I’m delighted to speak to Dr Tom Mitchell this week. Tom is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching at Leeds Beckett University. Tom’s research interest is in the lived experiences of youth and professional footballers and how organisational culture in professional football influences the development of their Identity. Tom has over 10 years of engagement with professional football. Recently, he has engaged in performance coaching activity within professional squads working with players and staff. Tom is also a grassroots coach. Tom and I discuss a brilliant paper he has published which he led along with other authors entitled ‘Fostering Psychosocial Characteristics Within an English Soccer Academy’. The aim of the paper is to present a real-life example of the design, delivery, and implementation of a theoretically informed psychosocial development programme for players within an academy soccer setting to include player workshops, coach delivery and ways to influence the environment.

#208 Dr Tom Mitchell - How to Build a Psychosocial Development Programme

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 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.

#281 Elisabeth Oehler - Coaching Across Cultures

I’m delighted to speak with sport psychologist, Michael Caulfield this week. Michael has worked in professional sport for over 25 years. He currently supports a number of teams, organisations, coaches and athletes in elite sport. Michael has worked with teams and players in the Premier League as well as international and domestic cricket and has wide experience across many of the sporting codes.    Michael is a registered performance psychologist with the Health and Care Professionals Council, having retrained in psychology after a career in sport and sports administration.   Michael is a regular keynote speaker at sport and business conferences on key areas such as wellbeing, rest and recovery, sleep, developing confidence and how to cope with the range of demands placed on people in all walks of life. Michael is also a regular contributor to BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC News and Sky Sports.

#280 Michael Caulfield - Building Trust with Athletes and Coaches

I’m delighted to speak with Allan Steele this week. Allan has held many positions in football including Director of Football, Technical Lead, Academy Manager in the Premier League and pro-licence coach.  Allan was Director of Football at Forest Green Rovers Football Club. Previously he held roles at Brentford Football Club – as B Team Technical Lead and Assistant Coach, and as Education and Welfare Manager and Academy Coach. Allan and I discuss his coaching and leadership experiences and approaches having worked across three different footballing cultures.

#279 Allan Steele - Reflections on Coaching and Leadership at the Elite Level

I’m delighted to speak with coach educator and coach, Dr Noel Dempsey this week. Noel is a Senior Lecturer at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB). UCFB is dedicated to the delivery of ground-breaking undergraduate degree programmes in the football and sports industry. Noel is a UEFA A Licence coach and has coached in range of settings, including grassroots, academy, non-league. Noel previously coached at Manchester City Football Club, The English FA for 4 years and Burnley Football Club. We discuss a range of coaching topics and Noel shares his experiences as a coach and coach developer.  

#208 Dr Tom Mitchell - How to Build a Psychosocial Development Programme

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