The Sport Psych Show

On this week’s episode I speak to Dr Chris Mesagno. Chris is a sport psychologist, a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Victoria University, and a Research Fellow at the Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University.  Chris has over 20 years of research expertise in stress, anxiety, attention and concentration skills and has successfully developed theory-matched interventions to improve performance for highly anxious and “choking-susceptible” athletes. Chris also worked, and continues to work, with numerous athletes from a range of team and individual sports to enhance mental skills for better performance and mental health outcomes. Chris maintains a robust academic research profile with more than 50 research articles and book chapters and has given various presentations at national and international conferences. This international research profile has been recognised with awards and keynote conference presentations within sport and exercise psychology. In this episode we focus on a paper led by Dr Peter Gröpel and co-written by Chris entitled “Choking interventions in sports: A systematic review”. The purpose of the paper is to provide an overview of studies that have tested interventions used to alleviate choking. The results of the paper may help athletes and coaches select and implement effective strategies and methods to improve performance under pressure.

In this episode I’m joined by Dr Ella McLoughlin and Dr Rachel Arnold. We discuss a paper that was led by Ella which examines how stressors influence sport performers’ health, well-being, and performance. Ella is a Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. Her research interests span the topics of lifetime stressor exposure, the enhancement of health, well-being, and performance, and psychophysiological responses to acute stressors among athletes. Ella is a member of the Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre. She has published in peer-reviewed journals in the area of stress, health, and performance and has presented her work at national and international conferences. Rachel is the Academic Director (Doctoral) and a Reader in Sport and Performance Psychology at the University of Bath. Rachel is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council, accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Chartered Scientist with The Science Council, and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Rachel’s research looks at how individuals and organisations can optimally manage stress to enable thriving, predominantly in sport but also in high pressure domains. She has published widely in leading peer-reviewed journals on the area of stress, performance, and well-being.

Dr Steve Ingham, an experienced sports scientist and performance coach, discusses his journey and challenges in the sports industry. Topics include building trust in talent pathways, the importance of interpersonal skills, the role of a sports scientist in leadership, balancing detail and the big picture, goal clarity and feedback, and the genesis of his podcast Supporting Champions.

Guest Dr Jon Rhodes, Co-Developer of Functional Imagery Training, discusses the power of imagery in achieving process goals, cues and triggers in decision-making, understanding values and functional energy training, and the importance of multi-sensory imagery for making good decisions.

Dr Carla Edwards, a sports psychiatrist, discusses athlete maltreatment in sport. She explores the prevalence of mental illness among athletes and the impact of environmental factors. The chapter delves into recognizing and defining maltreatment, as well as the challenges of reporting abuse. The speakers emphasize the need for coaches to understand boundaries and focus on the message rather than the delivery. They also highlight the importance of delivering messages about physical condition in a healthy way.

Dr. Mitch Greene, a licensed clinical and sport psychologist, discusses managing mind chatter in athletes. He reveals how confidence isn't essential for success and offers strategies for handling negative self-talk. The podcast explores normalizing mental health discussions in sports and emphasizes the importance of seeking professional help to navigate uncertainties and pressures in competitive environments.

I’m delighted to speak to Dr Billy Low in this week’s episode. Billy is Assistant Professor at the School of Sport and Exercise at Heriot-Watt University. Billy completed his PhD at the University of Essex on the topic of pressure training. We take a deep dive into pressure training and discuss a fascinating paper Billy led on the subject along with Dr Mike Stoker, Prof Joanne Butt and Prof Ian Maynard entitled “Pressure Training: From Research to Applied Practice”. The purpose of the paper is to guide coaches and sport psychology practitioners in conducting pressure training at both elite and lower levels of sport. The paper includes steps for conducting pressure training effectively. Based on research and applied practice, the recommendations address how to create pressure and how to establish training environments that are conducive to pressure training. Each recommendation describes a principle that can guide practitioners and coaches as they tailor pressure training to specific sports and levels of competition.

Join Dr. Brendan SueSee, a senior lecturer in Health and Physical Education, and Dr. Shane Pill, one of Australia's top coach educators, as they explore the Spectrum of Teaching Styles. They share their personal coaching journeys, emphasizing the connection between teaching methods and effective sports coaching. The duo delves into various styles, from command to player-centered approaches, discussing how these methods enhance athlete performance and promote learner autonomy. Their insights foster deeper understanding and engagement in sports education.

Dr Scott Goldman, licensed clinical psychologist and sport psychologist, discusses leadership styles and the role of coaching in sports psychology. They explore authenticity and compassion in leadership, as well as the impact of early seriousness and authoritarian coaching on athlete development. The concept of motivation and professional decision-making in coaching and leadership is also explored.

This week I’m delighted to speak to Cailie McGuire and Dr Daniel Brown about thriving in sport. Cailie is in her final year of her PhD at Queen’s University. Her research interest is in sport psychology, specifically team dynamics: looking at how teammates interact with one another and how that influences individual and collective outcomes. Cailie’s PhD specifically focuses on the importance of building trust between teammates, coaches and support staff to promote athlete thriving. 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). Cailie and Dan have written a paper along with Dr Desmond McEwan, Dr Rachel Arnold and Dr Luc Martin and led by Cailie entitled “Thriving together: conceptual and methodological considerations for examining thriving in interdependent sport”. Cailie and Dan take us through the paper and what it means in practice for coaches.