David McHugh - Performance Psychology

If there was ever an example of changes in psychological momentum influencing performance in a a football match, that Barcelona vs PSG game was it!

Barcelona 4-0 down in the first leg and come back to win 6-5 with 2 late goals in the 2nd leg!

At the highest level it is the psychological factors that make the difference and highlights the need for teams to actively train aspects such as creating and responding to changes in momentum.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275038650_Psychological_Momentum_in_Team_Sport_An_Intervention_Program_in_Professional_Soccer

Psychological Momentum in Team Sport: An Intervention Program in Professional Soccer This article presents an intervention program with an under-17 soccer team, in which a coach and a sport psychology consultant integrated training of psychological momentum (PM) into daily...

With all the Football on over the festive period it is easy to think that footballers have it easy, earning lots of money and doing something that they love.

The reality is quite different. This article highlights the reality for the majority of footballers around the world.

It also highlights the importance of psychological support for footballers, to support the person first and player second in facing the challenges of trying to make a career in professional football.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/dec/24/serious-sacrifice-and-little-money-welcome-to-world-of-just-about-managing-footballers-laurence-bell?CMP=share_btn_tw

Serious sacrifice and little money – welcome to the world of Jam footballers Professional players are meant to live a life of fast cars, yachts and glamour, but as a pro who is just about managing, I can assure you that is far from the case

With Dundalk playing their last Europe League group game fixture tonight needing a win to qualify, how has Stephen Kenny turned a club around from near liquidation to being one of the best if not the best Irish club side ever?

Tam McManus who played under Stephen Kenny highlights his man management as being one reasons he is able to get such good performances from his players.

What relationship do you have with your athletes and are you meeting their needs?

http://www.tammcmanus.com/single-post/2016/09/16/Man-Management

Man Management | tammcmanusblog "The ability to control and organise people who work in a business or organisation.” That sounds about right, doesn't it? But how does it apply to football? To ...

This interview with Jamie Fullarton highlights the importance of sport psychology support for staff and players.

"We've done our badges, but at no point do they talk about coping strategies, about dealing with theses stresses and pressures. Wellbeing is a key factor, how you look after yourself."

BBC Sport

Jamie Fullarton's short, sharp lesson in managerial stress at Notts County Jamie Fullarton learned the hard way about the stresses of football management during his brief spell in charge of Notts County.

Great 5 days on the Uefa B License with the FAI in Cork. We had the privilege of coaching players on the u17 girls national team, learning from tutors working with international teams with the FAI, meeting coaches from all over the world and most importantly were constantly challenged to improve ourselves. The real work starts now in putting into practice all that was learned.

As a coach have you wondered about the options available to manage the behaviour of your athletes? The article below gives some useful tips in creating positive environments for athletes. http://www.sportscoachuk.org/blog/managing-behaviour-sport-ignore-punish-appease-praise-incentivise-banish-humiliate-aaaaaahhhhhh

Managing Behaviour in Sport: Ignore, Punish, Appease, Praise, Incentivise, Banish, Humiliate?!?!!? Aaaaaahhhhhh! | sports coach UK sports coach UK supports UK partners to recruit, develop and retain sports coaches to achieve their participation and performance goals.

Interesting evening ahead. I have the pleasure of attending a talk by Sport Psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella. He will be speaking tonight about his work with Padraig Harrington.

http://m.independent.ie/sport/golf/harrington-and-guru-rotella-looking-for-the-ideal-blend-between-mental-and-physical-34875165.html

Harrington and guru Rotella looking for the ideal blend between mental and physical Pádraig Harrington plays in the Open Championship for the 20th time in his career at Royal Troon this week.

Want a break down if some of the tactical trends in Euro 2016?

What is interesting is that verbal and non verbal communication were given as reasons why teams did not implement their game plans effectively. This highlights the importance of sport psychology in developing communication skills and may be a reason Wales performed so well with their focus on the Psychological factors of performance.

http://spielverlagerung.com/2016/07/13/the-tactical-trends-of-euro-2016/

The Tactical Trends of EURO 2016 As the competition has progressed, we have been able to witness a number of tactical trends shared by many teams in the tournament. Whilst there hasn’t been a particular pattern in terms of formations like we saw with the back 3 in the 2014 World Cup, there have been clear trends in marking schemes,...

Wales and Swansea FC Sport Psychologist giving an insight into his work.

"focus on your strengths and the process of success"

Chris Coleman has described Ian Mitchells Sport Psychology work as the final piece of the jigsaw.

If Sport Psychology plays such an important role in supporting performance, how much emphasis do you or your team place on it?

https://ianmitchell9.com/2015/11/25/performance-psychology-in-professional-1st-team-and-international-football/

Performance Psychology in professional 1st team and International football The link below is to an interview that I carried out with Fran Donovan for Premier League Productions regarding Performance Psychology in professional 1st team and International football.   &n…

Access to quality facilities, educated coaches and participation for all... Reflections from first hand experience of some of the factors underpinning Icelands journey so far http://m.teachlikeachampion.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fteachlikeachampion.com%2Fblog%2Fcoaching-and-practice%2Ficelandic-lessons-reflections-youth-system-produce-icelands-triumph%2F&dm_redirected=true #2839

Icelandic Lessons: Reflections on the Youth System that Produced a Triumph - Teach Like a Champion Even before Iceland took the Euros by storm, miraculously qualifying from group F (above Portugal and Austria), and then stunning England yesterday in the round of 16, they were the story of the tournament. With a population of 330,000 or roughly that of Bakersfield, California, their qualification…

Do you wonder how Iceland have achieved some great results not only in the Euros but over the last few years? Qualified coaches work with all players regardless of ability, giving all participants the opportunity to be the best that they can be. A lot of sports and countries can learn from Iceland promoting sport participation for all and not just for the most "talented".

Ireland forcing Belgium out wide and preventing Hazard getting access to the centre of the pitch.It means we are winning possession back in our own third. Just need to get 2 or 3 passes when we win possession before we go long to Shane Long to give players a chance to get up and support.

Talent? Practice? Genetics?... What goes into athletes developing expertise in their sport?... Fundamentally all these factors come down to one thing... Choice... Choices made by the athlete and those around them will determine whether an athlete maximises their talent or their genetics.

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." Viktor Frankl.

With teams preparing for the euros naming their squads, their are players like Santi Cazorla, Marco Reus and in Irelands case David Forde and Darron Gibson, left out of their respective squads. This article highlights how players can proactively deal with the disappointment of not making their European Championship teams. There are lessons for everyone no matter what your career in how to cope with setbacks.

http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/71662238/Dealing-with-disappointment-The-harsh-reality-of-rugby

The harsh reality of rugby Falling short of your goals can be devastating, whether you're an All Black or an accountant.

Did you ever think elite sports people have it easy? The reality is quite different. If you ever wanted a real insight into elite sport have a read of Stevie Wards experience as a rugby league player

http://mantalitymagazine.com/mind/the-dark-side-of-sport/

The Dark Side Of Sport – Mantality Magazine Do you remember the moment when Leeds snatched the League Leaders’ Shield at Huddersfield last September? Ryan Hall’s last second surge down the touchline to score capped one of the most dramatic days in Super League history. It was a day that marked one of the biggest transitional periods of my lif...

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/matthew-syed-coaching-is-an-art-and-wearing-a-suit-and-tie-will-not-turn-terry-into-a-gaffer-26nhqwfg7?shareToken=6a87c7467fd681aae6ca5637097ddd7c

Matthew Syed: Coaching is an art and wearing a suit and tie will not turn Terry into a gaffer When Desmond Douglas was the England table tennis No 1 circa 1985, he was involved in a coaching session for young players. The lead coach asked the legendary player to explain to the teenagers the...

Grit, is a combination of perseverance and passion — it’s just that the former tends to get all the attention, while the latter is overlooked. “I think the misunderstanding — or, at least, one of them — is that it’s only the perseverance part that matters,” Duckworth told Science of Us. “But I think that the passion piece is at least as important. I mean, if you are really, really tenacious and dogged about a goal that’s not meaningful to you, and not interesting to you — then that’s just drudgery. It’s not just determination — it’s having a direction that you care about.” http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/05/dont-believe-the-hype-about-grit-pleads-the-scientist-behind-the-concept.html

Don’t Believe the Hype About Grit, Pleads the Scientist Behind the Concept What happens when enthusiasm runs too far ahead of the evidence?

Simplicity v Complexity: A guide to training session design.

https://playerdevelopmentproject.com/simplicity-vs-complexity-a-guide-to-training-session-design/?utm_content=buffer1abbb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Simplicity vs. Complexity: A Guide to Training Session Design - Player Development Project PDP Lead Researcher examines the simplicity vs. complexity debate using one of the great quotes from Johan Cruyff and asks if we have misinterpreted its true meaning:    “Football is simple, but the hardest thing is to play simple football.”   Consider how this famous quote influences your training…

Fascinating game between Bayern Munich and Juventus. Juventus have the momentum in the first half and Bayern in the 2nd half. Interesting to see Buffons reaction after conceding the 2nd goal looking for positive body language from his team. Will be interesting to see who can take control of the momentum and extra time. http://breakingmuscle.com/sports-psychology/momentum-recognizing-and-dealing-with-it

Momentum: Recognizing and Dealing With It Momentum, in sports, is a psychological concept - the roar of a crowd moves us, a referee's call throws us off. How do we recognize momentum and keep it from heading us the wrong way?

“Poorly judged praise can do more harm than good”. Mark O'Sullivan highlights what coaches need to consider when trying to promote the development of a growth mindset.

https://playerdevelopmentproject.com/praise-them-like-you-should/

Praise Them Like You Should - Player Development Project Coach educator, blogger and regular Player Development Project contributor, Mark O’Sullivan examines the true definitions of growth mindset and the effects of praise in player development. At this time of year, the coach education courses are coming thick and fast. Nearly every weekend from January…

With Leicester beating Man City today, it's is interesting to look at the impact their coach has had on changing their mindset from battling relegation to competing for the Premier League title. Their turn around highlights the need to set standards and to hold everyone accountable. http://whitehouseaddress.blogspot.ie/2016/02/a-lesson-in-management-from-claudio.html

A Lesson in Management from Claudio Ranieri | The Whitehouse Address It’s clear that Ranieri has brought some game management and a little bit of tactical nous to their play. The players know their jobs and importantly execute them almost perfectly. What we are seeing is a group of players working very hard for each other to achieve something greater than themselves.…

Great insight into the style of play Pochettino has introduced at Tottenham this season. It is based on their capacity to win possession of the ball in defensive transition. http://www.timpalmerfootball.com/tottenham-hotspur-pochettino-counterpressing-analysis/

Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham transformation Tottenham Hotspur have been excellent in an unusual and unpredictable Premier League season, with a young squad featuring a

Pepijn Lijnders is a first team coach at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp. In this video he highlights their style of play and how they are going about developing the next generation of Liverpool academy graduates.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WDXglo84VVE

Pepijn Lijnders : Jürgen Klopp's football philosophy First team development coach Pepijn Lijnders gives a fascinating insight into how Jürgen Klopp wants to encourage youth development and integration into the ...

Why discipline is more important than motivation. Might help people that are currently struggling with new years resolutions.

http://brightside.me/article/why-discipline-is-more-important-than-motivation-16805/

Why discipline is more important than motivation An interesting new perspective!

Had the pleasure to present to Athlone Institute of Technology sport scholarship students this morning. It's great to be able to introduce athletes to Sport psychology and give them practical advice to support their development.

Why talent is over rated!

All the preparation is done, all Aldo and McGregor have now is time to think. Here is an image highlighting what they might be focusing on today.