293 How Cricket Coaches Build Mental Toughness: High Challenge, High Support with Stuart Barnes
Release Date: 10/03/2025
312 Dr John Perry: How Sport Coaches Influence Mental Toughness
Demystifying Mental Toughness
To end a recent series on the coach-athlete relationship, in this bonus episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David Charlton is joined by Dr John Perry, Head of Department of PE and Sports Sciences at the University of Limerick, researcher, former coach and performance analyst, to explore how coaches can better support athletes through the lens of mental toughness. The conversation explores why coaches have such a powerful influence on athletes’ habits and environments, how agency and behavioural standards can strengthen control, and why confidence should come from within...
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311 Learning Orientation: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently
Demystifying Mental Toughness
In this episode David concludes the eight-part series exploring the coach–athlete relationship by focusing on a powerful concept within the Challenge pillar of the 4Cs model of Mental Toughness, learning orientation. Learning orientation reflects how willing athletes and coaches are to reflect on mistakes, setbacks and difficult experiences in order to improve. Without this mindset, progress in sport can stall and with it, challenges become powerful opportunities for development. David explores a common dynamic where a coach has a high learning orientation but the athlete struggles...
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310 Risk Orientation: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently
Demystifying Mental Toughness
Description Today, David Charlton explores another dynamic within the coach–athlete relationship: differences in risk orientation (a sub-measure of Mental Toughness). He discusses a common scenario in sport, a coach who prefers structure, routine and predictability working alongside an athlete who thrives on experimentation, creativity and challenge. While structured environments can provide stability and clarity, athletes high in risk orientation often crave variety, stimulation and opportunities to explore different solutions. When these two approaches collide, tension...
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309 Interpersonal Confidence: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently
Demystifying Mental Toughness
In this episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David Charlton explores an often overlooked aspect of confidence in sport, interpersonal confidence. He discussed a common dynamic seen in sporting environments: a coach with very high interpersonal confidence working alongside an athlete who struggles to speak up. Highly confident coaches often communicate clearly and persuasively. They lead conversations, provide direction and bring strong conviction to their coaching. Yet when this confidence dominates the interaction, quieter athletes can become increasingly passive,...
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308 Confidence In Ability: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently
Demystifying Mental Toughness
Today, David Charlton explores a powerful but often misunderstood dynamic in sport: the highly confident coach working with an athlete who lacks confidence in their ability. At first glance, this combination might appear positive. A confident leader should inspire belief and clarity. However, when the balance isn't right, the relationship can unintentionally increase anxiety, self‑doubt and disengagement for the athlete. Drawing on Albert Bandura’s concept of self‑efficacy and Sophia Jowett’s 3+1 Cs coach–athlete relationship model (closeness, commitment, complementarity and...
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307 Achievement Orientation: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently
Demystifying Mental Toughness
In part 4 of this mini-series, David Charlton explores a challenging but common sport dynamic: the high achievement-oriented athlete working with a low achievement-oriented coach. The athlete is organised, early, diligent, and constantly looking for ways to improvetechnical work, gym work, extras, metrics, and a “leave no stone unturned” mindset. But the coach may appear distracted, rushed, inconsistent, late, or disorganised and may find structured goal-setting and CPD stressful. When those worlds don’t align, athletes can feel unsupported, unwanted, and even inadequate,...
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306 Goal Orientation: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently
Demystifying Mental Toughness
In this episode (part 3) of Demystifying Mental Toughness, David Charlton continues his solo series exploring the 4Cs of Mental Toughness through the coach–athlete relationship lens. The focus this week is Commitment, specifically Goal Orientation, and a common challenge in sport: the mismatch between a highly goal-oriented coach and an athlete who feels overwhelmed, anxious or uncomfortable when targets are discussed. While goal-driven coaches bring structure, clarity and high standards, some athletes experience goals as pressure rather than motivation. Fear of judgement, developing...
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305 Emotional Control: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently
Demystifying Mental Toughness
In this episode of Demystifying Mental Toughness, David Charlton continues in part two of his solo series exploring the 4Cs of Mental Toughness through the coach–athlete relationship lens. The focus this week is Emotional Control and a common but misunderstood dynamic in sport: the emotionally reactive coach and the calm, composed athlete. While passion and intensity are often seen as leadership qualities, strong emotional reactions, sarcasm or outcome-focused language can unintentionally create a fear-based environment. When athletes feel judged or humiliated, the brain’s threat...
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304 Life Control: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently
Demystifying Mental Toughness
In this episode of Demystifying Mental Toughness, David begins a new eight-part solo series exploring how mental toughness shapes the coach–athlete relationship in sport. Today’s focus is Life Control — a part of mental toughness that influences whether people feel able to shape what happens to them, or whether life simply “happens” to them. David explores one of the most common and frustrating mismatches in sport: the high life-control coach and the low life-control athlete. High-life control coaches are driven, organised and solution-focused. They believe effort changes...
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303 Why You Think the Way You Do Under Pressure
Demystifying Mental Toughness
In part 2, David Charlton is again joined by Doug Strycharczyk from AQR International to explore how mental toughness shapes the way we make decisions especially when information is incomplete and pressure is high. Doug explains that confidence is not just about believing in your skills, but also about having the interpersonal confidence to work with others, challenge ideas, and avoid the trap of groupthink. In teams and organisations, those with higher interpersonal confidence are more likely to think divergently, question assumptions, and protect ethical decision-making rather than simply...
info_outlineIn 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 coaches and athletes alike can do to stay grounded, resilient, and ready to perform.
>> If you’re a cricket coach, player, or parent, you’ll take away practical ideas for building mental toughness, staying adaptable, and managing the pressures of high-performance sport.
For more on this topic, check out these resources:
- Sports Psychology for Cricket Players
- Podcast Ep 115 - Jeremy Snape: Mental Strength to Succeed: Learning Lessons from International Cricket
· Blog Mental Preparation for Bowlers in Cricket
>> Key Takeaways
- The brutal reality of elite schedules – how constant travel and games affect both players and coaches.
- High challenge, high support coaching – why asking deeper questions and showing empathy helps athletes grow.
- Process over outcome – why elite performers focus on their routines, not just results.
- Self-awareness as a competitive edge – how slowing things down and resetting builds resilience.
- Fear of success – why some players avoid growth to escape heightened expectations.
- The power of anchors – small rituals that help athletes enter their performance state under pressure.
- Lessons from failure – why comfort is the enemy of growth, and failure can be the gateway to long-term success.
Connect with Stuart Barnes
· Website
Connect with David Charlton
· Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub