The Sport Psych Show
Join Sport Psychologist, Dan Abrahams, on The Sport Psych Show as he aims to demystify sport psychology for players, coaches and parents by speaking with some of the most influential people in sports performance today. Dan is on a mission to learn more about how sport psychology philosophies, tools and techniques positively impact participation, progression and performance in sport. He wants to learn more about how to drive participation – what motivational tools engage players and inspire people to play and stay in their sport. He wants to explore how players can progress quicker and more effectively – what is great practice and training? And how does learning in sport really happen? Finally, he wants to hear what his guests have to say about the psychology of performance – how do they think players can improve their ability to high perform consistently under pressure? Discover simple and practical tools and techniques by listening in to Dan’s conversations with elite competitors, sports coaches, sport scientists, and psychologists.
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#315 Dr Alex Auerbach - The Pursuit of Excellence
03/03/2025
#315 Dr Alex Auerbach - The Pursuit of Excellence
I’m delighted to speak to Dr Alex Auerbach in this week’s episode. Alex is a performance psychologist working with the best athletes in the world in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and Olympians, as well as high-performers in other domains like elite military units, Fortune 5 companies, and venture-backed start-ups. Alex was formerly Director of Wellness and Development for the Toronto Raptors, where he was responsible for all things mental health, mental performance and off-court development for players and staff. Alex has worked with NCAA Division-I schools in the Pac-12, ACC, Big 12, and Conference USA, where his work has included serving as the performance consultant for a Conference USA bowl-winning football team, ACC championship team, and student-athletes who continued in professional sport and/or the Olympic games. He earned his doctoral degree in counselling psychology with a specialisation in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of North Texas. Alex and I discuss his brilliant new book “Called to Greatness: Your Personal Playbook for the Pursuit of Excellence”.
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#314 Dr Matthew Andrew - Developmental Activities that Underpin Expert Performance
02/17/2025
#314 Dr Matthew Andrew - Developmental Activities that Underpin Expert Performance
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Matthew Andrew this week. Matthew is a senior lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University. He previously lectured at Liverpool John Moores University in Expert Performance and Learning. Matthew is interested in skill acquisition and talent identification and development. In this episode Matthew and I discuss a study he led which examined talent development in female soccer. The study examined developmental activities engaged in by professional female soccer players in England.
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#313 Dr Hillary Cauthen - Supporting Players Through Trauma
02/03/2025
#313 Dr Hillary Cauthen - Supporting Players Through Trauma
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Hillary Cauthen this week. Hillary is a clinical sport psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) with over 17 years experience working within the field of sport and performance psychology. She is an active member in her local community and professional associations, such as Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and American Psychological Association - Division 47 (Society for Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology). Hillary is the Founder and Director of Texas Optimal Performance & Psychological Services (TOPPS) - working with individuals, families, teams, and groups to improve mental health, as well as athletic, social, academic, and professional performance. Hillary formerly served as the Director of Organizational Wellness & Performance for Austin FC and was the performance psychologist for the San Antonio Spurs, where she developed their mental performance and wellness programs. Hillary has developed private businesses that bring mental wellness curriculum to school districts across the nation, as well as an analytics company that helps predict the behavioural risk factors in players for teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and Premier League. Her work in high performance is breaking down stigma across communities which is highlighted in her book
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#312 Dr Sebastian Harenberg - Exploring Positional Competition
01/20/2025
#312 Dr Sebastian Harenberg - Exploring Positional Competition
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Sebastian Harenberg this week. Sebastian is Associate Professor in Sport Psychology at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). He also provides mental performance consulting services to athletes and community members. Sebastian and I discuss positional competition, i.e. the competition for playing time in team sports. Sebastian completed a combined Bachelor and Master of Education in English and Physical Education at the University of Göttingen, Germany. Sebastian continued his education with a doctoral degree in Kinesiology and Health studies with an emphasis on sport psychology at the University of Regina. He then worked 2 years as a research scientist at the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region until he joined Ithaca College in New York as an Assistant Professor for Research Methods and Statistics. Sebastian’s main research interests lie in two areas: 1. Group Dynamics – his research examines processes that affect team hierarchies (competition within teams, selection, deselection), and 2. Perceptual Cognitive Training – using technology, he examines different technologies to sharpen the cognitive skills of athletes and various other populations.
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#311 Dr Caz Nahman & Dr Andrew Kirkland - Considering Language and Environments for Good Mental Health
01/06/2025
#311 Dr Caz Nahman & Dr Andrew Kirkland - Considering Language and Environments for Good Mental Health
I’m delighted to speak to Dr Caz Nahman and Dr Andrew Kirkland in this week’s episode. We discuss the role of language and the environment when considering mental health in sport. Caz is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. Caz has also completed additional training in sport psychiatry with the ISSP (International Society for Sport Psychiatry) and is currently Deputy Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatry Sports and Exercise Psychiatry Special Interest Group. Caz has experience working within a general child and adolescent setting as well as working in in-patient and community eating disorders services. She has previously been an elected member of the RCPsych Eating Disorders Faculty and in this role co-edited a book - New to Eating Disorders - designed as a training tool for staff new to working within this field. Caz’s interests include compulsive overexercise; youth sport; eating disorders in athletes, autism spectrum disorders in athletes, life-style psychiatry and medical education. In addition, she is keen to improve standards of care for athletes with mental health problems. Andrew is a Lecturer in Sports Coaching at the University of Stirling. He is also a member of the General University Ethics Panel, a Chartered Scientist and a BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (support & pedagogy). Andrew has worked as a sport physiologist and coach developer at British Cycling and supports others in developing performance environments. Andrew's research philosophy is driven by impact and translation of research into practice. Specifically, he uses Implementation and Behavioural Change Science to explore mental health in sport, 'merging' his practical experience with evidence-based practice with the aim of helping others to develop more effective sporting systems.
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#310 Dr Sam Thrower & Prof Chris Harwood - Developing Parent Education and Support Strategies in Youth Sport
12/09/2024
#310 Dr Sam Thrower & Prof Chris Harwood - Developing Parent Education and Support Strategies in Youth Sport
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Sam Thrower and Prof Chris Harwood this week. We discuss parent education and support strategies in youth sport. Sam is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Oxford Brookes University. His main research interests lie in the area of youth sport and specifically the psychosocial development of young athletes. He is particularly interested in topics such as parenting in sport, sport-confidence, motivational climates and stress and coping. Sam’s research in these areas has been published in a range of leading international journals including: ‘Psychology of Sport & Exercise’, ‘Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health’, ‘Sport, Exercise & Performance Psychology’, ‘Journal of Applied Sport Psychology’ and 'Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology'. His current research focuses on parent-child interactions and the development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based sport parent education programmes. Chris is the Director of the Sport, Health and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). He is a Professor of Sport Psychology at NTU where his research focuses on the psychosocial aspects of athlete development, wellbeing and performance including the roles of the coach, parents, and the wider social and organisational environment. Chris is particularly focused on the integration of psychological principles into youth sport settings and his applied research is characterised by working with the support system around young people. Chris is also prominent in the area of professional development, supervision and training of sport psychologists in the UK and international systems.
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#309 Rusty Earnshaw & Danny Newcombe - Coaching Skills Toolbox
12/02/2024
#309 Rusty Earnshaw & Danny Newcombe - Coaching Skills Toolbox
I’m delighted to speak with Rusty Earnshaw and Danny Newcombe on this week’s episode. Rusty is a coach and former professional rugby union player. Rusty has played Premiership rugby with , and , winning the European Cup whilst at Bath. In 2000 he was selected to play for the . And he also represented England on the IRB Sevens circuit. Since his playing days he has held various positions at the Rugby Football Union, including International Performance Coach. He is now Director at The Magic Academy, which works across sport and business supporting the development of individuals and teams. Danny is a coach and coach developer. He is currently Senior Coach Development Manager at The Premier League. Until recently, he was a Senior Lecturer in Sport, Coaching and PE in the department of Sport, Health Sciences and Social Work at Oxford Brookes University, UK. He now holds a visiting research fellow post at Oxford Brookes. Danny is also an international and domestic national league hockey coach. He is currently the head coach of the Men’s Welsh National Team and works extensively with a number of partners in the coach development space. I speak with Rusty and Danny about their considerable coaching experiences and we break down some of the skills they use in their own coaching practices.
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#308 Johnny Gorman - Reflections on Being Released
11/25/2024
#308 Johnny Gorman - Reflections on Being Released
I’m delighted to speak with Johnny Gorman this week. Johnny is a trainee clinical psychologist and former professional footballer. We speak about the experiences of footballers who were released from clubs at a young age and the impact this had on them, a topic Johnny has recently published a paper on entitled “Inside the football factory: young players’ reflections on being ‘released’”. There is considerable research on senior players’ mental health outcomes following retirement. However, less attention has been paid to the greater numbers of young players who are deselected each year. Growing research attests to their increased risk of psychological distress including anxiety and depression. Every year, most young football players experience deselection and for some, this has profound consequences including drug addiction and even death. Yet little is known about these young hopefuls whose careers are abruptly cut short and who are released into a world they are ill-prepared for. This study brings a social psychological lens to examine how social identity processes underpin these consequences. The paper’s findings contribute to calls for deeper consideration and action around football club culture, and clubs’ responsibility to player welfare, including when players are released.
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#307 Dr Thomas Simpson - Utilising OPTIMAL Theory in your Coaching Practice
11/18/2024
#307 Dr Thomas Simpson - Utilising OPTIMAL Theory in your Coaching Practice
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Thomas Simpson this week. Thomas is a lecturer in Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition at Edge Hill University. He is interested in how motor learning and motor skill acquisition in children can be optimised through attentional and motivational factors. Thomas obtained his BSc in Sport and Exercise Science and his PhD at Edge Hill University. In this episode we discuss a paper Thomas co-wrote which examined the use of OPTIMAL Instructions and Feedback in Physical Education Settings. Here, OPTIMAL stands for Optimizing Performance through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning. It is a theory of motor learning developed by Gabriele Wulf and Rebecca Lewthwaite. The paper investigates how PE teachers can use instruction and feedback which promote OPTIMAL theory motor learning factors (e.g., an external focus of attention, enhanced expectancies and autonomy support) to enhance children’s motor learning.
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#306 Dr Scott McLean - Complexity and Systems Thinking in Sport
11/11/2024
#306 Dr Scott McLean - Complexity and Systems Thinking in Sport
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Scott McLean this week. Scott is a Senior Research Fellow and the theme leader for Sport and Outdoor Recreation at the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems (CHFSTS) at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Scott has a background in Exercise Science (MSc, BExSc) and obtained his PhD applying Human Factors and Ergonomics methods in sport, in which he received the David Ferguson Award from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia for the best PhD thesis. His research spans a broad range of domains including sport science, safety science, and systems thinking. During his PhD and current Post-Doctoral research, Scott has made a number of significant research contributions which have advanced knowledge in the areas of team performance analysis, coaching, sports system modelling, applying Human Factors and Ergonomics in sport, incident reporting systems in outdoor recreation, and complex system modelling of the road safety system. Scott has experience working with and conducting research with industry i.e. professional sporting clubs and an international football team, government agencies, as well as international collaborators. Scott is also a successful and award-winning football coach, which ensures that his research has a focus on delivering practice implications.
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#305 Bernadette Kellermann - Exploring Transitions Between Mental States During Performance
11/04/2024
#305 Bernadette Kellermann - Exploring Transitions Between Mental States During Performance
In this episode I speak with Bernadette Kellermann. Bernadette is a Sport Psychologist and PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh. Bernadette researches the Multi-Action Plan (MAP) Model and transitions between mental states in performance. The MAP Model is an action-focused, sport-specific intervention model that can be utilised to investigate and improve human performance. We discuss two fascinating papers Bernadette has written about transitions between mental states within MAP along with Prof Dave Collins, Dr Alan MacPherson, and Dr Maurizio Bertollo. In addition to her performance psychology studies, Bernadette is a violinist, composer, and tutor having graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
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#304 Mia KurtzFavero - Exploring the Parent-Coach Dual Role
10/28/2024
#304 Mia KurtzFavero - Exploring the Parent-Coach Dual Role
I’m delighted to speak with Mia KurtzFavero this week. Mia and I discuss a research paper she co-authored which explored the parent-coach dual role. In the paper a number of parent-coaches were interviewed to examine how they perceived their dual role to influence their coaching effectiveness and to hear what strategies they used to remain effective. Previous research looking into youth sport coaching indicates that a majority of coaches may also be a parent to an athlete on their team. While previous studies have also sought to understand how being a parent-coach might affect parents’ relationships with their own child(ren), little work appears to explore how occupying this role might affect an individual’s ability to remain effective as a coach. Findings from the paper indicated that parent-coaches have few formalised resources to aid them in navigating the issues associated with their challenging dual-role position. Given the number of parent-coaches in youth, more research needs to be done on this topic. Mia has just completed her Master’s degree in Sport Psychology. Her studies focused on coaching, specifically, helping coaches develop their inter and intra personal skills. Mia is a coach of volleyball, coaching club teams and high school teams, as well as the provincial youth boy’s volleyball team.
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#303 Dr Jim Taylor - Train Your Mind for Athletic Success
10/21/2024
#303 Dr Jim Taylor - Train Your Mind for Athletic Success
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Jim Taylor this week. Jim is an internationally recognised authority on the psychology of performance, sport, and parenting. Jim has worked with professional, Olympic, collegiate, and junior-elite athletes in skiing, cycling, triathlon, tennis, track and field, swimming, football, golf, baseball, and many other sports. Jim received his Bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College and earned his Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Colorado. He is a former Associate professor in the School of Psychology at Nova University in Ft. Lauderdale and a former Clinical Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. Jim has been a consultant for the United States and Japanese Ski Teams, the United States Tennis Association, and USA Triathlon, and has worked with professional and world-class athletes in multiple sports. He has been invited to lecture by the Olympic Committees of Spain, France, Poland, and the U.S., and has consulted with the Athletic Departments at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. Jim has published more than 1000 articles in scholarly and popular publications, and has given more than 1000 workshops and presentations throughout North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. He is the author of 19 books and the co-editor of five textbooks. His books have been translated into 10 languages. A former world-ranked alpine ski racer, Jim is also a 2nd degree black belt, certified instructor, and tournament fighter in karate, marathon runner, Ironman triathlete, 2x national triathlon champion, and 3x World Championships medallist.
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#302 Dr Derek Panchuk - The Importance of Coaching Visual Perception
10/07/2024
#302 Dr Derek Panchuk - The Importance of Coaching Visual Perception
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Derek Panchuk this week. Derek is a skill acquisition specialist with over 15 years experience working with coaches across sport, including: the NBA, G-League, a wide-range of National Sporting Organisations, regional and community level organisations, and clubs. Derek helps coaches and leaders build bridges between the science of learning and art of coaching so they can discover new ways to grow talent and build teams. Derek completed his MSc in Motor Control and his PhD in Neuromotor Control at The University of Calgary. After completing his studies, Derek moved to Australia and was the first ever National Lead for skill acquisition at the Australian Institute of Sport. Here he worked closely with coaches to design individualised learning environments that aligned with their coaching philosophies and goals. Derek now consults, working closely with coaches to transform how they coach and develop players. He uses an individualised approach to coach development grounded in the science of skill learning that helps coaches discover their strengths and uncover new opportunities so they can improve buy-in and have a big impact with their players.
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#301 Mehdi Kordi - Transforming a Coaching Culture
09/30/2024
#301 Mehdi Kordi - Transforming a Coaching Culture
I’m delighted to speak with performance coach and scientist, Dr Mehdi Kordi this week. Mehdi began his career in biomedical science before moving into aerospace physiology. His first position in high performance sport was as a sports scientist for British Cycling before moving into coaching role with the GB Para Cycling Team. In 2018 Mehdi joined the KNWU – The Dutch National Cycling Union – initially as coach and scientist for the Track Sprint Team, and then as Track Coach for the Endurance Team. In 2022 he became the Head Coach for KNWU. During this time both the men’s and the women’s teams enjoyed unprecedented success in major cycling competitions including the Olympic games. Mehdi has a PhD from The University of Northumbria in Sport and Exercise Physiology. Mehdi and I speak about the cultural and coaching interventions that transformed the Dutch cycling team from obscurity into Gold Medal winners.
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#300 Dan Abrahams (with Dr Chris Shambrook) - What I’ve Learned About High Performance from Hosting 300 Episodes
09/23/2024
#300 Dan Abrahams (with Dr Chris Shambrook) - What I’ve Learned About High Performance from Hosting 300 Episodes
In this 300th episode I've asked friend of the podcast, Dr Chris Shambrook to speak with me about all things sport psychology. In this conversation, I reflect on what I’ve learned from speaking with so many fantastic industry leaders over the last 6 years. And Chris is the perfect person to talk with having 25 years of coaching across multiple commercial sectors supporting leaders and performers. Chris also has 6 Olympic Games under his belt with the Great Britain Rowing Team, one of Team GB’s most enduringly successful sports. He has an honorary professorship from Staffordshire University and has co-authored three books. Additionally, Chris is the Group Performance Director at PlanetK2. He designs and quality assures all of the PlanetK2 programmes and content. A huge thank you to all the brilliant guests who have joined me on the show and to you, the listener for your commitment to learning about sport psychology.
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#299 Duff Gibson - ‘It’s Just Sport!’ Reflections from an Olympic Gold Medallist
09/16/2024
#299 Duff Gibson - ‘It’s Just Sport!’ Reflections from an Olympic Gold Medallist
I’m delighted to speak with Duff Gibson this week. Duff has spent the better part of three decades in a hotbed of Olympic sport. As an athlete, Duff was a provincial champion speed skater, a national champion and national team member in bobsleigh, and then a world and Olympic gold medallist in the sport of skeleton. As a coach he led six different athletes to podium finishes at a world level. Competing against, working with, and learning from numerous world-leading athletes and coaches has provided Duff a breadth and depth of experience. Duff’s belief is that, despite its mischaracterisation in popular culture, the mental side of sport is perhaps the most significant aspect, and what very often makes the difference between success and failure, in particular at the highest level. In his fantastic book ‘The Tao of Sport’ Duff explores the commonality amongst elite performers relating to purpose, passion, and growth, as a means to achieving high performance, or as a means to an end in itself. The book is an inspiring and informative read for athletes and coaches of any level, as well as parents, teachers, and anyone helping others to become the best version of themselves. Duff is also the founder of TheTaoOfSport.com which offers athletes and coaches courses on the mental side of sport.
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#298 Dr Kimberly Wagner - Mental Skills and Characteristics for Enhanced Performance
09/09/2024
#298 Dr Kimberly Wagner - Mental Skills and Characteristics for Enhanced Performance
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Kimberly Wagner this week. Kimberly is a licensed clinical psychologist and sport/performance psychologist. With a background as a competitive athlete and a passion for psychology, Kimberly focused on clinical psychology as well as specialising in sport psychology while at graduate school. Her doctoral dissertation research focused on sport psychology, specifically she studied the mental skills and characteristics which enhance performance in Major League Baseball players. During her research, Kimberly conducted extensive interviews with Major League Baseball players discussing what mental skills and characteristics they utilise to enhance their performance, and what gives them the competitive edge at an elite level of competition. Kimberly has presented her research at multiple international and national conferences including at the 2013 and 2016 annual American Psychological Association (APA) conference as well as the California Psychological Association (CPA) conference. Kimberly has experience working with high school and collegiate level athletes as well as junior professional and professional athletes on improving the mental component of their game as a way of facilitating peak performance.
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#297 Ben Ashdown & Dr Mustafa Sarkar - Exploring the Behavioural Indicators of Resilience
09/02/2024
#297 Ben Ashdown & Dr Mustafa Sarkar - Exploring the Behavioural Indicators of Resilience
I’m delighted to speak with Ben Ashdown this week. Ben is joined by return guest, Dr Mustafa Sarkar. Ben is a senior lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. He is part of the Sport Performance Research Group in the and is a PhD researcher focusing on resilience in youth football. Ben’s research interests are observational methods and assessment in sport psychology, resilience behaviours in youth football and resilience development practices. Before moving into lecturing, Ben was a research associate at The University of Nottingham on the Steps to Active Kids () project that sought to evaluate the impact of a school-based physical activity programme on outcomes including self-efficacy and obesity risk factors. Ben is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has a Postgraduate diploma in teaching in the lifelong learning sector. After graduating from York St John University on a BA (Honours) degree in Sport Studies and Psychology, Ben completed an MSc in Sport Psychology at the same institution. Mustafa is Associate Professor of Sport and Performance Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. His main area of research is on individual, team and organisational resilience in elite sport. Mustafa has a background in teaching and research with most of his research focusing on the psychology of sporting and performance excellence, specifically looking at resilience in high achievers in sport and business. Mustafa also works with coaches and organisations helping them to develop resilience in athletes and teams. We talk about a brilliant paper led by Ben and co-authored by Mustafa and Dr and Dr Julie Johnston entitled “Exploring the behavioral indicators of resilience in professional academy youth soccer”. The study offers insight into the observable behaviours characterising resilience in youth soccer. Participants identified 36 resilience behaviours, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the concept in this specific context. The results provide a platform to support practitioners in observing resilience behaviours and structuring practices for resilience assessment and development. The findings of this study can support youth soccer players in reflecting on their behavioural responses to in-game stressors, and thus better understand how and when they demonstrate resilience.
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#296 James Barraclough - How to Identify and Develop Psychosocial Skills and Characteristics
08/26/2024
#296 James Barraclough - How to Identify and Develop Psychosocial Skills and Characteristics
I’m delighted to speak with UEFA football coach and lecturer, James Barraclough this week. James has worked as a football coach for over 20 years. He has coached extensively in academies and holds both the UEFA B and FA Advanced Youth Awards. James has an MSc in Sport Psychology and has consulted with athletes and teams from grassroots up to world champions. He is currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance examining psychosocial skills in academy football. James teaches Sports Coaching and Sport Science at UCEN Manchester. He is also a sport performance consultant supporting a number of mixed martial artists, athletes and football teams. In this episode James and I discuss a paper he led along with Prof David Grecic and Dr Damian Harper which looked at academy managers’ experiences of how psychosocial skills and characteristics are identified and developed in youth academy soccer players.
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#295 Prof Robert Schinke - 8 Steps to Succeeding in Sport, Work, and Life
08/19/2024
#295 Prof Robert Schinke - 8 Steps to Succeeding in Sport, Work, and Life
I’m delighted to speak with renowned sport psychology consultant and scientist, Prof Robert Schinke this week. Robert is a former equestrian, representing Canada in the 1987 Pan-American Games. He has a Doctorate in Education from the University of Alberta and he completed post-doctoral studies in Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2002 he joined Laurentian University's School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences and became a Full Professor in 2010. Robert is the current two-term President of the International Society of Sport Psychology and his publications include six authored books and nineteen co-edited textbooks, including the Routledge International Handbook of Sport Psychology. Robert has also co-authored more than 180 peer-reviewed scientific publications. Robert’s science to practice interests include the contextual optimisation of high-performance sport environments, effective elite athlete transitional processes such as promotion and relocation, athlete mental health from a holistic vantage, and organisation-wide capacity building, informed by scientific inquiry. In this episode we discuss Robert’s fantastic new book “Gifted: 8 Steps to Succeeding in Sport, Work, and Life” in which Robert encourages readers to recognise and embrace their innate talents and abilities. Throughout the 8 lessons, readers will discover how successful athletes, coaches, educators, and service industry professionals use their natural gifts to achieve their goals.
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#294 Eamon Devlin - Creating the Right Half-Time Environment
08/12/2024
#294 Eamon Devlin - Creating the Right Half-Time Environment
I’m delighted to speak with Eamon Devlin this week. Eamon works with coaches and teams to help improve their half-time process. Eamon is head coach of several senior Gaelic football teams - women’s and men’s. He is currently manager of Hertfordshire Men’s County team and he is also a GAA-qualified referee. Eamon is also the founder of Minute9, a sports consultancy advising professional sports teams and coaches on how best to structure and manage half-time. Eamon recently completed an MSc in Psychological Sciences at Brunel University. Related to his MSc in Psychological Sciences, his dissertation topic looked into half-time talks and how elite players perceive coaches’ pep talks. Eamon and I discuss the findings from this research.
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#293 Geir Jordet - Lessons from the Psychology of the Penalty Shootout
08/05/2024
#293 Geir Jordet - Lessons from the Psychology of the Penalty Shootout
I’m delighted to welcome back Professor Geir Jordet this week. Geir is a world-leading expert on the psychology of penalty shootouts. Geir is Professor of Sport Psychology with a specialisation in football (soccer) and coaching at Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. His most extensive research interests involve performing under extreme pressure, cognitive and perceptual underpinnings of decision making, and talent development/effective learning. Geir’s work has been published in leading sport science and psychology journals such as Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, Journal of Sports Sciences, British Journal of Sports Medicine, and British Journal of Psychology, as well as in major media outlets - BBC World, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, El Pais and Spiegel. Geir is an applied performance psychology consultant working primarily with professional soccer organisations and players, and among his clients are Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, Arsenal FC, Ajax Amsterdam FC, and Bayern Munich FC. Geir and I discuss his brilliant new book “Pressure: Lessons from the Psychology of the Penalty Shootout” in which he draws on his two decades of studying performance under pressure. The book includes case studies which take you behind the scenes of football's most nail-biting moments and Geir interviews superstars and shares stories from his work with top teams and some of the world's best players.
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#292 Stuart Morgan - Develop, Train, and Perform
07/29/2024
#292 Stuart Morgan - Develop, Train, and Perform
I’m delighted to speak with Stuart Morgan this week. Stuart is a golf coach, practice consultant and an Advanced Member of the PGA of Great Britain. He is recognised by Golf Digest as one of the top international coaches. Stuart is currently the performance director of Swiss Golf, and performance coach at Iceberg Golf, and Stuart Morgan Golf where he works with players on all major professional tours and elite amateurs aspiring to become their best. After completing his PGA qualification Stuart started coaching golf full time and has coached golfers on all major tours. He specialises in junior development, how to practice, and elite performance. Stuart has contributed instructional articles to multiple golf magazines. He has conducted educational seminars for county organisations and the PGA. Stuart is currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Human Performance at University of Limerick researching Golf Practice.
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#291 Brad Stulberg - Focusing on the Process
07/22/2024
#291 Brad Stulberg - Focusing on the Process
I am excited to be joined by Brad Stulberg in this episode. Brad researches, writes, and coaches on mental health, well-being, and sustainable excellence. Brad is the author of the best-selling books Master of Change and The Practice of Groundedness and co-author of the books Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox. These books explore the art, science, and practice of motivation, values-driven excellence, and maximising one’s potential - all the while realising a more fulfilling and sustainable kind of success. His latest book, , became an instant national bestseller. All told, his have sold more than 500,000 copies and have been translated into more than 20 languages. Brad is a regular contributor at The New York Times, and his work has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, TIME, and The Washington Post, among other publications. He to large organisations on topics related to excellence, resilience, performance, and overall well-being. Brad is co-creator of , an online platform dedicated to defining and realizing a more fulfilling, genuine kind of excellence and sustainable success. In his coaching practice, Brad works with executives, entrepreneurs, physicians, and athletes on their mental skills and overall well-being. Brad is also on faculty at the University of Michigan’s graduate school of public health, where he focuses on health, human potential, and excellence.
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#290 Stephen Maxwell - Looking for Coachable Moments
07/15/2024
#290 Stephen Maxwell - Looking for Coachable Moments
I’m delighted to speak with coach developer and coach, Stephen Maxwell this week. Stephen is the Coach Education Manager at Cricket Ireland, where he supports coaches and coach developers. Stephen has been coaching for approximately 22 years. He is currently the Senior Men's Football Manager at Thomas Davis GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) Club. Previously, he coached the Dublin Senior GAA Team – helping them win the All-Ireland Championship in 2023. Stephen is the founder and creator of No Other Game Around which specialises in coach development, team training and the technical and personal development of individual athletes.
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#289 Lisa Alexander AM - Reflections on Developing a World-Class Winning Coaching Programme Part 2
07/08/2024
#289 Lisa Alexander AM - Reflections on Developing a World-Class Winning Coaching Programme Part 2
I am honoured to be joined again by high-performance consultant, Lisa Alexander, in this episode. Lisa works with coaches, teams and organisations to create winning and success-driven environments. Lisa is one of the most successful coaches in Australian sport. As the Head Coach of the Australian Diamonds, the Australian National Netball Team, Lisa lead the team to multiple wins including a Commonwealth Gold Medal. In 2021 Lisa received the Order of Australia, the highest recognition for outstanding achievement and service in the Australian honours system, for her significant service to netball at the elite level. We speak about Lisa’s long career as Head Coach of the Diamonds. How she went about establishing a true person-centred environment; the parallels between teaching and coaching; getting to know your team and directive vs non-directive coaching.
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#288 Jonathan Pendlebury - Coaching at the Developmental Phase
07/01/2024
#288 Jonathan Pendlebury - Coaching at the Developmental Phase
I’m delighted to speak with Jonathan Pendlebury this week. Jonathan is the U18 Head Coach and Pathway Development Coach at the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the national governing body for rugby union in England. Jonathan oversees player development for the U17 and U18 year old (men) in the programmes and pathways of the RFU and the Premiership Rugby (PRL) Regional Academies in England. Jonathan is qualified to RFU Level 4 coaching award. He has experience coaching and working with all age groups and abilities from junior to senior. Prior to his position at the RFU, Jonathan worked at Wasps Rugby and with Yorkshire Carnegie as Academy Manager, building upon the experience he gained as a professional rugby player of ten years, having represented Premiership and Championship clubs until 2012. Jonathan has also completed a BSc (Hon) degree in Sport Coaching with Leeds Beckett, achieving first class honours. He also has a MSc in Sport Coaching.
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#287 Paddy Ryan - Developing a Culture of Care
06/24/2024
#287 Paddy Ryan - Developing a Culture of Care
I’m delighted to speak with Patrick “Paddy” Ryan this week. Paddy is Chief Coach of Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) for the women’s programme. Paddy has a wealth of rowing experience, having first started as a rower himself in his native Australia. After a move to the UK, he joined the Thames Rowing Club. Paddy also spent six years at London Youth Rowing (LYR) helping the small charity grow to a London-wide group, supporting thousands of teenagers every year. Paddy began his career at CUBC in 2013 as assistant coach of the women’s programme, bringing his considerable knowledge from his rowing experiences, and most importantly, his recipe for ‘knowing how to win’. In 2021 Paddy became the CUBC chief coach for the Women’s programme. His career highlights include, as an athlete, winning Wyfold Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, winning the first Blondie Race in 2016 as Assistant Coach and then as Chief Coach, working with the winning 2022, 2023, and 2024 Blue Boat. Paddy and I speak in depth about the culture he has created at CUBC.
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#286 Alan Keane - Building a Coaching Toolbox
06/17/2024
#286 Alan Keane - Building a Coaching Toolbox
I’m delighted to speak with basketball coach and qualified teacher, Alan Keane this week. Alan is a performance basketball coach with a focus on meeting the needs of the people he works with. He is the Great Britain U20 National Team Basketball Head Coach. Alan is also co-founder of MVMT sports, a mission-driven business for people who believe sport should be a movement for good (not bad). MVMT provides training, support and tools for coaches who want to be difference-makers. The MVMT brand champions coaches who put people before winning. Alan is currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Coaching Science. He researches current strategies, motivations and evaluator approaches used by coaches, and intervention strategies to develop self-regulated learners. Alan has won numerous coaching and teaching awards including: Great Britain National Team Coach, England Commonwealth Games Coach, Sky Sports Living for Sport Outstanding Contribution by a Teacher Award Nominee, Chris Morgan Coach of The Year Winner, and Sky Sports Teacher of The Year Finalist.
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