The Sport Psych Show
Dan Abrahams
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 11, 2019 • 1h 6min
#30 Brian McCormick - The 21st Century Coach
In this episode I'm joined by professional basketball coach, consultant, and clinician Brian McCormick. Brian has coached professionally in Denmark, Ireland, and Sweden, taking a team to the finals in Denmark's 1st Division and being selected to coach in Sweden's Damligan All-Star Game. Brian completed his PhD in Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Utah, and has had peer-reviewed papers published in the International Journal of Exercise Science, International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, and Strength & Conditioning Journal. He's written several books including an enormously popular one called 'The 21st Century Basketball Practice'. And it's this book that we focus on mainly in this podcast. Specifically we talk about, flow vs deliberate practice; keeping the game fun and enjoyable at all levels; educative vs training environment; reducing mistakes vs improving skill; the importance of players practice handling mistakes in training and Brian's greatest coaching influences.
Mar 4, 2019 • 1h 13min
#29 Shaun Larkin - The Art of Coaching
I have the pleasure of being joined by Shaun Larkin, Coordinator of Skill Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on this episode. Previously Shaun played professional baseball and then moved into coaching before completing a Master's degree in Performance Psychology. In his current role Shaun oversees how practices are designed for players and how players are developed in terms of skill acquisition, motor learning and mental skills. We speak about how baseball has realised the importance of mental skills; sport psychology for tough times as well as good times; player development; the strain on young baseball players; the pressure put onto very young players in the US; helping young players to make their own decisions; coaches and parents creating experiences for players; the advantage of doing reps and practice-based evidence.
Feb 25, 2019 • 1h 11min
#28 Jason Severiano Lampkin & Alex Billington - Dealing with a Career-Ending Injury
I speak with Jason Severiano Lampkin and Alex Billington, two ex-professional soccer players who were both forced to stop playing due to career-ending injuries in this episode. Jason played at the Manchester United Academy and then completed his apprenticeship at Aston Villa, while Alex attended the Blackburn Academy and then earned a professional contract at Preston. After being released by their respective teams, both Jason and Alex decided to make the move to the US after receiving scholarships, and this is when they met each other. We speak about having the expectation from a young age of becoming a professional footballer; sport forming a player's identity; having your identity taken away from you when you stop playing competitively; not having support to deal with a bad game; having a post-match routine; dealing with injury; the need for psychological support in sport; moving on from a career in football.
Feb 18, 2019 • 55min
#27 Frank Shamrock - Fighting Your Way to the Top: Using Mental Skills to Be the Best You Can Be
I'm lucky enough to be joined by Frank "The Legend" Shamrock in this episode. Frank is an American MMA fighter (retired), entrepreneur, motivational speaker and philanthropist. He was the 1st to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired as the 4-time defending undefeated champion and the #1 ranked UFC fighter in the world. Frank is also CEO of the Shamrock Way organisation - a volunteer-powered charity committed to helping at-risk youth become leaders of sport, technology and social activism. We speak about Frank's early fights and the unique approach he took to them; self-talk; using emotion and intelligence in sport; visualisation; the power of meditation and defining your dreams and taking action.
Feb 11, 2019 • 1h 9min
#26 Steve Sallis - From the Classroom to the Pitch: What Coaches can Learn from Teachers
In this episode, I'm joined by Steve Sallis. Steve currently works with the England u15 National squad and supports several Premier League players with mental conditioning support. He is founder of solutionsmindset.com which specialises in professional athlete mentorship, sport psychology techniques, coach development, business leadership, teacher training, and school CPD. Steve was previously a deputy headteacher and was a local government advisor for behaviour. Prior to his teaching career, Steve was an Academy footballer for Brighton FC for 8 years. Steve has just released the fantastic book Educating Football - and that is what we primarily discuss. We also speak about changing attitudes and behaviours; helping people grow and develop; teaching and learning; growth mindset; self-awareness; maximising learning; resilience; showing and accepting vulnerability and the power of parents.
Feb 5, 2019 • 1h 15min
#25 Alan Stein Jr - Mastering the Basics: What we can Learn from Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry about Mastery
In this episode I speak with Alan Stein Jr. Alan is a world-renowned coach, author and keynote speaker. He has spent 15+ years working with the highest performing basketball players on the planet and now teaches audiences how to utilise the same strategies that elite athletes use to perform at a world-class level. Alan has also just released a fantastic book called Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best which examines the top leaders in sport and business and suggests that success is a result of the little things we do all the time. Alan and I speak about high performance; the importance of having fun while playing; what the best players do in the 'unseen' hours; deliberate practice; Kevin Durant; Kobe Bryant; mastering the basics; being in the present moment; quality over quantity; mastery; giving players the opportunity to make decisions and putting the team first.
Jan 28, 2019 • 58min
#24 James Claffey - Putting the Person Before the Athlete
I have the pleasure of being joined by James Claffey in this episode. James is a Sport Psychology consultant, professional lecturer and coach in both clinical, exercise, sport and performance psychology, who specialises in creating pathways for athletes to reach peak performance. James has over 10 years experience working in the sport, exercise and performance psychology industry. He is currently chief consultant for the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland alongside holding a variety of positions, such as a course director, lecturer in psychology, and consultant with teams and individuals in multiple sports. In this episode we speak about the stigma sometimes attached to Sport Psychology; putting the person before the athlete; Guided Discovery; the power of sleep; introspection; the importance of helping players develop skills outside of their sport; and P.R.I.D.E psychology.
Jan 21, 2019 • 1h 17min
#23 Dr Len Zaichkowsky and Dan Peterson - How to Raise Your Mental Game to the Next Level
I'm delighted to be joined by Dr Len Zaichkowsky and Dan Peterson in this episode. Len and Dan have written the ground-breaking book The Playmakers Advantage: How to Raise Your Mental Game to the Next Level which uses cognitive science research to reveal the elusive qualities playmakers possess - that winning combination of anticipation, perception, and decision-making skills. We mainly speak about this fantastic book, specifically: what makes a playmaker; the disadvantage of early specialisation in sport; athlete cognition; search, decide, execute; physical fatigue leading to mental fatigue; growth mindset; the importance of mental flexibility; choking under pressure and automaticity.
Jan 15, 2019 • 1h 4min
#22 Nick Levett - A Coaching Journey
In this episode, I'm joined by Nick Levett, Head of Talent and Performance at UK Coaching. Nick and his team help develop coaches who work in the Olympic pathway. Nick previously worked in a variety of roles at the FA for 14 years and has coached from grassroots all the way through to Category 1 teams. He has worked with a multitude of coaches and managers and has a wealth of insight into the development of players. We speak about the changes in coaching over the years; involving players in decision making; developing leaders and the importance of coaches focusing on developing people not just soccer players.
Jan 7, 2019 • 1h 4min
#21 Andrew Coltart – How Europe Won the Ryder Cup, Dealing with Pressure on the Golf Course and Playing Tiger Woods
In this episode, I speak with professional golfer and Sky Sports commentator Andrew Coltart. Andrew turned professional in 1991 and was a member of the European Tour from 1993 to 2012. He had two wins on the European Tour and his best finishes in the Order of Merit were 7th place in 1996 and 8th place in 1998. Andrew was a member of the European 1999 Ryder Cup team playing in the singles against Tiger Woods. Andrew now commentates golf for Sky Sports and is the perfect person to talk about the current golfing landscape. We speak about the 2018 Ryder Cup, social facilitation, adaptability, accepting failure, vulnerability and the failings of modern-day golf coaching.
