University of Staffordshire's Performing Under Pressure Podcast

Jordan Brookes is a golf caddy and sport psychologist in training. He is currently completing his professional doctorate through the University of Portsmouth. Jordan also has experience of supporting academy footballers and currently works with players at Crewe Alexandra's academy.

In this episode, Jordan reflects on how is able to combine his role as a caddy with providing psychological assistance to golfers during their round. He discusses some of the practical strategies that he applies, such as how irrational self-talk could be tackled. Jordan also shares his insights on the use of imagery in golf and why it is important to consider tournament preparation on a holistic level.

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Gail and Andy Coady are the parents are former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain and England international Conor Coady, and his brother Harrison. Conor made over 300 appearances in Old Gold and has 10 England caps, and he has also represented Everton and Leicester City in the Premier League. In this episode, we explore the experiences of parenting in elite sport from academy football to the World Cup. Gail and Andy share how they may have shaped Conor's leadership skills, how they have supported him during the difficult moments of his career, and how they play an active role as grandparents to Conor's football-mad children.

Gail and Andy share their experiences of the personal abuse that Conor has experienced in-stadium and on social media and how, as a parent, what life is like for them on the rollercoaster of elite football. We also hear about the positive experiences they have had and the advice they would give to parents of academy footballers.

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Peter Dutton is a psychotherapist and counsellor who works with athletes and occupational workers to enhance their wellbeing and performance. Peter works for Sporting Chance to help athletes in dealing with addictions and he is also a part-time lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University. In this episode, he shares insights from his practice to hosts Dr Paul Mansell and Dr Karla Drew.

During the conversation, Peter outlines the role of dopamine in addiction and explains how mentoring can be a valuable approach to support career transitions. Peter also describes how mental health can impact performance and how we might be able to spot when a teammate is suffering from poor mental health.

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Graham Scott has spent a decade refereeing at the highest level of English football having worked his way up from the National League to the Premier League. He retired from the Select Group of Officials in 2025.

In this episode, Graham explains to hosts Dr Paul Mansell and Professor Matt Slater how he was able to perform well in the high-stakes environment that is Premier League football. Part of this process is built around a clear routine, and Graham outlines how he approached the days and hours leading up to kick-off. He shares what he considers to be the biggest source of mistakes in officiating and provides some interesting advice for those who are looking to excel at officiating. We also discuss the need for referees to decompress after an important fixture, and Graham reflects on the reporting of refereeing decisions.

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Ian Davies MBE is an associate professor in Health, Education and Policing Sciences at the University of Staffordshire. For 20 years, Ian worked within the NHS as Lead Biomedical Scientist and an Operational Manager, providing 24-hour analysis of specimens from patients to assist in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease. In 2025, Ian was awarded an MBE for his services to pathology and biomedical science education.

In this episode, Ian offers his unique perspective into the challenges and psychological effects of working within a demanding clinical environment. He goes into detail about the inherent stressors of working with sick patients and how to handle these, as well as his thoughts on what makes an effective leader. Ian also explains how he is designing graduate courses to better equip prospective NHS scientists with the ability to lead and perform under pressure.

With thanks to Jacob Rowlands and Holly Cadman for their technical support.

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Ben Osborn is a professional footballer who is currently on loan to Stockport County from Derby County. His former clubs include Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United, and he has also represented England at U18, U19, and U20 level. He has made over 350 appearances in his career including 61 appearances in the Premier League.

In this episode, he explains how he prepares himself to deliver on a matchday. He describes his ideal type of leadership, including what changed at Derby County towards the end of the 2024/25 season when they survived relegation having looked certain to go down. Ben also explains his business interests and how he is utilising mentoring in schools to support the development of adolescent boys.

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In this special international episode recorded in the Porto region of north Portugal, we are joined by professional footballer Erin Seppi. Erin is from New Jersey in the United States of America and has represented Romanian side FC Cluj in the Champions League before joining Valadares Gaia in 2021. Valadares Gaia are one of the top sides in women's football in Portugal, and Erin is their captain and goalkeeper.

In this episode, Erin reveals the kind of skills that are in her psychological toolkit that can help her to perform under pressure and deal with mistakes. Our first goalkeeper on the show, Erin also explains the psychology of a goalkeeper and how that might be different to outfield players. We focus on leadership and Erin describes how a senior leadership group can shape togetherness at Valadares Gaia. Erin also explains how she was able to deal with studying while playing to a high level, and how she is developing skills now that can underpin life beyond football.

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Jeremy Holt is a chartered organisational psychologist and a founder of the Centre of Team Excellence. He has spent over 30 years building high-performance teams in sport, business, and the military. Jeremy also coaches young players in grassroots rugby, for which he has a strong passion. He is also the author of "For the Love of the Game:

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Emma Heighway is the Subject Leader of PE at Erasmus Darwin Academy, a school based in Staffordshire. Having graduated with a first class honours degree and completed her PGCE, she has been teaching PE for over ten years. More recently, she has been promoted to Subject Leader, and leadership forms a big part of our conversation. We discuss the importance of having values that are lived, and Emma shares how this is the case for students and staff alike.

We also discuss ways to motivate young people, the importance of goal setting, and how to make a learning environment inclusive. Emma also shares her approach to fostering the development of leadership in young people.

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Katie Clark is a HCPC accredited Sport and Exercise Psychologist. She completed her postgraduate degree at the University of Staffordshire and has since gone on to work in a Premier League football academy and in women's football, among other sports.

In this episode, she explains to Dr Paul Mansell how she navigated the challenging pathway to becoming a Sport Psychologist. Katie tells us more about her work around the training ground and on a matchday, and she reflects on strategies that she finds to be effective when working with players. Katie outlines the balance between working at group-level vs. 1-to-1 and how she works through the coach to develop an effective environment for performance under pressure.

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