This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Visual awareness. Decision making. Problem solving. Just three of the terms bandied around on a regular basis when it comes to 'training the brain'. But what are athletes and clubs concentrating on when it comes to identifying and honing cognitive skills? To answ…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “I've talked recently to sports psychologists in high-level positions within professional sports teams who are facing increasing pressure…to try to better objectively test what they're doing with teams.” Jim Doorley is speaking about an issue that’s affected many…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “What makes this club different, for me, is how they embrace and welcome sports psychology and see it in the same way as the tactical, physical and technical stuff. A decision was taken some years ago where they said, ‘This is important and we need to implement i…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “My job is made easier…because I've got coaches that care about people. That’s why I constantly keep coming back to the leaders of programs or the leaders of the environment and the way they operate. In blunt terms, it either helps or hinders your ability to get …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com It’s a situation that will strike a chord with many sport psychologists. You start working with a team, hear all the right noises before joining, only to discover on day one that your handover notes are essentially a blank piece of paper. The turnover of staff in…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Artificial intelligence (AI) helps sports teams with analytics, training plans and recruitment. But is there a space for AI in a psychological context and, if so, what would that look like? In 2023, Markus Raab, Robert Schinke and Charles A. Maher wrote a paper o…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com In 2018, basketball player DeMar DeRozan wrote a one-line tweet: ‘This depression gets the best of me’. Shortly after the small forward’s post, Kevin Love penned an article revealing he’d suffered a half-time panic attack during a game against the Atlanta Hawks. …

 ‘Players were telling us that they felt more resilient, more confident and had better communication skills, just over one season, and some of these players can be in academy systems for 10 years, so there's a lot of time to develop them.’ Tom Mitchell’s words are striking. The Doncaster Rovers academy psychology lead is talking about the impact of…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Claim 20% off an annual Mind Room subscription - offer expires on December 24! “Does anybody think that Premier League football teams are taking on psychologists who are fundamentally saying the way that your coach is treating players is dehumanizing and should s…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com In last week’s newsletter, I highlighted some key takeaways from my discussion with Dr. Brett Haskell, the National Women’s Soccer League’s clinical mental health and performance director. Now - for Mind Room Members only - I’m releasing the full interview. The p…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Half-time team talks are the stuff of legend. Alex Ferguson’s ‘hairdryer’ treatment, which the former Manchester United manager reserved for unsuspecting players during his time at Old Trafford, was once seen as a vital reminder of dressing room discipline. Steve…

Psychologists fighting for fair pay. ‘Fake psychs’ exploiting the lack of regulation governing sport psychology in the UK (and elsewhere). The exorbitant cost of training to become a sport psychologist. The issues facing the sport psychology profession are well documented (we’ve covered a whole host of them on The Mind Room over the last couple of …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “I remember just being on the wards during chemotherapy, off my face on drugs, in so much pain and just sobbing uncontrollably at this documentary: that was when I was like, ‘Okay, we're doing this’” The idea of finding hope in moments of despair might sound hack…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Teenagers on multi-million dollar contracts. Transfer systems (at least in the US) allowing college athletes to switch teams at the drop of a hat. Social media distractions - and scrutiny - coming from every possible angle. The power dynamic governing the coach-p…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Elite sport’s struggle with issues such as identity is nothing new, but efforts to instill the type of self awareness and self reflection that might help young athletes are still something of a postcode lottery. In this Mind Room podcast episode, Jonathan Harding…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com A few weeks ago, I spoke to Alex Auerbach about his spell in the NBA, gaining coach buy-in and sport psychology regulation. During the conversation, Alex touched on the role he played in influencing the Toronto Raptors’ player recruitment, none more so than durin…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com In our last newsletter, Jonathan Harding wrote about a new study examining the link between personality and performance, focusing specifically on how the ‘Dark Triad’ of narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy impacts sporting relationships. This week, we’re…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “There are so many ways to do sports psychology: it just so happens that I believe an optimal culture for the incorporation of sports psychology bases its language and behaviours around a shared mental model. “That's because you can help the coaches, the physios,…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com You’re 2-1 down to your arch rivals in a game that might decide who wins the league. You’ve played as though you’re chasing only your second title in 25 years: the nerves are palpable. You have 45 minutes to put things right. The stakes don’t get much higher than…

How do you convince an ageing centre back to swap the security of a low block for a high press that might make Ange Postecoglou blush? Karl Marius Aksum may have the answer. The Mjallby assistant coach, who is part of a backroom team that has helped the Swedish club to the highest position in its 85-year history, was refreshingly honest in an expla…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “Most athletes compete at one Olympics, so they might have been working forever for this one moment, and then, that's it, it's gone. “There's only one heat that you get to compete in. You've only got one chance to do your beam routine. It lasts a minute, but you'…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “If someone calls themselves a sports psychology consultant and they're not licensed, what do you do? There's no punishment. There's nothing you can do to change that. The psychology board can send them something that says, ‘Please don't do this’ and maybe the cl…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Geir Jordet has spent most of his professional career studying penalties. The Norwegian professor, who has worked with several of Europe's top teams over two decades in football, knows the psychological subtleties of spot kicks as well as anyone. All of which mea…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Barely a week goes by without mentions of ‘culture change’ within sport. Some of the commentary is vital: in sports ranging from rugby to swimming, there are serious issues to confront, requiring systemic reforms and widespread behavioural change. In other instan…

We've launched a new sister newsletter, bringing you the latest football psychology stories to your inbox - for free - every week. To subscribe to The Mind Room, just visit https://themindroom.substack.com/, where you can also find a back catalogue of articles and interviews. We'll be back with a new pod in the near future, but if you want to get i…

Former Lionesses psychologist Misia Gervis drops by for an exclusive interview, explaining how she prepared the England women's side for their last visit to a European Championship final and the lessons the current team might learn from 2009. Read 'The Mind Room', The Football Psychology Show sister newsletter: https://themindroom.substack.com/ Get…

We welcome back Wycombe assistant manager Richard Dobson and regular guest Dr Misia Gervis for a discussion about the secrets of a successful coach-psychologist relationship. After almost a decade of working together, Richard and Misia reflect on how they formed their partnership, the key elements behind their sustained success and offer some advic…

Former Premier League psychologist Sarah Murray joins us to discuss: The emotional impact of going on loan Adding psychologists to EPL coaching teams What are the ingredients of successful leadership? Read 'The Mind Room', The Football Psychology Show sister newsletter: https://themindroom.substack.com/ Get in touch and follow us on Twitter: http:/…

We welcome back regular guest and former England women's team psychologist Dr Misia Gervis to discuss the psychology of the play-offs, whether managers' motivational stunts really pay off and the mental benefits of celebrating. Read 'The Mind Room', The Football Psychology Show sister newsletter: https://themindroom.substack.com/ Get in touch and f…

We look back on the life of Professor João Carvalhaes, football's first World Cup-winning psychologist. Join us for a discussion about a fascinating individual who pioneered the use of cognitive examinations in elite football, divided opinion with his analysis of Pele and Garrincha, and helped Brazil win the 1958 World Cup. To watch the Sao Paolo R…

Wycombe coach Matt Bloomfield and former England women's team psychologist Dr Misia Gervis join us to discuss: Chelsea & Derby: how off-pitch problems really affect players' state of mind Conte: the impact of pressurising players to return from injury Wycombe: the power of psychological support Read 'The Mind Room', The Football Psychology Show sis…

We're joined by regular guest Dr Misia Gervis, former England women's team psychologist, to discuss: City v United: how do players prepare mentally for a derby? The run-in: how can teams deal with the pressure? Kepa: the science behind penalty mind games Read 'The Mind Room', The Football Psychology Show sister newsletter: https://themindroom.subst…

We're joined by regular guest Dr Misia Gervis, former England women's team psychologist, to discuss: City v Spurs: the psychology behind a 'bogey ground' Rodgers, Conte and Mourinho: why managers persist with public criticism of players Christian Eriksen: the mental side of recovering from trauma Read 'The Mind Room', The Football Psychology Show s…

We take a break from our regular format to bring you an interview with David Busst, the former Coventry City defender who suffered what is widely considered to be the most serious injury in the Premier League's history. David talks to us about the psychological impact of his career-ending leg break, the mentality required to recover from long-term …

We're joined by Professor Marc Jones, from Manchester Metropolitan University's widely-respected psychology department, and Dr Andy Hill, Blackburn Rovers' psychologist, for a discussion about psychological support for young players, the forces which motivate elite footballers and the science behind claims that teams 'play without fear'. Read 'The …

We're joined by Everton's former Director of Medical Services, Danny Donachie, and ex-England Women's Team psychologist, Dr Misia Gervis, for a discussion about the psychological techniques managers can use to address poor runs of form, dealing with the emotional impact of long-term injury and the mentality players require to sustain a career into …

We welcome Hearts and Southampton psychologist, Dr Jillian Harley, for a discussion about the impact of managerial changes on players' motivation, the thin line between productive devotion and unhealthy obsession and the way in which international breaks affect footballers' state of mind. Read 'The Mind Room', The Football Psychology Show sister ne…

We welcome back Wycombe's assistant manager, Richard Dobson, alongside the Chairboys' boss, Gareth Ainsworth, for a wide-ranging chat about the leadership and psychological support structure the duo have established at Adams Park. Running order: Part 1: Introduction - a fast-start to the season (00:14) Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Gareth A…

Former West Ham and Southampton player care specialist, Hugo Scheckter, joins us to talk about the social media abuse he's seen Premier League stars suffer, how he supported West Ham's first-team squad during COVID and the future of the player care profession. Running order: Part 1: Introduction - remembering Steffen Iversen (00:14) Part 2: Intervi…

Trabzonspor's Head of Sports Science, Malcolm Harkness, joins us to discuss his time in Turkey and the 'psychological coding' project he helped run in his previous role at Chelsea. Running order: Part 1: Introduction - dressing room songs, from Adele to Apache (00:14) Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Malcolm Harkness (04:35) Part 3: Final thou…

Former AC Milan and Chelsea psychologist, Dr Bruno Demichelis, drops by for the second half of a two-part episode, looking at his time at Stamford Bridge. Bruno talks to us about the sports science and cognitive support he provided for Carlo Ancelotti's double-winning squad. Drawing on stories involving a host of Chelsea stars, from John Terry and …

AC Milan's former Scientific Coordinator, Dr Bruno Demichelis, drops by to discuss the 'Mind Room', Italian football's first psychology laboratory. Bruno talks to us about the role the 'Mind Room' played in Milan's success during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Drawing on stories involving a host of Milan legends, from Franco Baresi and Roberto Baggi…

Southampton's former Head of Sports Science and the man credited with introducing futsal to the UK, Simon Clifford, stops by for a fascinating discussion about the psychological characteristics of the 'perfect footballer'. Simon talks to us about the players he's worked with, including Juninho, Gareth Bale and Micah Richards, who display some of th…

Nick Littlehales, aka 'The Sport Sleep Coach', drops by for a discussion about the impact of sleep on players' performance. We talk about Nick's career, spanning spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea and England, discuss the role that sleep coaching can play in improving performance and look at the effect of COVID-19 on fatig…

Renowned academic Professor Marc Jones joins us for a discussion about the impact of stress on performance, as we continue to look at how footballers, coaches and the people around them respond to pressure. We talk about Marc's work with academy players, the potentially positive role that fear of failure can play in motivating athletes, the impact …

In the latest episode of The Football Psychology Show (formerly known as the Beat The Press podcast), we speak to Wycombe assistant manager, Richard Dobson. We discuss the club's pioneering psychology programme, established by Richard and responsible for helping to support players such as Jordan Ibe and Anthony Stewart. In Richard's first in-depth …

In this episode of The Football Psychology Show (formerly known as the Beat The Press podcast), we speak to award-winning journalist and author, Mike Calvin. Mike talks to us about leadership in sport, drawing on his experience of co-writing Gareth Thomas’s and Alistair Cook’s autobiographies. He also gives us a rare glimpse of the realities of foo…

In this episode of The Football Psychology Show (formerly known as the Beat The Press podcast), we speak to Dr Misia Gervis, leading sports psychologist and academic. Join us for a fascinating discussion about her time working for the England women's team and the role she has played in supporting academies at Wycombe Wanderers and QPR. We look at h…