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If you‘re interested in the mental side of sport performance, this is the podcast for you. Whether you’re an athlete, a coach, a sport psychology professional, or even just a sports fan, Dr Pete Olusoga, along with his expert guests, will answer all the questions you could possibly have about the role of the mind in sport performance. Is there such a thing as a winning mindset and if so, where can I get one? Why do we get nervous, and what should we do about it? What‘s the deal with mindfulness? In each episode, Dr Pete - with the help of some special guests - will ask and answer questions like these, exploring what the research says, and highlighting lessons from sport psychology that you can use on and off the field.
Episodes

Nov 10, 2020
Nov 10, 2020
12 min
Welcome to EPM Extras! In this mini-podcast episode, you can hear some of the extra bits from Episode 1.02, where Dr Pete and Hugh talked to Prof. Dave Collins, Director at Grey Matters Performance Ltd., about the controversial idea of a 'Winning Mindset'
- Dave Collins on Twitter: @DCGreyMattersUK
- Grey Matters: www.greymattersuk.com

Oct 27, 2020
Oct 27, 2020
1hr 11 min
In this, the final episode of Series 1, we talk to one of the world’s leading experts on Mindfulness, Joe Mannion, to find out just what all the fuss is about. What is mindfulness really, and perhaps more importantly, what is not mindfulness? What’s the theory, and is there actually any evidence to show that it’s helpful? Who shouldn’t do it? We answer all of these questions and more on Episode 10 of EightyPercentMental.
- Joe Mannion on Instagram: @dr_overcomer and Twitter: @JoeMannion
- Joe’s publications: www.researchgate.net/profile/Joe_Mannion2
- Book recommendation: Hayes, S (2019). A Liberated Mind

Oct 20, 2020
Oct 20, 2020
54 min
In this episode, we learn how to practice bobsleigh in the bath! We discuss the idea of mental rehearsal and see what the benefits of using it might be. Along with special guest Eoghan McNeill, a PhD researcher from the University of Limerick in Ireland, we explore the differences between imagery, visualisation, and mental practice. We talk about how imagery is thought to work, and what the potential benefits might be, not only for performance, but in other areas of our lives too.
- Eoghan McNeill on Twitter: @EoghanMcNeill

Oct 13, 2020
Oct 13, 2020
1hr 16 min
In our first ever EightyPercentMental Sidecast, Dr Pete and Hugh take over the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast. You don’t have to be into rugby to enjoy this one though! Hugh is asking the questions, while Pete, and guests, Ross Shand and Dr Andrew Wood discuss how they would solve real-life problems. The catch? They don’t know what the questions are going to be, and they each have to give a different answer, based on their knowledge, experience, and ability to make things up quickly.
How did we come up with this great idea? We didn't. Dan Cottrell from Rugby Coach Weekly runs this same “Haunted House” process with coaches - a great way to challenge and develop practice – so we teamed up, and this EPM Sidecast is the result. Enjoy - and then go check out the RCW podcast!
- Rugby Coach Weekly podcast on Twitter: @RugbyCoachWeek
- Ross Shand on Twitter: @RossShand
- Dr Andrew Wood on Twitter: @Woodington89
- Dan Cottrell on Twitter: @Dan_Cottrell

Oct 6, 2020
Oct 6, 2020
59 min
Dr Pete and Hugh find out everything we need to know about setting goals by talking with performance psychologist for British Para-Swimming, Charlotte Hinchliffe, and chartered sport and exercise psychologist Hannah Brooks. In this episode, we discuss what setting goals actually does for us, talk about some of the reasons that we often find goals so hard to stick to, and think about how athletes and teams set goals that really work for them.
- Charlotte Hinchliffe on Twitter: @SportPsychHinch
- Hannah Brooks on Twitter: @Han_Lucy_Brooks

Sep 29, 2020
Sep 29, 2020
1hr 13 min
Dr Pete and Hugh explore the importance of confidence. In this episode, we interview two athletes: Britain’s number 1 shot putter and World Championship finalist, Sophie Mckinna, and Rio 2016 Paralympic Silver medallist (Para Powerlifting) and Crohn’s disease warrior, Ali Jawad. We get some fascinating insights into what confidence means to them, how they build and maintain confidence when things don’t go according to plan, and the important role that psychologists and coaches can have in making or breaking confidence when it matters.
- Sophie Mckinna on Twitter: @sophieMac10
- Ali Jawad on Twitter: @AliJawad12

Sep 27, 2020
Sep 27, 2020
18 min
Welcome to EPM Extras! In this mini-podcast episode, you can hear some of the extra bits from Episode 1.05, where Dr Pete and Hugh asked Dr Josie Perry and Jo Davies why we get nervous and what we should do about it. If you've listened to that episode already, you know what else you're going to find here too!
- Dr Josie Perry on Twitter: @Josephineperry
- Performance in Mind website: https://performanceinmind.co.uk/
- Jo Davies on Twitter: @JDPsychology
- JD Psychology website: www.jdpsychology.co.uk/

Sep 22, 2020
Sep 22, 2020
1hr 5 min
In this highly competitive and somewhat musical episode of EightyPercentMental, we talk with Dr Josephine Perry, a sport psychologist who literally wrote the book on Performing under Pressure, and Jo Davies, who runs a private practice consultancy focusing on sport psychology, wellbeing, and personal development. We try to get to the bottom of why it is that we get nervous, what anxiety actually is, and what we can do to manage nerves when they become unhelpful for performance.
- Dr Josie Perry on Twitter: @Josephineperry
- Performance in Mind website: https://performanceinmind.co.uk/
- Jo Davies on Twitter: @JDPsychology
- JD Psychology website: www.jdpsychology.co.uk/

Sep 15, 2020
Sep 15, 2020
46 min
The Mental GOAT conversation continues. In Part II, we talk more about the qualities that make up mental ‘greatness’ – whatever that is – and how we can develop them in practice. With Dr Chelsi Day, a specialist in clinical psychology at ‘The’ Ohio State University, Todd Cauthorn, ex-professional Basketball player, and Dr Leah Washington a professor of Sports Medicine and Sport Psychology, whose favourite colour is glitter.
- Dr Chelsi Day on Twitter: @sportpsychmind
- Todd Cauthorn on Twitter: @ToddCauthorn
- Dr Leah Washington on Twitter: @Leah_SportPsych
US listeners, please vote in November - check if you are registered, look up your state, get volunteer opportunities: https://votesaveamerica.com/

Sep 15, 2020
Sep 15, 2020
1hr 3 min
This week, Dr Pete and Hugh are joined by Dr Chelsi Day, Sport Psychologist at ‘The’ Ohio State University, Todd Cauthorn, ex-professional Basketball player, and Dr Leah Washington, a professor of Sports Medicine and Sport Psychology. In this episode we try to determine, once and for all, who - mentally speaking anyway - is the greatest athlete of all time.... Who is the Mental GOAT?
- Dr Chelsi Day on Twitter: @sportpsychmind
- Todd Cauthorn on Twitter: @ToddCauthorn
- Dr Leah Washington on Twitter: @Leah_SportPsych
- Kerri Strug vault, Atlanta ‘96: https://tinyurl.com/yyxy6zf7
US listeners, please vote in November - check if you are registered, look up your state, get volunteer opportunities: https://votesaveamerica.com/

Sep 8, 2020
Sep 8, 2020
1hr 7 sec
We talk to Prof. Dave Collins, Director at Grey Matters Performance Ltd., about the idea of a ‘winning mindset’. Dave has worked with over 70 World or Olympic medalists, coached to national level in three sports, is a 5th Dan black belt in Karate, and an ex Royal Marine – and that’s not even the half of it!
In this episode, we explore the concept of the ‘winning mindset’ and what such a thing might actually consist of. We talk about whether personality might play a role, the importance of context, and whether or not we can learn to exhibit a winning mentality.
- Dave Collins on Twitter: @DCGreyMattersUK
- Grey Matters: www.greymattersuk.com
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Sep 1, 2020
Sep 1, 2020
44 min
In this episode, Dr Pete Olusoga & Hugh Gilmore talk to Dr Jonathan Fader, a clinical and performance psychologist, best known for his work in Major League Baseball and the NFL. We discuss what sport psychology is (and what it isn't), and some of the ways that psychology might help athletes and coaches take their performance to the next level.
Dr. Fader is the co-founder of Union Square Practice, a mental health centre, and SportStrata, a performance coaching group, located in New York City, and is the author of Life as Sport.
- Dr Jonathan Fader on Twitter: @drfader
- Get Dr Fader’s book: https://jonathanfader.com/books/life-as-sport/

Sep 1, 2020
Sep 1, 2020
3 min
Just a short introduction to the Eighty Percent Mental podcast. In three minutes, Dr Pete Olusoga explains what this podcast series is about, and what you can expect from each episode.

Aug 22, 2020
Aug 22, 2020
1 min
Welcome to Eighty Percent Mental. This is just a short preview of what you can expect from this brand new podcast all about the psychology of sport and performance.
