University of Staffordshire's Performing Under Pressure Podcast

Dr Mel Morrison is a HCPC registered Educational and Child Psychologist. Also known as ‘The Sporty Ed Psych’, Mel completed her Doctorate in Applied Educational and Child Psychology at the University of Birmingham in 2023, and she now works as an Educational and Child Psychologist for Walsall Council.

In the episode, hosts Dr Paul Mansell and Laura Jackson de Domene ask Mel to reflect on her work in supporting young people in educational settings. What does an average day look like in this field, and how does Mel support neurodivergent children? What makes adolescence a period of 'storm and stress', and what does this mean?

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Paul Anderson is the Head Coach of Derby County's Under 15 side. He is also a former footballer having signed his first professional contract with Liverpool, where he won the FA Youth Cup in 2006. It was with Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town where he most made his mark as he made over 300 professional appearances.

In this episode, Dr Paul Mansell and Sam Westley quiz Paul on his experiences as a player and as a coach. How did Paul react when West Bromwich Albion told him that he wouldn't make it as a Premier League player? Who were the players that Paul admired in terms of their ability to perform under pressure? Which managers got the best out of Paul and why? Paul also offers his suggestions for how we can best support young players as they navigate the challenges of academy football.

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David Wheeler amassed over 600 appearances in his football career, representing clubs such as Exeter City, Wycombe Wanderers, and Queens Park Rangers. Since retiring, he has begun his formal training to become an accredited sport psychologist, building on his Masters degree.

In this episode, Reading first team coach Danny Schofield joins host Dr Paul Mansell to quiz David on his perceptions of performing under pressure. Danny acts David to reflect on his experiences as an academy footballer and how he coped with rejection from Brighton. David explains the term 'diversification of identity', and how an athletic identity may become all-consuming. We explore what it is like to play at Wembley, and how imagery might be useful to prepare for a big occasion. David also outlines his plans for the future including the approach he hopes to adopt as a sport psychologist.

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Dr Jonathan Katz is a Consultant Psychologist with 39 years experience of support provision within psychiatric settings and has supported athletes, coaches and support staff at major championships. His experience includes supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes including at several Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. He was also the Head Coach of Team England at 5 Commonwealth Fencing Championships. Jonathan is joined in the studio by Matt McKeen. Matt is training to be a sport psychologist under Jonathan's supervision, and is also completing a PhD at Loughborough University.

In this episode, we focus on the relationship between a supervisor and supervisee. Jonathan explains the thrive-manage-survive model and how he uses this to support athletes' mental health. We also hear from Matt about his recently published research on the mental health of sports officials. Jonathan and Matt reflect on the use of REBT in applied settings and both offer interesting definitions as to how they would define performing under pressure.

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In this special international episode, we welcomed Dr Sara Mesquita into our studio at the University of Staffordshire. Having previously been the sport psychologist for FC Porto's U19 as they reached the top, she now works with the women's team as they begin their quest to reach the Champions League. Sara is also a Lecturer at the University of Porto.

Speaking to hosts Dr Paul Mansell and Dr Karla Drew, Sara explains the role of togetherness in a high performing team and the traits that are typical of elite footballers. We discuss some of Sara's research, as well as the important qualities that a sport psychologist should demonstrate. With expectations to win always high at FC Porto, Sara outlines how she might help the players to deal with this.

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Joanna Hill is an experienced leader within forensic policing in Staffordshire having amassed 25 years of experience in this domain. In this episode, she explains to hosts Dr Paul Mansell and Dr Katie Sparks how she is able to perform and lead others in this demanding and stressful occupation.

Joanna explains why forensic policing, despite often being glamourised in the media, is fraught with challenges. In turn, this can have a negative influence on workers' mental health, and Joanna explains how this is addressed in her team. We also explore performing under pressure from a leadership angle, and Joanna explains her approach to dealing with difficult conversations and how she fosters a sense of togetherness.

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Louize Yafai is an accredited Breakup, Divorce & Life Transition Coach for individuals and sports professionals, and a member of the International Divorce Coach Centre of Excellence. In this episode, relationships are the central focus of our attention as Louize explains their relevance in performing under pressure.

For example, Louize explains how individuals can rebuild their confidence after a difficulties in a relationship and how to negate the effects of 'people pleasing' behaviours. Louize highlights the importance of boundaries and provides a useful analogy regarding how to consider this concept. Louize also explains the role of self-compassion in her work, and the professional skills that she values the most in her role.

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Lauren Garner is the First Team Performance Psychologist for Sunderland AFC having joined the club during their promotion-winning season in 2024. Prior to that, she has been the Lead Academy Performance Psychologist at Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers.

In this episode, Dr Paul Mansell and Brandon Walsh ask Lauren to describe her journey into the profession. Lauren explains in detail the importance of listening and reflection in her role. She gives examples of the types of questions she asks players so she can best support their psychological needs. We also ask Lauren to explain how she works at a team and organisational level.

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Mark Pearce has spent around twenty years working for Staffordshire Fire Service. The majority of this has been spent working as a firefighter and over the last three years, Mark now leads a training programme to ensure firefighters are physically prepared for their work.

In this episode, we examine pressure from the perspective of a firefighter, and we discuss how to prepare to deal with highly important situations as well as navigating any setbacks. Mark outlines how he deals with being 'on call' and knowing that a major incident could come through at any time. The conversation also turns to leadership - how does Mark motivate the firefighters that he works with to stay physically fit?

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Taylor Allen grew up in Staffordshire and began his professional career with Forest Green Rovers. After several loan spells, he then joined Walsall FC where he won the club's Player of the Season award and was named in the League Two team of the year for 2025, accumulating 18 goal involvements in all competitions. This earned him a moved to League One Wycombe Wanderers for an undisclosed fee.

In a moving and poignant episode, Taylor describes how the tragic passing of his father was marked by the players and staff at Walsall FC. He outlines the individuals who have shaped his psychology, and on a personal level, the psychological factors that influence taking set pieces. Taylor also describes the importance of confidence and how he maintains a high level of self-belief. We also discuss the psychology behind Walsall's challenging end to the 2024/25 season, and what it was like to prepare for a play-off final at Wembley.

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