Libsyn Directory

287 Is A Blame Culture In Team Sports Helpful For Performance?

Release Date: 07/18/2025

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...

289 How To Support Children To Enjoy A Positive Relationship With Sport

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In episode 289 of Demystifying Mental Toughness, the founder of Parents in Sport, Gordon MacLelland, shared his journey from having a promising sports career, to coaching and teaching to supporting parenting in sports. He emphasized the importance of understanding individual children's motivations when considering their sporting experience. Also highlighted were the challenges of balancing fun and competitive pressures. The conversation underscored the importance of self-awareness as a parent and being an intentional in the love and support that you offer your...

288 How To Overcome Intense Emotions From Football

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In a continuation of last week’s conversation, David Charlton and Duncan O'Brien discuss the impact of shame on athletes, particularly footballers. Self-esteem, the self-recognition of multiple-selves and self-compassion are also features of the conversation. They go on to discuss the impact of poor performances on an athletes’ mood. Solutions to shift perspective are discussed to aid the understanding of sport coaches and parents to support athletes effectively. They also touch on other strong emotions, such as anger and how to harness it. Key Learning...

287 Is A Blame Culture In Team Sports Helpful For Performance?

Demystifying Mental Toughness

David Charlton and Duncan O'Brien discuss the emotional challenges in football, focusing on blame, shame, guilt, and anger in this week’s episode of Demystifying Mental Toughness. Duncan, influenced by Brene Brown's work, emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and collaboration in coaching. He highlights the need for coaches to create supportive yet challenging environments, using tools like Clean Language to foster self-awareness and resilience. They explore how emotions like shame can manifest in players, affecting their performance and behaviour. The...

286 How To Understand Neurodiversity Better In Football Refereeing

Demystifying Mental Toughness

Today, the conversation delves into the experiences of a neurodiverse referee, referee educator and coach, Nathan Sherratt, the owner of The Third Team. We discuss the challenges faced in education, the workplace, and on the pitch, highlighting the importance of structure and accountability. David and Nathan also emphasise the need for understanding and support, particularly from clubs, organisations and governing bodies such as the FA, to better accommodate neurodivergent individuals in sports. Nathan goes on to share personal strategies for managing sensory...

285 Football Coaches: How To Help Neurodiverse Players Thrive

Demystifying Mental Toughness

In today’s episode David Charlton and his colleague Adam Batstone emphasised the importance of psychological support in football and sport coaching with children. They particularly acknowledged the need to foster rapport with parents to address their concerns about disclosing their child's challenges. David and Adam highlighted the need for adaptability in coaching methods, especially for neurodivergent children, who may require more personalised approaches. They discussed strategies like framing sessions, providing clear routines, and using non-confrontational...

284 What’s To Come This Summer – Contemporary Issues in Sport

Demystifying Mental Toughness

David Charlton introduces the next phase of the "Demystifying Mental Toughness" podcast, where episodes will address various contemporary issues, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly for underrepresented groups like BAME athletes and neurodivergent individuals. The podcast will also discuss the impact of social media and the problematic cultures of blaming and shaming in sports. David emphasizes the importance of recognizing individual differences and avoiding stereotyping, advocating for a more inclusive and supportive approach to enhance the everyone’s...

283 How To Help A Swimmer Who Is Online A Lot Checking His Rivals Out

Demystifying Mental Toughness

Today, the case study that David Charlton and his colleague Colm O’Donoghue discuss is connected to a 16-year-old swimmer who spends a lot of time online checking his rivals out, be that on social media or reviewing stats and results. The implication is that his motivation and focus when training fluctuates and negative emotions such as jealousy and anxiety are triggered. As well, potential challenges with his own self-esteem and how he feels about himself can be evident. David and Colm offer some ideas to shift his focus so that he is able to enhance his motivation...

More Episodes

Key Learning Points:

· Explore using clean language techniques in football coaching to help players develop self-awareness.

· Encourage players to ask questions of each other rather than giving direct orders or criticism during challenging situations.

· Educate coaches and players on the difference between shame and guilt, and how to address feelings of shame in a constructive way.

· Mistakes are common in football and pointing the fingers, blaming can lead to guilt, impacting players' confidence and bravery.

· Vulnerability is essential to encourage courageous behaviours and collaboration, however it is dependent on the relationship and trust developed between coaches and players.

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