The podcast features Aaron Walsh, a mental skills performance expert, discussing the importance and integration of mental skills in sports performance. Aaron, with a background in sports and a passion for understanding performance, delves into the mental aspects that differentiate successful athletes from others. His journey, which includes experiences in the US and New Zealand, highlights the significance of mental skills in sports, particularly in high-pressure situations.
Walsh emphasizes that while physical and technical skills are crucial, the mental aspect often becomes the differentiating factor at the highest levels of sport. He categorizes sports into those where athletes initiate movement and those where they respond to it, noting that sports requiring initiation of movement, like golf or penalty kicks in football, have a higher mental demand. Walsh argues that mental skills should be treated like any other skill, with a focus on knowledge, tools, and support for development.
He also touches on the role of mental skills in team environments, stressing the importance of integrating mental skills into coaching, recruitment, and training decisions. Walsh criticizes the common approach of only addressing mental skills when athletes underperform, advocating instead for a proactive and integrated approach.
If you're someone who wants to develop a rounded programme that involves more than just sets and reps, this episode is for you.
Main talking points:
Optimising tackle technique and building confidence in contact with Andy Ryland
Using GPS to understand HOW someone moves, not just where they move through SpeedSig with Jason Weber
Managing and maximising the rise in individual athlete support teams with Ben Rosenblatt and James Collins
Winning the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks: A 19 year journey with Andy Edwards
Using sprinting as a movement screen with international rugby players with Tom Tombleson
Methods for testing and training neck strength with Gavin Pratt
Using micro dosing in-season with collegiate athletes with Steph Mock
What team sport coaches can learn from UFC about conditioning methods with Aaron Cunanan
#Bitesize - Breaking down and coaching deceleration with Hailu Theodros
Speed training for youth athletes with Alan Murdoch, John Garrish and Micheál Cahill
#Bitesize - What its like to lose your job in pro sport with Jordan Milsom
The 5 stages of on-field rehab after long term injuries with Filippo Picinini
#Bitesize - Choosing a mentor to accelerate your career with Nick Grantham
Successfully navigating the stages of an ACL rehabilitation with Matt Buckthorpe
Developing perceptual-cognitive factors to improve agility performance with Tania Spiteri
#Bitesize - Assessing agility in the field with Warren Young
Curvilinear sprinting: How we can test and train this unique quality with Alberto Filter
Velocity based training: The past, present of future with Jonathon Weakley
#Bitesize - How to implement microdosing with Matt Cuthbert
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