The Sport Psych Show
Dan Abrahams
Join Sport Psychologist, Dan Abrahams, on The Sport Psych Show as he aims to demystify sport psychology for players, coaches and parents by speaking with some of the most influential people in sports performance today. Dan is on a mission to learn more about how sport psychology philosophies, tools and techniques positively impact participation, progression and performance in sport. He wants to learn more about how to drive participation – what motivational tools engage players and inspire people to play and stay in their sport. He wants to explore how players can progress quicker and more effectively – what is great practice and training? And how does learning in sport really happen? Finally, he wants to hear what his guests have to say about the psychology of performance – how do they think players can improve their ability to high perform consistently under pressure? Discover simple and practical tools and techniques by listening in to Dan’s conversations with elite competitors, sports coaches, sport scientists, and psychologists.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 11, 2019 • 1h 9min
#26 Steve Sallis - From the Classroom to the Pitch: What Coaches can Learn from Teachers
In this episode, I’m joined by Steve Sallis. Steve currently works with the England u15 National squad and supports several Premier League players with mental conditioning support. He is founder of solutionsmindset.com which specialises in professional athlete mentorship, sport psychology techniques, coach development, business leadership, teacher training, and school CPD. Steve was previously a deputy headteacher and was a local government advisor for behaviour. Prior to his teaching career, Steve was an Academy footballer for Brighton FC for 8 years. Steve has just released the fantastic book Educating Football - and that is what we primarily discuss. We also speak about changing attitudes and behaviours; helping people grow and develop; teaching and learning; growth mindset; self-awareness; maximising learning; resilience; showing and accepting vulnerability and the power of parents.
Feb 5, 2019 • 1h 15min
#25 Alan Stein Jr - Mastering the Basics: What we can Learn from Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry about Mastery
In this episode I speak with Alan Stein Jr. Alan is a world-renowned coach, author and keynote speaker. He has spent 15+ years working with the highest performing basketball players on the planet and now teaches audiences how to utilise the same strategies that elite athletes use to perform at a world-class level. Alan has also just released a fantastic book called Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best which examines the top leaders in sport and business and suggests that success is a result of the little things we do all the time. Alan and I speak about high performance; the importance of having fun while playing; what the best players do in the ‘unseen’ hours; deliberate practice; Kevin Durant; Kobe Bryant; mastering the basics; being in the present moment; quality over quantity; mastery; giving players the opportunity to make decisions and putting the team first.
Jan 28, 2019 • 58min
#24 James Claffey - Putting the Person Before the Athlete
I have the pleasure of being joined by James Claffey in this episode. James is a Sport Psychology consultant, professional lecturer and coach in both clinical, exercise, sport and performance psychology, who specialises in creating pathways for athletes to reach peak performance. James has over 10 years experience working in the sport, exercise and performance psychology industry. He is currently chief consultant for the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland alongside holding a variety of positions, such as a course director, lecturer in psychology, and consultant with teams and individuals in multiple sports. In this episode we speak about the stigma sometimes attached to Sport Psychology; putting the person before the athlete; Guided Discovery; the power of sleep; introspection; the importance of helping players develop skills outside of their sport; and P.R.I.D.E psychology.
Jan 21, 2019 • 1h 17min
#23 Dr Len Zaichkowsky and Dan Peterson - How to Raise Your Mental Game to the Next Level
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.
Jan 15, 2019 • 1h 4min
#22 Nick Levett - A Coaching Journey
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.
Jan 7, 2019 • 1h 4min
#21 Andrew Coltart – How Europe Won the Ryder Cup, Dealing with Pressure on the Golf Course and Playing Tiger Woods
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.
Dec 20, 2018 • 1h 4min
#20 Shameema Yousuf – Empowering Players with Performance Psychology AND Well-being Strategies
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.
Dec 17, 2018 • 1h 12min
#19 Nick Winkelman – Developing Players Through Powerful Language and by Capturing, Keeping and Directing Attention
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.
Dec 10, 2018 • 1h 16min
#18 Cody Royle - Where Others Won't
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.
Dec 3, 2018 • 1h 8min
#17 Jeremy Holt and Dr Will Thomas – Creating Team Excellence
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.
