In this episode, Emily and Zach are joined by 8 time Ladies Champion, Karen Hird to discuss the factors that drive success in sport. We discuss the various sports Karen has played to a high level and how this diverse sporting experience has contributed to her success as an Eton Fives player. Karen offers her insights into her motivation to play and how unstructured play can lead to skill development just as successfully as structured drills. 

To follow up on the previous episode with Riki and Jonny, Emily and Zach tackle some points on physical preparation and the best ways to fuel yourself for performance in Fives. They cover topics such as: the importance of sleep, what foods to eat for optimal performance and recovery, as well as ways to physically prepare for a season of Fives. 

This week Zach and Emily speak to two of the young and upcoming stars in the sport, Marjolaine Briscoe and Hugo Young. The discuss how they got into the sport, how they transitioned from school to the adult game and their mindset when going up against those more experienced than them. They delve into their own experiences and give some great insight into how to encourage greater pull through from schools and how to attract new talent at universities. 

This week Emily* speaks to Riki Houlden and Jonny Ho, two of the speediest, most agile players on the circuit to find out how they train to ensure they are ready and fit enough to take on any tournament. They discuss their different training styles, their pre-and post-match routines and a little into how their partnership came to be.

*Zach was unfortunately unwell at the time of recording but listen out for a bonus episode where he will share his scientific knowledge on the matter.

This week Emily and Zach talk about the system our brain uses to make snap decisions, which is great for choosing your shot in the heat of a rally or how to react in situation when you are in danger. It also results in unconscious bias towards situations and people, something that everyone has developed, unintentionally, through the experiences they have had. In this episode they discuss the science alongside impacts that this bias can have on individuals, sports and society. They suggest ways that individuals can make themselves more aware of their own biases and ways they can help to counter it in themselves as well as in their communities.

Books mentioned in the podcast

This week Zach and Emily discuss whether great sports players are born or bred, and how much of a influence does your natural born skills, mindset etc impact your growth in sport. To discuss this they speak to Charlotta and Seb Cooley, two members of a highly successful Fives family. Between them they have won a huge array of national titles but how do they think they got so good? Is it in their genes or is something else at play here? Tune in to find out their thoughts as well as hear some great stories from their careers, some insightful discussion into the mindset of getting and staying at the top and some fun ideas of what should happen next in the world of Eton Fives. 

This week Zach and Emily speak to John Reynolds, the 11-time winner (1981-91) of the main Open tournament (The Kinnaird Cup). They delve into how he trained to become so good, the decision making behind his shot choices and how he thinks Fives has helped him. Other discussion points include the evolving fashion sense on the Fives court and top tips for everyone on how to improve your game.  Listen to find out his thought as well as who he thinks would win in a match up between him and champion partner, Brian Matthews, against the current top pair in the country, and who he would partner with now to win the Kinnaird Cup again.