The Sport Psych Show #330 Johan Forsberg - Examining the Relationship Between Psychological States and Performance
Oct 13, 2025
Johan Forsberg, a former professional ice hockey player turned mental performance coach, shares insights into the psychology behind athletic performance. He discusses the intricacies of leadership and group dynamics in sports, emphasizing the importance of personal strategies over talent labels. Fascinatingly, Johan reveals that pre-game psychological states surprisingly don’t predict performance but rather, game outcomes influence athletes' moods the following day. He advocates for personalized emotion-management techniques to enhance athlete wellbeing and performance.
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From Late Starter To Elite Player
- Johan Forsberg started hockey late and lacked obvious skill yet became an elite player through effort and smart choices.
- He focused on being the best-trained athlete and improving what he could rather than lamenting what he couldn't.
Talent Is Not Fixed Or Easily Predicted
- Talent is hard to predict early because growth, maturation, and relative age shape early competence.
- Johan argues we should focus on complexity of development and avoid early deterministic labels.
Target What You Can Improve
- Ask yourself what you can realistically improve and target those areas instead of chasing others' strengths.
- Test changes, review outcomes, and iterate your training and role to capitalise on your strengths.