Demystifying Mental Toughness

Today's guest, Camilla Knight is an associate professor in sports psychology at Swansea University in Wales, United Kingdom, and she is an expert in youth sport. One of her key research interests is in understanding the role that parents play in the lives of their young athletes. In episode 122 of Demystifying Mental Toughness we discuss the role of parents in sport, the challenges and stressors that they experience. We also chat about the parent/coach relationship with their children and give you some ideas on how to improve your communication with your children. Coaches and teachers may also find this episode helpful. Key Learning Points By understanding the youth sport experience more we can support young people involved in sport better so that they enjoy it more and have a better chance of achieving their potential. It's easy to separate enjoyment and competing however many children enjoying sport because of the competitive element and want to strive to improve. It's important for parents to recognise why their children take part in sport and reminder themselves from time to time. As a parent you invest a lot of time, a lot of money and a lot of emotion, it can be a stressful experience for many parents. In terms of mental health in children, it's helpful to notice if your child's typical behaviours go on to change. Having open and honest conversations with children is very helpful. Knowing as a parent when you are out of sync and what stresses you out and how it shapes your communication with your children is beneficial. The parent child relationship is a bi-directional relationship. If you're a parent and coach your children setting some boundaries is helpful for journeys. Connect with Professor Camilla Knight Email Website Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Resources Sports Psychology Resources for Youth Sport (Blogs, Podcasts, Video's) Sport Psychology for Children and Parents Child and Youth Motivation for Sport Quiz Parent Motivation for Sport Quiz

Today marks a landmark in the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast where the show has been running for 2 years without missing a week. As a result, 2 very special guests and pioneers in the field Doug Strycharczyk and Dr John Perry join me. Together we discuss the third edition of their book alongside Professor Peter Clough, Developing Mental Toughness, we chat about new developments to the 4C's Mental Toughness model. Doug and John also share their thoughts on where research and practice is heading sharing insights into Mental Toughness and its relationships with innovation, trust and Mental Health. Key Learning Points: The development of the eight factors in the four Cs Mental Toughness model include the introduction of goal orientation, achievement orientation, risk orientation and learning orientation. The eight factor framework for mental toughness has brought a new lens to understanding how other people behave. We've been looking at things like trust, innovation, curiosity and more recently vulnerability. Goal orientation is the extent to which you are likely to be motivated by targets. Achievement orientation is the extent to which you make sure that you stick in to meet that target or goal. Learning orientation links to the question – do you keep making the same mistakes? In sport a lot of people struggle with reflection and repeating mistakes. Age may have something to do with this. There is potential for developing some really interesting solutions for lots of people through the Mental Toughness lens moving forwards. The 4C's model is sufficiently complex, in that it represents people and the future is very exciting where we have many options to continue on the great work already done. Connect with Dr John Perry: Twitter: @johnperry81 Email: John.Perry@mic.ul.ie Connect with Doug Strycharczyk: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougstrycharczyk/ Email: headoffice@aqr.co.uk https://aqrinternational.co.uk/ Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes Ep001: Doug Strycharczyk – The Importance of Mental Toughness Ep028: Peter Clough MBE – Why is Mental Toughness Important? Ep035: Dr John Perry – Thrive, Don't Just Survive 2021 Ep050: Doug Strycharczyk, Peter Clough MBE & Dr John Perry - Mental Strength Does Not Guarantee Success Ep109: Maria Jeffers - How to master the mental side of horse riding Other Useful Resources 5 Reasons team captains should work with a Sports Psychologist Blog - Mental-Toughness is a Hugely Valuable Trait Blog – Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment

In this solo episode I share some ideas for sport coaches so that they help develop mental strength in their athletes and teams. The methods I discuss are in contrast to what some people often consider as the way to develop Mental Strength or Mental Toughness by creating fear cultures, pushing athletes to their limits and dishing out punishments. I'm hopeful this episode will destroy that particular myth where I dig into the importance of social support and the different types of social support you can offer your athletes. Teachers and parents will likely find the insights and case studies helpful too. Key Learning Points As a Sports Psychologist we are often tasked with "fixing" problems that athletes may be experiencing. These problems can be influenced by genetics, the athletes home environment, personality traits, value clashes, parenting, off pitch or course issues, the club or organisations culture. The problems can also be influenced hugely by coaches. A coach's role is multifaceted and complex as are the individuals they work with. The benefits of good communication and excellent social support for athletes include fewer burnout symptoms, improved sporting performance, better transitions from junior to adult sport and reduced anxiety. Different types of social support include: listening support, emotional support. emotional challenge, reality confirmation support, task appreciation support and task challenge support. Consider the age and the experience of the athlete when deciding how much social support you will provide as a coach. Research tells us that younger and less experienced athletes may require more social support from their coach than the older and more experienced athletes. As a coach you may also want to consider the skill level of the athlete. Elite athletes are likely to need different social support strategies than recreational athletes. Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep039: John Fletcher – How to Develop Fearless Athletes Ep041: Paul McGee – How to Develop Interpersonal Confidence Ep064: Edu Rubio – How to Support Young Footballers Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep066: Marilyn Okoro – Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Ep105: Hannah Bromley – Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women's Football Relevant Blogs and Resources Case Study: Supporting a Young Footballer to Overcome His Fears Blog - 5 Coaching Tips To Develop Mentally Tough Footballers Blog - Coach Development Helping Athletes Overcome Fear Of Failure Blog - Mental Health Guidance For Coaches When Supporting Athletes Blog – Make Better Decisions To Help Your Sport Performance Blog – 5 Ways To Create A Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips To Deal With Bullying In Sport

In today's episode of Demystifying Mental Toughness, I chat with my colleague James Lau, where we discussed his journey to qualifying as a Sport Psychologist. We also considered lessons that he'd learned along the way and challenges that he had encountered in his training and now as an Applied Sport and Exercise Psychologist, in his private practice. Working in team sports and one of his passions, racquet sports we go on to describe the types of challenges we face as practitioners, as well as how we support athletes. Key Learning Points: A Psychology degree helped give James a foundation to build on. A Master's degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology allowed him to learn specific techniques and theories that can benefit his clients. Establishing and maintaining relationships with clients is critical as a Sport Psychologist. The Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Stage 2 helped him learn more about the role, he faced challenges, made mistakes and learned, developing his own Mental Toughness. Sport Psychologists can work with coaching staff to change the culture in a team setting. Psychological safety is important in team sports so that individuals can go out and fully express themselves. In racquet sports, often the biggest psychological challenge players have is dealing with big points (match point, break points). Connect with James Lau Twitter Website Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Useful Resources Sports Psychology For Youth Athletes Podcasts James Lau Blogs, Video's and Podcasts Racquet Sport Blogs

On today's episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, I was delighted to be joined by Dr. Bob Winters, an internationally recognised sport psychologist who has supported US Men's and Women's Open Golf Champions and many other elite professional and amateur athletes across a variety of sports. In the episode we discuss sport psychology in golf and the field as a whole. We also chat about grit and many elements of mental toughness and how they apply to our work in supporting golfers to get the most out of their skills and abilities. Key Learning Points: Anxiety and stress are always the killers of any type of athletic movement, especially in sports using perceptual motor skills such as golf. For the Leadbetter Golf Academy at Champions Gate in Orlando, I provide a lot of information for all our academy golf instructors. My process is helping each person develop a personal playing philosophy. "The first question I would ask you, David, in relation to your golf - Are you good?" We need to get out of realistic thinking or probability thinking and look to encourage possibility thinking. Giving our best effort every day and on every shot is under our control Every putt can be made, no matter the distance. Every putt deserves to be made. Connect with Dr Bob Winters Instagram Website Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Other Useful Podcast Episodes Podcast Ep017: Gio Valiante - How to Play Fearless Golf Podcast Ep047: David Charlton – Mental Game Tips for Putting Ep089: Will Shaw - How to Transfer Your Golfing Skills to the Course Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Ep101: Compilation - 25 Mental Game Secrets to Improve Your Golf For More Resources so You Can Shoot Lower Scores on The Golf Course 10 Mental Game Tips from Leading Experts to Improve Your Golf Do you try too hard on the golf course? Golfers Mental Scorecard Golf Psychology FAQs Psychology of Golf Library

This week's solo episode is part two where I build on last week's episode and share 4 more ideas and further resources to help footballers who come across the challenge of being released from football clubs. It's a naturally difficult time for the player and their family where their motivation and mental health can be tested. My ideas relate to how a mentally tough player would likely view the situation and how you can develop your mental toughness and bounce back positively from the setback. Key Learning Points See yourself as a worthwhile person. If you have some unanswered questions for the coaching staff, make sure you ask them. Create some goals to work towards. Don't allow setbacks to distract you from your long term goals. Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep002: Steve Judge – How to Deal with Adversity Ep049: James Maurice - How Does Sport Psychology in Elite Football Academies Help Ep064: Edu Rubio – How to Support Young Footballers Ep075: Grant Phyphers – How to Rebuild Your Identity Ep108: David Charlton - Observations: How to Stay on Top of Your Goals Relevant Blogs and Resources Gibbs Reflective Cycle 4 Powerful Questions when Dealing with Challenging Situations Performance Profile for Goalkeepers Blog: 3 Tips to Help You Overcome Setbacks Blog - Don't Waste Another Lockdown

In this solo episode, I discuss an obstacle many of our clients come across, being released from football clubs. This episode is part one, of a two part series designed to give players, coaches and parents of players some ideas on how the mentally tough player would view the situation. I also share 4 ideas and a number of resources that can help players who are finding this period difficult. Key Learning Points Try to keep the situation in proportion. See the setback as an opportunity to develop yourself. Deal with the situation the best you possibly can. Accept that there are better ways of doing things and be open to exploring different options. Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep027: Natalie Henderson – How to Develop Mental Toughness with Young Footballers Ep049: James Maurice - How Does Sport Psychology in Elite Football Academies Help Ep064: Edu Rubio – How to Support Young Footballers Ep086: David Charlton: Observations: How to Learn from Setbacks Ep113: The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Relevant Blogs and Resources Gibbs Reflective Cycle 4 Powerful Questions when Dealing with Challenging Situations Blog: 3 Tips to Help You Overcome Setbacks Blog – 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment

Today, I'm joined by a former international cricketer and Senior Leadership Coach, Jeremy Snape. We go on to discuss mental toughness in cricket, the pressures of playing at the international level in front of thousands of spectators, as well as looking at the relationship between sport performance and business. Enjoy tuning in! Key Learning Points: Our brains are built for safety, to keep us safe. Being calm, patient and instinctive are skills that can be developed and help us perform to our maximum. A "one ball at a time mentality" is helpful - focusing on making the next moment as high quality as we can. Counting and breathing techniques can refocus our mind. Consider setting transformational goals, to stretch yourself and others. Connect with Jeremy Snape LinkedIn Website Inside The Mind of Champions Podcast Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Useful Podcasts Ep042: Mark Bennett MBE – Characteristics of High Performance Athletes Ep072: Tom Jones - Mastering the Mental Side of Cricket Ep091: Jarrod Leathem – How to Transfer Your Cricket Skills to Matches For More Resources for Cricketers Blog - Make Bowling Simple by Avoiding these 3 Common Mental Game Errors Blog - 5 Tips if you fall into the TRYING TOO HARD TRAP when bowling Blog - Mental Preparation for Bowlers in Cricket Blog - Being an Intelligent Batsman can be a Problem Blog - Batting with a Quiet Mind

Today I'm joined by Tim Bradshaw author of Because I Can, a former surveillance and target acquisition patrol soldier and covert human intelligence officer. We discuss his quest to help people understand it's ok to ask for help when they have mental health concerns. Stepping out of your comfort zone, taking on challenges such as Everest are also talked about, as well as his definition of mental toughness in military settings. Key Learning Points: We took on a year of challenges every month for a year to raise awareness around Mental Health. Self-doubt is very natural, we all face it at different times. Fatigue is a big issue when taking on a challenge like Everest. Accepting, not beating yourself up for a lack of sleep is the important part in dealing with it. Take a leaf out of the All Blacks and think differently, never take a step backwards. Nobody is born resilient, you become resilient. The sheer volume of information shared to us is crazy, we have to be able to sift out the not so helpful bits and focus on what is going to support us. Seek to focus on what is possible not what you can't do. Connect with Tim Bradshaw Instagram LinkedIn Website Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep066: Marilyn Okoro – Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Ep075: Grant Phyphers – How to Rebuild Your Identity Ep106: Amy Rowlinson - Why is knowing my WHY important? Ep113: Polly Brennan - The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Other Useful Resources linked to Mental Health Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport Blog - How to Find Your Why

In today's podcast episode #113, I'm joined by the adventurous and inspirational Polly Brennan, founder of Adventurous Coaching and creator of The Mental Fitness Kitbag™ Model. Our discussion centres around mental fitness, mental health and mental toughness where we share some helpful strategies to help you manage your mental health. Enjoy tuning in! Key Learning Points: Mental health and well-being can be viewed as an adventure. What does an adventurous approach to how you live your life look like? Adventures of the ordinary can be done on a shoestring. What does a challenge look like to you? Mental Health operates on a continuum and changes frequently dependent on an individuals circumstances. What do you do to strengthen your resilience muscles? Connect with Polly Brennan Instagram LinkedIn Website Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes Ep011: Dave Algeo - Mental Toughness, Mental Health and High Performance Ep018: Kieron Brady - From Professional Football to Alcoholism Consultant Ep031 David Jueno - How to Turn Your Life Around and Inspire Others Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep066: Marilyn Okoro – Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Ep075: Grant Phyphers – How to Rebuild Your Identity Ep106: Amy Rowlinson - Why is knowing my WHY important? Other Useful Resources linked to Mental Health Blog - Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport Blog - How to Find Your Why