I’m excited to be joined by AFC Wimbledon Academy Manager, Michael Hamilton. Prior to his role as Academy Manager, Michael was Academy Head of Coaching.  In this episode we speak about the forward-thinking coaching process that are being implemented at AFC Wimbledon including practices that aim to enhance player development; creating a supportive environment for players; player-centred coaching; and working towards being player-led.

I have the pleasure of being joined by Dr Chesli Day in this episode. Chelsi is a sport psychologist within the athletic department at Ohio State University. She was previously at Indiana University as Director of Counselling and Sport Psychology. Her primary role is to provide mental health and performance enhancement services to student athletes and to consult with coaches. We speak about integrating sport psychology and wellness into the curriculum; breaking the stigma of mental health; vulnerability; coaching generation Z; coaching styles and mental health.

I’m delighted to be joined by founder and MD of 21 Leadership, Richard Nugent in this episode. Richard works with fast-paced organisations, including the League Managers Association (LMA), helping them build their capability and capacity for change. He is the best-selling author of ‘50 Secrets of Self Confidence’ and a keynote speaker. In this episode we speak about the most important characteristics for leaders to have; knowing what you stand for as a leader; forward facing vs moving away from; leaving people with energy; physiology of leaders and competence.

I have the pleasure of being joined by Dr Paul McCarthy in this episode. Paul is Programme Director of the Taught Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University. He is also resident sport psychologist at St Andrews Links Golf Academy and has his own private practice supporting athletes and coaches in a range of sports, particularly in golf & football. We take a deep dive into how change happens in athletes by examining person-centred frameworks; the belief that change is possible; listening as a skill; how people get better; different types of relationships; and having boundaries within roles. 

I’m speaking with Chartered Psychologist, speaker, author and high performance consultant, Dr Steve Bull in this episode. With a keen interest in sport, Steve started out as a PE teacher before completing his Masters and then PhD in Applied Psychology at the time when the discipline was only just starting to take hold. He was the Great Britain Team Headquarters Psychologist at 3 Olympic games where he worked with coaches and athletes as well as staff across all sports. He also held various roles including team psychologist with the England Cricket Team for 16 years. We speak about the importance of intervening at the right time; relationship building; mental toughness; types of mental toughness; helping athletes build mental toughness and personality science. 

In this week’s episode I welcome back Dr Scott Goldman. I asked Scott back on the show to speak about the Athletic Intelligence Quotient (AIQ) which he created together with Dr Jim Bowman when they both received training at the Albert Ellis Institute in New York. The AIQ is an intelligence test that assesses the innate cognitive abilities that are most utilised in attaining, developing, and applying athletic skills, strategies, and tactics. The AIQ has over 6000 professional elite athletes in its database covering all 5 major leagues in the US as well as Olympic training facilities and an English Premier League team. We take an in depth look into the AIQ, how it works and what the outcomes mean for individuals and teams.

I’m excited to be speaking with Dr Scott Goldman in this episode. Scott is Director of High Performance Psychology for one of the NFL teams in the US. He provides psychological support and expertise to the team, Head Coach, General Manager, and Vice President. Scott has served as a clinical and performance psychologist for the University of Michigan, Arizona, and Saint Louis’ Athletic Departments. In 2018, he was elected President of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), an international, multidisciplinary organisation with over 2,500 members across 55 countries. We speak about the range of support around an athlete; different styles of coaching; psychological safety; and the role of luck.  

I’m speaking with Rob Cooper in this episode. Rob is Head Coach of Penn State University baseball. A former college baseball player himself, Rob went on to complete a psychology degree at the University of Miami where he also played and where began his coaching career. And he has been coaching ever since - he was named Head Coach at Wright State University, Dayton Ohio and was Head Coach at USA Baseball in 2013 where his team won a gold medal in Taiwan. We speak about the importance of the mental game; redefining failure; the importance of experiencing failure; reframing; and athletes playing with freedom.

I’m delighted to speak with professional basketball and global skill coach, Ganon Baker in this episode. Ganon is regarded as one of the premiere basketball skill trainers in the world. He trains players from the NBA, NCAA, high school and middle school levels. His relentless passion, work ethic, and competency for the game has the respect of players and coaches all over the world. Ganon has travelled the globe impacting the game of basketball and has worked with and shared the court with players such as Lebron James, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant. We speak about what makes a successful athlete; connecting not communicating; behaviour change; playing with a sense of fun and how to coach different types of people.

I have the pleasure of being joined by Stuart Singer in this episode. Stuart is a performance psychologist with a Masters of Education in Counselling and over a decade of experience working to improve individual and group performance. He currently works with the Washington Wizards and the Washington Mystics and serves as the Performance Enhancement Coach for the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA. Stuart has also coached high-school athletes in varsity soccer, basketball, track, and cross-country, and was a graduate assistant for the Women's Cross-Country and Track teams at Shippensburg University. Stuart's practice includes providing mental performance skills coaching for athletes from the elite high school level through to college and professional athletes. We speak about players knowing themselves at their best; focusing on the process; intentionality and accepting imperfection.