The Sport Psych Show

I speak with Michael Passaportis and Dr Daniel Brown in this episode. Michael is a lecturer at the University of Sussex in Sport and Exercise Psychology. He is also completing his doctoral research at the University of Portsmouth. Michael’s research is centred on exploring the interconnectivity of human excellence and well-being within multidimensional organisational systems, with a specific focus on the psychosocial factors that influence thriving within elite sport organisations. Michael’s research interests are influenced by his past experiences of competing in professional rugby. Dan is a senior lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Portsmouth and leads the undergraduate programme in Sport and Exercise Psychology there. He is a Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Dan’s research centres on the psychology of human excellence and well-being (thriving). Specifically, his focuses on understanding and facilitating thriving in humans, athlete transitions and developmental experiences, and the development and assessment of interventions used in sport and performance psychology. Dan also supervises doctoral students at Portsmouth University, Michael being one of those students. Michael and Dan have co-written a paper with others which is about creating environments for thriving which examines the environmental factors that facilitate athlete thriving. You can access the paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029222001157?via%3Dihub

I’m delighted to speak to Dr Leisha Strachan this week. Leisha is a Professor and is serving as Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba. Leisha’s research is focused on positive youth development through sport and she is interested in exploring positive coaching behaviours and parent involvement. Along with Dr Dany MacDonald and Dr Jean Côté, Leisha began Project SCORE, an online resource for coaches and parents to learn about the 4 Cs in sport (competence, confidence, connection, and character) and how the Cs could be incorporated to promote positive youth sport spaces. Leisha is interested in cultural relevancy within the field of positive youth development and has recently completed a SSHRC-funded grant that explored the Cs through the voices of Indigenous youth.  Leisha is a former national team member in the sport of baton twirling, earning 2 bronze medals at the World Championships. She has been coaching in the sport for the past 26 years and is a judge and choreographer in baton, working with athletes across Canada, Scotland, England, and Australia. 

I’m delighted to speak to Dr Emma Mosley this week. Emma is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Psychology in the Department of Sport Science and Performance at Solent University, Southampton. Emma completed her BSc in Sport Psychology and Coaching Sciences and went on to complete her PhD at Bournemouth University. Emma is an active researcher within psychophysiology and sport performance, with a particular specialism in heart rate variability. She is a member of the mind-body connections research group at Solent. Emma is also a Chartered Scientist (CSci) and a BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist. Emma has co-written a paper with Dr Sylvain Laborde entitled “A scoping review of heart rate variability in sport and exercise psychology” which aimed to provide a scoping review of the use of heart rate variability (HRV) within Sport and Exercise Psychology.

This week I’m delighted to speak to Prof Andrew Lane. Andy is a BASES accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist, a Chartered Sport Psychologist registered with the HCPC, and a Professor at the University of Wolverhampton. Andy completed his undergraduate, Masters degree and PhD before becoming a lecturer at Brunel University. He then moved to the University of Wolverhampton where he progressed from Senior Lecturer to Associate Dean. Andy is responsible for developing and implementing a research strategy for staff and doctoral students. Andy and I discuss a study that he led in conjunction with BBC Lab UK. The study, which had in excess of 40,000 participants, examined the effects psychological skills training has on the experience of emotion under pressure and competitive performance. We talk through the psychological techniques utilised in the study (imagery, self-talk, and if-then planning), and assess the effectiveness of these techniques when delivered online. You can find the study here https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00413/full

I’m delighted to speak to Prof Elaine Fox this week. Elaine is the Head of School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. Prior to that Elaine was at The University of Oxford for 12 years where, up until very recently, she ran a research lab and team. Elaine’s background is in cognitive psychology. More recently she has undertaken research around emotion, specifically how we react to different situations, as well as in mental health research.  She is also director of her company Oxford Elite Performance which she co-founded with her husband to utilise scientific research in psychology and cognitive science in order to optimise high performance in sport, the military, and business. Drawing on her 25 years of scientific research, Elaine has just released her brilliant new book “Switchcraft: Harnessing the Power of Mental Agility to Transform Your Life” in which she shares her step-by-step guide to what she calls ‘Switchcraft’: the set of skills we need to navigate a complex and uncertain world. In her work coaching top athletes, military leaders and business professionals, she has seen that it’s the people who know how and when to switch between different approaches – people who have an agile mind – who achieve the best performance.

Something a bit different for this 200th episode of The Sport Psych Show. This week I speak to Trevor Whyte. Trevor has worked in hospitals as a Respiratory Therapist since 2006 having spent time on the frontline, on various projects and in leadership. Dealing with airway management and critical care taught him the importance of high functioning teams for good outcomes. At the beginning of the pandemic Trevor was tasked with leading a team to set up and operate a mass testing site for COVID-19, quickly finding traction with his team. Trevor was given the opportunity to become an early mass vaccine site which delivered almost 170,000 vaccines. To manage the rapidly changing information and challenging conditions, Trevor worked to build a team mindset and framework that allowed the team to work in safe uncertainty and meet their goals under great pressure. Trevor has played and coached soccer and has been able to translate his experience in sports to help his healthcare teams find success in challenging and ever-changing conditions, such as a pandemic.

I’m delighted to speak to Dr Alexander T. Latinjak this week. Alexander is an Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Suffolk.  In his youth, Alexander was a high-level tennis player who travelled the world pursuing his sports career. After retiring from tennis Alexander studied psychology at the University of Barcelona and obtained his PhD in Psychology with Distinction from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He then worked for eight years at the prestigious School of Health and Sports Sciences (EUSES) at the University of Girona before joining the University of Suffolk to contribute to the sports psychology curriculum and broaden his diverse lines of research and applied practices.  Alexander specialises in the area of self-talk and cognitive self-regulation in sports and has co-edited a brilliant book on the subject entitled ‘Self-Talk in Sport’ with Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis.

Dr. Laura Healy & Joseph Stanford discuss personality traits in coach-athlete relationships, emphasizing the 'big five' traits impact, importance of understanding personalities for collaboration, dynamics of relationships, embracing authenticity in coaching, complexities of traits, and research approaches in enhancing communication and understanding.

I’m delighted to speak to Prof Tim Rees this week. Tim is a Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Sport Sciences at Bournemouth University, a Higher Education Academy Fellow, a British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow, and a BASES Accredited Sport & Exercise Scientist. Tim’s research centres on the development of talent, and social psychological influences on performance and physical activity. His research has been featured in all major UK broadsheets, BBC R4’s flagship programme “All in the Mind”, US National Public Radio’s “Only a Game”, Psychology Today and Huffington Post, and has informed and changed practice across all UK Olympic Sports, England Rugby, and the England and Wales Cricket Board. Tim and I discuss several papers that he has contributed to regarding elite athletes and, in particular, we discuss the differences between elite and super-elite athletes.

I speak to Jay DeMerit in this week’s episode. Jay is a retired professional soccer player having played in the Premier League and USMNT. He played for Watford F.C over six seasons, including one season in the Premier League, having scored in their victory in the 2006 Football League Championship play-off Final. Jay also played in the 2010 World Cup for the US. Jay now runs youth programme Rise + Shine which aims to inspire youth to identify their strengths and passions; and to develop the skills required for ongoing success, well-being, and the pursuit of excellence. Rise and Shine provides attendees with a series of experiences and lessons that explore the habits, mental skills, and personal responsibilities that are critical tools for emerging leaders.  We talk about Jay’s remarkable story from not being drafted by any MLS clubs following his graduation from college to playing in the English Premier League in just a few short years.