I’m excited to speak with Dr Mark Aoyagi this week. Mark is the Co-Director of the Master’s programme in Sport and Performance Psychology and Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. He is also the founder of the Center for Performance Excellence. Mark’s areas of expertise include performance excellence, team effectiveness, and achieving meaning, satisfaction and fulfilment through sport, work, and life. He is a recognised sport psychology consultant and has worked with several professional and Olympic teams and athletes as well as NCAA athletic departments and developmental athletes. Mark is active in several professional organizations including the International Society for Sport Psychology, American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). In this episode Mark and I speak about theories of performance excellence.

#258 Dr Mark Aoyagi - Exploring Performance Excellence

Join Sport Psychologist, Dan Abrahams, on The Sport Psych Show as he aims to demystify sport psychology for players, coaches and parents by speaking with some of the most influential people in sports performance today. Dan is on a mission to learn more about how sport psychology philosophies, tools and techniques positively impact participation, progression and performance in sport. He wants to learn more about how to drive participation – what motivational tools engage players and inspire people to play and stay in their sport. He wants to explore how players can progress quicker and more effectively – what is great practice and training? And how does learning in sport really happen? Finally, he wants to hear what his guests have to say about the psychology of performance – how do they think players can improve their ability to high perform consistently under pressure? Discover simple and practical tools and techniques by listening in to Dan’s conversations with elite competitors, sports coaches, sport scientists, and psychologists.

Sports

I’m delighted to speak with mentor, speaker and author, Dr Richard Young this week. Richard works with leaders and experts to help them uncover sustained competitive advantage. Richard consults internationally to help people build sustainable performance systems and achieve faster. He works with Olympic sports, professional sports, national coaches, and former elite athletes. Richard has been involved with nine Olympics as an athlete, coach, researcher, technologist and leader working across more than 30 sports for three countries focused on Olympic performance. Richard has a PhD in physiology, medical science and biomedical engineering. Richard is also the founder of a number of international performance programs including, the Technology and Innovation for GB and NZ, and the Performance Knowledge & Learning program for NZ Olympic, Winter Olympic and Paralympic teams. Richard has researched the differences between medallists and non-medallist athletes, coaches, support staff and organisations across 5 Olympic cycles and identified the behaviour and system differences between those who achieve and those who don’t.

#285 Dr Richard Young - Building a System for High Performance

 I’m delighted to welcome back Adam Miles to the show this week. Adam is joined by Rob Walter, the Head Coach for the South African White Ball team in this episode.  Rob holds a degree in Human Movement Sciences. He started his coaching career as conditioning and fielding coach for the Proteas, the South African National Cricket Team. During this time, he also worked in the Indian Premier League for Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils. Rob was then Head Coach of the Titans Cricket Team in South Africa before pursuing head coach roles in New Zealand. He was Head Coach of Otago Cricket for 5 seasons before taking up the same role for Central Districts Cricket for almost 2 seasons. In 2023 Rob was named the ODI and T20 Coach of the Proteas.    Adam currently works as a psychologist in Primary Care. He is also team psychologist at Otago Cricket and Southern Steel in the New Zealand Netball League. Adam was previously Assistant Coach at Otago Cricket, working closely with Rob to develop a mental skills programme at the Club. Prior to this, Adam was manager of talent development and player pathway at Otago Cricket Association. Adam also coached New Zealand first class cricket team, Otago Volts.  Adam moved from the UK to New Zealand on a PhD scholarship in Sport Psychology at the University of Otago exploring Life Skills Development in Elite Athletes.

#284 Rob Walter & Adam Miles - Developing a Psychological Programme for High Performance in Elite Sport

I’m delighted to speak with Derek O’Riordan this week. Derek is Partnership Manager for Sport Scotland, the national agency for sport in Scotland. Derek works with governing bodies to support their investment for development. Derek is also a lecturer in sport management and coaching at the University of Stirling and a coach developer working in situ with coaches. Derek also coaches Rugby Union in the Premiership in Scotland. Derek and I discuss his experiences as a coach and coach developer, including: the intricacies of coach development – the differences between education and development; what healthy involvement in sport can look like for children; the role of deliberate practice; the use of attentional cues for learning and performance.

#283 Derek O’Riordan - The Craft of Coaching

I’m delighted to speak with Jordan Cassidy this week. Jordan is a Sports Scientist specialising in skill acquisition and coach and athlete development. Jordan's work is aimed at supporting coaches to best support their players and athletes. Jordan has worked across a number of sports across the globe including with the Hong Kong National Rugby Union Team as a strength and conditioning coach and then working as a sport scientist. Jordan is currently conducting research in skill acquisition and coaching at Queensland University of Technology, while working as a coach and player development consultant for clubs and schools across Queensland. Jordan aspires to support coaches to deliver more engaging and enjoyable sessions for their athletes, in their unique context. Jordan aims to encourage reflective practice and provide feedback on: empowering players within training, coaching behaviours within a session and training session (micro-planning) and training block design (macro-planning).

#282 Jordan Cassidy - Tailoring Coach Development to the Individual

I’m delighted to speak with Elisabeth Oehler this week. Elisabeth is a Sports Performance and Strength and Conditioning Coach.  Elisabeth has worked in various sports in multiple countries and is currently Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Saudi Olympic Training Center. Elisabeth has her own consultancy practice EO Performance. Previously, Elisabeth was the Strength and Conditioning Coach for DHL Stormers Western Province Rugby in South Africa. Elisabeth takes a holistic approach to athlete development in her coaching to make her athletes stronger, faster, and more powerful. Besides the physical performance aspects, she helps her athletes to develop mental toughness, integrity, the ability to work in a team, discipline, respect, and leadership skills on and off the field or competition floor. Elisabeth is currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance at Dublin City University.

#258 Dr Mark Aoyagi - Exploring Performance Excellence

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