Raising Your Game

Tim Harkness is the Head of Sport Science and Psychology at Chelsea Football Club and an Author.

Expect to learn what we can learn from the Springboks and All Blacks, balancing ego and purpose, performing under pressure, understanding fear, mental health in sport, teaching resilience and mental strength, and much more.

Oliver Lam-Watson is a British Paralympic Silver and Bronze Medalist in wheelchair fencing.

Expect to learn: what makes an athlete elite, the different levels of being an athlete, perceptions and challenges of disability athletics, masculinity and disability, acceptance and appreciation of disability, and much more.

(01:01) - From Disability to Paralympic Athlete (07:60) - Athletics Asymmetry Management and Recovery (21:07) - Levels of Athletes (24:39) - Defining Athleticism and Results (28:42) - Elite Athlete Lifestyle and Recovery (40:39) - Importance of Understanding Athletes' Energy Sources (44:19) - Perceptions and Challenges in Disability Athletics (49:47) - Para Fencing, Tactics, and Masculinity (57:61) - Exploring Masculinity and Disability (01:10:01) - Masculinity and Vulnerability in 300 (01:21:15) - Acceptance and Appreciation of Disability

Luke Sutton is a former professional cricketer, agent, and host of the Understanding Men Podcast.

Expect to learn: whether athletes can be too nice to the opposition, how sledging in cricket can be a good thing, understanding men, how young men need role models, how to show vulnerability with strength and courage, the importance of how vulnerability from a man is received, and much more.

Tom Mitchell is a former England Rugby 7 captain and commentator.

Returning to the podcast for a second time, expect to learn: the pain and beauty of tight matches, how to build culture and motivation as a team, how adversity motivates athletes, the importance of shared experience, understanding your personal motivation, why leaders should own their mistakes, the importance of creating enough challenge and support, and much more.

(00:01:40) - England vs South Africa Rugby Analysis (13:38) - The Power of Team Motivation (19:18) - Culture and Overcoming Adversity in Sports (32:19) - Intrinsic Motivation and Owning Mistakes (39:56) - Continuous Learning and Humility in Leadership (49:02) - Coaching Elite Athletes (01:03:23) - The Power and Challenges of Authenticity (01:13:34) - The Power of Curiosity and Authenticity (01:21:34) - Cost of Excellence and Personal Sacrifice (01:31:44) - Line Between Discomfort and Pain (01:38:13) - Creating Personal Challenges and Finding Support (01:42:25) - Support, Accountability, and Personal Growth.

On World Mental Health Day, Lewis talks about a recent journey of starting therapy and his experiences navigating the process of finding the right therapist, battling societal stereotypes and prejudices, and the transformation he underwent in starting to uncover parts of himself. This candid discussion hopes to shed light on the importance of mental health and the role therapy can play in our personal growth and becoming the best version of yourself for you and those around you.

00:13 - Exploring the Importance of Therapy

13:54 - Taking Brave Steps Towards Personal Growth

What do Novak Djokovic, LeBron James, Erling Haaland, and the late Kobe Bryant have in common? They all practice mindfulness. In this episode, Lewis discusses mindfulness and how being present can greatly improve the mind-body connection, allowing you to tap into your optimal performance zone.

Expect to learn:

●       Getting started on mindfulness

●       The benefits of practicing mindfulness

●       How to start your mindfulness journey as an athlete

●       Ways to cultivate curiosity in your mindfulness practice

●       Why mindfulness and meditation are not the same thing

●       How being present can give you the mental edge during games

[00:00] Introduction

[02:10] Mindfulness in sports

[03:40] Lewis’ journey to mindfulness

[04:23] The difference between mindfulness and meditation

[07:00] The benefits of learning to be mindful

[11:11] Self-awareness and the curiosity that comes with mindfulness

[16:41] When and how to be mindful every day

[19:40] Tips for mindful living

[22:05] Using mindfulness for better mental performance

[24:39] The burden of mindfulness

[27:12] Parting thoughts

Tom Mitchell is a Rugby Union International who has represented Great Britain and England Sevens at the World Series, the Olympics, and Commonwealth Games. Tom won an Olympic silver medal as captain for Great Britain in the 2016 Summer Olympics. He debuted for England at the 2012 Wellington Sevens and was the leading scorer in the 2013-14 World Series with 358 points, helping England to a fourth-place finish in the Series that year.

In this episode, expect to learn the foundation of authentic leadership, what it's like working in a high-performance environment, leading teams, and the difference between young Athletes today versus back in the day.

[00:00] Introduction

[01:12] Young Athletes Today Versus Back in the Day

[04:12] Coaching Introverted Versus Extroverted Athletes

[08:02] Perfectionism and Freedom of Expression

[12:58] When People Doubt Their Abilities

[18:05] Tom's Experience Working with a Sports Psychologist

[22:00] The Human-First Approach to Coaching

[28:14] Lessons Learned: Tom's Experience as a Leader

[32:02] The Foundation of Authentic Leadership

[35:44] Having Values as a Leader

[39:29] The Benefits of Having Role Models

[41:19] Lewis Reveals His Role Models Growing Up

[45:00] Tom's Sporting Role Models 

[47:58] The Best Mindset to Have as an Athlete

[51:37] Fighting the Culture of Comparison in Sports

[53:40] Parting Thoughts 

Links and Resources:

How do you deal with poor performance as an athlete? Is there a way to bounce back stronger after a bad game? In this episode, I talk about the most effective ways of dealing with poor performance. Expect to learn the dangers of not moving on from a bad performance, how to improve for the next competition, and how to develop the right mindset to bounce back from a poor performance quickly.

[00:00] Introduction 

[01:20] Accept That You Will Have Poor Performances

[04:15] Managing Emotions After a Poor Performance 

[07:31] Stop Building Your Self-Worth on Past Performances

[10:34] The Problem with Only Focusing on the Negatives

[11:05] The First Step to Dealing with a Bad Performance 

[14:37] The Benefits of Reviewing All Your Performances 

[20:40] How to Make a Plan of Things You’d Like to Achieve

[24:03] Actions Items and What To Do

[27:00] A Bad Performance Doesn’t Make You a Bad Person

[29:59] Parting Thoughts 

Join the MindStrong Academy (14-Day Free Trial): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindstrong.lewishatchett.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get my Free Friday email 'The Game Plan': ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.lewishatchett.com/the-game-plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Lewis at:

Lewis explains how to create process to improve your skill, performance under pressure, confidence and much more.

Expect to learn, what a process is, how to create one, how to practice a process and how to trust it, even when things aren't going your way.

[00:00] Introduction 

[02:09] What is a Process?

[04:55] Steps to Building an Efficient Process

[07:25] How Having a Process Can Increase Your Motivation

[09:32] How to Build Your Process From Scratch

[13:43] The Most Important Part of Creating a Solid Process

[15:42] Be Open to Trying New Things

[18:06] The Best Athletes Continuously Refine Their Process

[21:03] Ways to Build Trust Around Your Process

[23:30] How to Identify the Inefficent Parts of Your Process 

[25:07] Understand That Your Process will Evolve Over Time

[26:14] Parting Thoughts 

Join the MindStrong Academy (14-Day Free Trial): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindstrong.lewishatchett.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get my Free Friday email 'The Game Plan': ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.lewishatchett.com/the-game-plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Lewis at:

Russell Earnshaw is a rugby union coach working in sports and business with the Magic Academy. He played Premiership rugby with West Hartlepool, Bath Rugby and Rotherham Titans, winning the European Cup at Bath. In this episode, expect to learn the impact of gamification on sports teams, vulnerability as a strength for coaches, what to do when you no longer enjoy the game, and ways coaches can ask for feedback and intentionally act on it. [00:00] Introduction

[01:21] Who is Russell Earnshaw?

[04:45] An Athlete’s Performance During Their Peak Years

[07:44] Coaches Asking For Feedback and Acting On It

[11:16] Russell’s Transition Out of Rugby

[16:29] Reasons Athletes No Longer Enjoy the Sport

[19:00] Coaches Going Into a New Team Environment 

[20:05] The Power of Ownership and Kindness in Sports

[28:12] Ways to Develop a Strong Team Culture

[31:41] Vulnerability as a Strength For Coaches

[34:08] Speed Dating for Athletes

[40:17] The ‘How to’ Guide to Becoming a Better Athlete

[44:56] Accountability and Working with Perfectionistic Coaches

[47:50] What is the Pinneaple Game?

[49:38] Integrating Playfulness in Professional Team Environments 

[53:52] Why Athletes Should Focus on Enjoying Themselves on the Field

[56:12] Russell’s Definition of Coaching

[59:08] Advice for Coaches Looking to Develop Themselves

[01:03:52] Russell’s Go-To Self-Improvement Resource

[01:04:48] Parting Thoughts

Links and Resources:

Dr. Alexander Latinjak is an Associate Professor at the University of Suffolk and a Visiting Professor at the University of Thessaly. He is also a psychological skill trainer, primarily focusing on self-talk, cognitive self regulation in sports, and developing psychological programs for high-performance centres. 

In this episode, we discuss the role of self-talk in an athlete's success. Expect to learn how self-talk affects athlete performance, ways to practice positive self-talk, and the role of keyword interventions in combating self-defeating self-talk.  

[00:00] Introduction

[03:34] What is Self-Talk?

[06:48] How the Environment Affects a Person's Self-Talk

[10:48] Understanding Functional Self-Talk

[14:20] How to Become More Aware of Your Dysfunctional Self-Talk

[17:21] The Two Main Types of Self-Talk

[22:13] Self-Talk Interventions For Athletes

[26:46] Keywords for Self-Talk

[29:38] How to Get the Most Out of Keyword Interventions

[34:20] How Self-Talk Works Under Pressure 

[41:04] Making Sense of Directed Self-Talk

[46:40] The Relationship Between Emotions and Self-Talk

[51:07] How Self-Talk Affects an Athlete's Performance 

[56:50] Secretes to Staying Calm Under Pressure

[01:01:39] Ways to Improve Your Self-Control

[01:07:10] Why We Act the Way We Do

[01:11:17] Ways to Gain Control Over Your Self-Deafeting Self-Talk 

[01:14:10] Parting Thoughts

Links and Resources:

Mike Brown is an English professional rugby union player who plays fullback or wing for Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby. Brown joined the Harlequins senior team in 2005, having played youth rugby at Salisbury and Melksham, and began playing for the England first team two years later. During his career, Mike has won 3 Six Nations Championship titles with England and two Premiership Rugby titles with Harlequins.

In this episode, we dive deep into what it takes to achieve 19-year success in pro rugby. Expect to learn ways to develop great coach-athlete relationships, how to find and build your super strength, and the best way to respond to feedback as an athlete. 

[00:00] Introduction

[03:37] The Sacrifices Athletes Make

[07:16] Coming Through the Youth Ranks

[09:29] Mike's Journey to Pro Rugby

[15:26] Mike's Mindset as a 15-Year-Old Amateur

[19:13] Do You Need to Outwork Everyone Else?

[24:20] The Power of Self-Improvement as an Athlete

[28:12] How Athletes Should Respond to Feedback

[31:20] Finding and Developing Your Super Strength 

[33:46] Mike's Professional Debut

[39:01] What it Was Like Not Playing For England for 4 Years

[41:02] How to Develop Good Relationships with Your Coaches

[47:02] The Secret Source to 19 Years in Pro Rugby

[49:30] How Mike Mentally Prepared For Games

[52:15] Hobbies and Passions Outside Rugby

[55:43] How Mike is Preparing For Life Outside Sports

[59:17] The Benefits of Embracing the Beginners Mindset

[01:04:40] Positively Visualizing Your Future

[01:06:27] Mike's Favorite Quote

[01:08:36] Parting Thoughts

Links and Resources:

Dr. Andrew P. Hill is a Sport and Exercise Psychology Professor at York St John University, UK. Andy's research focuses on the motivational antecedents and consequences of participation in sports and physical activity. His main areas of interest are the consequences of perfectionism (an achievement-related personality trait) for athletes, exercisers, and youth sports participants.

In this episode, expect to learn some really thought-provoking stuff on perfectionism. Dr. Andy covers topics such as the rise of perfectionism and the death of imperfectionism, exactly what perfectionism is (and what it's not), as well as some practical advice to perfectionistic parents and coaches.

[00:00] Introduction

[01:20] Where Does Perfectionism Come From?

[04:08] High-Achieving Parents and Inherited Perfectionism

[05:51] Perfectionism and Self Esteem

[09:56] Losing Talented People to Perfectionism

[12:04] The Negative Consequences of Perfectionism 

[18:14] Studying Perfectionistic Climates

[20:35] Environmental Contributors of Perfectionism

[25:33] Understand that Failure is a Part of Growth

[28:17] Perfectionism and Burnout

[33:35] The Benefits of Embracing Imperfection

[36:40] The Pursuit of Self-Acceptance

[39:34] Falling Short of Your Goals 

[41:03] Advice to Perfectionistic Parents and Coaches

[44:03] Andy's Go-To Resource Recommendations 

[45:35] Parting Thoughts 

Links and Resources: 

Aaron Walsh is an experienced Performance Coach who primarily focuses on developing leadership, culture, and mental performance programs for teams. Walsh is currently working with Chiefs in Super Rugby as well as consulting with Harlequins, Scottish Rugby, Texas Rangers, and Basketball New Zealand. He has also worked with various national teams and currently coaches multiple corporate leadership teams to create and maintain a high-performance working environment.  

In this episode, expect to learn how coaches can incorporate strategies for developing mental skills in teams. We cover the role of mental toughness in elite sports, why athletes need to take ownership of their careers, and why you don't need a psychology degree to strengthen your team's mental skills. 

[00:00] Introduction

[02:20] Aaron's Interest in the Mental Side of Sports

[06:30] When Aaron Started Working with Teams

[10:22] Athletes Need a Coach Who Cares

[15:32] The Benefits of Athletes Creating Identities Outside Of Sports

[19:10] Why Athletes Cannot Live Normal Lives

[22:00] Elite Athletes Make Sacrifices 

[26:03] Aaron's Framework for Working with Athletes

[27:31] Accountability and Taking Ownership of Your Career

[34:33] Integration of Mental Skills into Teams

[37:40] Why Mental Skills Training is Important For Athletes

[39:04] High-Performance Sporting Environments  

[45:17] Adding In Time For Mental Skills Training 

[51:55] Moving From Theory to Practice 

[56:42] How the Fear of Failure Destroys Creativity

[58:35] Aaron's Go-To Resource Recommendations

[01:01:34] Parting Thoughts 

Links and Resources: 

Dr Mustafa Sarkar is an Associate Professor of Sport and Performance Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. His research addresses the psychology of performance excellence with a particular focus on resilience, psychological safety, and mental health.

Expect to learn, what resilience is and what it is not, the difference between resilience and mental toughness, how to build resilience, the cost of not facing challenge, how to create resilience within teams, creating environments to develop resilience, and much more.

[00:00] Introduction

[02:03] Learning to Leg Spin Bowl

[05:51] Lowest Point in Mustafa's Early Career

[10:01] Mustafa's Journey to Sports Psychology 

[13:49] The Lack of Research in Sports Resilience

[15:55] What is Resilience in Sports?

[19:36] The Difference Between Resilience and Mental Toughness

[21:57] Do Today's Young Athletes Lack Resilience?

[24:03] Why You Need to Ensure You're Not Spoon Feeding Your Kids

[28:34] Resilience in Different Fields and Different Contexts

[33:24] The 3 Main Components of Resilience Development 

[39:47] The Role of Humor in a Team Setting  

[43:00] Personality Traits of Resilient People

[48:25] The Challenge-Support Matrix

[52:18] What is an Unrelenting Environment

[55:51] How the British Gymnastics Team Develops Resilience 

[59:27] The Benefits of Being Held Accountable

[01:02:25] What a Comfortable Environment Looks Like 

[01:05:20] Using Pressure Training to Build Resilience

[01:09:08] Why Athletes Need Some Pressure to be Successful

[01:12:47] The Best Performance Preparation Model

[01:16:33] Understanding Physical and Psychological Fatigue

[01:19:23] Mustafa's Go-To Resource Recommendations

[01:22:22] Parting Thoughts 

Links and Resources: 

As an athlete, you will get injured. There's just no avoiding injuries. So how can you speed up your recovery, come back stronger, and even get the most out of your time on the side lines?

In today's episode, Lewis discusses ways athletes can mentally deal with injuries. Expect to learn how you can do a better job of addressing mental as well as physical aspects of athletic injuries to stand a better chance of getting back to your physical peak faster.

[00:00] Introduction

[02:18] The Emotional Impact of Injuries

[03:37] The First Step to Recovering from an Injury

[07:02] Injuries Are a Time of Reflection

[09:32] Use Recovery Time to Learn Something New

[12:09] Things to Do While Recovering from an Injury

[14:02] Using the Mind to Heal the Body

[17:41] The Difference Between Pain and Discomfort

[22:07] Parting Thoughts 

In today's episode, Lewis discusses managing anxiety in performance. Expect to hear why anxiety isn't necessarily a bad thing, the types of anxiety you can feel, the possible causes to your anxiety around performance, how you can manage anxiety mentally, physical and in the moment and much more.

[00:00] Introduction

[02:29] Lewis Growing Up as an Anxious Kid

[08:00] The Difference Between State and Trait Anxiety

[09:54] Semantic and Cognitive Anxiety

[12:26] The Inverted U Theory

[15:53] The Main Causes of Anxiety

[20:35] How to Overcome the Fear of Judgement

[23:21] Past Failures and Preconceived Ideas

[26:02] Injury Anxiety is Real

[29:00] The Mental Part of Dealing with Anxiety

[33:30] Why You Need to Create a Pre-Game Routine

[36:13] Fear and How to Overcome it

[41:46] How Gratitude Helps Curb Anxiety

[45:56] Recognizing the Physical Symptoms of Anxiety

[48:02] Sleep: A Fundamental Part of Dealing with Anxiety

[51:40] How to Tackle Your Anxiety in the Moment

[53:12] The Benefits of Putting Yourself in Stressful Situations

[56:55] Parting Thoughts 

Tara Norris is a professional cricketer who currently plays for Thunder, London Spirit, and Delhi Capitals. She plays as a left-arm medium bowler and has previously played for Loughborough Lightning and Southern Vipers.

Fresh off of her debut in the WPL, Tara comes on the podcast to talk about her journey to professional women’s cricket. Expect to learn what it's like hitting a five-wicket haul in the WPL, how professional athletes manage their emotions on game day, why women's cricket is such a unique sport, and so much more. 

[00:00] Introduction

[02:53] Why Tara Chose Cricket

[06:59] Your Role Model Doesn't Have to Play the Same Sport as You

[09:03] The Professionalism in Women's Cricket

[10:50] How Crowds Influence Athlete Performance

[14:12] Challenges in Professional Women's Cricket

[16:14] Tara Turning Pro

[18:15] Playing and Training with Men

[20:05] The Courage It Takes to Move Teams

[24:46] Tara's Biggest Career Highlight - The WPL Draft

[26:22] Tara's Five-Wicket Haul in the WPL

[29:20] The Gap Between Australian Players and the Rest of the World

[31:19] Difference Between Feeling Ready and Being Ready

[35:08] How to Manage Your Emotions During Games

[38:03] What to Expect From Tara This Summer

[39:04] Parting Thoughts

Resources 

Dr. Scott Goldman is a Consulting Performance Psychologist and the creator of the Athletic Intelligence Quotient (AIQ) - an intelligence test that assesses the innate cognitive abilities that are most utilized in attaining, developing, and applying athletic skills, strategies, and tactics. The test is being used by Olympic, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, and MLB teams, as well as multiple Power 5 Universities and E-Sport teams.

In this episode, Lewis and Dr. Goldman discuss the role of intelligence in athletics success, how to become more confident in your own process, and why top athletes embrace their inner weirdo. 

[00:00] Scott’s Athletic Journey

[04:53] Why You Need to Ask More Meaningful Questions

[07:13] Performance, Clinical, and System Design

[11:52] How to Become Confident in Your Own Process

[13:21] What’s Your Definition of Confidence?

[18:37] The Link Between Competence and Confidence

[22:06] Mowrer Two Factor Learning Theory

[25:02] Reduce Anxiety to Increase Confidence

[27:56] What is an Incompatible Response to Anxiety 

[33:55] How to Become Confident Enough to Stand Out

[40:58] Scott’s Experience Working with High-Level Teams

[43:39] Common Traits Among Top Athletes

[48:30] Why Top Athletes Embrace Their Inner Weirdo

[53:20] Athletes Who Have No Love For Their Sport

[58:15] Intelligence and Athletic Success

[01:03:25] How to Become More Intelligent

[01:06:40] You Can’t Escape the Playing Field

[01:09:02] Parting Thoughts

Resources 

When you're low on confidence, do you know why you feel that way? As an athlete, confidence can make or break your chances of success. You can have all the skills and talents in the world, but if you lack confidence, then it's all for nothing. 

In today's episode, Lewis discusses how your anxiety and desire for control can directly affect your confidence level. He also talks about optimism, perfectionism, and shares personal experiences to help you look inward so that you can become more confident in your everyday life.

[00:00] Introduction

[03:04] You're Focusing on Things You Cannot Control

[06:05] Dwelling on Past Negative Experiences

[08:33] Not Living Up to Your Expectations

[10:10] The Only Two Things You Can Control in Life

[14:19] Fearing Other People's Opinion

[16:12] Comparing Yourself to Others

[18:04] How Positive Role Models Can Help Boost Your Confidence

[21:05] Parting Thoughts 

Gordon MacLelland is the CEO and founder of Working with Parents in Sport. They support organizations, parents and coaches to work together and provide children with the best sporting experiences. Drawing on over 20 years of experience as a teacher, coach, director of sports and currently as a sporting parent, Gordon is able to gain a unique insight into the different stakeholders involved in the sporting experiences of young people.

In today's episode, Lewis and Gordon discuss ways parents can support their athletic children, mistakes to avoid, and the impact video games have on a child's development. They also cover why parents should see sport and physical activity as lifetime investments for their children, not short-term gain.

[00:00] Introduction

[04:46] Supporting Athletic Kids

[05:55] Working with Parents in Sports

[08:06] The Type of Kids Gordon Works with

[09:29] Difference Between Expectations and Entitlement

[17:23] Remember That Everything is in Your Control

[19:11] Benefits of Having a Good Parent in Sports

[21:19] How Devices Impact Your Child's Development 

[27:47] High-Level Athletes Playing Video Games

[30:46] Practical Guidelines Around Your Child's Video Game Use 

[32:10] Mistakes Parents Make Raising Athletic Kids

[35:27] Toxic Positivity and Over-Confident Kids

[39:02] How to Develop Your Child's Excellence

[41:16] Perfectionism in Children

[47:42] Are You Helping or Hindering Your Child's Development?

[51:35] Challenging Parents to Do Better

[54:02] You Need to Have More Open Conversations with Your Kids

[57:04] Parting Thoughts 

Find Out More About Gordon: