Leader Manager CoachProgress, Performance, Participation& Mindset; Psychology in Football (With Dan Abrahams)
How can you help players progress and Perform?
In this episode, Rob interviews Dan Abrahams an established sports psychologist with a specialisation in soccer.
Dan and Rob explore aspects of sports psychology and how understanding the crucial role it plays in sport is vital for the success of individuals and teams.
This absorbing podcast is an insight into the complex psychology of footballers and is an invaluable listen for any football coach.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- How did you get into your current profession?
I was a professional golfer and also undertook some coaching. As a player, I loved the psychological side.
I began to use analysis when coaching and I fell in love more and more with the psychology of it. When you are coaching you meet a huge cross-section of society and are able to work with vastly different individuals - the housewife, the lawyer, the eight-year-old.
I went on to gain a degree in psychology and a masters in sports psychology. I work in all sports but specialise in golf and football.
I now consult with a range of athletes globally and am based in Bournemouth.
- The 3 narratives
Above the surface level
Performance psychology, these are tools and techniques for managing thinking such as visualisation.
This needs to be integrated into cultures with a fluent and fluid conversation going on between coaches and players Helping each other to be the best that they can be.
At surface level
Well-being and welfare is the focus. This will be some isolated conversations away from the group with a professional such as the coach or a psychologist to support mindset and mental well-being.
Below surface level
This is the level of clinical psychology. It is where a psychologist would pass on people to specialist support.
Every sporting organisation should have a mental health strategy running throughout at all levels. It's important that mental health professionals play a part in helping organisations to understand what should be integrated and what should be isolated
- Coaches are invested in 3Ps
Participation, performance, progression
Dependent on the age you are coaching the 3Ps will be more or less. We as coaches need to be better at developing mental skills.
All players from 14 upwards need to start building a mental mindset structure. This will be individual and should be embedded so that it can be effective on game day.
- Embodied cognition
More evidence from research that our thoughts are embodied they run through our body and when we act in a certain way we can shift our mindset
It’s a piece of the coaching puzzle, it’s our communication, when we are co-creating are we asking the right questions?
It helping players experience the feeling and then giving them the platform to execute the feeling.
- Skill acquisition
There is a debate about whether isolated training is beneficial. The actions that you are learning without anyone else around you and without a specific context can be argued to be different to when you are in a decision rich environment.
There are skilful actions and tactical actions. Coaches have to be able to coach tactical actions, but players can also have ongoing objectives in intentional training that are skilful.
- Complex landscapes
A lot of my work as a psychologist is based on a non-directive approach, asking the right questions and co-creating a solution.
A nimble coach will be able to offer a mix of both directive and non-directive approaches to those they are coaching. The varying age groups require different balances to support progress and development.
BEST MOMENTS
‘We’re getting there, the FA and premier league are doing a great job opening up the narrative’
‘Young players need to be taught how to compete’
‘How do we help
someone to develop their mental skills?’
‘A decision rich environment can be beneficial’
‘Use action-based words to get players to develop their skill set e.g. ‘show me a dominant header’
‘You can then layer on the skill retaining the action-based words, its enveloped in mental skill. You need to be very specific’
‘We as coaches need to be better at developing mental skills’
‘Empower a player to come up with a solution’
‘I’m defining performance as the execution of actions in a role’
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/leader-manager-coach-podcast/id1370481271?mt=2
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EV44ASY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are/up-next?language=en
ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Ryles is a UEFA A licensed coach with a League Managers Association qualification and a science and medicine background. He has worked in the football industry in Europe, USA and Africa; at International, Premiership, League, Non-League and grassroots levels with both World Cup and European Championship experience.
Rob Ryles prides himself on having a forward thinking and progressive approach to the game built through his own experience as well as lessons learned from a number of highly successful managers and coaches.
The Leader Manager Coach Podcast is where we take a deep dive examining knowledge, philosophies, wisdom and insight to help you lead, manage and coach in football, sport and life.
CONTACT METHOD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMPYDVzZVnA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertryles/?originalSubdomain=uk
https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are/up-next?language=en
ABOUT THE GUEST
Dan is an established sports psychologist with a specialisation in soccer. He works with individual Premiership players and with Bournemouth.
He has written a number of successful books including:
Soccer Tough
Soccer Tough 2
Soccer Brain
He spreads his message to Europe, USA and Australasia via social media and conferences using his mindset techniques and strategies to aid performance.
He also hosts his own podcast called The Sport Psych Show.
GUEST CONTACT METHOD
https://twitter.com/DanAbrahams77?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-abrahams-b72a306/?originalSubdomain=uk
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sport-psych-show/id1434313037?mt=2
