The Mind Room

In the latest episode of The World Cup Psychology Show, Tim Harkness, Chelsea’s former head of Sport Science & Psychology, who worked with Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge, and David Wheeler, one of the only former pro footballers turned psychologists working in the game, join me to look back at England’s win against Croatia.

We consider what did Tuchel said in the dressing room to inspire his side’s second half showing, examine the nuances of Harry’s Kane leadership and dissect one of the most memorable interviews delivered by an England assistant.

Questions?

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Previous articles

As a Mind Room Member, you can access all of the website stories - covering everything from AC Milan’s neuroscience lab to the way English rugby teams are embracing ‘shared mental models’ - via the four sections below:

* Theory

* Practice

* Strategy

* Features

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“The number of roles that are out there, some of which are driven by leagues mandating it, sometimes makes you feel like, ‘Gosh, the clarity and needs analysis piece hasn't happened before somebody's through the door’.

“Team dynamics can feel strained because there’s a bit of confusion about what we even call this: there are about five or six different…

In the first episode of The World Cup Psychology Show, Tim Harkness, Chelsea’s former head of Sport Science & Psychology, who worked with Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge, and David Wheeler, one of the only former pro footballers turned psychologists working in the game, join me to examine how mentally ready England are for the World Cup.

Key talking points:

* The psychological thinking behind England’s squad selection and preparation: we discuss the factors Tuchel, his coaching and backroom team are likely to have taken into consideration when selecting the squad, from the probable use of quantitative psychological evaluations to the emotional skills players such as Jordan Henderson possess.

* Learning from previous tournaments: we look at what’s gone wrong for England in previous European Championships and World Cups and how the team can learn lessons from those exits, focusing on the role of on-pitch communication, team cohesion and emotional regulation.

* Dealing with fatigue and heat: we examine the issues which are likely to dominate the competition, from fatigue to heat, with 25% of games set to take place in 26-plus degree temperatures.

Questions?

If you have any queries about the newsletter, get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Previous articles

As a Mind Room Member, you can access all of the website stories - covering everything from AC Milan’s neuroscience lab to the way English rugby teams are embracing ‘shared mental models’ - via the four sections below:

* Theory

* Practice

* Strategy

* Features

Thanks again for reading The Mind Room!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindroom.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com

What do you need to do to mentally prepare for a World Cup or Olympic Games? And when you’re in the white heat of a major tournament, how do you stick to the performance plans you’ve put in place?

They’re questions Jess Thom has fielded for much of the last decade. Since 2016, she’s worked with Team GB athletes across three Olympic competitions, as well …

How do you go from not winning a top-flight championship in 104 years to taking home four league titles in half-a-decade (whilst also becoming the first club from your country to reach the semi-final of a major European tournament)?

The short answer: stop focusing on results.

If that’s surprising, the longer explanation is even more revealing. In the lat…

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It’s one of the most important, but least spoken about, relationships that a psychologist will form. Working effectively with a sporting or performance director can make or break a practitioner’s tenure with a team. So, what’s the secret to forming and sustaining a successful relationship with front office commissioners?

In this episode of The Mind Room …

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You’re preparing to face a brilliant Barcelona side on their home turf. Every minute of the game will be a test of your team’s concentration, communication and ability to perform under pressure. How do you psychologically prepare your players?

Morten Bertelsen has an interesting answer to that question. In this week’s edition of the Mind Room podcast, I …

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A once high-flying side comes crashing down to earth with a series of devastating losses. A press conference is called. The side’s coach announces the appointment of a sport psychologist.

Unfortunately, as many readers will know, the above scenario is more fact than fiction (just take a look at the build-up to Sascha Lense’s spell as Manchester United’s…

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Electrodes pinned to people’s heads. Screens showing everything from neural activity to heartrate variability. Lab technicians making minute adjustments to polygraph machines.

The stereotypical image of a sport psychology laboratory is well-worn. But are images of AC Milan’s Mind Room (the inspiration behind this newsletter) still relevant to running a …

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"You're the best sport psychologist I have ever worked with…because you didn't do psychology with me, you treated me.....normally. When I was having a dip in form, you knew what to say, but most of all, when I had some personal issues away from football, you literally just sat with me, did nothing, said nothing, and I can't tell you how much that meant".