Better Under Pressure

#25 - Ben Ryan - Find the Trampolines


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In this episode, I have an engaging conversation with Ben Ryan, the Director of Elite Performance at Brentford FC. With a background in teaching, professional rugby, and being the most successful men's rugby sevens coach in the world, Ben has a wealth of experience in handling pressure. 

His book, Sevens Heaven, recounts his incredible journey coaching the under-resourced Fiji 7s team to their first-ever Olympic Gold in 2016. This achievement led to numerous accolades, including his face being featured on Fijian banknotes and coins, as well as being named a Fijian tribal chief.

During our discussion, Ben shares valuable insights on:

  • Recognising when others are feeling the pressure
  • The concept of "finding the trampolines" and what it means
  • How he had to make a life-changing decision in just 20 minutes
  • Outline📍

    00:00 Intro
    02:33 What does pressure mean to you?
    04:14 Do you remember the first time you felt pressure?
    06:43 Constructive failure: Did that help you manage the pressure? 
    08:59 How do you spot players who are starting to be under pressure?
    12:08 What are your top interventions when you see a player under pressure?
    14:40 Transferrable skills between sports and business
    19:48 Consistency
    24:33 What pushed to you go into the job in Fiji?
    30:11 Insight 1: Lessons learned
    36:12 How do you promote the value of enjoying the game at Brentford FC? 
    41:45 Personally, what was the worst pressure you ever faced?
    45:17 External perspective
    50:00 The relationship between recovery and performance
    51:08 Insight 2: Lessons learned
    54:06 What would be your advice to people, on how to be better under pressure?
    57:35 Outro

    ...more
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    Better Under PressureBy Sara Milne Rowe