bhushan, co-founder of Mind Matter Performance. We go onto continue to explore the importance of being curious and open to learn about the experiences of others in sport. Gayatri goes onto share further insights from India and the Middle East, where cultural, social, and gender barriers can put limits on opportunities for different athletes, participants and coaches. Key Learning Points: · The discussion highlighted the significant impact of Premier League Football...

291 From India to the Premier League: Sport Psychology, Belonging & Barriers in Global Sport

Demystifying Mental Toughness

Join us for an inspiring episode as we welcome Gayatri Bhushan, HCPC-registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, who shares her deeply personal journey into the world of sports psychology. Born in India and now based in New Delhi, Gayatri reflects on her early years as a national-level 400-metre athlete and the pivotal challenges she faced, from performance pressures to the lack of mental health support. Her story of searching for guidance—often in vain—sparked a passion for ensuring no athlete is left without support, especially young girls navigating the complex intersection of sport and...

290 Stop Focusing On Results: Developing Life Skills Through Sport

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In the second part of a dialog with Parents in Sport founder, Gordon MacLelland, the conversation goes onto discuss the importance of resilience and normalising failure in sports when communicating with children. Such discussions between parents, coaches and children can help kids develop positive coping mechanisms. David and Gordon also touched on the potential risks of early specialisation in sports at a young age, such as burnout, overuse injuries and the potential to drop out from the sport altogether. The benefits of diversifying sports participation and the...

More Episodes

Today’s podcast episode #272, focuses on helping coaches develop themselves and improve their relationships with their athletes, in turn, positively influencing performances. Many different guests from the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast emphasize the following points when considering self-improvement: sport coaches should be open-minded, focus on continuous learning and film themselves frequently. In developing their athletes: the importance of high support in coaching, understanding athletes have lives outside of sport, adapting their communication to athletes different learning styles and process-oriented coaching are also touched on, as well as a lot more.

Key Learning Points:

· Develop a psychosocial plan for your athletes/players and consider how to deliver it in a language they can understand and engage with.

· As a coach, start where you are, considering your skills and personality and look to make the environment better.

· When coaching focus on developing all aspects, including the psychological, biomechanical, technical and tactical, to help athletes fall in love with their role.

· When coaching film yourself regularly and review the footage to understand how you are interacting with athletes/players.

· Focus on the process, not just the outcome, and help athletes stay committed to the process, especially under pressure.

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Relevant Podcast Episodes To You Help You Become A Better Sport Coach as Relayed in Episode 272

Ep249: Dr Edward Hall – Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports

Ep209: Felix Lehmann – How To Create Better Decision Makers On The Football Pitch

Ep166: Mark Bennett MBE – How To Help Athletes and Coaches Reflect On Their Performances

Ep165: Andy Elleray – How To Master the Mental Challenges Goalkeeping Throws at You

EP147: Aaron Walsh – The Application of Mental Performance Coaching in Elite Professional Rugby

Ep105: Hannah Bromley – Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women’s Football