The Sporting Mindset Show

What if the real edge in business is not more logic, but better storytelling, stronger trust, and the courage to make the right call when no one is watching? Dwayne sits down with Lawrence to unpack the psychology of high performance across business and sport, from CEO pressure to advisory influence, and why the best leaders think less like managers and more like head coaches. If you lead teams, m...

Most team themes fail because they feel fake, forced, or too late. Alex Stajka and Dwayne unpack what actually makes a team identity stick—and why the best versions are usually simple, specific, and lived every day. Using real examples from Rotherham and a painfully memorable Western Australia experiment that fell completely flat, they reveal the difference between a theme that changes behavior an...

What if the biggest edge in coaching is not tactics, but knowing how to handle the human being in front of you? Harvey Biljon reveals how relationship-first leadership, self-awareness, and brutally honest conversations shape winning rugby environments - and why the best coaches give players what they need, not what they want. Dwayne digs into the real work behind the scenes: building trust with ne...

Motivation is not magic, and if yours keeps disappearing, this episode gives you the exact system to rebuild it. Dwayne Nestor breaks down how young athletes can create motivation from scratch, protect it when life gets messy, and use it to unlock confidence and self-efficacy. He shows why motivation is a skill you train, not a personality trait you either have or don’t. You’ll learn the differenc...

Big bodies get boxed in early - but John Okafor turns that stereotype into an edge. The Rotherham forward reveals how he went from wanting to fit in as a kid to learning how to use his size, presence, and mindset to control games, win collisions, and stay dangerous under pressure. Dwayne opens with the nickname that followed John from school to professional rugby, and the conversation quickly beco...

Consistency is the most underrated superpower in sport - and this episode shows you exactly how to build it, protect it, and learn to love it. If you’re an athlete who wants better results without relying on motivation, this is the blueprint for staying on track when life, training, and confidence all get messy. Dwayne Nestor breaks consistency down into practical, repeatable systems you can actua...

Starting something new can make even the experts feel like rookies, and that’s exactly where Dwayne Nestor finds himself in this episode. If you’ve ever been derailed by self-doubt, overthinking, or the pressure to get it perfect, this conversation will hit home fast. Dwayne turns the spotlight on his own experience launching The Sporting Mindset Show and connects it to the same psychological batt...

Confidence is the hidden weapon behind a future champion. Luke Williams opens up about the mental side of triathlon, from the self-talk that pulls him out of a race-day spiral to the routines that keep him training, recovering, and improving at 17. Hosted by Dwayne, this conversation goes beyond medals and splits to reveal what actually drives a young athlete chasing national results and Junior Wo...

What happens when a loose forward is suddenly asked to play 12, then becomes one of the most dominant centres in the league? Travis Gordon and assistant coach Alex Stajka unpack the messy, fascinating reality of changing positions, adapting to English rugby, and learning how to think like both a player and a coach. Trav explains how a year of wet, heavy conditions in England forced him to rethink...

Think sports psychology is just for pros? Think again. Meet Cienna, a teenage cycling prodigy whose secret weapon isn’t just big gears and fast legs—it's her mind. She’s the kind of athlete who visualizes Olympic gold every night and turns nerves into fuel, not fear. Her bold approach to mental resilience, confidence, and enjoying the grind makes you wonder: what if we all saw setbacks as stepping...

What separates a good coach from a great one? In this episode, Dwayne Nestor talks with rugby coach Colin Phillips about the real psychology behind high-performance coaching. From growing up playing club rugby in northeast Scotland to working in Scottish Rugby's academies and coaching state teams in Perth, Australia, Colin has seen coaching from every angle. He opens up about reading the room duri...

What separates a good coach from a great one? It's not technical knowledge — it's the ability to truly understand people. In this episode, we sit down with Paolo Franzoni, a Level 3 accredited cricket coach who has worked with players of all abilities — from six-year-olds to state and national representatives, including players with intellectual disabilities and the visually impaired Australian te...

In this episode of The Sporting Mindset Show, host Dwayne Nestor sits down with Western Force rugby player Doug Phillipson. Doug opens up about growing up on a farm in country New South Wales, making his Super Rugby debut, and battling through multiple injuries — including two shoulder reconstructions, a broken jaw, and an ACL. He shares how curiosity, perspective, and the influence of experienced...

Alana Thomas has walked in every pair of shoes in high-performance sport — as a player, a head coach, and now as High Performance Manager at Netball Australia. In this candid conversation with Dwayne Nestor, she opens up about the mindset shifts, hard lessons, and relationship-first approach that have defined her career. From juggling accounting and coaching to making the leap into rugby full-time...

Are you tired of the Hollywood version of mental toughness—emotionless, unfeeling robots? Real mental toughness is dynamic, psychological, and within your control. It’s the secret weapon that lets you thrive under pressure, bounce back from setbacks, and keep pushing forward when others fold. If you think toughness means denying your feelings, think again. I’m revealing five game-changing strategi...

Does your child have big sporting goals but struggle to follow through? In this episode of The Sporting Mindset Show, host Dwayne Nestor shares a powerful six-point goal-setting framework that goes way beyond just writing down what you want to achieve. We cover the six key areas — Actions, Needs, Obstacles, Motivation, Promoting your goal, and Rewards — and how parents can use this process to beco...

Consistency beats intensity — and when it comes to raising young athletes, this idea changes everything. In this episode of the Sporting Mindset Show, host Dwayne Nestor explores why showing up regularly matters more than occasional bursts of effort, and how parents can create a home environment that supports their child's athletic development. Drawing on James Clear's Atomic Habits , Duane breaks...

Are you the calm parent on the sideline — or the one adding pressure without realizing it? In this episode, Duane Nestor shares practical tools to become the parent your young athlete actually needs.

Are you helping your child thrive — or adding to the pressure? In this episode of The Sporting Mindset Show, host Dwayne Nestor explores one of the most underrated skills in sports parenting: self-awareness. Discover how understanding why you react the way you do at games can transform the support you give your young athlete. From sideline anxiety to emotional over-investment, Dwayne unpacks the r...

"You're not my coach!" — three words that have echoed across car parks and back seats everywhere. But what if that moment is actually an invitation to become the parent your child really needs? In this episode, Dwayne Nestor explores one of the most important roles in youth sport — the sporting parent — and why getting it right can be one of the greatest performance advantages your child ever has....

Beyond the Scoreboard: Teaching Kids What Real Success Looks Like What does success actually mean for your young athlete — and are you defining it in a way that helps them thrive? In this episode of the Sporting Mindset Show, host Dwayne Nestor explores why tying success purely to winning can undermine a child's development, and what a healthier, more empowering definition looks like. When we shif...

Have you ever wondered what your child is really thinking — especially when it comes to sport? In this episode, host Dwayne Nestor explores how parents can better connect with their young athletes by developing a deeper understanding of their mindset. It starts with empathy — putting your ego aside and genuinely trying to see the world through your child's eyes. Dwayne breaks down why being non-ju...

Being a parent-coach is one of the toughest — and most rewarding — roles in sport. In this episode, Dwayne Nestor breaks down the one skill that makes or breaks the parent-coach relationship: communication. You'll learn how to navigate the dual roles, handle the hard conversations, and know when it's time to simply hang up the coach's hat and just be Mum or Dad. If you're raising an athlete you al...