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.

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.

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.

I have the pleasure of being joined by Shameema Yousuf in this episode. Shameema is a certified mental performance consultant of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, registered counsellor in psychotherapy, member of the American Psychological Society Division 47 and the British Psychological Society within the Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology. She also has a private practice working with youth athletes all the way up to elite athletes. Shameema is also lead of the women and girls psychology programme and delivery at Brighton and Hove Albion FC. We speak about the similarities between sport and the corporate world; anxiety; applying mindfulness in a fast-paced environment; language and narrative; integrating sport psychology and mental skills into a sports club; different communication styles between genders; driving focus of attention; the importance of players reflecting on what went well; coping mechanisms; having a routine in place; identity and relationship building.

I’m delighted to have Nick Winkelman on this episode. Nick is Head of Athletic Performance and Science for Irish Rugby. Previously, Nick worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach for 10 years working with elite military and NFL athletes and running coach education at Exos. We speak about the power of language; helping athletes learn better; internal and external cueing; what shapes movement; direct and indirect coaching; heuristics; opportunities for improvement and feedback loops.

I have the pleasure of being joined by Cody Royle in this episode. Cody is Head Coach of Canada’s AFL (Australian Football League) programme. He has also written “Where Others Won’t” a fantastic book about high performance in sport and in the corporate world. During our discussion, we break down Cody’s book chapter by chapter. We speak about coaching elite players; language; the importance of good communication; creating emotional bonds with individuals; leadership groups; experience not equalling leadership; Cognitive Entrenchment; cultural alignment and fighting for your culture.

I’m joined by Jeremy Holt and Dr Will Thomas from the Centre for Team Excellence in this episode. Jeremy and Will’s pioneering research has shown that people in great teams think, feel and behave differently to those in ordinary teams. Jeremy and Will have worked in a range of sports, with the Royal Marines and with a number of organisations. We speak about social identity; the reasons people are more likely to identify with a team; Individual distinctiveness; TRIBE – Traditions, Relevance, Identity, Belonging and Effectiveness; and co-creating team values.

In this episode, I speak with Professor Sophia Jowett. Sophia is a Sport Psychologist who lectures and researches at Loughborough University in the UK. She is an Associate Fellow and Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society and she consults with athletes and coaches in a range of sports. Her research work mainly revolves around interpersonal relationships in sport with an emphasis on coaching relationships. And this is what this conversation is all about – managing and improving relationships between coaches and participants. We speak about the definition of coaching; the unique relationship between coaches and athletes; what is leadership; the 4 C’s - closeness, commitment, cooperation and coorientation; the role of power; managing conflict; and the COMPASS model.

I have the pleasure of having my former mentor Rob Robson on this week’s episode. Rob is a People and Change Consultant and Psychologist working mainly within organisations to help them achieve their transformation and growth objectives. Rob trained as a Sport Psychologist and has worked in high change environments for over 20 years. He is also a competitive Masters swimmer and holds several British records.   We speak about finding the balance in sport; quality vs quantity; body awareness; high energy; Reversal Theory; and the 8 motivational states within Reversal Theory.

I’m delighted to be joined by Dr Alice Boyes on this episode. Alice is a former clinical psychologist and researcher turned writer. She has a PhD in the Psychology of Relationships and is author of two bestselling books: The Anxiety Toolkit and The Healthy Mind Toolkit. In this episode Alice and I talk about Self-sabotaging; looking for patterns; Prepare and Plan mindset; having the skills to dealing with rumination; Labelling; what to do with emotions; self-compassion; taking responsibility vs blaming others and being understanding with yourself.