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This episode with Thomas gave me a real insight into the high-pressured environment of American sports. It is of great value to hear practitioners’ experiences in such environments and to understand how they help maintain their own mental health and wellness. For Thomas, he schedules in things to help him relax, so that he can maximise his time. One of the main triggers of anxiety for Thomas is the fear of being fired at any time, which is a common trait in such an unforgiving league. Listen in this episode to give you an insight to the type of practitioner that works in such high paced environments, and for some tools and techniques that are fundamental for health and wellbeing while feeling like you’re always on the go. Thomas mentions his experiences in a ‘flow state’ where he feels comfortable in a high-pressured scenario, such as dealing with an injured athlete helping them in their rehab and return to play. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-barbeau/ Email: [email protected]

I really enjoyed this discussion with Aaron, it felt like we could have spoken for hours. We went on so many different tangents, but it was well worth the ride! We started off talking about his battles through the never-ending attempt to balance work and life commitments. It’s a discussion that we can all have, it’s just very interesting to hear it from someone who was working with the Australian Men’s Cricket team at the time. Additionally, we discussed his time in COVID lockdowns. It feels like a long time ago now, but we all remember how tough it was. Aaron reflects on his struggles being away from home and being stuck in hotels for weeks on end during specific tours with the team. One of the main things he recalls was his inability to maintain a healthy diet and regular healthy eating habits just because of the pressures of the job, lockdown requirements, and much more. This came to a point where he had to refuse to go on a tour to Pakistan with the team and organise a replacement. This decision reflects Aaron’s strength and self-awareness, that he understood how being away, locked in hotels again, would have such an immense impact on him mentally and physically, and he knew what it would look like for his own health, but also for his performance at work. We then discussed the differences between the day-to-day pressures that presented with job; such as helping the team perform for their country, nurturing other people dreams, and basically the high pressured demands of high performance sport; to personal expectations/pressures ontribution to family, things/events you’re missing out on, things to juggle, etc. Very relevant topics of conversation. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronkellett/?originalSubdomain=au Email: [email protected]

We started this episode with talking about Jay’s travels overseas. His spontaneous time away in America helped him grow in confidence in the field of strength and conditioning. This major change in lifestyle came at a time and age when people often question ‘what do I want to do?’ This can be a struggling process for young/new practitioners in their mid 20’s, and Jay describes this time of his life in detail. He was encouraged to challenge himself as a coach and to Immerse himself in the experience rather than coaching from afar. Additionally, Jay shares his views on giving value for time and finding a balance between providing advice/helping young professionals and charging for his time. With 15 years of coaching and all of the investment that he has put into his own development, Jay is proud to value his time and advocates that others should do the same in the field of strength and conditioning, instead of giving up years for little return in the pursuit of ‘experience’. He compares the industry of strength and conditioning to that of law and medicine. This topic can be a very high stress point for coaches around the world who might not have found their right place in the industry to date. How much is my time worth? How do I put value to it? Listen to this podcast to give yourself a good head start. ‘You wouldn’t ask you accountant: Hi, can we catch up for a coffee and chat about my tax return?’ In saying that, Jay discusses the other side of the coin, in that he credits his development to many of his mentors from the past who gave their time for him. The industry just hasn’t got the right balance and there is a long way to go. ‘It’s very easy to point out the problem, but hard to find the solution’ Another main point of this episode is how Jay reflects on his early days as a strength coach, doing what he could with what he had. This could be running strength sessions with nothing but a weight plate and an oval. Jay shares how it can be toxic to only be thinking about you don’t have or trying to control things you can’t control. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-ellis-a8022bb0/ Email: [email protected] Phone: +61 413 753 319

Daniel and I discussed how his career developed to date, and how he hopped from state to state following a few different opportunities in both education and elite sport. We proposed the question of how do you manage expectations in such high-pressured environments such as in the pro sports industry? Daniel believes that having a high alignment and good communication levels with the staff alongside you is key. But even more importantly is having all staff understand what their role is. And we’re not talking about a title, but to be able truly understand how the specific roles and responsibilities are directly impacting the overall goals of the organisation and being able to comfortably express themselves in such roles. Where does this role sit in the broad aspect of the program? Having this degree of freedom and understanding helps drive the direction and specific tasks. This is such a healthy part of a high-performance program. Additionally, Daniel spoke very passionately about the topic of self-awareness. Not only his own self-awareness but being able to give others the opportunity to become more self-aware, creating an environment to explore your own personality. This could involve feedback, open communication lines, staff PD/education sessions, and much more. ‘What makes you operate at your best and what does it look like at your worst’ And finally, upon reflection on what has influence dhis life to date, Daniel speak of his responsibilities as a Dad. The impact of having kids has had on his life (outside of the obvious) is immense. It has given him a much greater understanding and appreciation for respecting his work/life balance, and it gives him something to be grateful for every. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-duvnjak-zaknich-80a41231/?originalSubdomain=au Email: [email protected]

I had such a great time speaking with Analisse on this episode. She is someone I have followed on social media for some time, and she always includes posts full of life and energy. It was very interesting to discuss some of her experiences to date in the industry and her overall perspectives on life. Being appointed her role in the WNBA during COVID was no easy task. Especially when she is forced to organise her program from zoom meetings while her athletes are in a bubble. Additionally, Analisse discusses her struggles as she juggles her two roles based on the seasons, shifting from the WNBA season to the period when her college athletes are back on campus. Being on top of this transition involves a lot of time management and a lot of early morning lifts! In the WNBA, one of the biggest challenges is maintaining consistency with while having limits on time. For herself, she always makes sure she can go for a run on game day, just to clear her mind and focus on the tasks ahead of her. Analisse shares her own coaching philosophy which has helped her be successful in this role in the league. This philosophy also involves checking in and knowing her athletes in detail. She believes that knowing your audience knowing their capabilities is a key part of leadership with the roles she is currently involved with. Adding to that she also believes that understanding her own limits is equally as important. This ensures she maintains respect and loyalty with her athletes that she is not going to give anyone a miscalculated answer. Insta: @plantsandburpees LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/analisse-rios-06b6b0206/

In this episode, Jeremiah shares some specific moments of discomfort and vulnerability during his early days in his career and how they have helped him become the coach he is today. He phased some of his time in the college scene as if working for 4 years within the 1 year, as he has so many responsibilities with such large groups and athletes. Jeremiah admits that this wasn’t something that would have been sustainable, however he views this challenge as being beneficial for his development. This has also helped develop his mindset and overall coaching philosophy to get to know the individual that he is working with, rather than them just being another name or statistic on his program. Additionally, Jeremiah stresses the importance of finding little brackets of time to work on himself in any way. This could be a small as a walk around the block or getting a coffee to blasting out an intense workout. He strongly believes that it is important to keep him healthy, so he can look after his squad to the highest capacity. Insta – @jeremiahflys

In this episode, Dr Daniel Taylor and I discuss the aspects of people’s moods and how it can relate to performance in both and athletic sense, but also a from a workplace standpoint. Daniel himself feels like he needs to be happy to perform, and he details some small tips and tricks that he regularly performs to help him do so. This can be a small as gratitude training, as Daniel travels around the country for his employment, he tries to explore the wonderful cities and areas when he can, instead of being completely overrun with his tasks surrounding the team. Appreciating the small things around you can have a massive impact your mood. We tend to get lost in the job and tasks at hand or forget a beautiful and majestic view/landscape just because our minds are elsewhere. But exploring a city and appreciating how lucky we are to travel to the areas we go to can go a long way. I also appreciate Daniel’s passion for mental health support within the big sporting leagues of the world. He believes that we need to be more proactive instead of reactive with mental wellbeing, treating it as if it were a physical injury. Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-taylor-762a8714/