The Sport Psych Show
The Sport Psych Show is hosted by sport psychologist Dan Abrahams, who aims to demystify sport psychology for players, coaches, and parents. He speaks with influential figures in sports performance to explore how psychological philosophies, tools, and techniques impact participation, progression, and performance. The show covers topics like motivation, effective practice and training, learning in sport, and performing consistently under pressure. Listeners can discover simple and practical tools and techniques from conversations with elite competitors, coaches, sport scientists, and psychologists.
Episodes
#347 J.P. Nerbun - The Culture Captain
I speak with J.P. Nerbun in this week's episode. J.P. is a leading expert on culture transformation and the author of four books on leadership. He is the founder and CEO of TOC, an ecosystem of online communities, courses, and coaching for sports organisations worldwide. An ICF PCC Executive Coach, he specialises in developing high-performance leaders and teams across the sports, education, and c
#346 Pip Henderson, Dr Will Vickery & Prof Shane Pill - Coaches' Definitions of Success in Sport
In this episode I'm joined by Pip Henderson, Dr Will Vickery and Prof Shane Pill to discuss a paper which examines how sport coaches conceptualise success. Pip works in the Discipline of Trauma and Injury at Flinders University. She is a member of FHMRI's Health Equity Impact Program (HEIP). Pip's research practices are grounded in meaningful community engagement. Working directly with students, p
#345 Dr Jerry Lynch & John O'Sullivan - How to be an Exceptional Captain and Leader
I'm delighted to welcome Dr Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan back to the show to discuss their brand new book "Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader". Jerry is a performance, leadership and coaching expert helping people of all ages and abilities in all arenas of performance to develop the qualities of courage, integrity, fearlessness, tenacity, patience, persistence i
#344 Dan Abrahams - Mark Peters Speaks to Dan About his new Book
On this week's episode I hand the reins over to my long-time friend, Mark Peters, to discuss my new book Compete: Developing a Mental Playbook for Performance Under Pressure in Sport. Mark is Deputy Head and former Director of Sport at Hornsby House School and Chair of Governors at Lark Hall Primary Campus. Mark has a strong history of coaching a variety of sports and has experience as a coach e
#343 Richard Fryer - Coaching Under Pressure
I speak with Richard Fryer in this week's episode. Richard is a psychologist working in high performance sport in Australia. Richard works with many of Australia's highest profile sporting teams and athletes and has supported Australians at five Olympic and Paralympic Games. Richard's passion is helping individuals, teams, and organisations achieve their performance potential. Richard is a Seni
#342 Dr Séamus Harvey & Dr Chin Wei Ong - Assessing Mental Well-Being in Sport
I'm delighted to speak with Dr Séamus Harvey and Dr Chin Wei Ong in this week's episode. We discuss a mental well-being screening process which was implemented at an elite youth football academy developed by Séamus, Chin and colleagues. Séamus is a Postdoctoral Researcher with the NetwellCASALA research centre at Dundalk Institute of Technology. Séamus researches digital health and health psycho
#341 Daniel Coyle - Flourishing
I'm delighted to speak with Daniel Coyle in this week's episode. Daniel is the award-winning author of multiple New York Times bestsellers including The Talent Code and The Culture Code. Daniel's work explores how people and groups grow, perform, and thrive. He combines immersive field reporting with behavioural science to create practical frameworks for building skill, culture, and meaningful c
#340 Declan O'Connell - Adaptive Expertise
I speak with Declan O'Connell in this week's episode. Declan is a coach and performance consultant with over 20 years working with elite sports, global executive teams, and high-performance environments across the world. Declan is currently finalising his Doctorate in Elite Performance Psychology at Dublin City University. His doctorate research focuses on developing adaptability in individuals
#339 Dr Andreas Küttel - Exploring Mental Health and Performance Dynamics
I'm delighted to speak with Andreas Küttel in this week's episode. Andreas is a Swiss former ski jumper who won five World Cup competitions from 2005 to 2007, and placed third in the overall World Cup in 2006. He won a gold medal in the individual large hill event at the 2009 Ski Jumping World Championships. Andreas also competed at three Winter Olympics, earning his best finish of fifth in the i
#338 Dr David Moran - Grouping by Ability in Youth Sport
I speak with Dr David Moran in this week's episode. David is a coach and coach developer in Gaelic games. He is a post-doctoral researcher with the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics and the School of Health and Human Performance at Dublin City University. We discuss a paper David led which examines grouping players by ability. Following the introduction of formal competition str
#337 Katja Rewitz - Exploit or Explore: Decision Making in Sport
I'm delighted to speak with Katja Rewitz in this week's episode. Katja is a second year PhD student at the Dynamics of Human Performance Regulation Laboratory at the University of Hamburg. Her research focuses on human sensations and their influence on decision-making and performance behaviour. In this episode, we discuss a fascinating paper led by Katja which examines the explore-exploit framew
#336 Dr Simon Quick - Balancing Athlete Welfare with the Pressure to Perform
I speak with Dr Simon Quick in this week's episode. Simon is a lecturer in Sport Coaching at the University of Essex, specialising in sport pedagogy, coaching ethics, and holistic athlete development. Simon previously taught Physical Education in high schools holding leadership roles including Head of Physical Education, Athletic Director, and Deputy Headteacher. Simon is an active researcher an
#335 Dave Webb - Preparing for the Pressure of Tournament Play
I'm delighted to speak with Dave Webb in this week's episode. Dave is a leading manager and coach who has been at the forefront of elite international and club football for more than two decades. Dave has held various sporting director, coaching, and recruitment roles at the highest levels of the game both in the UK and abroad. He is currently the Georgia National Team Assistant Manager where he
#334 Simon Gelsthorpe - Emotionally Informed Coaching
I speak with Simon Gelsthorpe in this week's episode. Simon is a clinical psychologist who specialises in emotions. He works with sports coaches and sports organisations to help them be more psychological in their coaching, thereby improving athlete emotional well-being and performance. Simon is a visiting fellow at the University of Bradford with the Psychology Centre. He is also the developer
#333 Dr Robin Owen and Prof Shuge Zhang - The Impact of Anxiety on Performance
I'm delighted to speak with Dr Robin Owen and Prof Shuge Zhang in this week's episode. Robin is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Psychology at Liverpool Hope University. His research aims to advance our understanding of anxiety, attentional focus, motor control, skill acquisition, statistical prediction, cognitive functioning, and talent identification/development. Shuge is currently a research Pro
#332 Dr Alan McKay - Supporting Players to Develop Mental Toughness
I'm delighted to speak with Dr Alan McKay in this week's episode. Alan is an HCPC sport psychologist, researcher, and practitioner. He completed his PhD in sport psychology with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and is currently working as a senior research assistant at the FAW Centre for Football Research, housed at the University of South Wales. In this role he helps to produce multidisci
#331 Dr Erin Prior - Navigating Athlete Mental Health
I am delighted to speak with Dr Erin Prior in this episode. Erin is a Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist working across a range of sports. Erin has her own sport psychology consultancy practice working with a wide range of athletes, coaches, and parents to enhance their psychological approach to their sport. She has worked with a variety of sporting organisations including the FA, The Whee
#330 Johan Forsberg - Examining the Relationship Between Psychological States and Performance
I'm delighted to speak with Johan Forsberg in this week's episode. Johan is a mental performance coach and Swedish former professional ice hockey player. Johan helps individuals, groups and organisations to develop, feel and perform better. He is primarily interested in leadership, motivation and group dynamics. Johan has provided support and training for coaches, managers, and elite athletes. P
#329 Dr Phil Kearney - Skill Acquisition: Defining and Developing Skill
I'm delighted to speak with Dr Phil Kearney in this week's episode. Phil is one of the world's leading skill acquisition specialists. He is Interim Course Director of the Masters and Applied Sports Coaching course at the University of Limerick. Phil completed his PhD at the University of Limerick, exploring the application of skill acquisition principles to children's learning of fundamental move
#328 Dr Ellie Gennings - Well-Being and Well-Becoming in Children's Sport
I am delighted to speak with Dr Ellie Gennings in this episode. Ellie is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching based in the Department of Sport and Event Management at Bournemouth University. Ellie is interested in children's wellbeing, children's rights and safe sport. Ellie completed her PhD in 2022 in which she measured children's wellbeing developing a wellbeing scale. In this episode we
#327 Dr Peter Schneider - Sport Psychology for Elite-Level Environments
I'm delighted to speak with Dr Peter Schneider in this week's episode. Peter is an expert in high performance environments and transitions. He was most recently the mental performance coach at RB Leipzig helping them to win 2 DFB Cups and 1 Supercup. Peter's focus is to help create talent development environments in which athletes, coaches, and parents are provided with the necessary information
#326 Jeremy Holt - How to Coach Identity, Belonging and Performance in Sport
I'm joined by Jeremy Holt in this episode. Jeremy is an author, leadership team coach, trainer and mentor with three and a half decades of experience applying psychology to real-world teams in business, sport, and public service. Jeremy's work with teams focuses on identity - the glue that binds people together and drives performance. As a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Jeremy supports lead
#325 Dr Ian Peek - Coaching for Performance and Well-being
I am delighted to welcome back high-performance coach Dr Ian Peek in this episode. Ian works with clients to improve performance and well-being, helping them achieve their goals whether that's transitioning to a new level of achievement or maintaining their position at the top of their sport or industry. Ian is a PGA Master Professional - the highest educational level in The PGA - which recogni
#324 Ray Power - Adapting Your Coaching Style to the Needs of the Team
I'm delighted to speak with Ray Power in this episode. Ray is a coach developer and best-selling author of 10 soccer coaching books. He is also the Technical Director of the largest football academy in South Asia. Ray has coached at every level of football, from youth at risk to elite youth internationals. He achieved his UEFA A Licence in 2012 and has worked in youth football development all ov
#323 Prof Mike Wilson - Breaking Through Self-imposed Barriers
I'm delighted to speak with Prof Mike Wilson in this episode. Mike has over 16 years of dedicated expertise in the mental health field. Serving as both a professor and mental performance coach, Mike has collaborated with international governments, leading international bodies like the United Nations and the World Bank, law enforcement agencies, and a diverse range of global sports organisations.
#322 Ben Franks - Exploring Ecological Dynamics
I'm delighted to speak with Ben Franks in this episode. Ben is a people developer and Senior Lecturer in Applied Coaching Sciences at Oxford Brookes University. Ben has been at Oxford Brookes since 2021 after holding various teaching positions at The University Campus of Football Business and at Canterbury Christ Church University. Ben also consults and coaches at a variety of organisations. H
#321 Dr Scott Goldman - The Psychology of Team Selection
I'm delighted to welcome back licensed clinical psychologist and sport psychologist, Dr Scott Goldman in this week's episode. Scott started out at the University of Arizona where was one of the first embedded sport psychologists in an athletic department. He has since served as a clinical and performance psychologist for the University of Michigan and Saint Louis' Athletic Departments. Scott a
#320 Dave Bright & Dr Oliver Runswick - Examining and Comparing Learning Conditions for Skill Development
I'm delighted to speak with Dave Bright and Dr Oliver Runswick in this episode. Dave is a coach and Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching at Chichester University. His main research interests are in motor learning and its application to practical sport coaching. Dave has coached martial arts for 25+ years. And it was from his experiences in coaching that led him to do a Sport Science Coaching degr
#319 Dr Jamie Taylor - Sport Skill Acquisition: Integrating Theory and Practice
I'm delighted to welcome back coach and coach developer, Dr Jamie Taylor in this episode. Jamie's interests lie in performance enhancement in sport, specifically in coaching, coach development, high performance and talent development. Jamie is Assistant Professor in Elite Performance at Dublin City University and a senior coach developer at Grey Matters, a company specialising in performance enha
#318 Prof Stephen Harvey & Dr Ed Cope - Understanding and Improving Player Learning
In this episode I welcome back Prof Stephen Harvey and Dr Ed Cope to the show. Stephen is Professor in Sport Pedagogy at Ohio University. His research is focused on teacher/coach pedagogy and practice and its influence on student/player learning. Stephen is the Coach Educator Developer at US Soccer Federation and the Head Coach at Ohio Soccer Club. Ed has been a lecturer in Sport Coaching
#317 Dr Josie Perry - ADHD in Sport: Strategies for Success
I'm delighted to welcome back Dr Josie Perry in this week's episode. Josie is a chartered sport psychologist, working mainly 1-1 with athletes – from novice athletes just starting out through to world champions. She teaches athletes the skills they need to overcome barriers to success and ensures they feel more comfortable and confident when they compete. Josie is also an author, writing feature
#316 Jason Dorland - Life Lessons from an Olympic Rower
I'm delighted to speak with Jason Dorland this week. Jason is a former Olympic, Commonwealth Games and World Championship rower and rowing coach. After his competitive career, Jason went on to enter the teaching profession, where he taught and coached high school for fifteen years. In ten years of coaching rowing, Jason's crews earned 12 international championship titles. Jason now works with his
#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 re
#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 ex
#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 Psychologic
#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 te
#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
#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
#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 West Hartlepool, Bath Rugby and Rotherham Titans, winning the European Cup whilst at Bath. In 2000 he was selected to play for the Barbarians. And he also represented England on the IRB Sevens circuit. Since his
#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 i
#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 disc
#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
#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 f
#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 coa
#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 Middleb
#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 the
#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 – init
#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
#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. Com
#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
#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 Sport, Health and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre and is a PhD researcher focusing on resilience in youth football. Ben's research in
#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 Professio
#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 Sch
#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 te
#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 decisio
#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 to
#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
#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 –
#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 Common
#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
#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 gro
#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 p
#285 Dr Richard Young - Building a System for High Performance
I'm delighted to speak with mentor, speaker and author, Dr Richard Young this week. Richard works with leaders and experts to help them uncover sustained competitive advantage. Richard consults internationally to help people build sustainable performance systems and achieve faster. He works with Olympic sports, professional sports, national coaches, and former elite athletes. Richard has been invo
#284 Rob Walter & Adam Miles - Developing a Psychological Programme for High Performance in Elite Sport
I'm delighted to welcome back Adam Miles to the show this week. Adam is joined by Rob Walter, the Head Coach for the South African White Ball team in this episode. Rob holds a degree in Human Movement Sciences. He started his coaching career as conditioning and fielding coach for the Proteas, the South African National Cricket Team. During this time, he also worked in the Indian Premier League f
#283 Derek O'Riordan - The Craft of Coaching
I'm delighted to speak with Derek O'Riordan this week. Derek is Partnership Manager for Sport Scotland, the national agency for sport in Scotland. Derek works with governing bodies to support their investment for development. Derek is also a lecturer in sport management and coaching at the University of Stirling and a coach developer working in situ with coaches. Derek also coaches Rugby Union in
#282 Jordan Cassidy - Tailoring Coach Development to the Individual
I'm delighted to speak with Jordan Cassidy this week. Jordan is a Sports Scientist specialising in skill acquisition and coach and athlete development. Jordan's work is aimed at supporting coaches to best support their players and athletes. Jordan has worked across a number of sports across the globe including with the Hong Kong National Rugby Union Team as a strength and conditioning coach and th
#281 Elisabeth Oehler - Coaching Across Cultures
I'm delighted to speak with Elisabeth Oehler this week. Elisabeth is a Sports Performance and Strength and Conditioning Coach. Elisabeth has worked in various sports in multiple countries and is currently Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Saudi Olympic Training Center. Elisabeth has her own consultancy practice EO Performance. Previously, Elisabeth was the Strength and Conditioning Coach fo
#280 Michael Caulfield - Building Trust with Athletes and Coaches
I'm delighted to speak with sport psychologist, Michael Caulfield this week. Michael has worked in professional sport for over 25 years. He currently supports a number of teams, organisations, coaches and athletes in elite sport. Michael has worked with teams and players in the Premier League as well as international and domestic cricket and has wide experience across many of the sporting codes.
#279 Allan Steele - Reflections on Coaching and Leadership at the Elite Level
I'm delighted to speak with Allan Steele this week. Allan has held many positions in football including Director of Football, Technical Lead, Academy Manager in the Premier League and pro-licence coach. Allan was Director of Football at Forest Green Rovers Football Club. Previously he held roles at Brentford Football Club – as B Team Technical Lead and Assistant Coach, and as Education and Welfar
#278 Dr Noel Dempsey - Coaching for Performance and Life
I'm delighted to speak with coach educator and coach, Dr Noel Dempsey this week. Noel is a Senior Lecturer at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB). UCFB is dedicated to the delivery of ground-breaking undergraduate degree programmes in the football and sports industry. Noel is a UEFA A Licence coach and has coached in range of settings, including grassroots, academy, non-league. Noel
#277 Olivia Bramley & Dr Laura Healy – Discussing Mental Ill Health in Sport Settings
I speak with Olivia Bramley and Dr Laura Healy in this episode. Olivia is a PhD student at The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) with an interest in positive sporting environments and experiences. Olivia completed her BSc in Sports and Exercise Science at Nottingham Trent University where she was also Women's Football Club President, Women's Football Media and Communications Officer
#276 Sarah Green - Broadening your Coaching Skillset
I'm delighted to speak with Sarah Green this week. Sarah is a UEFA A Licence Coach, coach developer and MSc student who is passionate about developing people. Sarah is Performance Coach Developer at England Netball where she works with coaches in the performance pathway (Roses Academy & Franchise Pathways) providing individualised support to develop their coaching practice and behaviours. Sarah al
#275 Jon Mackey - Coaching for Learning and Skill Development
I'm delighted to speak with Jon Mackey this week. Jon is High Performance Director for Canoeing Ireland – managing the Olympic programme across two Olympic sports: canoe slalom and canoe sprint. Jon is also national coach for ring sports (all full contact disciplines) and lead of the coach development program. Jon's interests revolve around research in coaching, skill acquisition and decision maki
#274 David Horrocks - Preparation, Deliberate Practice and Decision Making: Inside the Mind of an Elite Competitor
I'm delighted to speak with David Horrocks this week. David is a coach educator and formerly head of R and D and part of the senior management at Manchester United Football Club. Over the years, David has engaged with many organisations such as British Cycling, Borussia Dortmund, The DFB, Milwaukee Bucks, Cricket Australia, London School of Contemporary Dance, Red Bull, and Inter Miami among other
#273 Katie Crawford - Coaching Teamwork
I'm delighted to speak with Katie Crawford this week. Katie and I discuss how coaches can facilitate teamwork within their teams. Katie is a PhD student at the University of Bath. As part of Katie's PhD research, she led a paper entitled "Coaching teamwork: Team sport athletes' and coaches' perceptions of how coaches facilitate teamwork" along with Dr Rachel Arnold, Carly McKay and Dr Desmond Mc
#272 Josh Frost - The Mental Health of Elite-Level Coaches
I'm delighted to speak with Josh Frost this week. Josh is a PhD research student at The University of Melbourne. His research is also affiliated with the Elite Sports and Mental Health Centre at Orygen, a not-for-profit Youth Mental Health Centre located in Melbourne. The centre conducts research with athletes, coaches and high-performance support staff to find ways to better support elite athlete
#271 Karin Hägglund - Starting a Conversation about Vulnerability in Elite Sport
I'm delighted to speak with Karin Hägglund this week. Karin is a Former Swedish National team coach and National team athlete in karate. She is a five-time Swedish champion and three-time Nordic karate champion. Karin now researches how we can maintain well-being and health while performing at a high level over time. She is a PhD-student in Sustainable High-performance Coaching at The Swedish Scho
#270 Jen Harris - Examining the Experiences, Views, and Needs of Highly Committed Children in Youth Sport
I'm delighted to speak with Jen Harris this week. Jen is an expert in the field of parenting in youth sport. As the mother of a child athlete Jen was struck how little help there is for parents and decided to help change this. She undertook a Masters degree in Sport Psychology, the focus of which was parenting in youth sport. For her dissertation she created the Super-P Approach; an easy to teach
#269 Dr Paul Mansell & Dr Katie Sparks - Performing Under Pressure
In this episode I'm delighted to speak with Dr Paul Mansell and Dr Katie Sparks. Paul is a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Staffordshire University. Paul completed his PhD in 2023 at the University of Birmingham which investigated the role of trait beliefs in determining stress appraisals, performance and well-being. Paul continues to research in this area, with a specific focus on
#268 Ben Freakley - A Coaches Toolkit: Developing Self-Awareness, Mastery and Resilience
I'm delighted to speak with Ben Freakley this week. Ben is a highly skilled and experienced sport psychology professional, helping athletes, coaches, and teams to achieve peak performance and reach their goals. Ben is also the founder of Ready.Set.Resilient. Ben has coached individuals, athletes, teams, soldiers, and businesses on the psychology of performance, leadership, team dynamics, and well-
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French Weird
The Modern Investor
Maritime Archaeology: Research from the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology (OCMA)
Beyond The Bird Table
