The Sport Psych Show

I'm speaking with Chris Bryan in this episode. Chris is an Irish International Open Water swimmer, having finished 8th at the world championships. He was the first Irish Open Water swimmer to compete at the European championships. Chris has also completed his PhD in Psychological Resilience and regularly contributes scholarly articles to psychological journals. Chris now manages a swimming academy in Dubai. We speak about hard work vs talent; intrinsic motivation; getting the most out of athletes; the importance of athletes asking 'why'; building resilience; sustainable success; proactive effort; positive psychology; predictable and unpredictable adversity; and bouncebackability.

I have the pleasure of being joined by Martin Bingisser in this episode. Martin holds several positions including National Hammer Throw coach for Swiss Athletics, Throws coach for LC Zürich and Fitness coach for GC Zürich Rugby. He has also worked with USATF, UK Athletics, Scottish Athletics, European Athletics Coaches Association. As an athlete, Martin reached 21st place at the 2014 European Championships and is a 9-time Swiss national champion for hammer throw. Martin is also founder of HMMR Media, a fantastic coaching resource covering a variety of sports and he has written a book called Training Talk: Conversations with a Dozen Master Coaches - a fantastic read in which Martin sits down with twelve top coaches from track and field, soccer, football, and rugby to share best practices and synthesise what the best do to be so successful. And it's this book we mainly focus, discussing Martin's experiences as a coach and an athlete. We speak about having a work-life balance; the role of confidence in sport psychology; getting feedback from athletes; helping athletes reflect; flow state and the importance of self-improvement as a coach.

Richard Shorter, an expert in parent engagement for schools and sports, dives into character building in young athletes. He emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions to foster open communication between children, parents, and coaches. Discussions touch on enhancing sideline support, managing stress, and balancing expectations with enjoyment. Shorter advocates for meaningful conversations that focus on personal growth rather than just winning. His insights encourage a supportive environment, promoting self-awareness and healthy relationships in youth sports.

I'm excited to speak with Rugby Sevens coach, Warren Abrahams in this episode. Warren started out playing rugby in South Africa before moving to the UK where he began to focus on coaching. He has since held a series of coaching roles including with London Irish, Harlequins, Lithuania Sevens and England Sevens. He is now coaching the German National Sevens team. We speak about being a student of the game; developing resilience; multi-sports; the importance of 'play'; 'chaotic' training sessions and the role of psychology in sport.

I have the pleasure of being joined by Author and Performance Expert, Fergus Connolly in this episode. Fergus started out in the world of sport playing Gaelic football in Ireland and, after having developed an interest in speed, strength, and psychology, was offered a role at Bolton Wanderers. Over the next 15 years he went on to work with Bolton Wanderers, Welsh Rugby, San Francisco 49ers, Michigan Football, Blackburn FC, Liverpool FC and many more teams globally. Fergus has also written two fantastic books 'Game Changer' and his latest book '59 Lessons: Working with the World's Greatest Coaches, Athletes, & Special Forces'. And it's this new book that we focus on in this episode. Specifically, we speak about compassionate ruthlessness; interpersonal skills; self-awareness; empowering players, and focusing on what you can control.

I'm delighted to speak with sport psychologist at Benfica Football Club, Dr Pedro L Almeida in this episode. Pedro has been a sport psychologist at Benfica FC for coming up to 25 years. During this time he has accumulated a wealth of experience working with players of all ages from youth team players through to some of the best players in the world. Pedro is also Assistant Professor at Instituto Universitário in Lisbon. We speak about the holistic approach to player development that Benfica takes; the importance of helping players have a structure to their thinking; helping players with career transitioning; helping players manage the fame that comes with a first-team contract; having a support team around players from a young age, not just at first team level; and the successful traits of Portuguese managers.

In this episode I speak with performance psychologist for Blackburn Rovers FC and GB Para Table Tennis, Dr Andy Hill. Andy completed his undergraduate and master degrees in coaching and then went on to do his PhD looking at 'What makes the elite, elite?'. He works with competitors to help them get the very best out of their ability and with coaches to help increase their understanding of the Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence (PCDEs). We speak about players putting in the effort; psychology underpinning the physical; Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence (PCDEs) and helping coaches help players develop skill.

I'm excited to have assistant coach for the Chicago Red Stars, Gary Curneen on this episode. Gary has held various coaching positions over the years and played collegiate soccer at Wingate University, helping lead the men's soccer team to their first-ever NCAA Division II playoff berth. Gary is also founder of the Modern Soccer Coach which aims to create and help develop elite coaches through books, coaching clinics, mentorship programmes, podcasts and webinars. Inspired by players, coaches, and leaders who want to get out of their comfort zone and make an impact, their goal is to give back to the players and coaches who love soccer as much as they do. We speak about the impact of playing college soccer in the US; overcoming insecurities as a player; learning that there's more to coaching than x's and o's; learning from experience; having a mentor and coming up with innovative ideas to engage players.

I have the pleasure of being joined by Lauren Abarca - Mental Conditioning Coordinator with the New York Yankees. Lauren is an experienced soccer player who competed for the University of San Francisco and Point Loma Nazarene University. In this time, she completed her B.A. in Kinesiology with a Minor in Psychology. As a former collegiate athlete Lauren acquired a passion for improving sports performance through mental strengthening. Lauren went on to receive her Master's in Performance Psychology from National University. Lauren continues her passion for improving performance by working with elite level athletes including professional and Olympic. We speak about psychology in baseball; knowing the individual; personality; the importance of observation; self-awareness; asking the right questions; giving too much feedback and identity.

In this episode I speak with former Olympic rower, Annie Vernon. Annie is an Olympic silver medallist and two-time World Champion. She is now a respected sports journalist and has just written a fantastic book entitled Mind Games - Determination, Doubt and Lucky Socks: An Insider's Guide to the Psychology of Elite Athletes. Through interviews with leading sports stars and the latest scientific research, Mind Games looks at how elite sports performers harness the power of their mind in pursuit of physical perfection. We speak about the experience of seeing a sport psychologist; nature vs nurture; 'talent needs trauma'; conscientiousness; the importance of experience; competitiveness; motivation and mental qualities of elite athletes.