Don't Mention The T Word

Professional Football club youth academies are seen as the ultimate goal for any young footballer, but are they really all they are cracked up to be? Are they really the best place to be if you want to become a professional player? How many academy players actually get a professional contract? And can you make it without being there? These are the questions the we pose to Premier League academies expert and researcher, Dr James Dugdale, and the answers are fascinating! James is a Le...

We are (finally) back with another episode of Don’t Mention the T Word. We have some new ammo for our inspiration and desperation features as well as the usual questionable banter!In this episode, we discuss the importance of the role of the parents for any sporting child. As a parent:- How can you ensure you are maximising your child’s potential? - how to avoid helicopter parenting?- How do you make sure you ask the right questions before, during and after practice or matches? - How do you a...

This week, we go full circle and welcome back Jimmy Moran to the show.As a pe teacher and sports coach Jimmy has a wealth of knowledge that we drew on the last time he was on the show. This time, however, we discuss his main passion: Endurance running. Jimmy runs his own coaching business called ‘Sports Endurance Performance’. As an avid runner himself, he became interested at looking into how best to improve himself and has developed his knowledge of endurance running and the best ways ...

In our 20th episode we are joined by Dr Mark Slaven-Ross.Dr Slaven-Ross gained his PhD from Edinburgh Napier University in 2016 and is a lecturer in Exercise Physiology at the same University. His research specifically investigates the effects of exercise, physical inactivity, ageing and disease on cardiovascular physiology, with a focus on how the immune system and stem cells stimulate repair of our blood vessels. However, we asked Mark to come on the show and correct some of the myths ...

Don’t Mention the T Word is back…In our returning episode we are joined by Sean McKirdy and Cameron Begbie from Edinburgh’s new premium gym, Elevate 98. We discuss some of the myths that are subconsciously or deliberately perpetuated through the health and fitness industry. We examine; why these myths exist, what are the truths and what can people do to filter out the nonsense. We also continue to touch on all of the things that matter much more then ‘talent’. We hope you enjoy...

In our final episode of season 2, we look at why some people may find it difficult to turn their back on ‘Talent’. We discuss Confirmation Bias and Cognitive Dissonance; what they are and why they might be responsible for people not being open minded about how unimportant ‘talent’ is. We start off by discussing Emma Raducanu’s magnificent triumph at Flushing Meadows and finish with our highlights of the season. Massive thanks to our sponsor ‘Polaris Publishing’ for their support of Season 2. ...

In the studio this week, we welcome Rick Orr. Rick works for ‘Winning Scotland’, a charity that builds confidence and resilience in young people all over the country.‘Winning Scotland’ run a programme for teachers to help embed the principles of Growth Mindset into their teaching. Rick gives us a fascinating insight into how the perceptions of teachers and pupils can change as a result of the training. We also discuss the importance of the struggle when learning and how short term failu...

Joining us in the studio this week is Heart of Midlothian and SFA development coach, Alan ‘Chalky’ White. Chalky is responsible for the ‘Play the Game’ programme rolled out by Hearts and the SFA all over Scotland. He tells us what the course is about and why it could be useful for coaches, parents and young players up and down the country. He also tells us about the research he conducted, which gave interesting insights into; the type of practice successful footballers engaged in when they we...

On the show this week, we welcome BBC and Sky Sports television presenter, Eilidh Barbour. Eilidh covers football on a weekly basis for BBC on programmes such as Final Score, Football Focus and the Woman’s Football Show. She also presents Sky Sports coverage of SPL Football and International games including Scotland’s World Cup qualifying campaign.Eilidh became BBC’s main presenter for their golf coverage in 2017, giving her the opportunity to cover all the major events including t...

Nat Coe is a PE teacher who now works as the head of support for learning in his school in Aberdeenshire. Nat got in touch with the podcast after listening to the first season and pitched his unique experience and how he thought it related to the nature/nurture balance which comprises the human experience. One of Nat’s 4 siblings has autism. This gave Nat the passion and motivation to develop his knowledge and understanding of autism in education and pursue it in his professional career. In t...