The Young Player Wellbeing Podcast

On the latest episode, we discuss the loan transition in football with Dr Sofie Kent. Sofie is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology and the perfect person to talk about this topic, having published her own research on coping with the loan transition in professional association football in 2022. For young players at the beginning of their professional career, going out on loan is a likely option. For some, this transition be pretty daunting; a completely new environment, in a new place, with new demands. Sofie breaks her research down to help players, staff and organisations understand the demands of going out on loan and how it can best be managed to support the well-being and performance of the player.Thank you to Sofie for coming on! Click below to learn more about Sofie and her researchLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofie-kent-ba2a3289/Talking Points1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00)2. Sofie's journey in sport (3:58)3. 'Mental strength' (14:18)4. Psychologist in a football academy (19:50)5. The loan transition in football (36:40)6. Main stressors for athletes on loan (46:15)7. Recommendations from research (51:30)8. 'Loan' focused roles in football (59:00)9. Closing thoughts (1:05:00)

On this episode, we draw from the expertise of the wonderful Dr Fleur - Michelle Coiffait. Fleur is a Clinical Psychologist working across the lifespan, meaning she works with young children all the way up to adults. Dr Coiffait specialises in supporting individuals with neurodivergence, such as ADHD and Autism. She has also worked as a Clinical Psychologist within a Premier League Academy, and supported several others in the sporting context, including athletes, coaches and Sport Psychologist's to better understand clinical issues in sport.As Sport Psychologist's working with athletes, there are issues that arise that lie outside of our areas of expertise. That's why it is crucial that we understand the role of a Clinical Psychologist and how we can utilise their expertise to best support the athlete. On the episode we discuss what the input of a Clinical Psychologist looks like in a football academy, when Sport Psychologist's may look to refer on to clinical support why it's important to be interested in other areas of psychology, plus much more!We hope that this episode helps our listeners to differentiate between the role of a Sport Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist and conveys the importance of seeking other input.We're grateful to finally get Fleur on the pod. Thanks for coming on Fleur!Connect with Fleur at the below links:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drfleurmichelle?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fmcoiffait/Talking Points1. Intro and Welcome to Episode (00:00)2. Getting into Clinical Psychology (4:10)3.. Supporting Young Players (21:25)4. When to Refer to Clinical Psych (34:30)5. Working with Sport Psychs (51:00)6. Closing Thoughts (1:03:30)

On today's episode we have a deep conversation about the power of human emotion with Emotional Intelligence (EI) Coach Nick Atzeni.It's obvious throughout this episode that Nick's philosophy and approach to practice aligns very much with ours. Nick's beliefs however stem from quite a different place. Coming from a business background, Nick has owned many of his own business at home in Italy, in Cameroon and London. He has worked with a vast range of high performance professionals, including entrepreneurs, landscapers, physiotherapists and of course, footballers and athletes! Nick's supports individuals to increase their emotional intelligence. He breaks emotional intelligence down into 3 clear points and shows us how he considers these through reference to a real life case study. Increasing self - awareness on the emotions you are experiencing can help you to make sense of them. This then gives you more control around how you respond to them, promoting the chances of positive behaviour change to improve quality of life and performance. We hope this is the episode that sparks curiosity in the emotions you experience!Thank you to Nick for coming. We got a lot of from this epsiode.Please leave us a review if you enjoyed.Find out more about Nick:Website: https://nickatzeni.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-atzeni-538990a7/Talking Points 1. Intro and Welcome to episode (00:00)2. Nick's Journey (3:52)3. What is EI? (6:29)4. Individual Differences in EI (11:30)5. Supporting Athletes with EI (15:50)6. Questionnaires to Develop EI (27:01)7. Case Study (36:15)8. The Struggle to Identify Emotions (52:00)9. Closing Thoughts (1:05:40)

On our first episode of season 5 we bring you one of our strongest episodes to date, as we have our minds well and truly blown by ACT expert Trevor Jones.As a professional golfer, Trevor is someone who has lived experience of the demands of elite sport as an athlete. Since a lightbulb moment in competition, Trevor has lived and breathed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in all areas of his life. Since then he has pursued a career as a Mental Performance Coach. Currently working under the AWARE Performance Group, Trev has shown thousands of people (including both of your co-hosts) the power of ACT, allowing them to be in contact with what matters most to them.Today we cover athletic identity, something that we've spoken about loads on the podcast. This season, we wanted to cover it slightly differently than we have before. This episode is experiential in nature and to get the most out of it we'd encourage you (if possible) to engage in all the exercises and prompts that Trevor offers, as we did!We are delighted with this episode and extremely thankful to Trevor for coming on and doing his thing - he's pretty good at it after all.Please let us know what you think of this episode and give us 5 stars if you enjoyed it.Trevor is currently writing a book on the yips, keep up to date with this and much more on his socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-jones-036857110/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trevorjones_aware?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==1. Intro and Welcome to Episode (00:00)2. Trevor's Lightbulb Moment (7:45)3. Pairing Identity with Performance (25:20)4. Perspective Taking and Identity (32:00)5. Persona or 'Mask' (46:35)6. Donut SAC Exercise (56:00)7. Values (1:13:00)8. Closing thoughts (1:20:00)

SEASON 5 COMING MONDAY 19TH MAYThe Young Player Wellbeing Podcast is back!!It's been a while, we are sorry we left you. We've been working hard behind the scenes to bring you another season of your favourite sport psychology podcast.This season we are going to be focusing on 'hot topics' in the world of sport and well-being. These are topics that we find come up most often on the podcast, but also in our work with players, coaches and parents. No spoilers here, listen to this trailer to find out what these topics might be.After 70+ episodes our confidence in recording these episodes has grown, which is why this season we've moved to a slightly more conversational way of recording. After all, you've got to be psychologically flexible to deal with whatever shows up.Join us for season 5 of The Young Player Wellbeing Podcast. We hope you enjoy!

On this episode we pick the brains of Dr James Newman. James is a senior lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University. He is also a HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and Associate Fellow and Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS).   James’ area of expertise is bullying, banter and whistleblowing in elite sport, having conducted several research projects on this across various sports. One sport James has focused a lot on is football. Working in academy football, we (Brad and Toni) have first-hand experience of the ‘bullying and banter’ culture. Rolling back the years, we’ve even been part of environments as athletes, where bullying and banter takes place.  Join us as we discuss the fine line between bullying and banter in the sporting environment, whist offering up some solutions that organisations and those in positions power can consider to ensure that this balance is managed effectively. Thanks to James for coming on! Talking Points   1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. James’ journey in sport (3:52) 3. Being captivated with research (9:14) 4. Working with the media (14:23) 5. ‘Bullying and banter’ in sport (18:29) 6. Systemic changes that address bullying and banter (28:53) 7. Organisational changes (38:14) 8. Should we punish bullies? (49:25) 9. Applied work vs research (58:08) 10. Closing thoughts (1:02:35) Connect with James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-newman-14610050/ Visit here for more information around his research publishings: https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-profiles/james-newman#firstSection

On this episode we speak to Neil - Addington - Lefringhausen. A man who has plenty of experience integrating psychology in Scottish Football, spending 4.5 years as the academy psychologist at Celtic FC. As psychologists working in Scottish football, we take the opportunity to learn from Neil's experiences and consider the implications for our work but also for others supporting young athletes. Working as a sport psychologist in any team environment can be daunting. We're thankful to Neil for being open on the challenges he experienced but also offering solutions. This includes discussion around fitting in to the environment as a psychologist, 'undercover' psychology with U9's, using ACT in academy football, the importance of coach buy - in and much more. Currently, Neil works as a Sport Psychologist at the Scottish Institute of Sport, supporting athletes at an individual and team level across various sports. We also discuss this role and draw out the key differences and skills required compared to his time at Celtic. Thanks to Neil for coming on! Connect with Neil on LinkedIn: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-addington-lefringhausen-28907b61/ Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Neil's journey in sport (3:20) 3. Academy psychologist at Celtic FC (10:25) 4. Immersed in the environment as a psych (20:22) 5. Engaging U9's - U18's (27:02) 6. Challenges with coach education (33:28) 7. Using ACT 'in the moment' (45:45) 8. Support wellbeing of players and staff (55:12) 9. Psychology in player development plans (1:04:13) 10. Sport Psychologist at the SIS (1:13:59) 11. Closing thoughts (1:18:08)

On our latest episode we speak to the brilliant Marketa Simova. Marketa is a Performance Lifestyle Practitioner at the UK Sport Institute. As part of her role, Marketa supports the wellbeing of Olympic level athletes in swimming and diving, most of whom competed at Paris 2024. We spoke to Marketa fresh off the back of the games (3 days to be exact) to deepen our understanding of performance lifestyle and the detail of support that is put in place to support the wellbeing of Olympians. There is a bit of a blur around the difference between performance lifestyle and sport psychology. On the episode we sought Marketa's knowledge and experience to explore this in more detail. In doing so, we get a border picture of how an MDT operates in a high performance context. Other highlights include Marketa sharing the implications of her PhD research and the consequences of a toxic performance environment. This acts as the second episode of season 4 that was recorded in the Leeds Trinity University podcast studio. Thanks to LTU as always for having us down and to Marketa for chatting with us. Find out more about Marketa via the following links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketa-simova-592438184/ Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Marketa's journey in sport (3:51) 3. The difference between performance lifestyle and sport psychology (11:03) 4. Mini case study (25:15) 5. 6 pillars of support as a PL (37:18) 6. Toxicity from media in sport (43:22) 7. Wellbeing of high performance coaches (45:49) 8. Toxic performance environments (52:49) 9. Closing thoughts (1:15:12)

On this episode we speak to the inspiration that is David Smith MBE. Without chatting to David, you'll likely know him as an athlete and for his triumphant gold medal win at the London 2012 Paralympic games in para - rowing. Chat or listen to him and you'll quickly learn he is so much more. David's story is massively influenced by his life changing health challenges. In 2009, in a routine check, a tumour was discovered growing in David's spinal cord. At the point of recording David has went through 7 spinal surgeries. He was forced to retire from competitive sport in 2016 when he was paralysed from the neck down during surgery. He has faced death more than most human beings and experienced massive physical and mental changes to who he was once as an athlete. On numerous occasions he could've thrown towel in, but David finds himself in round 14 of the fight and going nowhere. On this episode David shares various experiences and skills that reveal how he has coped with his challenges. This includes seeking support in the form of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and living this in his day - to - day life. It involves drawing on psychological skills taught from sport (e.g. resilience, discipline) and importantly surrounding himself with the people that matter most to him. On a rollercoaster of a journey, David now finds himself on the Young Player Wellbeing Podcast - inspiring us and hopefully all of our listeners. Thank you David. David's details below. Please connect with him! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidsmithmbe/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-smith-mbe-108a0719/ Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. David's unique intro (4:38) 3. David's journey in sport (11:46) 4. Emergency surgery and it's impact (26:09) 5. Sport as an escape (46:47) 6. A conveyor belt of athletes (58:53) 7. Closing thoughts (1:19:12)

On today's episode we pick the brains of the brilliant Gordon MacLelland. Gordon is the CEO and founder of 'Working with Parents in Sport', and the parent to sporty kids of his own, making him the perfect guest to address a topic we've been keen to explore for a while.    In sport, it can be quick to overlook parents as we are so focused on supporting the athletes. There might also be a bit of anxiousness around working with parents, but the importance of parents in sport can't be overstated. Without them, sport simply can't happen.    The roles and responsibilities of the sporting parent are stressful; driving hours to training / matches, buying kit and paying fees, the car ride home, balancing priorities. If we want to have a positive influence on young athletes, then we need to support parents with the issues they face, which undoubtedly has a knock on effect.   We discuss the pros and cons of running social media accounts for child athletes, the car ride home, shifting culture to influence parent support, an athlete centred approach to supporting parents, how Gordon manages being a sporting parent himself + much more.   We hope our discussion with Gordon is useful for parents and provides them with information that helps them to support their child in sport. We also hope that it provides a different perspective for working with parents in sport for coaches and support staff.   Visit Gordon's website to learn more and access his services: https://www.parentsinsport.co.uk/author/wwpisadm01/   Follow WWPIS on Twitter: https://x.com/_WWPIS   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingwithparentsinsport?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@wwpis   Connect with Gordon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-maclelland-0bb4b0143/?originalSubdomain=uk   Talking Points   1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Gordon's experience in sport growing up (4:07) 3. Personal experiences influencing career path (6:36) 4. 'The Athletic Triangle' (15:28) 5. Common areas of parent support (28:32) 6. Parents running social media account for kids (43:48) 7. Success stories (53:44) 8. Being a sporting parent himself (59:58) 9. Closing thoughts (1:08:52)

On this episode we talk to the wonderful Dr Arabella Ashfield - recorded in the podcast studio at Leeds Trinity University. Arabella has extensive experience in performance lifestyle. She has worked for the UK Sport Institute (UKSI; formerly EIS) for the past 15 years, initially as a performance lifestyle advisor with GB canoeing before progressing to a senior performance lifestyle coach with the GB Olympic Cycling Team. She is currently the Performance Lifestyle Research Lead at the UKSI. Arabella educates us on what performance lifestyle is based on her own experiences. We discuss the responsibilities that performance lifestyle advisors have in terms of athlete wellbeing and what exactly PL's might address to support this. We also have a detailed conversation around Arabella's research which focuses on flourishing and languishing and what these mean in relation to wellbeing and mental health. As psychologists there is likely to be a time where we work alongside peformance lifestyle practitioners. To work effectively in a multi disciplinary team (MDT) it's important we know what they do which will optimise the way we collaborate with them and in turn maximise the support offered to the athlete(s). Arabella has provided us with a lot more clarity on the role of a PL and we hope that any practitioners tuning into this episode feel the same. Stay tuned for more performance lifestyle conversations later this season... We always enjoy our time down in Leeds so thanks to the team at LTU and Arabella for making this happen. Connect with Arabella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arabella-ashfield/ Arabella has recently pivoted towards supporting mothers through motherhood. Visit her website to learn more and access her services: https://www.ascendingmotherhood.com Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Arabella's experience in sport growing up (3:08) 3. What is a performance lifestyle practitioner? (14:18) 4. Wellbeing responsibilities as a PL (21:45) 5. Is there a focus on performance lifestyle of staff? (31:53) 6. Flourishing and languishing (37:12) 7. Boundaries between mental health and wellbeing (49:21) 8. Implications for NGB's (59:16) 9. Educating practitioners: then and now (1:06:03) 10. Closing thoughts: (1:12:56)

On this episode we speak to Karl Colley, an ex professional footballer born in Sheffield. Karl relished the dream of so many young players by signing a professional contract at 17. Karl signed with Sheffield Wednesday - the rivals of his boyhood club Sheffield United. He later had spells at Newcastle United before returning home to Sheffield, signing at the opposite side of the city with Sheffield United. But that 'dream' opportunity of playing professional football isn't always what it seems, as revealed by today's guest. We mostly avoid 'on the pitch' stories and instead delve into some of the 'darker' sides of sport. Karl openly shares his personal experiences of isolation and how it later lead to depression, addiction and an attempt on his own life. We are extremely grateful to Karl for his openness around his struggles which has provided us with a platform to raise awareness on gambling addiction, ill mental health and suicide. Gambling and depression in particular are issues that are unfortunately prevalent for young athletes who may find themselves with a new, potentially large income stream and a lack of places to spend it. Failure from clubs to really check in on players and direct them towards the correct form of support can lead to the worst possible outcome in suicide. We hope this episode reduces the chances of any young athlete experiencing similar issues to Karl. Keep up to date with Karl's current pursuits as a mentor and gambling awareness speaker by following him on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-colley-32a912167/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlcoll33/ If you are experience ill mental health we encourage you to reach out or seek support from the following organisations: Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/scotland/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ CALM: https://www.thecalmzone.net Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk Gambling support: Gam Care: https://www.gamcare.org.uk Gamble Aware: https://www.gambleaware.org Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Karl’s journey into professional football (5:02) 3. Competing against the best at Sheffield Wednesday (21:30) 4. Isolation, depression and gambling at Newcastle (30:23) 5. How can we support young players better? (45:24) 6. Returning home and signing for Sheffield Utd (51:56) 7. Depression leading to attempted suicide (1:05:20) 8. The road to recovery (1:12:50)

On this episode we talk to the amazing Jen Coe. Jen is an advocate of greater gender equity and inclusivity in sport and is dedicated to promoting well-being across the sporting landscape. With over two decades of experience working in high performance environments, she champions a culture of performance through well-being in her work with organisations and individuals. Jen has worked from grassroots to elite level across a portfolio of sports, in roles such as coaching, analysis, coach development and sport psychology. She currently works within the women’s professional game in football as the Performance Well-being Lead an exciting role and key to supporting the players journey into, through and after professional sport.   On the episode, Jen shares detailed insight into the landscape of wellbeing support in the women’s game. Jen has been leading a bit of rebranding in the ‘player care’ space, with the role responsibilities being unclear in recent years. This rebranding has helped to streamline wellbeing support with a bit more clarity and intent.    Jen also shares first hand experience on how wellbeing is addressed at an organisational level, ensuring that staff and wellbeing is being looked after across all of the women’s Super League and Championship teams.   Other highlights include discussion around how clubs may or may not exploit future employees due to many with ambition to work in sport being ‘obessed with the badge’.    Thanks so much to Jen for coming on. We hope our listeners enjoy this episode. Purchase Jen’s new book ‘Myths of Sport Performance’ here: ⁠https://www.sequoia-books.com/catalog/sport/⁠   Find Jen on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-coe-1a308a49/⁠   Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Jen’s experience in sport growing up (4:40) 3. Being person - centred (12:31) 4. Performance Wellbeing Lead @ WSL and Women’s Championship (22:10) 5. Addressing wellbeing at an organisational level (33:03) 6. A psychosocial lens in practice (42:10) 7. Avoiding the ‘tick box’ approach (51:52) 8. Sharing best practice in wellbeing (58:42) 9. Exploitation of those ‘obsessed with the badge’ (1:03:25) 10. Closing Thoughts (1:12:06)

We launch season 4 with a bang as we talk to the one and only Dr Pete Olusoga. Anybody interested in sport psychology will know of Pete, whether that’s through his educational wellbeing snippets on social media, tuning in to the eighty percent mental podcast (which Pete hosts) or having been one of Pete’s many students. Toni and Brad have admired Pete from a far for some time and were buzzing to hear that he was willing to appear on the pod.   The 3 chat largely about stress, burnout and the connection with wellbeing. We offer in the moment strategies that will help our listeners to manage stress and ensure that burnout is avoided. In an eye – opening discussion, it becomes apparent that wellbeing is not solely the responsibility of the individual (who knew it?). Whether you’re an athlete, work in a sales team, or a kitchen, the organisation you work for has a duty to ensure that your wellbeing is being catered for. These are the ‘bigger picture’ ways that wellbeing can be addressed in a working environment. It is that very premise that sets up the rest of season 4.   The Young Player Wellbeing Podcast is back. Enjoy!   Thanks so much to Pete for coming on. Find his socials / podcast info below.   Listen / follow / turn notifications on for the eighty percent mental podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/143LNdkleAM1Tx3RLITImd?si=576c5624dcba4f1a   Follow Eighty Percent Mental on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eightypercentmental?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==   Follow Pete on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_pete_olusoga?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==   And LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peteolusoga/   Talking Points   1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2.Pete’s experience in sport growing up (3:51) 3. Experiences influencing career path (7:25) 4. Early research interests (9:26) 5. Stress, burnout and connections with wellbeing (13:26) 6. Common symptoms of burnout (25:19) 7. Strategies to manage stress and avoid burnout (32:52) 8. Wellbeing is the responsibility of the organisation (51:40) 9. Closing thoughts (1:10:20)

🚨SEASON 4 COMING MONDAY SEPTEMBER 2ND🚨 We know you’ve missed us, but have no fear because we are BACK. Toni and Brad have been very busy off the back of what was a hugely successful season 3. Take a listen to find out what they have in store for you over this next season!

An opportunity to learn more about your hosts Brad and Toni, the creation and development of the Young Player Wellbeing Academy / Podcast and some key experiences that have shaped them as practitioners. The pair are interviewed by Dr Richard Simpson in the podcast studio at Leeds Trinity University. Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Why do we work in psychology / wellbeing? (2:48) 3. What is the Young Player Wellbeing Academy? (10:50) 4. What wellbeing means to us (15:35) 5. Main areas we support academy players with (20:35) 6. Importance of player - led approach (26:30) 7. Key skills developed as Wellbeing Coach's (31:10) 8. Key learnings from hosting the pod (38:34) 9. A letter to our future selves (47:25) 10. Closing thoughts (52:04)

On this episode we speak to player care consultant, counsellor, mentor and aspiring coach Jake Jervis. Jake is an ex professional footballer, having had a successful career that included spells at Plymouth Argyle, Luton Town and Ross County as well as time in India, Finland and Turkey. Like most ex pro's, Jake picked up a wide range of skills and attributes from football. But Jake is more than just a footballer. He is a passionate, family - orientated individual that wants to support the youth of today wherever he can. It's easy to see how Jake's skills combined with his beliefs and passions have lead him down the career path he is currently on. On the episode we draw on Jake's playing career to learn how this has influenced the man he is today and all the work he is doing to give back in the youth sport space. Find check on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-jervis-475072b0/ Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjervis14/ If you are seeking support please check get in touch or visit the following links which were mentioned in this episode. Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/?nation=scotland Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool/ Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk Calm: https://www.thecalmzone.net Andy's Man Club: https://andysmanclub.co.uk Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Jake's experience in sport growing up (3:51) 3. Proactive approach to transitions (9:08) 4. Biggest challenges faced in professional football (14:42) 5. Transferable skills from football (23:01) 6. Managing wellbeing as a footballer (29:22) 7. Retiring from professional football (38:40) 8. Motivation to support young athletes (44:30) 9. 'Coffee Culture' (47:08) 10. Emotional intelligence (49:47) 11. Key message (54:06) 12. Closing thoughts (57:30)

Our latest episode is with Dr Paul Mansell. Paul is an expert on the psychology of stress in sport, having conducted a PhD focused on just that. Since then, Paul has taken up a role as a lecturer in sport and exercise psychology at Staffordshire University. Interestingly, Paul is also a podcast host, heading up ‘The Performing Under Pressure Podcast’. On the pod Paul chats to former professional footballers and other high-level performers about how they view and cope with pressure in their field.    On this episode we talk about stress, nerves, and pressure. We share our opinions on how we view these feeling and how we may support athletes to understand them better, to benefit both wellbeing and performance.   Other highlights include learning more about Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), Paul’s current and future research projects and the future of ‘The Performing Under Pressure Podcast’.   Learn more about Paul and his pod by visiting the links below.   The Performing Under Pressure Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2UVgbxrwlSJKHax8CmsDOc?si=6aaaf927663343c2   Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-paul-mansell-94ab9113b/    Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to the pod (00:00) 2. Paul’s experience in sport growing up (3:35) 3. First interests in psychology of stress (5:10) 4. Is being stressed a bad thing? (10:30) 5. ‘Stress Mindset’ (14:40) 6. Challenge vs Threat Mindset (22:49) 7. Wellbeing and Performing Under Pressure (31:02) 8. REBT to support athletes with stress (39:00) 9. Personal strategies to cope with stress (52:30) 10. The ‘Performing Under Pressure Podcast’ (59:48)  11. Closing thoughts (1:07:55)

Our latest episode, recorded in the Leeds Trinity University podcast studio, is with one of their senior lecturers in sport psychology and published researcher in the field, Dr Helen Heaviside. Helen's research focuses on interpersonal expectancies and impression management. Brad and Toni had absolutely 0 idea about until recording this episode. This episode serves as a major learning experience for as both and forced us to reflect on how expectations affect others and the best ways to manage these expectations. Here's our brief, spoiler free overview on interpersonal expectancies and impression management (sorry in advance, Helen). Interpersonal expectancies are the expectations we, as human beings, have of other people. This concept is particularly interesting in the sport context. Think about the expectations placed on athletes; from fans, media, coaches, teammates, officials. It's a lot, and therefore can have both negative outcomes for wellbeing and performance, if not managed appropriately. Expectancies affect our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. If we latch on to an expectancy that places unhelpful pressure on us, we might begin to feel stress. When we're stressed our wellbeing might be low, which can negatively impact our performance. That's where impression management comes in, which is all about how to manage the impression (or expectancy) that we are creating of other people and that others create about us. We spend the last part of the episode discussing 'controlling the controllables' to assist with managing impressions. Tune in as we explore interpersonal expectancies and impression management, 2 concepts which might be a bit closer to home than you first thought... Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Expectancies (7:51) 3. Self - fulfilling prophecy (15:30) 4. Consequences of interpersonal expectancies (20:07) 5. Impression management (26:09) 6. Strategies to manage expectations (35:54) 7. Closing thoughts (46:57) Follow / Connect with Helen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenheavisidesportpsychology/ and Twitter: https://x.com/helen8590brown?lang=en-GB Follow Leeds Trinity's Sport Psych page on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltusportpsych?igsh=Y3Vtcm0zZ3R6dG8%3D and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ltu-sport-psychology/

On this episode we talk to Dr Luke Barnes, in a special, shorter episode which we recorded in the podcast studio at Leeds Trinity University. Luke worked with an English Championship academy club for 6+ years as an academy psychologist. Throughout this time, Luke played a vital role in driving values, working closely with both staff and players to do so. This aligns well with Luke's PhD, which focused on integrity and English football. We discuss the work Luke implemented in this space in detail, with a focus on values, identity, self - efficacy, motivation and much more. Dr Luke Barnes has played a key role in formalising the working relationship between the Young Player Wellbeing Academy and Leeds Trinity University and we look forward to working with him and their staff in the near future. Enjoy! Follow / Connect with Luke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-luke-barnes-114250267/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app Follow Leeds Trinity's Sport Psych page on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltusportpsych?igsh=MXUxZTBxNmQwd3dtcQ%3D%3D and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ltu-sport-psychology/ Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. What is sporting integrity? (4:28) 3. Embedding psychology in academy football (8:38) 4. Wellbeing in academy football (18:16) 5. Common areas of support (24:28) 6. Internal vs external psychology support (31:50) 7. Closing thoughts (36:17)

This week we are joined by Sport and Exercise Psychologist and founder of AfrowithJeevi and The Dare Platform, Jeevi Pillai. Jeevi has paved her own lane in the field, combining dance and sport psychology, currently residing in Nairobi, Kenya.  Jeevi brings with her a wealth of experience. Starting her sport psychology journey in her home nation of Singapore, Jeevi spent 2 spells as a Sport Psychologist at the National Youth Sports Institute in Singapore. As sport psychologists supporting youth athletes in the UK, we wanted to know more about the common issues that youth athletes in Singapore experiences, find out more about how Jeevi supported these athletes and attempt to draw parallels between these. We also have intriguing discussion on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a modern psychological approach, and try to learn from one another in relation to how we have applied this in different sporting contexts. Plenty of metaphors to help athletes cope with negative thoughts and feelings! Other highlights include a lengthy discussion around transitions and Jeevi's entrepreneurial pursuits. To learn more about Jeevi, The Dare Platform and AfrowithJeevi, check out some of the following links: The Dare Platform: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thedareplatform/⁠ AfrowithJeevi: https://www.afrowithjeevi.com/ Jeevi's LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeevi-pillai-248089bb/⁠   Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Jeevi’s experience in sport growing up (3:57 3. Personal experiences that lead to pursing a career in sport psychology (7:43) 4. Sport psychology in dance (10:17) 5. Research in transitions (15:00) 6. ACT for youth athletes (30:19) 7. ACT to cope with negative thoughts and feelings (37:15) 8. Supporting youth athletes in Singapore (51:10) 9. The Dare Platform (1:02:23) 10. Closing thoughts (1:07:23)

Our guest today is Director of Player Wellbeing at the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), Dr Michael Bennett. Michael is a former professional footballer, making over 150 appearances in the football league, having also represented England at U20 level. Unfortunately, like so many, Michael experienced a difficult injury in the early stages of his career. He speaks openly on this, admitting he never fully recovered from it, ultimately hampering his playing career. Despite this setback, Michael has used this experience to his advantage, paving out an extremely successful career in football off the pitch. A trained psychotherapist, Michael has combined his knowledge in mental health and wellbeing and experience as a player to shape the landscape of player wellbeing in the UK - all through the outstanding work being done at the PFA. An excellent guest to chat to which helps to inform the work we do with academy players. Join us as we discuss 'industry hazards' in professional football and outlines some solutions for dealing with them. Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Michael's experience in sport growing up (4:15) 3. Experiences with wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (10:36) 4. What do we mean by mental health? (22:15) 5. Moving towards a healthy head space (30:14) 6. Transitioning out of professional football (41:25) 7. Players willingness to speak about wellbeing (53:30) 8. Areas of wellbeing players should be educated on (1:04:34) 9. Advice for academy players (1:07:37) 10. Closing thoughts (1:09:22) For player services and more information on the wellbeing focused work being done by the PFA, visit their Website: https://www.thepfa.com/

On this episode we get the opportunity to talk to the legendary 'elite sport sleep coach' Nick Littlehales. Nick is a #1 international best selling author with his book 'Sleep' and has worked with some of the top performing athletes, clubs and coaches in the world, including Manchester United and Alex Ferguson; heard of them? He is the creator of the R90 Technique which has revolutionised the way so many look at sleep. This technique helps individuals to optimise recovery to maximise wellbeing and performance by breaking down their 24 hour day into cycles. On the episode Nick breaks down this cycle and offers practical tips which can be immediately applied. We have wanted to dedicate an episode on sleep since starting the podcast and have managed to secure the best guest to do this. It was a privilege to have a guest of Nick's calibre on the podcast and we encourage you to try to take as much from this as possible - it could help you redefine the meaning of 'sleep'! The episode was mind - blowing to be a part of. When you have an expert like this on, you let him do his thing. We hope when you tune in you feel the same way we do! Nicks socials below Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_sportsleepcoach/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicklittlehales/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sportsleepcoach⁠ Website: https://sportsleepcoach.com/ Talking Points   1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Nick’s experience in sport growing up (3:45) 3. Experiences of wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (6:31) 4. Early interests in sleep (8:22) 5. Impact of sleep on wellbeing and performance (20:05) 6. The R90 Technique (34:10) 7. Summarising (1:15:40) 8. Our key take aways (1:22:51) 9. Closing thoughts (1:27:52)

This week we are joined by performance psychologist Hugh Gilmore. Hugh has worked at the highest levels in sport, including roles as a psychologist for Olympic and Paralympic teams at Rio and Tokyo. On the episode, we draw on Hugh's knowledge and experience to shed light on some of the harsh realities of the world of sport, and offer tips to help athletes deal with this. Hugh has a unique outlook on the world and is unafraid to challenge the viewpoint of others, making for quite an interesting episode! This all aligns well with his practice philosophy, where Hugh implements REBT and Motivational Interviewing to support the performance and wellbeing of athletes. An eye - opening, thought provoking conversation that we certainly won't be forgetting anytime soon. P.s. Hugh, have you flipped the coin yet? You can follow Hugh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hughjohngilmore/ Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-gilmore-22a30039/ Visit his website: https://podiumpsychology.com/ Subscribe to his YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodiumPsychology Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Hugh's experience in sport growing up (3:10) 3. Taboos of mental health and wellbeing in sport (8:20) 4. Offering wellbeing support at Olympic level (25:48) 5. Harsh realities of performance sport (39:51) 6. A philosophy that improves performance (50:30) 7. Building confidence (1:05:55) 8. Closing thoughts (1:14:28)

To launch season 3, we are joined by Double Olympian, performance sport specialist and mental health advocate Jack Green. Jack is competitive, driven and ambitious and has competed at the highest level. But as we know, success in sport / work does not always equate to happiness and fulfilment in life. This rings true for Jack, who publicly spoke about his poor mental health after London 2012 - a time where mental health support for athletes was limited. These games were something Jack had dreamed of since a young kid. They mark a major landmark in his career, yet he shares with us how this moment wasn't quite what he had dreamed of. We then move through Jack's journey towards Rio 2016 and how his experiences as an athlete has shaped his coaching philosophy, where he has coached athletes to world records. We then dive into how the skills learned from sport transfer to the world of work. Thanks to Jack for coming on for an excellent episode. We hope you enjoy! Find Jack on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackgreenoly/ Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Jack's experience in sport growing up (3:10) 3. Experiences of wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (5:07) 4. Professional at 18, world championships at 19 (10:22) 5. London 2012 (21:10) 6. Difficulties faced post - London 2012 (36:11) 7. Rio 2016 and an early athletic retirement (44:48) 8. Role as the Global Wellbeing Lead at the BBC (48:40) 9. From athlete to coach (53:23) 10. Closing thoughts (1:00:30)

Hello wonderful listeners and welcome back! As always on The Young Player Wellbeing Podcast we have been hard at work making sure that this season keeps building on what has been an incredible growth of the podcast so far. Not only have there been changes to the graphics and the jingle, we have been hard at work tweaking the pod so that our listeners can get even more out of our recordings. As well as improving our delivery, we have continued on from our theme of getting insightful and expert guests onto the podcast. Tune in Monday 12th of February when our first episode drops! We think it might be one of our best yet!

20 episodes in 20 weeks, 19 guests in total, triple the amount of listeners and a massive increase in followers on our social media accounts. Season 2 has been an incredible journey for Antonio and Brad. In their final episode tune in to hear the duo pick apart season 2, addressing the key takeaways from the season as well as key topics that were covered. Furthermore, the episode highlights episodes that our listeners may not have managed to catch this season giving them the opportunity to go back and listen them. As we close things off we want to say thank you to all of our guests who have contributed to season 2 of The Young Player Wellbeing Podcast. Drawing upon your own experiences and expertise has shaped a lot of our work at The Young Player Wellbeing Academy, assisting us to support the wellbeing and performance of young academy players. Additionally, thank you to our listeners and followers for liking, sharing and providing feedback for our episodes it means the world to us. Have a great Christmas and we hope that you will continue to support the podcast moving forward

On todays episode we chat to sport psychology consultant, S&C coach and sport diversity leader David Smith. David has been using his platform as an openly gay coach to support athletes from the LGBTQ+ community in recent years. He shares with us some significant challenges he experiences as a young gay athlete, competing in the gay games and how this has ultimately shaped his career today. We also chat about how to deal with homophobia in the workplace and why it is essential that we use inclusive language.  David is in an interesting position where he is hybridising strength and condition and psychology work by combining cognitive training and physical conditioning, something that practitioners may be interested to hear more about. We also talk about a motivation climate and what this looks like in a football team and how we can create it. + much more  We hope you enjoy the episode! IG: @stonewallperformance Website: www.stonewallperformance.com Podcast: ‘Drag Race Psychology’ coming soon Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. David’s experience in sport growing up (4:04) 3. Experiences of well-being / psychology as an athlete (7:41) 4. From resenting sport as an athlete to working in sport as a practitioner (19:00) 5. Impact of the gay games in David’s career today (22:41) 6. Barriers that gay athletes experience and what we can do to be more inclusive in sport (28:38) 7. Competing in individual sport but working in team sport (34:32) 8. Hybridising S&C and psychology support (40:05) 9. A motivational climate in football (50:32) 10. Moving to Germany (1:00:52) 11. Looking after wellbeing (1:05:38) 12. Tips for young players (1:07:16) 13. Closing thoughts (1:07:59)

On today's episode Brad gets the chance to speak to expert in mental health in women's football, Carly Perry. Carly grew up in the States and comes in with a different past experience of sport psychology / wellbeing growing up as an athlete than most guests we speak to on the podcast. This is largely due to cultural difference between the US and UK, which is a recurring theme throughout this episode. We also get the chance to go into detail on Carly's PhD project which was extremely useful for us and will help to inform the work we do with young female academy players in Scotland in the coming weeks. Other interesting discussion focuses on ACL injury in female footballers, moving to the UK to study at Loughborough, differences in UK uni sport vs US college sport, improving sport psych in the UK and of course tips for young athletes. Another great episode in which we learned loads, we hope you enjoy! Twitter: @carly_perry24 Talking points: 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Carly's experience in sport growing up (02:54) 3. Experiences of wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (5:35) 4. Dealing with 4 ACL injuries in her career and why it is such a prevalent injury (11:50) 5. Differences in college/university sport the UK Vs US (18:45) 6. How Carly experienced transitioning to Loughborough (29:10) 7. Research in mental health in elite women footballers (34:30) 8. The shift in societies acceptance of mental health in recent years (39:00) 9. How can we look to improve the support of athletes mental wellbeing (41:00) 10. Looking after wellbeing (58:40) 11. Tips for young players (01:01:48) 12. Closing thoughts (01:03:05)

On our latest episode we chat to HCPC accredited sport and exercise psychologist, Ryan Pelling. Ryan is someone Brad and Toni have known for a couple of years, having been part of the same supervision group throughout that time. Ryan has had a lot of experience working in football as a sport psychologist, both as a trainee and as an accredited practitioner. We try to bring Ryan’s experience to life to learn more about some of the common areas of support Ryan has found himself providing in the football environment, both in an academy and first team setting. If you’re a trainee sport psych we recommend you listen to this episode which will help to normalise some of the feelings you may have in the early part of your journey. A key message was that we are never the finished product, and that is okay, but we can use this to our advantage when working with athletes.   Motivation is a passion of Ryan’s, which we take full advantage of as he provides some great insight into why motivation and commitment come hand in hand. As a sport and exercise psychology lecturer, Ryan also offers some tips for students and those aspiring to work in the field of sport. Of course, for any young athletes tuning in there are plenty of wellbeing and performance tips throughout this episode.   We hope you enjoy.   Check out Ryan and Tom’s podcast where the hosts have conversations around the difficult / awkward parts of sport psychology that don’t get discussed enough: https://open.spotify.com/show/4mmBtndxGE2iEq3esGiK7S?si=6ea746916a4148e1   Talking Points   1.     Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2.     Ryan’s experience in sport growing up (3:00) 3.     Experiences of wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (5:02) 4.     Journey to an becoming an accredited sport psychologist (13:33) 5.     Working within football clubs as a sport psychologist (19:42) 6.     Common areas of support in football (29:22) 7.     One area a lot of us struggle with (32:54) 8.      How to boost motivation (40:55) 9.     Skills to develop for those aiming to work in sport (52:36) 10.  Looking after wellbeing (58:43) 11.  Tips for young players (1:02:14) 12.  Closing thoughts (1:06:31)

On this episode we chat to Nina Wilson, who will be joining us as a Wellbeing Coach at The Young Player Wellbeing Academy very soon, as we make our first steps into working in the women's game. As well as working on the YPWA, Nina is a professional footballer, having recently moved up to Scotland to play for Hibs in the SWPL. This season we have spent a lot of time understanding the demands of male academy football by chatting to guests. This was a great opportunity for us to learn more about the demands placed on young female footballers, from grass root to academy to professional. We hope that our listeners come away from this episode feeling as if they have learned something about the women's game. We certainly have! This was a great chance for us to get to know Nina, and we really appreciate her coming on to the podcast. Great to hear that Nina is also using her platform as a female coach to inspire the next generation of players. Looking forward to working closely with you over the coming weeks / months. Instagram: ninawilson99 1. Intro and welcome episode (00:00) 2. Nina's experience in sport growing up (3:31) 3. Experience with wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (11:44) 4. Demands placed on a young female footballer (16:35) 5. Day to day of a SWPL player (25:38) 6. GK's union and a baptism of fire (33:20) 7. Being passionate about coaching (41:34) 8. Working as a Wellbeing lead (48:18) 9. Approach to supporting wellbeing of female players (54:58) 10. Looking after wellbeing (58:35) 11. Tips for young players (1:05:12) 12. Closing thoughts (1:09:45)

On this episode Brad and Toni chat to Ewan McLevy. Ewan is currently playing in the West of Scotland junior league for Troon FC, studying football coach performance and development at Edinburgh Napier and is a coach for the U14's at Kilmarnock FC. Our guest played with Kilmarnock FC's academy for around 8 years. We talk about the highs and lows of academy football, including attending a performance school, making sacrifices and picking up skills that can help you later in life. Unfortunately, Ewan was released in 2020; he provides insight into the challenges that this raised, which was heightened due to the outbreak of the pandemic around this time. Ewan also sheds some light on the junior game, where more and more academy players are being sent out on loan. As our title suggests, we learn about how Ewan rediscovered his love for the game through playing junior football but also through coaching. Ewan's story is one that is extremely relatable to players and we hope that his openness helps to normalise some of the feelings that academy players across the country may experience. Other highlights include the pros and cons of having a strong identity as a footballer, fighting for relegation at Brechin City FC, using psychology within coaching, a trip to Benfica's academy and of course tips for players. Use the chapters function below. Instagram: EwanMcLevy15 Twitter: EwanMcLevy Talking Points Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) Ewan’s experience in sport growing up (2:54) Experiences with wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (7:54) Being released - a challenging transition (11:59) Having a strong identity as a footballer (19:28) Strengths of the academy system in Scotland (23:35) Personal benefits from playing academy football (28:34) Time at Brechin City (30.45) Troon FC and junior football (34:16) Discovering and studying coaching at uni (40:10) Psychology within Ewan’s coaching (43:25) Playing career influencing coaching (49:51) Learning in Benfica (53:22) Looking after well-being (57:45) Tips for academy players (1:01:57) Closing thoughts 

Nutrition is a vital tool that athletes need to utilise in order to not only maximise their performance but to look after their wellbeing too. On this week's episode Antonio had the privilege of being joined by an expert in the field and got a crash course in all things nutrition. Our guest this week Mikaela, has not only completed an undergraduate and postgraduate degree in Sports Nutrition, but has also worked as an intern nutritionist at Getafe CF and is currently the Academy Performance Nutritionist at a top flight La Liga Football Club. On the episode listeners discover what macronutrients and micronutrients really and their importance. Why complex carbohydrates are better than simple carbohydrates. Why age matters in relation to nutrition and taking on board supplements, and hear Mikaela debunk some of the nutritional myths that are out there. If you would like to find out more about Mikaela you can reach her on Linkedin by clicking this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molinabugarija/ As usual any feedback is more than welcome. We hope you enjoy this episode and thank you for listening. Talking Points Intro and welcome to episode (00:00 - 3:38) Mikaela’s experience in sport growing up (3:38 - 6:14) Experiences with wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (6:14 - 9:95) Pursuing a career in nutrition (9:95 - 12:41) Impact of diet on our well-being (12:41 - 15:49) Macronutrients vs micronutrients (15:49 - 17:37) Complex carbohydrates vs simple carbohydrates (17:37 - 19:05) Timing your carb intake as an athlete (19:05 - 20:30) Protein and how much to have (20:30 - 26:13) Common misconceptions around nutrition (26:13 - 29:08) What players should look to eat leading up to a game (29:08 - 34:41) Eating well after matches and training (34:41 - 37:20) Creatine (37:20 - 39:20) Looking after well-being (39:20 - 42:20) Advice for young players (42:20 - 44:13) Closing thoughts (44:13 - 46:01)

This week Antonio and Brad had the pleasure of being joined by Ex Aberdeen F.C. and Sunderland A.F.C. footballer Russell Anderson. During this episode Russell reflects on his career covering topics such how he dealt with setbacks, travelling to play in Europe, representing his country, moving to Sunderland for a spell and what football has taught him. Additionally, Russell has an incredible foundation which he created that focuses on improving the lives of children in socially deprived areas of Aberdeen through life-changing programmes that make a sustainable and measurable difference to their health and wellbeing. If you would like to find out more then click this link: https://russellandersonfoundation.org/

On this episode we get the chance to speak to Stirling Uni FC striker and Cammy Mckinley. Cammy, like many of our guests, played academy football as a teenager but was unfortunately released before U17 level. Despite this setback, Cammy didn't sulk and worked hard in the gym and on the pitch throughout his undergraduate degree, progressing from the 5th team to the 1st team in 4 years. As the top scorer, Cammy is an asset in a team that has played televised Scottish Cup matches against Dundee United and Albion Rovers. We used this episode as a chance to explore the mentality of a number 9 and get an understanding of what Cammy attributes his success to. Some highlights from the episode include discussing the importance of confidence, how to navigate dips in form, using the 'small wins' to your advantage, playing at Tannadice and why routines / habits are so important. We hope that you enjoy the episode. Instagram: @cammymckinley9 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-mckinley-0382161b5/ Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Cammy's experiences in sport growing up (3:31) 3. Experiences with wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (9:33) 4. Being released and the challenges around this (16:31) 5. 5th team to 1st team in 4 years (22:34) 6. Overcoming dips in form (32:45) 7. CM to ST and changes in mentality (38:45) 8. Importance of confidence in football (43:10) 9. Playing in televised Scottish Cup matches (48:22) 10. Looking after wellbeing (1:00:24) 11. Tips for academy players (1:04:36) 12. Closing thoughts (1:07:05)

In this episode, Toni and Brad get the chance to chat to Lucas Capalbo, multi - award winning coach and lecturer in sport psychology and coaching at London Metropolitan University. Hailing from Brazil, the land of Joga Bonito, Lucas has had quite the career so far. As a coach, he has been a head coach in Sweden (Malmo), Italy (Milan), and London and an assistant coach in USA (Michigan). On his academic journey he has picked up a BSc in Sport Sciences from Mackenzie University (Brazil) a dual MSc in Sport Psychology at the EMSEP (European Masters of Sport and Exec. Psychology) from the University of Lund (Sweden) and University of Leipzig (Germany) and a PhD in Kinesiology specialising in the psychosocial aspects of sports from Michigan State University (USA) where he was advised by Dr Daniel Gould (co-author of Foundations of Sport and Exerc. Psychology textbook, known as Weinberg and Gould) - sport psych people, if you know you know. On this episode, we chat about Brazil's approach to developing players at the present date and areas they are looking to improve on - with reference to PL names like Jesus and Richarlison. As you may have picked up, Lucas has lived in many different places and learned many different things. We go into detail on what knowledge Lucas has picked up along the way and how this has impacted his coaching. On today's episode, we talk A LOT about culture and why it is so important to create cultures within football teams. On this topic, Lucas draws upon the different cultures he has been a part of and helps us to understand why it is important to be respectful and understand the culture of others. Another key topic in this episode is coaching psychology. Lucas gives us some tips into how this can be best embedded into a football team and reflects on the importance of boundaries as a psychologist who is also a coach. We go on to talk about his role as a 'Late Development Scout' at QPR and what this means before discussing sport psychology in America. Enjoy! Watch Lucas' TEDx talk: "soccer and life skills": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gvCneI5bJU Connect with Lucas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lscapalbo/ Study BSc in Sport Psychology and Coaching at London Met where Lucas is a lecturer: https://www.londonmet.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/sport-psychology-coaching-and-physical-education---bsc-hons/#:~:text=Our%20Sport%20Psychology%2C%20Coaching%20and,and%20participation%20levels%20of%20sport. Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Lucas' experience in sport growing up in Brazil (3:42) 3. Experience with wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (10:45) 4. Living, coaching and studying abroad (17:42) 5. The importance of understanding culture (26:45) 6. Using psychology in coaching (36:21) 7. Late development scout at QPR (48:56) 8. Sport psychology in America (56:38) 9. Looking after his own wellbeing (1:01:19) 10. Advice for young players (1:06:17) 11. Closing thoughts (1:07:05)

Unfortunately Antonio was not able to attend this week's recording (which Brad wasn't salty about at all...) however this was made up for by yet another fantastic guest. This week Brad was joined by UEFA C licensed and full time coach at Bromley FC George Orchard. George offers a fantastic look into his journey through the academy system and some of the struggles he experienced. From balancing school and football to utilising relationships built in academy football there is loads for a young oplayer to take away from the episode. If you wish to find out more about George you can find him using the links below: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/_georgecoaching_/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-orchard-1373b7253/ Time stamps:  1. Intro and welcome to the episode (00:00 – 02:45) 2. How he got into the sport and who he supports (02:45 – 04:43) 3. His experience with wellbeing support in football and how it affected his confidence and wellbeing (04:44 – 09:55) 4. The difficulty of balancing school with elite football and his lack of support network (09:56 – 13:06) 5. Being part of his boyhood club (13:07 – 16:38) 6. His time at Gillingham (16:39 – 19:37) 7. How the Scholar system works in England (19:38 – 21:05) 8. The journey to West Ham, his experience there and the support offered after suffering a major injury (21:06 – 26:20) 9. How he dealt with his long-term injury (26:21 – 29:52) 10. The decision to start coaching and the skills needed to be a successful coach (29:53 – 36:15) 11.  Does he have any regrets around his career (36:16 – 38:00) 12.  How the UEFA coaching qualifications work and his goals (38:01 – 40:55) 13.  How he looks after his wellbeing (40:56 – 44:12) 14.  Advice to young players (44:13 – 46:12) 15. George’s plan, where you can contact him (46:12 - end)

Our latest episode is with Tom Gardiner, who is the performance psychologist and player care coordinator at a WSL club. Toni and Brad shared a supervisor with Tom over the past year or so and he has offered plenty of advice on navigating a career in the world of sport psychology and football. It was great to catch up and chat about key psychological components of player support in academy football, like identity, dealing with pressure and offering support for players through parents. We also discuss the growth of the women’s game - a theme which has come up a few times so far in season 2 – and how young girls now have role models to look up to through players that represent them.   Tom knows his stuff and draws on the breadth of experience he has acquired within his current role to provide our listeners with great insight into what working in the world of academy football is like as well as offering solid pieces of advice for young players. As hosts, we again learned a lot; like ‘dropping the ego’ and adapting to the needs of players. We hope you also take something from the episode and enjoy listening. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-gardiner-20a948137/   Talking Points    1.     Intro and welcome to episode (00:00 – 3:19) 2.     Tom’s experience in sport growing up (3:19 – 10:07) 3.     Experience with wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (10:07 – 15:08) 4.     Journey to role as performance psychologist and player care coordinator at WSL club (15:08 – 18:14) 5.     Common areas players struggle to cope with (18:14 – 26:16) 6.     Supporting players as a parent (26:16 – 36:44) 7.     Helping players to deal with pressure (36:44 – 41:58) 8.     Using your support network to deal with pressure (41:58 – 45:37) 9.     Being part of the growth of women’s football (45:37 – 50:15) 10.  Looking after his own wellbeing (50:15 – 52:31) 11.  Advice for young players (52:31 – 54:09) 12.  Closing thoughts (54:09 – 55:55)

This week we get the chance to pick the brains of 'that wellbeing guy' Richard Simpson. Richard is a lecturer in sport psychology at Leeds Trinity University and an associate lecturer with The Open University. Richard completed his PhD at Leeds Beckett University with his research expertise and focus sitting within psychological well-being among sport performers. Richard is interested in individual and collective understandings of psychological well-being and how such knowledge can benefit those operating within and alongside sport organisations (e.g., athletes, coaches, support staff, leaders and managers, c-suite personnel) and those more broadly working occupationally or by association (e.g., parents) in sport contexts.    Richard has worked on multiple projects on behalf of and or with the following bodies: the Applied Association for Sport Psychology (AASP), UK Sport, UEFA, the English Football Association (FA), 'ICoachKids', the Croatian FA, the Slovenian FA, and various professional football organizations. Richard has attended and presented at multiple national and international conferences, published and reviewed in international peer-reviewed journals, and has won national and international awards. Richard currently sits on committees for the BPS Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology (DSEP) and the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). Richard also reflects on his time as an athlete and referee and how this has shaped his career today. We discuss the importance of the collective and having a 'we' or 'us' mentality in team sport. Richard also explains his PhD research in a way that is easy for young academy players listening to understand. We hope that this episode provides you with a detailed dive into the importance of wellbeing in sport! Follow Richard on social media to find out more. Twitter/X - @RichSimpson_95 Instagram – RichSimpson_Psych LinkedIn - Richard A.C. Simpson | LinkedIn Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to the episode (00:00 - 3:54) 2. Richard's experience in sport growing up (3:54 - 7:11) 3. Experiences with wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (7:11 - 16:35) 4. Experiencing early setbacks (16:35 - 20:02) 5. Wellbeing of referees in football (20:02 - 31:26) 6. Life lessons learned from badminton (31:26 - 38:24) 7. Making a change in the world of sport (38:24 - 42:23) 8. PhD in wellbeing amongst sport performers (42:23 - 50:05) 9. Wellbeing is contagious (50:05 - 55:19) 10. Is sport all about winning (55:19 - 1:00:08) 11. Looking after his own wellbeing (1:00:08 - 1:06:14) 12. Advice for young players (1:06:14 - 1:10:18) 13. Closing thoughts (1:10:18 - 1:12:02)

This week Brad and Toni had the pleasure of being joined by fellow Sport and Exercise Psychologist in training Louise Paul. Don't let the "in training" part fool you, Louise has worked with a range of athletes (even some tradies) and some National Governing bodies. This week we gain insight into how a programme gears up for an Olympics, the similarities and differences between supporting male and female athletes and of course the key to confidence. Make sure you tune in for what is another fantastic episode and be sure to leave us some feedback! Talking points 1. Intro and welcome to the episode (00:00- 3:20) 2. Louise's experience in sport growing up (3:21 - 6:45) 3. Experiences with wellbeing / psychology as an athlete (6:46 - 10:03) 4. Working in gymnastics and the Olympic cycle (10:04 - 14:06) 5. Working with male Vs female athletes as a practitioner (14:07 - 16:05) 6. Sport psychology support for referees (16:06 - 19:48) 7. The difference between sport psychology and performance psychology (19:48 - 26:30) 8. How athletes can develop their confidence (26:31 - 35:33) 9. Is sport psychology really that 'glamorous' ? (35:34 - 41:47) 10. Work in safeguarding and why it is so vital in sport (41:48 - 47:59) 11. Looking after her own wellbeing (48:00 - 49:20) 12. Advice for academy players (49:20 - 51:59) 13. Brad and Toni's reflections (52:00 - End)

Our latest guest is Rory Winters, a man who has faced many setbacks and challenges throughout his life. The odds may have been stacked against him but Rory has taken each challenge head on and carved out a successful career in football. In the first half of the pod, Rory goes into detail on some of the challenges he, and many others around the country, faced as a youth player. We discuss how challenge is connected to wellbeing / psychology and how these had a knock on effect on future events in his life. Perhaps if not for the adversity faced, Rory may not have found himself playing football in America, Canada, been offered to play in Austrailia or creating his own business in Singapore. All of this whilst getting 2 degrees along they way. A key lesson in this episode is that it is not the challenge itself that defines you but how you respond to it. We also discuss how powerful having someone in your corner (mentor, wellbeing coach) can be and what we have all done to help break down stigmas and barriers to this support in the UK. Rory has a passion and fire in his belly to be successful in the field and has taken massive strides in supporting young players in football in both Singapore and the UK. Another great guest and we hope that you enjoy the episode. Rory has recently published a book titled 'The Pro: How to Become A Successful Footballer' which is available on Amazon from £5.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pro-How-Become-Successful-Footballer-ebook/dp/B0C6QPXB61 If you would like to know more about Rory then follow him Instagram where he is also happy to chat in more detail: https://www.instagram.com/edgeoftheboxmentoring/ Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00 - 3:04) 2. Rory's experience in sport growing up (3:04 - 7:47) 3. Experiences with wellbeing / psychology as a player (7:47 - 21:25) 4. Morecambe FC and challenges faced there (21:25 - 29:44) 5. University and playing football abroad (29:44 - 36:16) 6. EPPP and working with English football academies (36:16 - 42:35) 7. Success at Northampton School for Boys (42:35 - 47:25) 8. Living and working in Singapore (47:25 - 50:44) 9. Founding Edge of the Box Mentoring and breaking down stigmas (50:44 - 1:01:09) 10. Next steps for Rory (1:01:09 - 1:03:30) 11. Advice for young players (1:03:30 - 1:06:16) 12. Brad and Toni's key takeaways (1:06:16 - 1:13:26)

This week we are joined by the man with many hats - director, Dad coach and ex professional footballer - Graham Robertson. When we first met Graham we knew that he was going to be an excellent guest and to no surprise, he delivered. Graham reflects back on his own career as a youth and how today's academy set up compares to that of his era. We go on to discuss how this shaped his career in professional football, where he achieved success at both Raith Rovers and Milwall. We discuss what 'making it' in football means for our guest as he debunks myths around 'the journeyman' label, a section we feel young players will find particularly interesting. We have an interesting conversation around the pressures that the 'pre - academy' in Scotland raises for both player and parent. Here, Graham reflects on what being an 'academy Dad' and speaks passionately on the matter. Plus much more! It was great to speak to somebody who has 'lived the dream' as a professional footballer - but not in the typical way you might think. We hope you give this episode a listen to find out what we might mean by that. Graham is a director for the charity 'Volunteering Matters'. Check out their website to see how you can get involved: https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/ Graham's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-robertson-75505b3b/ Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00 - 3:09) 2. Graham's experience in sport growing up (3:09 - 5:17) 3. The structure of youth football - then vs now (5:17 - 14:05) 4. Experiences with wellbeing as a player (14:05 - 19:09) 5. Signing with Raith - Jim vs Jimmy (19:09 - 27:16) 6. The piece of advice that shaped it all (27:16 - 32:46) 7. 4 years and 5 managers at Milwall (32:46 - 41:14) 8. Debunking myths around 'the journeyman' (41:14 - 45:20) 9. Life after football (45:20 - 51:01) 10. Pressures faced as an 'academy Dad' (51:01 - 1:01:07) 11. Using past experiences in role as a coach (1:01:07 - 1:07:14) 12. Advice for young players (1:07:14 - 1:10:13) 13. Brad and Toni's key takeaways (1:10:13 - 1:16:52)

This week Antonio had the pleasure of being joined by Natascia Bernardi. Natascia is the current Girls Academy Manager at Kinetic Foundation, U12 Head Coach for QPR and U16 Assistant coach for London Football Talent Centre. She has been on a journey of her own that started from Bologna, Italy where she was born and fell in love with football. Her experience includes Regional Referee for 12 years in Italy, BA in Psychology at The University of Bologna, an MSc in Sport Psychology at Lund University, Welfare and Educational Liaison for the NFL Academy and Academy Head of Player Care for MK Dons. Passionate about women’s football, coaching for 6 years within the women’s game, Natascia joined Kinetic this summer where she is the Head Coach of their new U16 Girls Academy project at Harris Academy Bromley. Her main aim is to support them in having football as part of their career ambitions. This episode provides amazing insight into supporting elite youth athletes and the importance of growing the person as well as the player. You can follow Natascia's journey on Twitter @NatasciaB_76 and on Linkedin: Natascia Bernardi Talking Points: 1. Intro and welcome to pod (00:00 - 3:24) 2. Natascia's experience in sport growing up (3:24 - 7:30) 3. Pursuing a career in sport (7:30 - 11:56) 4. Cultural differences in supporting players (11:56 - 16:23) 5. Supporting young (American) footballers (16:23 - 30:50) 6. Head of Academy Player Care at MK Dons (30:50 - 47:00) 7. Life skills development support (47:00 - 49:52) 8. The growth of Women's football and Kinetic Academy (49:52 - 59:07) 9. Differences in supporting young female vs male athletes (59:07 - 1:06:01) 10. Barriers teenage girls face with sport participation (1:06:01 - 1:10:05) 11. Advice for young players (1:10:05 - 1:11:10) 12. Closing thoughts (1:11:10 - 1:12:44) 13. Reflection (1:12:44 - End)

We have wanted to chat to a student - athlete on the podcast for a while and are grateful to have had the chance to learn more about this dynamic through guest Conor Doan. Like so many, Conor was released from an academy set up in his late teens. Thankfully, he was given an opportunity to play full time football with the University of Stirling 1st team whilst studying there. After completing his undergraduate, Conor signed for Bonnyrigg Rose whilst completing his MSc in Psychology of Sport at Stirling Uni (a course familiar to Brad and Toni). We chat to Conor to find out how he managed to successfully balance full time education with an intense football schedule for 5 years. We believe that Conor's journey is one that players being released from academies could aspire to replicate and want to raise awareness on how useful football scholarships can be for athletic, personal and professional development. As always, our guest Conor provides tips for young players based on his own experience and knowledge. For more information on Stirling Uni's scholarship programme click here: https://www.stir.ac.uk/student-life/sport-at-stirling/performance-sport/football-men/ To connect with Conor follow him on: Twitter: @doanconor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-doan-34473b150/ Talking Points: 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00 - 2:59) 2. Conor's experience in sport growing up (2:59 - 5:16) 3. Experiences with wellbeing as an athlete (5:16 - 10:49) 4. Being released from Montrose (10:49 - 19:21) 5. Club support for released academy players (19:21 - 24:16) 6. Balancing full time uni and football (24:16 - 31:36) 7. Playing for Bonnyrigg Rose (31:36 - 43:30) 8. What is 'making it' in football? (43:30 - 48:26) 9. How football can shape your development (48:26 - 52:17) 10. Biggest influences (52:17 - 55:35) 11. Tips for looking after your wellbeing (55:35 - 58:37) 12. Tips for academy players (58:37 - 1:00:01) 13. Closing thoughts (1:00:01 - 1:02:58) 14. Brad and Toni's key takeaways (1:02:58 - end)

In our second episode of season 2 we were joined by Anthony Cato. With Anthony being an ex academy footballer with experience competing as a semi professional footballer and currently working as transitions officer and careers lead at League Football Education. It is no surprise that this episode is full of incredible in-depth discussions around not just the struggles footballers face but how they can be supported to tackle these challenges. Throughout this episode Anthony gives fantastic advice on how to develop as a young player as well as what support to seek. Take a listen to some of the tips he gives for young athletes and those aspiring to work in the world of sport. We hope you enjoy! Talking points: 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00 - 03:14) 2. Anthony's experience in sport growing up and his journey (03:15 - 06:30) 3. His experience of wellbeing and sport psychology as a youth player (06:31 - 11:01) 4. His experience of living in "digs" as an academy footballer and the impact this had on his wellbeing (11:02 - 14:13) 5. How the sacrifices made trying to make it pro effects the people involved (14:14 - 16:31) 6. His personal experience with managing his athlete vs non-athlete identity (16:31 - 21:30) 7. His transition from academy to semi-professional football and how he managed this change (21:31 - 29:00) 8. Finding a career outside of being professional footballer (29:01 - 33:41) 9. League Football Education and his role at the organisation (33:42 - 45:00) 10. Steps to take when thinking about future careers and working on our developing multiple identities (45:01 - 49:38) 11. How skills developed as a footballer translate to life skills (49:39 - 55:24) 12. How athletes can look after their wellbeing (55:25 - 59:49) 13. Biggest influences (59:50 - 1:02:01) 14. Advice for academy players (1:02:02 - 1:04:30) 15. Closing thoughts and further information around the LFE (1:04:31 - 1:09:05)

In our first episode of season 2 we had the privilege of chatting to Dr Michael Malone. Brad first met Michael in his 4th year of university, when he worked under Michael on a project at Dundee United Community Trust. Michael discusses many of the projects DUCT have been doing over the years and their connection to wellbeing and mental health in the community. We also get to discuss Micheal's PhD research which focuses on shared understanding and shared mental models - this might sound confusing, but trust us, Michael breaks this down in simplistic terms with reference to real life examples. Michael also discusses how he has put some of his research into practice in his current role as a sport and exercise science (psychology) lecturer at Robert Gordon University. As always on the pod, our guest provides several tips for young athletes and those aspiring to work in the world of sport. We hope you enjoy! Feel free to contact Michael for more info: LinkedIn: Dr Michael Malone Twitter: @DrMichaelMalone Course Twitter: @RGUASES_Coach Talking Points 1 . Intro and welcome to episode (00:00 - 3:01) 2. Michael's experience in sport growing up (3:01 - 6:22) 3. Pursuing a career in sport psychology (6:22 - 12:41) 4. Working at Dundee United Community Trust (12:41 - 23:49) 5. Shared understanding in football (23:49 - 34:09) 6. Putting research into practice (34:09 - 42:16) 7. Research in barriers to sport participation (42:16 - 45:55) 8. Players and coaches perceptions of sport psychology (45:55 - 50:55) 9. Being a sport psychology lecturer (50:55 - 54:40) 10. Biggest influences (54:40 - 56:30) 11. Tips for looking after your wellbeing (56:30 - 58:57) 12. Tips for academy players (58:57 - 1:01:04) 13. Closing thoughts (1:01:04 - 1:02:11) 14. Brad and Toni's key takeaways (1:02:11 - 1:09:11)

We got the chance to chat to East Kilbride FC first team coach Blair Munn. As a youth player, Blair had the privilege of playing for Rangers and Falkirk as well as representing Scotland. Like many, Blair was released but has still managed to pave out a successful career in football. It's evident from this episode that Blair has taken a lot from his playing days, taking so many skills he picked up as a player into his new role as a coach. Brad goes a bit Si Ferry (Blair's colleague at East Kilbride) as we get to chat about what it was like to be a part of the coaching team that took Darvel FC to the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup, knocking out Aberdeen FC in the last 16. Outside of his coaching, Blair has a clear passion for supporting young players, having recently worked for the PFA where he helped players to source further education and employment. On top of this, Blair's was involved in supporting the women's game in Scotland, which is rapidly growing. We hope you enjoy! Blair Timestamps 1. Welcome and episode overview (00:00 - 2:22) 2. Blair’s experiences in sport growing up (2:23 - 6:30) 3. Perceptions of well-being support as a player (6:31 - 11:05) 4. Experiences as a player influencing coaching (11:06 - 12:55) 5. Scottish cup run with Darvel FC (12:56 - 16:56) 6. Transferring skills as a player and coach into the world of work (16:57 - 26:10) 7. Supporting young players and women’s football at the PFA (26:11 - 34:22) 8. First team coach at East Kilbride (34:23 - 39:00) 9. Tips for young players (39:01 - 43:41) 10. Closing thoughts and ways of getting in contact with Blair (43:42 - 49:13)

On this episode we're delighted to have sport psychologist Alban Dickson join us. Alban currently works for an SPFL club, with both the men's and women's team. We get to pick Alban's brains and learn more about how applying acceptance and commitment therapy (or ACT) can benefit athletes. Alban does a great job of breaking down ACT and provides some tips for our players to consider. We chat about different sport psychology approaches and how they often interact with one another. Although, we try not to get too geeky and made sure, as always, to tie this back to how it can benefit our young players. We hope our listeners find this insightful. Other highlights include Toni using the word 'paradigm' (fancy), bridging the gap between sport psychology research and how it can be applied in football and Alban answers some of our players questions! Be sure to follow us for more updates: Twitter: @ypwacademy Instagram: @ypw_podcast LinkedIn: Young Player Wellbeing Podcast To learn more about our guest follow him on: Twitter @albandickson Website www.sportpsychologyscotland.co.uk Talking Points 1. Podcast intro (00:00 - 00:53) 2. Welcome and episode overview (00:53 - 2:52) 3. Getting into sport psychology through coaching (2:52 - 4:16) 4. Making sport psychology research applicable in football (4:16 - 8:39) 5. Working with SPFL teams as a psychologist (8:39 - 14:31) 6. Working to the needs of the client (14:31 - 20:23) 7. ACT (20:23 - 27:55) 8. Common issues presented by footballers (27:55 - 43:43) 9. Players questions (43:43 - 56:08) 10. Tips for young players (56:08 - 57:35) 11. Closing thoughts (57:35 - 59:40)

Around the country young players will currently be enjoying their off - season or (not) enjoying their pre - season. We thought this would be a good time to share some insight into how players can use this time to their advantage. We focus on what young players should be accountable for during this time and the best ways to mentally recharge before a new season gets underway. As always, we draw upon our own experiences around this topic and some goals we have set for ourselves moving forward. Other highlights include Vicky reaching a 1 year streak on HeadSpace (unbelievable consistency), the importance of checking in on ourselves, the 'all or nothing' mentality and how reflection can help you to hit the ground running next season. Talking Points 1. Podcast intro (00:00 - 00:53) 2. Welcome and episode overview (00:53 - 2:17) 3. What does accountability mean? (2:17 - 3:41) 4. What do athletes need to be accountable for during off / pre - season? (3:41 - 10:55) 5. What do we (wellbeing coaches) stay accountable for? (10:55 - 22:13) 6. Ways to recharge mentally (22:13 - 26:22) 7. Personal goals (26:22 - 29:28) 8. Closing thoughts (29:28 - 32:10)

This week we pick the brains of Lucy Boyce who provides some amazing insight into psychology in football. Lucy spent the past season working at West Ham as a performance psychology intern and at Gillingham as a lead academy psychologist. Chatting to Lucy, it was clear how knowledgeable and passionate she is about sport psychology and is likely the reason she has been so effective in both her roles. This passion and knowledge may have came from her experience as a former elite athlete herself, having represented her country at canoe polo on several ocassions. We loved recording this podcast and hearing more about Lucy's experiences, we hope that you do too! Some highlights include Lucy teaching us about the world of 'canoe polo', personal experiences with burnout and implications for her practice and tips for academy footballers. Lucy is happy to answer any questions or to chat in more detail via her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-boyce-541247177/ Talking Points 1. Podcast Intro (00:00 - 00:53) 2. Welcome and episode overview (00:53 - 2:20) 3. Experiences as an elite canoe polo player (2:20 - 6:40) 4. Experiences with burnout (6:40 - 20:01) 5. Getting into the world of football (20:01 - 24:58) 6. Performance psychology intern at West Ham (24:58 - 31:30) 7. Boosting confidence and dealing with pressure (31:30 - 38:02) 8. Academy psychologist at Gillingham (38:02 - 56:09) 9. Tips for young players (56:09 - 59:58) 10. Closing thoughts (59:58 - 1:03:05)