

293 How Cricket Coaches Build Mental Toughness: High Challenge, High Support with Stuart Barnes
9 snips Oct 3, 2025
Stuart Barnes, an experienced bowling coach at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, shares insights from over 27 years in coaching. He discusses the brutal demands of elite cricket schedules and how they affect mental toughness. High challenge, high support coaching is explored, emphasizing empathy and tailored direction. Stuart highlights the importance of process over outcome, revealing how top athletes use routines for consistency. He also delves into the fear of success and advises on managing pressure during performance, offering practical tips for players and coaches alike.
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Brutal Schedules Force Survival
- Stuart describes a brutal travel and match schedule that forces players and coaches to survive more than thrive.
- He stresses coaches must balance high challenge with high support while finding time to rest and evolve.
Use Questions To Drive Improvement
- Ask deeper, specific questions in training and reviews instead of handing out answers.
- Use prompts like “What does success look like here in these next six balls?” to provoke reflection and ownership.
Match Training To Season Phase
- Match your session challenge to the season: physical in pre-season, decision-making during competition.
- Tailor training daily to players' load so you preserve performance for upcoming matches.