Podcasts about gb hockey

Another big announcement and another big squad for Team GB! 32 men and women GB Hockey players have been confirmed for the Paris 2024 Olympics - they both push back against Spain on the opening weekend of the Games in July! Hear from Tess Howard and Phil Roper on their hopes and medal dreams. Two time gold medalist Sir Andy Murray's going to his 5th Olympics but Emma Raducanu is sitting this one out! Plus there's archery, rowing, and para taekwondo in our News from the Games! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode was previously released on November 15, 2022.Rimla Akhtar, Wendy Taylor, Tess Howard and Holly Bradshaw join Sue Anstiss to consider the impact of sports kit for women and girls. There's been much talk about women's sports kit recently, from issues around Wimbledon whites, girls forced to wear skorts for PE and women not allowed to wear the hijab to play sport to extremes of female athletes objectified and sexualised with revealing clothing, high cut leotards & bikini bottoms.This panel of game changers addresses some of the challenges and provides practical recommendations that will enable more choice for more women.Our four game changing guests were: Rimla Akhtar – former Chair of the Muslim Women's Sport Foundation and the first Muslim woman to sit on the Football Association Council. Rimla was awarded an OBE for her contribution to equality and diversity in sportWendy Taylor - Lead on girls work at the Youth Sport Trust including the hugely successful ‘Girls Active' initiative which is delivered in partnership with This Girl Can and Women in SportTess Howard - a GB Hockey player who's team won gold at the Commonwealth Games this summer. Tess is a real sports Kit activist, helping to change the guidelines to make sports policy more inclusiveHolly Bradshaw – an Olympian who's been very publicly outspoken about the challenges facing female track and field athletes.Abbie Ward. A Bump in the Road a powerful documentary, chronicles the remarkable journey of an England rugby player as she battles back to the professional game just 17 weeks after the birth of her baby in July 2023 and then to secure her place back in England's Six Nations squad for 2024. Watch now UK on ITVX: https://www.itv.com/watch/abbie-ward-a-bump-in-the-road/10a5679a0001BWorldwide on RugbyPass TV: https://rugbypass.tv/video/6069Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangersHosted by Sue AnstissProduced by Sam Walker, What Goes On MediaA Fearless Women production

This is Great British Bosses - the behind the scenes conversation of sport in the UK - and in our latest episode we catch up with chief executive of England Hockey Nick Pink. In his role he also oversees GB Hockey, which has been hugely successful in the women's game in the past 3 Olympics - but what about Paris 2024 and could the men grab a medal moment again like 1988? We also discuss a brand new kit, why it was important kit restrictions were removed for the sport of hockey, how he's a huge supporter of young kids just playing any sport and how cricket can make an impart at the next Games in LA 2028. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the top-ranked Real Life Sport show, I chatted to GB & England Professional Hockey player Tess Howard. We spoke about her recent return to Pro match play after her 12-month layoff with an ACL injury. The future of Hockey and how she sees the need for kit changes for women and girls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Half Court Press Podcast is back! Goalmouth Gossip is our latest series, where we focus on the first player on any hockey team sheet. Tao MacLeod talks to a variety of goalkeepers from around the world about training, development and personal backgrounds. In episode four we hear from three goalkeepers who have all played in the German Bundesliga at some point in their careers; Jean Danneberg, Amy Tennant and Tommy Alexander. Jean Danneberg is a goalkeeper for the German national team and Rot-Weiss Köln. He was a part of the World Cup winning side, where he made a name for himself as a penalty saving hero for his country. Amy Tennant is one of the goalies for the England and GB hockey teams. Currently, she plays her club hockey for Reading, but previously turned out for Großflottbeker THGC, in Hamburg, as well as East Grinstead and Bowdon HIghtown. Tommy Alexander is Scotland's number one keeper. He is playing in the Bundesliga, in both the indoor and outdoor codes, for der Club an der Alster, having previously kept goal for UHC Hamburg, Indian Gymkhana and Reading HC. In this episode we chat about goalie kit, playing styes and what they think makes a good goalkeeper. The Half Court Press Podcast is available on… iTunes Spotify Google Podcasts Apple Podcasts Breaker Overcast Anchor Pocket Casts RadioPublic

The Half Court Press Podcast is back! Goalmouth Gossip is our latest series, where we focus on the first player on any hockey team sheet. Tao MacLeod talks to a variety of goalkeepers from around the world about training, development and personal backgrounds. In episode two we hear from James Mazarelo of England and Great Britain, as well as Jess Buchanan of Scotland and the Great Britain Elite Development Programme (EDP). James Mazarelo hails from the Northern English city of Manchester, where he started his hockey career with local club Bowdon, before moving on to Loughborough Students. Now he plays his domestic hockey for Surbiton, whilst being a part of the British setup. Originally from Glasgow, Jess Buchanan has recently moved back to the UK to be a part of the GB EDP, having spent the last few seasons playing in goal for Catalonian side Atlètic Terrassa Hockey Club. Next season she will be playing for Exeter University, whilst looking to progress in her international career, with Scotland and GB. In this interview we chat about playing styles, the differences and similarities between indoor and outdoor hockey for goalies, as well as how the aerial rule affects goalkeepers.  

We are delighted to share the third episode of our Women in Sport Podcast, where we discuss developments, initiatives, and issues relating to women in sports and the associated legal implications. In this episode, Partner Emma Bartlett and Paralegal Mitchell Blythe are joined by a special guest, Tess Howard, who plays hockey for both Team GB and England and was described by England Hockey as 'one of the most exciting young talents in world hockey.' Having recognised that women are put or can be put at a disadvantage from a young age through to professional life by sportswear, Tess has actively done something about it. In this podcast we discuss the following: 1. Tess's journey in hockey from winning Bronze at the 2018 European Junior Championship to returning from a serious injury to play in the 2022 World Cup and then go on to score in the 2022 Commonwealth Games Final to lead England to gold. 2. Tess's work as the Founder and Director of Inclusive Sportswear, a non-profit community-interest company who are dedicated to making more inclusive physical activity and sports clothing policies for schools, clubs, sports organisations, national governing bodies and brands. 3. The way in which sportswear disadvantages and can act as a barrier to women in sports compared to men and what can be done to accelerate the development of women in sports.

Brendan Creed has discovered a lot about himself since he first represented his country back in 2017. By his own admission he is a massive perfectionist, but he used to let it ruin his game. Dealing with mistakes has been a key change in the England and GB Hockey star and he has worked closely with his team psychologist on his journey. But that has also come at the same time as having to deal with tournament disappointment along the way. From being named as a reserve for two World Cups, to coping with injuries, and plenty more hurdles throughout, it hasn't been easy. Not only has that experience changed his opinion on the topic of psychology as a result, but Brendan has also changed his outlook on himself and his sport. It's a journey many athletes can go through as they learn so much about their mindset and how to grow. Despite the disappointments, the 30-year-old's passion for hockey has never wavered. In this interview on SportSpiel, Brendan explains why representing his country will never just be a job to him and how he constantly drives to be the best he can be. For him, the objective of simply getting selected for your country doesn't compute. Why would you not push yourself to be the best you can be? He also explains how hockey can sell itself better to the general public, in an age where many sports are trying to capture the imagination and gain new fans. He also tells us why he ventured into podcasting himself after setting up the Lets Stick Together show with team-mate Phil Roper. Messages Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website - sportspielonline.com Subscribe to our email newsletter - https://tinyletter.com/SportSpielPod Find out about our partners The Mintridge Foundation - https://www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk/ Credits Image: GB Hockey Music: Otis McDonald

The opening chapters of the book ‘Game On' – which featured in audio on the previous episodes of this podcast – mentioned the incredible Kate Richardson Walsh OBE.Kate was captain of the England and GB Hockey team when they won bronze at London 2012, and then went on to win gold in Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games. We're sharing Kate's remarkable story again here this week on The Game Changers.Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.Hosted by Sue AnstissProduced by Sam Walker, What Goes On MediaA Fearless Women production

In this special episode we're sharing a roundup of some of the highlights from 2022. First up, Paralympian Hannah Cockcroft talked about being an advocate for all wheelchair users. Next, in a fascinating conversation with Radha Balani from Beyond Sport we addressed the issues of anxiety, depression and eating disorders in WSL footballers. We brought together a powerful panel of experts to explore the issues of women's sport kit. Wendy Taylor from the Youth Sport Trust shared some shocking stats about how periods & clothing affect girls' participation in school sport before Rimla Akhtar shared her personal experience of clothing bans. Finally, why are women still wearing dresses to play sport? GB Hockey player and sportswear activist Tess Howard enlightens us. Sue Day is now head of operations and finance at the RFU. The former England Captain had 59 caps for her country. She spoke to me about being an LGBTQ+ woman in rugby.In an incredibly moving conversation with Kelly Lindsey, the Former Head Coach of the Afghanistan Women's Football Team, tells me about the process of creating a national team and what football meant to Afghan women. Dr Emma Ross reflects on her work at the English Institute of Sport and why sports science is currently failing our elite female athletes.In panel discussion on racial inclusion in women's' sport, Garnet Mackinder, Diversity lead at Sport England and a former Prem 15s rugby player shares her personal experience of finding rugby, before the ECB's Shruti Saujani highlights her learnings from taking cricket to women in South Asian communities. Finally, we hear from former British Paralympian, Anne Wafula Strike, as she highlights the importance of how we talk about women's sport. Hear Sarah Hunter, England captain and England's all-time most capped rugby player on the importance of young girls seeing strong, powerful female roles models. The first guest to ever return to The Game Changers podcast, Sally Munday, CEO at UK Sport, talks so openly about how we change attitudes to gender in sport. Rachel Pavlou, a total trailblazer in women's football, reflects on the Euros and why its so important to recognise the people that played a part in the growth of the women's gameFinally we hear from Shaunagh Brown, former England Professional player on the role of allies in sport.If you'd like to hear more from these incredible trailblazers, you can find the full episodes all podcast platforms, or head over to fearlesswomen.co.ukThank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through a National Lottery Award.Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.Hosted by Sue AnstissProduced by Sam Walker, What Goes On MediaA Fearless Women production

Sally Munday is CEO of UK Sport and a former CEO of England and GB Hockey. To mark our 100th episode we returned to talk to this extraordinary woman, considered by many to be one of the most influential individuals in British Sport. This episode was also recorded live in front of an audience at Leaders Week London.  To find out more about Sally's early life and the transformative work she did in over 20 years at England Hockey, do go back and listen to episode 3 in the very first series.Sally is incredibly candid in this fascinating episode as she first shares her experience of leading UK Sport as COVID struck and what changes were needed to the organisation, the sports sector and her leadership style. We talk about the changing culture of UK Sport, gender balance in Team GB, Paralympics GB and elite coaching and the work of the organisation around major international events. Sally is very frank about what is needed to overcome the inherent misogyny that still exists in sport, and we also talk about important issues of safeguarding and athlete welfare.Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.Hosted by Sue AnstissProduced by Sam Walker, What Goes On MediaA Fearless Women production

Emma Mitchell was Red Rose number #19, with an international rugby career that spanned 15 years. She won 57 caps for England and Great Britain, competed in 4 World Cups with the 1994 World Cup win being her career highlight.Following her retirement in 2002, Emma went on to coach at club, regional and international level in the USA, Canada and the UK.In 2007 Emma joined the English Institute of Sport as a Performance Lifestyle Coach, supporting over 200 elite GB Hockey athletes and coaches over four Olympic cycles. Over the last 10 years, she's also been involved in a number of coach development programmes, providing mentoring support to coaches in Tennis, Squash, Sailing, Hockey, Rugby, Swimming, Boxing and Football.In this fascinating and entertaining conversation, we explore the early days of women's rugby in England in the 1980s and Emma shares the conditions laid down for women to be allowed to play at London clubs and what it took to place for your country. What she's learnt from a life in coaching and in her role as a lifestyle Advisor at the EIS. What can women's team sport learn from Olympic and Paralympic programmes as it becomes professional and what the future looks like for women's rugby players globally. Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.Hosted by Sue AnstissProduced by Sam Walker, What Goes On MediaA Fearless Women production

Rimla Akhtar, Wendy Taylor, Tess Howard and Holly Bradshaw join Sue Anstiss to consider the impact of sports kit for women and girls. There's been much talk about women's sports kit recently, from issues around Wimbledon whites, girls forced to wear skorts for PE and women not allowed to wear the hijab to play sport to extremes of female athletes objectified and sexualised with revealing clothing, high cut leotards & bikini bottoms.This panel of game changers addresses some of the challenges and provides practical recommendations that will enable more choice for more women.Our four game changing guests were: Rimla Akhtar – former Chair of the Muslim Women's Sport Foundation and the first Muslim woman to sit on the Football Association Council. Rimla was awarded an OBE for her contribution to equality and diversity in sportWendy Taylor - Lead on girls work at the Youth Sport Trust including the hugely successful ‘Girls Active' initiative which is delivered in partnership with This Girl Can and Women in Sport Tess Howard - a GB Hockey player who's team won gold at the Commonwealth Games this summer. Tess is a real sports Kit activist, helping to change the guidelines to make sports policy more inclusiveHolly Bradshaw – an Olympian who's been very publicly outspoken about the challenges facing female track and field athletes.Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.Hosted by Sue AnstissProduced by Sam Walker, What Goes On MediaA Fearless Women production

The latest season of the Half Court Press Podcast takes a look at several players who have been entertaining us at this summers tournaments and elsewhere. In Hockey Player Profiles, Tao MacLeod talks to a variety of international players, within the sport of hockey, about their lives, careers and backgrounds. In episode six we speak to Fiona Burnet of Wimbledon Hockey Club and the Scottish National Team. Originally from the West Coast of Scotland, she worked her way up through the ranks and now plays her senior matches as a forward. Having recently competed for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games, in Birmingham, she is also a part of the GB Hockey Olympic training squad. Fiona also works within the realms of the UK Parliament within International Relations, managing bi-lateral relations between the United Kingdom and the Asia-Pacific region. In this job she also engages in female political empowerment and climate related activities. In this interview, we talk about the Commonwealth Games, how to develop hockey and environmental sustainability within the game hockey. The Half Court Press Podcast is available on… iTunes Spotify Google Podcasts Apple Podcasts Breaker Overcast Anchor Pocket Casts RadioPublic

The latest season of the Half Court Press Podcast takes a look at several players who have been entertaining us at this summers tournaments and elsewhere. In Hockey Player Profiles, Tao MacLeod talks to a variety of international players, within the sport of hockey, about their lives, careers and backgrounds. In episode four we hear from England and Great Britain player, Darcy Bourne. The 20 year old forward is a recent addition to the centralised programme, having made her international debut against Argentina in February of 2022. Having spent most of her domestic career playing for Surbiton, Bourne has also spent some time in the United States where she was a part of the hockey team at Duke University. In this interview she speaks about her experiences playing at the 2022 World Cup, her inclusivity activism with the Beyond Our Game organisation (which she co-founded) and Spencer Lynx Hockey Club (for whom she is an ambassador). The Half Court Press Podcast is available on… iTunes Spotify Google Podcasts Apple Podcasts Breaker Overcast Anchor Pocket Casts RadioPublic

England and GB Hockey player, Jack Waller proudly featured in the 2018 World Cup Semi-Finals, in two European Championships and was recognized as the youngest member of the leadership group during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle. In this episode, Jack speaks with fondness of his time at KGS and shares with us the many virtues of making work and play equally important disciplines.

In a change from the usual investment and business related conversations, this week I was fortunate enough to talk to Laura Unsworth MBE about her journey in becoming GB's most successful ever Olympic hockey player. In an international career spanning 14 years she has accumulated over 280 caps for England and Great Britain. She explains how they have built a successful culture within the GB team over many years, the importance of preparation in achieving their goals, building personal resolve in difficult times and how she tries to lead from the front. I am sure there are many parallels to draw between elite level sport and the working environment and I hope you enjoy this fascinating chat that delves into the psyche of the most successful GB hockey team ever.

In this episode Business Psychologist Michael Costello meets with two exceptional Olympic athletes to discuss their new book “Winning Together” and the incredible journey Team GB went on to winning gold in the Rio Olympics. Double Olympic medallist Kate Richardson Walsh is the most capped female British hockey player of all time and double Olympian medallist Helen Richardson-Walsh has 18 years of playing internationally with 4 Olympic Games, many world cups, European championships and commonwealth games. This podcast not only explored the incredible framework the GB team utilised to support them in winning Gold but also … - The extremes of the past in GB Hockey's culture & what had to change - Where vulnerability & emotional intelligence sits in building a high performing team - How setbacks & major injury were actually opportunities to uphold the team's values - What you can do to dial up your emotions when you really need them for yourself and the team - What needs to take place for women to feel a little safer walking the streets of the UK alone - What leaders need to do to take on commonplace microaggressions towards women in the workplace. Podcast Notes: Click here for an exclusive discount of the book!!...https://amzn.to/3pLvk Helen: http://www.helenrichardson-walsh.com/ & @h_richardson8 Kate: http://www.katerichardson-walsh.com/ & @katewalsh11 The book 'Winning Together' (John Murray Books): https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/kate-richardson-walsh/winning-together/9781529316162/ Order the book here: https://bit.ly/3EaqLcs --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jointheevolution/message

I'm back with a quick reflection on the Olympics before we head to a final preview of the Paralympics Games Shona has been one of our regular contributors and she's brilliantly articulated all the doubts and concerns of the last six months or so. She gives an inside track on what conditions were like in Tokyo and what winning a bronze medal means to the squad. You may be surprised after the Gold medal performance in Rio five years ago. Shona talks about the emotions of the Games and gives a peek into her Tokyo diary. Thanks for listening! Support this podcast

Maddie Hinch is the GB Hockey goalkeeper who was one of the heroes of the Rio Olympics in 2016. But she's had a difficult time since with mental health issues. Maddie talks about the roller coaster she has had since winning gold in that historic match in Rio in 2016. She gave up hockey for a time and, as she says herself, she got herself in a bit of mess. Maddie talks about how she found her love of the sport again and how she got over the demons in her head and learning to accept her vulnerabilities. So can the team win gold again? Maddie talks about the hopes for these Games with a very different squad. Good luck to Maddie and team! And that's it for the series of Olympic preview chats. I'll be back ahead of the Paralympics. Thanks for listening over the last six months! See you soon. If you'd like to make a donation to Maggie's Cancer Centres - here's the link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/destinationtokyo Support this podcast

Hollie Pearne-Webb is the Team GB women's hockey captain. She was part of the gold medal winning team in Rio. And she had a key role in that victory. Hollie took the penalty shuffle that gave Team GB an historic gold against the Netherlands. Hollie talks about the penalty moment and what it meant. She discussed captaincy during Covid and how she likes having a job alongside playing hockey. The team have just arrived in Tokyo ready to defend their title and we chat about going in to the Games as holders. Thanks for listening! Support this podcast

In this special Series 3 FINALE, we look forward to the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics in less than a month. We speak to two current Olympic gold medalists; GB Hockey player Lily Owsley and GB Track Cyclist Elinor Barker, as well as our own Jess Piasecki who has been selected for Team GB in the marathon. We also catch up with our other co-host Dr Georgie Bruinvels about her work with female athletes in the build up to the Games. In our discussions we cover why tracking the menstrual cycle has been a GAME CHANGER for both Lily and Elinor, why you might be less coordinated as you approach your period and why role models are so important to inspire women to get involved in sport, plus how the Olympics and sportswomen in particular can help provide these.*Disclaimer: Materials and content in the Female Athlete Podcast are intended as general information only and should not be substituted for medical advice, diagnosis or treatmentA huge thank you to our Title Sponsors for Series 3; Umi Health. Umi  is your go to, one-stop-hub for all things pelvic health, come join the revolution at umi-health.com.  Want to lean more about pelvic health? Watch the Umi Essentials course for FREE, sign up here or learn with  Umi Plus including incredible resources and courses around pregnancy and postnatal, all for  £4.50 a month, no minimum term, cancel anytime.Thank you to Specialized Bikes for sponsoring this episode.  Specialized is the global leading bike brand aiming to serve all riders of all abilities, helping them to better enjoy every aspect of cycling. Specialized's innovation has improved riders' performance, comfort and understanding to enable all riders to go further and faster.  Head to Specialized.com to see how it is helping pedal the planet forward.

Shona McCallin has been named in the hockey squad for Team GB to defend their Olympic title in Tokyo. Shona has kept us up to date with the ups and downs of the last six months with regular contributions to this podcast. I met Shona at the Kitting Out day in Birmingham which she says is one of the most exciting days of the Olympic journey. Shona was part of that amazing squad which won an historic gold in Rio in 2016 and she talks about how they're dealing with the pressures of being the Olympic champions. And on a personal level, she talks about her shyness and how she's overcome it. Support this podcast

Sam Ward is part of the Team GB Men's Hockey Squad for Tokyo. I chatted to Sam at the Kitting Out Day where he collect bags of kit for the Olympics. Sam's one of the characters of the squad and he talks about his way of putting smiles on people's faces. But his Olympic hopes, even his hockey career, seemed to be over in November 2019 when he was hit in the eye by the ball during an international against Malaysia. It shattered his face with 8 fractures and a crushed eyeball. It tore the back of his retina and has left him with the loss of central vision for life in one eye. Sam's worked with eye specialists to help his recovery and re-train the brain to compensate for the loss. Sam talks about the emotion of being selected and his call to his dad and mum. You can find his Olympic videos at @Samuel_Ward13 And his clothing company is www.blndspotsports.com And you can donate to Maggie's here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/destinationtokyo Support this podcast

Adam Dixon is the GB men's hockey captain heading to his second Olympic Games. He's had the difficult job of guiding the team through lockdown and keeping the squad together through this unprecedented 16 months. He's also got married and become a dad. We met up at the Team GB Kitting Out to talk about the final preparation and the hopes for the Tokyo Games. And he reveals how the Gold medal winning hockey captain from 1988 paid a visit to the squad. Thanks for listening. If you'd like to get in touch you can e mail me at markshardlow@icloud.com Support this podcast

Shona McCallin is a gold medal winner with GB Hockey from the Rio Olympics in 2016. Shona is a regular on the podcast and it's great that she's here on Episode 100. The Games are now just six weeks ago and Shona talks about the final preparations and how she's approaching the final push. She's also had an injury and has been on crutches. So it's especially important for her to do the important things. And Shona describes what steps they're taking to make sure there are no last minute issues with Covid-19 Thanks for all your support over the 100 episodes. It's much appreciated. If you'd like to donate to Maggie's Cancer Centres - here's the link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/destinationtokyo Support this podcast

Professional hockey players and partners Leah Wilkinson and Sarah Jones share their career stories side-by-side this week! Leah first represented Wales in hockey aged 17. She is now the most capped player for Wales, in any sport, with 169 appearances. Leah has represented Wales in 3 Commonwealth Games and 8 Europeans throughout her career. Away from the pitch, Leah sits on the Team Wales Athlete Commission, representing the views of Welsh athletes throughout a number of sports. Leah gained her first cap for Great Britain in 2019 and is now a full time hockey player, training towards the Tokyo Olympics. She is currently on a sabbatical from her job as a teacher, teaching both History and Politics at Ewell Castle School in Surrey. In her spare time Leah enjoys spending time in the garden, reading and has a new found love for jigsaw puzzles! Sarah is a Great Britain and Wales international hockey player with over 125 caps training towards the Tokyo Olympics. She has been to two Commonwealth Games; 2014 in Glasgow and 2018 in Gold Coast and was the first Welsh outfield athlete to represent Great Britain since 2012. She previously worked in capital investment for the Lawn Tennis Association and balanced this part-time role whilst training with GB Hockey for two years before establishing herself as a full-time member. Her career highlights include beating India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and playing against New Zealand at The Stoop, Twickenham in front of 10,000 fans, the biggest crowd at a hockey match in the UK since 2012. She proudly represents hockey off the field and is passionate about improving the sporting landscape in Wales.

Tom Sorsby and Adam Dixon are part of the GB Hockey squad who are in Malaysia. They spoke with me from their hotel rooms in Kuala Lumpur. They'd been there for six days - part of their quarantine - without being able to leave the room. GB are in Malaysia for some competition and warm weather training. So what's it been like being in quarantine? And what snacks and treats have they taken with them to get by? And what do they most desire. Thanks for listening. Please give me a follow and drop me a line at markshardlow@icloud.com Support this podcast

GB Hockey Captain Adam Dixon talks from Malaysia where he's in a very strict lockdown. His hotel room door opens three times a day - for the delivery of breakfast, lunch and dinner. But it's the key to 2 weeks training in heat and humidity and a rare chance to play international competition. Adam talks about 100 days to go to the Tokyo Olympics and what the milestone means to him. Adam is also one of Team GB's newest dads, and he talks about his first big tour away from his baby son and wife. If you'd like to make a small donation to Maggie's Cancer Centres, please think about buying me a virtual coffee and sending £2/3 to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/destinationtokyo Support this podcast

GB Hockey Heroine Kerry Williams

GB Hockey Heroine Kerry Williams

We’re joined by the brilliant Maddie Hinch MBE, who went from school sports to winning gold at the Olympics in the British Women’s Hockey team. Maddie discusses having confidence in the things you do, finding new things to enjoy, and knowing where to best invest your energy. We talk about what lockdown has looked like for an Olympian, the importance of goal setting and so much more.

For today GB Hockey player and gold medal winner Shona McCallin presents....and she's invited along her squad colleague Emily Defroand. Shona chose Emily because she's unique because of all the work she does off the pitch. Emily supports the Fliers project which gives hockey opportunities for those who have a disability. She also helps Spencer Lynx Hockey which helps young people in disadvantaged parts of East London have access to hockey, breaking down the barriers to playing. When it comes to equality - both Shona and Emily feel IWD is important to highly the issues facing girls and women...making sure there's equality of opportunities and visible media coverage. You can follow Shona McCallin @smccallin And Emily is at @emilydefroand Emily's podcast Cuppa and a Natter is here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChRybGObz0IclRhnEn46iLQ And if you want to donate to Maggie's Cancer Centres then here's the link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/destinationtokyo Support this podcast

In this episode of "What It Takes", Allistair gets to chat with Kate Richardson Walsh. Kate is a former Olympic bronze and gold medalist in Hockey and was capped a record 375 times for her country. She was also the captain of the team for 13 years. In this conversation, Kate shares her journey, the highs and lows, the trails and the triumphs and what it takes to be a champion. 

This episode explores captaincy and leadership with Adam Dixon, skipper of the GB Hockey team. Adam's held this position since February 2019 and gives me the inside track on how the hockey squad operates. One of his big challenges has been keeping the group together over the last year over lockdown. He also talks about a more open and honest approach. This time last year, the squad were under performing and they see this summer as a second chance. He and the leadership team have spoken to former England cricket captain, Andrew Strauss and rugby's Dylan Hartley to try to learn from them. Amongst the learnings were setting standards in training that lead to improved performance. I'm doing these podcasts without any payment and hope to raise sponsorship and contributions from listeners to raise money for Maggie's Cancer Centres. Here's the detail https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/destinationtokyo Support this podcast

GB Hockey player Emily Defroand on her stellar hockey career, from playing on her mums team aged 10 to European and Commonwealth games bronze medals, and the amazing work she's doing to make hockey inclusive for everyone, no matter what gender, race, ability or background.

We hear from Olympic Gold Medal winner and GB Hockey player Sam Quek about the biggest insecurities she has as a well-known sports person in the public eye.New episodes from a different sports person will be released daily, so please SUBSCRIBE or FOLLOW to get notified each morning for your daily dose of inspiration.This is a Pomodo production and you can follow us on @PomodoPodcasts or @FrontingUpPod. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

An amazing insight in Karen's involvement in 6 Olympic Games whilst not enjoying being in the spotlight. She openly shares the highs and lows of a life-time in sport, building teams and getting the best from individuals, managing the transition from player to coach and lifestyle choices. Karen, in a very humble and clear way, shares her journey, offering some amazing pieces of advice in how she has been so successful. It is a truly brilliant opportunity for parents, teachers, coaches and leaders to learn from a successful women in sport who truly has a passion for helping people and in turn putting them in the spotlight. This is a bit more about Karen… Karen Brown MBE is a former field hockey defender, who was a member of the British squad that won the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Commonwealth Silver medal and European Gold Brown is England and Great Britain's second-highest capped player of all time, with 355 caps to her name. She was Assistant Coach for both the Great Britain and England hockey teams and part of the management teams that secured a World Cup bronze with England in 2010, Olympic bronze with Great Britain at the London Olympics, European Gold in 2015 and Olympic Gold at the Rio Olympics. She stepped down from her role as Assistant Coach in January 2017, and now works in a coach developer capacity for England and GB Hockey  as well as UK sport.   If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. It only takes a minute and really makes a difference in helping to convince new listeners. Thanks so much it - is much appreciated!! For show notes and past guests, please visit www.sportstories247.com Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please make contact at: hello@sportstories247.com Follow Sport Stories: Twitter:            twitter.com/sportstories_ Instagram:       Instagram.com/sportstories247 Facebook:        facebook.com/sportstories247 LinkedIn:         https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportstories YouTube:          Sport Stories YouTube Channel Find out more about Dave at: www.thesummitpartnership.com Follow Dave: Twitter:    https://twitter.com/SummitDave LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davelevine3   Key quotes, saying and comments : I was aware the I was talented at the age of 4 or 5. I could do things others couldn't Mr Shawney (Teacher at School) – “Karen – whichever sport you choose you will play for England at it!” The feeling coming back to me when making my debut for England at Hockey (at Wembley) As an athlete I was driven by fear of failure? I had many doubts about myself – it evoked fear Started coaching in schools with your kids I learnt - There is nothing wrong in telling people they CAN do things and giving them time and focus – there is a tendency to lean towards what people cant do and only helping them. Tell people – you do realise you are really good at this. You have a special talent! There weren't the avenues for talented girls in sport that are available today An fortuitous opportunity arose to play with the School Hockey 1st team My dad said – you will like that, you will enjoy that (going to the county Hockey tournament) Within 4 months  - not playing the sport through to paying for England U18's (aged 16yrs) At a young age don't specialise in any one sport I learnt from athletics that I wanted to be part of a team * Really explore – find your niche – don't be restricted and try things out The culture behind the sport was so important for me You can take bits of learning from everything and apply it in other parts of your life * You can't learn from it unless you give it a go * I was far more conscious of what I could do rather than what I couldn't It felt like it came quite naturally and that I didn't work hard at it (though I did infact work hard) It didn't feel like hard work – I was just really curious about it and what could and would happen if I did…. I was always curious about exploring different ways of doing things I developed technical skill through practice but it felt like fun (playing about in the fields around where I lived) The importance of the cues you get from your environment and surroundings in early years Senior debut in 1984 Unfairness and equal opportunities playing out – 6 teams for the women and 12 for the men First Olympics in 1988 The disappointments earlier on in my career shaped Highlight of playing career – qualifying for Seoul in 1988 by beating Russia in best of 3 games I didn't know my dad had represented GB at the Olympics until I was about 14yrs Trained with Zola Budd I have always been fascinated by the Olympics – all the sports!! I took time to reflect on the lows and earnt from them Building and developing year on year Recognising the importance of winning the game as part of the broader process/journey I learnt – no to dwell to much about what has gone in the past The importance of being able to ‘shut the door' on one part of the process and move on to the new You have to debrief really well to enable yourself to ‘shut the door' and move on. At team, personal and team within the team level Capture what would I do differently should I have this opportunity again. THAT'S THE GOLD DUST Asking myself – how did I deliver against those responsibilities I've learnt – don't ever ask an athlete (especially under pressure ie in Olmpics) to do something (a tactic or technique) that you have never seen them do before In many ways – under high pressure go back to basics. Only do things you know can be done under pressure and has therefore been done before. Stick to judgement not luck! Great principles - We trained harder than what we thought it would be on a match day We spend a lot of time on ‘how do you train the brain'. EG How do you want to feel and what do you want to think when…. Pulling out of them with questions - Often solving a problem for an athlete in the moment but saving a bigger problem for later by not developing them Transitioned as a coach from more tell to nowdays much more self-discovery and go on a journey together. You have to know the person (athlete) in front of you. It is a coaches job (or leader, teacher) to flex their style and connect with the individuals that make up that team Show me how to do it then let me have a go and I will get it really quickly.  (Great learning theory and approaches) Fantastic example of situational leadership (Skill Development Journey) I love what I do and am incredibly fortunate to do what I do. One of my key values is that I like helping people I don't like being in the spotlight but like playing my part in putting others in the spotlight I was privileged to be asked to be captain of England – and turned it down. I think my skill sets and what I would prefer to be are.. I love working behind the scenes but wouldn't choose to get up on the pedestal Happy people perform better  *  The happier I am the better I will do my job* Its really important to really understand the ‘game' that you are playing in The journey needs to be so much more than just the outcome, its got to be bigger then that, its got to be about how they (we) grow as individuals If you have never tried it then you will not know what the result will be One of the traits I look for in athletes is, are they curious and do they really/truly want to improve I get a real buzz seeing people develop I am a believer in displaying the behaviours you want to see in others I learnt that if I felt right I would think right. The feeling had to come before the thought Take people back to ‘when did it all feel effortless' My manager went so against the grain – he explored what was best for the customer. I serve the customer not the organisation. As a result the customers trusted him   Quick fire questions: The books that you would recommend are? Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby ALEX FERGUSON My Autobiography: The autobiography of the legendary Manchester United manager by Alex Ferguson Winning!: The path to Rugby World Cup glory by Clive Woodward Black Box Thinking: Marginal Gains and the Secrets of High Performance by Matthew Syed World's Best: Coaching with the kookaburras and the hockeyroos by Ric Charlesworth   How do I prepare to be the best version of myself… I have to get my head in the right space – prepare my brain so I can perform Clear the clutter out of my head and make myself feel right   What advice would you give to your teenage version of yourself? Try enjoy whatever it is you are going to do Always make sure you are curious in what you do and have an interest to get better   Who has made a big impact on you? John Edwards (who I worked with at the Nat west Bank)   Whos' Sport Story would you be really interested in hearing? Richard Charlesworth     Coaching questions I would like to pose: 1 As an Athlete Karen was Driven by a fear of failure – what drives and motivates you? 2 Karen mentioned her feelings towards being in the spotlight – What is your relation to being in the spotlight and what do you like and not like and what is the reason behind this? 3 Give some attention to  - what do you really value and enjoy? 4 If you believe (as both Karen and I do) that Happy people perform better – what role do you play in making those around you be happier that you wish for them to perform better? 5 How do you reward yourself?   Contact info: Karen can be found on Twitter and LinkedIn. Alternatively contact me at hello@sportstories247.com and I will pass on her details.

There are set to be three new dads in Team GB's hockey squad for Tokyo. And that's a rarity. Adam Dixon is Team GB's newest dad, becoming a father in late January. The England and GB Hockey captain talks about the life-changing moment and what it means for his sporting day job. The delay to the Olympics means there'll be three fathers training for GB Hockey, which is certainly out of the ordinary. And Adam hasn't let lockdown stop his life. When the Olympics were cancelled in 2020 he brought forward his wedding. But it's back to business today as he returns to training after the birth. It's been a challenging year as captain. They've had little match action, either for club or country, so they've had to be inventive to prepare themselves for the Olympic Games. I'm using these podcasts to raise money for Maggie's Cancer Centres. You can find out about them here https://www.maggies.org/ And you can make a donation here.... https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/destinationtokyo If you are enjoying the podcasts please consider donating the cost of a cup of coffee. Thank you! Support this podcast

Will Moulton hosts the latest episode of SportSpiel with GB Hockey stars Emily Defroand and Tess Howard. Like many athletes both Emily and Tess were gearing up towards Tokyo 2020, along with the rest of the GB Hockey team (https://sportspielonline.com/tag/great-britain-ice-hockey/) - a competition that would be the pinnacle of their careers. Of course, the global pandemic had other ideas with the Olympic Games (https://sportspielonline.com/tag/olympic-games/) postponed until next year. But rather than let that delay disillusion them, the GB squad have turned that into a huge positive. It means they will have another year to prepare to fight for a medal at consecutive Games. On this episode both Emily and Tess explain how they have used the time to educate themselves on social injustices and explore other passions outside of the playing field.  Both of them are part of the Women's Sport Trust's #UNLOCKED campaign and they have also each launched exciting individual projects - Tess' Freesolo Hockey (https://www.freesolohockey.com/) , and Emily's popular Cuppa N Natter podcast. Messages Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com (http://sportspielonline.com/) Credits Images: With thanks to GB Hockey Music: Otis McDonald

An in depth conversation with global hockey star Maddie Hinch. Covering her learnings and her opinions on what and who has helped drive her success all the way to Olympic Gold. Maddie Hinch made her senior debut in 2008 and was later awarded a full-time contract with GB Hockey in 2010. Since then she's established herself as the first-choice goalkeeper and has gone on to represent England and Great Britain over 150 times. Maddie won gold with Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics, saving all four penalties in the final shoot-out against The Netherlands. Maddie is one of the best Goalkeepers in the world and is 3x FIH Goalkeeper of the Year. After a brief spell out of the game in late 2018 to recharge her batteries, Maddie returned to hockey in 2019, helping GB qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where history could well be made again... Other highlights so far include a European silver medal in Belgium 2013, a Commonwealth Games silver medal in Glasgow 2014, and a gold medal in the 2015 European Championships in London. In 2017, the shot-stopper appeared in the Hockey World League Final in Auckland, where England narrowly lost to South Korea in a third-place playoff. History repeated itself the following year when, at the 2018 Hockey World Cup, Maddie and her England teammates put in some stellar performances only to lose a third-place playoff on home soil to Australia. After a brief spell out of the game in late 2018 to recharge her batteries, Maddie returned to hockey in 2019, helping GB qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where history could well be made again...

https://dragonhockey.co.uk/hockey/Will Interview with GB Hockey legend and USA Hockey coaching supremo, Craig Parnham. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leftfieldthinking/message

https://dragonhockey.co.uk/hockey/Will Interview with former GB Hockey player, Belgium Hockey Technical Consultant and Waterloo Ducks Dames 1 Head Coach, Darren Cheesman. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leftfieldthinking/message

In this week's episode we speak to Sam Ward. A latecomer to the elite Hockey world, after less than 2 years on the team he earned himself a place with Team GB at Rio 2016! After a freak accident on the pitch in 2014 Sam was left with significant facial injuries including losing the majority of his sight in one eye. After a long recovery, relearning hand-eye coordination he's back on the pitch and targeting Tokyo 2020!

https://dragonhockey.co.uk/hockey/Will Interview with former GB Hockey player, Belgium Hockey Technical Consultant and Waterloo Ducks Dames 1 Head Coach Darren Cheesman --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leftfieldthinking/message

In this episode I talk to Dr Andrea Furst, performance psychologist at Mental Notes. Andrea has had a highly successful career supporting some of the highest performing teams to the highest performances. She has worked in Australia, where she originates from, Singapore and now based in the UK. She has supported the Australian kayak team, Singapore sailing, GB Hockey and is widely sought after in professional sports and supporting business leaders. Andrea brings a really grounded, pragmatic approach to her practice. She is thoughtful and intuitive, but shrewd and no nonsense. In this conversation we discuss some of the emotions and challenges everyday people and athletes will be experiencing during this lockdown period, what methods and ways of thinking can help people cope and thrive. What I really enjoyed about this conversation was not only hearing about the mental models and ideas that help people cope with change, but I was compelled by her approach of putting the human needs first on the path toward self-discovery.   Show notes Andrea's focus on adjusting to the new normal with challenge of COVID19 How the lack of deadlines effects our thinking How we cope with change Dealing with uncertainty Staying present and the value of recognising our experiences How investment in self-awareness and self-reflection nurtures the person and performance Handling mavericks in team situations Establishing buy-in and engagement with top performers With the Olympics moved to next year what advice and support can help athletes re-focus   Links You can follow Andrea on https://twitter.com/AndreaFurst Have a look at her website https://mentalnotespsych.com/   Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/ A reminder if you're keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/ If you're looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/ or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.

Join Shona McCallin, Esme Burge & Amy Costello for our first ever podcast episode! They chat about the 2019/20 domestic season, explain how the team has grown under Mark Hager and answer the questions sent in by our supporters. Make sure you stay tuned right to the end too in order to find out why GB Hockey athletes should never be let loose in shops... Please note: This podcast was recorded several days before government rules on isolation were introduced on 23 March.

In this episode I get a chance to talk to Holly Hunt and Tim Nurse who are both involved in the GB Hockey development programme. There is some great pieces of advice for young hockey players in here! Enjoy!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Olympic champion Jason Kenny wins silver in latest World Cup Series in Hong Kong in the Keirin - as Sam Ward, seriously injured against Malaysia in November, says still wants to go to Tokyo 2020

A look ahead to the weekend and a look back at busy past week, plus how the EIHL can help with the development of GB Hockey.

The UK has once again been at the centre of the Olympic & Paralympic sporting world. Manchester has been hosting the World Taekwondo Championships, Weymouth has been hosting the European Sailing Championships, Diving's World Series was in London whilst the Olympic Park has also been home to international hockey.We start in Manchester reflecting on medal success and controversy for Great Britain's taekwondo athletes. Double Olympic Champion Jade Jones finally added a World gold to her list of achievements, but Bianca Walkden's triumph was marred by booing as she won gold in controversial circumstances. We debate booing at a sporting event.UK Sport has been backing Mental Health Awareness Week and we discuss how sport at an elite level needs to find a balance between medal success and athlete welfare. Whilst we welcome the open and honest conversations that have been had this week, we ask whether there is still a lot more that governing bodies should be doing.Big names featured this week include Tiger Woods who has stated he wants to play in the Olympics in Tokyo. We also talk about Rory McIlroy's decision to represent Team Ireland not Team GB. And, are the world's big name golfers more interested in playing Olympic golf in Japan than they were in Brazil because of the greater potential commercial benefits?In our weekly round-up of Olympic & Paralympic news, there's success for Great Britain's wheelchair tennis team and Johanna Konta on clay in Rome, another win for triathlete Alistair Brownlee, GB Hockey news (both field and ice), Netball frustration for Ama Agbeze, Diamond League Athletics and gold for sailor Giles Scott. Oh, and we have come up with a nickname for Tom Daley that we're convinced will become synonymous with one of the nation's leading sporting heroes. Stand by for all the merchandise, endorsements and appearances. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Plenty on the agenda again in the world of Olympic & Paralympic sport.In the week the beautiful game showed itself to be more beautiful than ever as English clubs feasted at the top table of European competition, we broke our golden rule and started by talking about footy. Well, kind of....Following the exploits of Liverpool & Tottenham in the Champions League, we talked about the greatest comebacks in sport. We recalled names like Tiger Woods, Niki Lauda, Greg Le Mond & Muhammad Ali, whilst Michael spoke about two great comebacks he had witnessed - one in hockey and one in netball and John got all nostalgic about Kriss Akabusi. UK Sport announced who their new chief executive will be this week. Sally Munday is tasked with taking the agency who allocate funds to Olympic and Paralympic sports onto a new level having had great success in her previous role at England & GB Hockey. It was a big week for UK Sport who also announced that the UK will host the 2020 World Skateboarding at the Copper Box in London.In athletics, there was GB & NI success at the World Relay Championships in Japan, plus Simon Yates has started cycling's Giro d'Italia well and Jack Laugher won Gold in Kazan at Diving's World Series, but how will this translate to medals in Tokyo in 2020 at the Olympics. We look at how the medal table is predicted to look after the 17 days of competition and it's not great news at this stage for Team GB.Plus, ice hockey, tennis, golf and taekwondo get a mention along with archery which is holding their big weekend later in May. It aims to get more people involved in the sport. It's one of the most inclusive pursuits available with no barriers to age, gender or disability and many Olympic and Paralympic archers started their journey at events like this. More info online at: www.archerygb.org/bigweekend See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Scott McNeill is a Performance Coach Developer for GB Hockey, a Performance Director for the Canoe Association of Northern Ireland as well as a mentor for the Premier League. He has been part of a group of people that have led a transformation within GB Field Hockey to redevelop the player development system in line with the principles of Ecological Dynamics. In this fascinating conversation, Scott describes the journey of bringing about this change within the sport and some of the key pillars of embedding these concepts and ideas into the psyche of the playing and coaching community. While this discussion explores how this is done on a whole sport scale, the ideas and approaches that are shared by Scott apply to anybody looking to foster a player centred environment which allows players to thrive and develop. Even though I have been on this journey with Scott and his colleagues as a coach and coach developer, I still found the conversation fascinating and insightful. I know you will too!!Enjoy!!

Scott McNeill is a Performance Coach Developer for GB Hockey, a Performance Director for the Canoe Association of Northern Ireland as well as a mentor for the Premier League. He has been part of a group of people that have led a transformation within GB Field Hockey to redevelop the player development system in line with the principles of Ecological Dynamics. In this fascinating conversation, Scott describes the journey of bringing about this change within the sport and some of the key pillars of embedding these concepts and ideas into the psyche of the playing and coaching community. While this discussion explores how this is done on a whole sport scale, the ideas and approaches that are shared by Scott apply to anybody looking to foster a player centred environment which allows players to thrive and develop. Even though I have been on this journey with Scott and his colleagues as a coach and coach developer, I still found the conversation fascinating and insightful. I know you will too!!Enjoy!!

Instead of coaching athletes for today’s outcomes, why not coach them in a way that prepares them to succeed in future seasons too? Teach them what they need to evolve as the game does too.  Join Russel Earnshaw and John Fletcher of the Magic Academy to hear more.   Show Notes 4:15 When you treat people well, the positive results naturally arise 11:00 “My job as a coach is not to make the players hate me” 22:45 The C.A.R.D.S. approach to coaching 34:30 The Magic Academy Card System 56:15 When are the kids most engaged 1:05:00 How do you add a scenario to training   Getting in Touch Website: www.Themagicacademy.co.uk Email: rusty@themagicacademy.co.uk Twitter: @RusselEarnshaw @FletcherRugby @TheMagicAcad Get the Cards - https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk/store/   About John Fletcher I would like to thank my family, friends and the thousands of people who have helped me get to this point. A combination of wonderful people and experiences that have supported and challenged me, mixed in with a variety of crucial yet difficult experiences have made me who and what I am today… unbelievably optimistic and positive about what everybody can achieve and obsessed with helping people fulfil their dreams and potential.   I was the boy that got up at 6.15am to deliver milk to my village every morning for 6 years. The boy that struggled in the class room to understand the point of sitting in rows and putting my hand up to answer question. The boy who struggled to connect with the teachers who just told me what to do. The same boy who excelled at sports and loved the environments created by all of my PE and Games staff and loved the responsibility of captaining teams and representing my school and best of all doing it with my mates. I loved the challenge to #BeatTheGame and loved that tummy churning exciting feeling the night before the game and the hours after the game that I would analyse the game over and over before drifting off the sleep.    As I stumbled from builder’s apprentice, through to insurance clerk and then onto printing, I finally found my calling (thanks to a drunk Danny Hodgson!) as Northumberland YDO…a job that I loved and that taught me so much. It was then onto Newcastle Falcons and my dream job of coaching the finest players from the North East in the Academy...  Academy Director followed and the first opportunity to work with my great friend Peter Walton. I then got elevated to the first team (with Walts) to replace Rob Andrew who had moved to Twickenham. A steep and enjoyable learning curve that ended in the valuable lesson of a sacking… an environment where I was told to make the players hate you was clearly not the environment for me. Next adventure was down to the RFU to work with Stuart Lancaster (still the best boss that I have ever had!). We plotted the direction of travel over copious amounts of Yorkshire tea at Scotch Corner Services and then I worked tirelessly developing a great Performance Pathway and a team of fantastic people. That brings me to today, after 10 hugely exciting and enjoyable years and sacking number two, to the most excited that I have ever been… To work with people who share my values, my moral compass and my passion to make a difference to people and their environments.    Hanging with Rusty is going to be inspiring, fun and I’m super excited for the adventure.    5 things that have influenced me the most: Scouts John Clarke (“Clanky” who gave lads like me a start in rugby)  Steve Black Brian Lancaster (Brian Ashton and Stuart Lancaster) – couldn’t choose between them! Being a Dad – thanks Oliver, Archie and Ted  Describe myself in 3 words – Enthusiastic Positive, Curious (if there was a 4th it would be funny)   Russel Earnshaw "When it is time for you to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked hard to make sure it mattered you were even here" (Wes Moore 'The Other Wes Moore’)   My favourite quote ever!   In between the madness,I am always trying to better understand how a teenage boy with a paper-round in Middlesborough ended up where he is today. How and why did his story travel via Cambridge University and then the Premiership, allow him to win the European Cup, compete and coach for his country at both Commonwealth Games and World Cups, teach Economics by the sea for two years and spend time coaching and learning from some remarkable people.   I’m curious about and obsessed with helping people... I want to better understand how individuals and teams exceed their dreams, how learning environments are nurtured and what might be possible for us all in the future. How can people live the story they want…  … I am also partial to a bobble hat!   I’ve consulted with and delivered for Google, the FA, GB Hockey, British Triathlon, the Rugby Football League and British Swimming to name a few… often playing the part of the nutcase in their story!     Join us at the Future of Coaching Conference! Future of Coaching Conference Registration Page   CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE COURSES:   Warriors, Not Winners - Want to create gritty, resilient athletes who succeed beyond the game?   Purchase Warriors, Not Winners now!   Transformational Coaching - Take your Coaching to the Next Level with Transformational Coaching.   Become a Transformational Coach Today –     If you are enjoying our podcast, please help us out and leave a review on iTunes. How to leave an iTunes rating or review for a podcast from your iPhone or iPad Launch Apple’s Podcast app. Tap the Search tab. Enter the name Way of Champions. Tap the blue Search key at the bottom right. Tap the album art for the Way of Champions podcast. Tap the Reviews tab. Tap Write a Review at the bottom. Thanks so much, every review helps us to spread this message! Hosted by John O'Sullivan. Produced by Coach Reed Maltbie

Episode 31 is an interview with Performance Lifestyle Advisor to GB Hockey - Emma Mitchell. Emma is also a former international rugby player and 1994 World Cup winner.  We talk about the issues and challenges of her role, what it was like on the inside when England women won gold, and how she supports athletes to develop the skills and qualities needed to cope with the special demands of high performance sport. Emma joined the EIS as a Performance Lifestyle Adviser in February 2007 and has experience of supporting over 100 elite GB Hockey athletes and coaches over three Olympic Cycles. Before joining the EIS, Emma was a successful senior executive with twenty years of experience in the publishing and sports clothing business sectors in the UK and USA. From 1987-2002 and whilst working full-time, Emma played rugby for England winning 52 caps at scrum half and competing in four World Cup campaigns, with the 1994 World Cup win being her career highlight. Following her retirement, she went on to coach at club, regional and international level in the USA, Canada and the UK. Emma is a History graduate from Loughborough University, holds an ILM Level 7 Certificate in Executive Coaching and Leadership Mentoring and is a UK Sport endorsed mentor. Over the last 5 years, Emma has also provided support to a number of UK Sport ECAP and sports coach UK Aspire coaches from Tennis, Squash, Sailing and Boxing.

Brendan Chaplin catches up with Ben Rosenblatt, S&C coach for GB Hockey women's team.  Ben was a big part of the Intensive rehab unit at Bisham Abbey, tasked with getting the best of GB's Elite athletes back into training.Ben discusses his coaching and what he will be sharing in his 2015 Online conference Presentation.