Going Upstairs

Warwickshire's Eve Jones was the guest for the second of the 2022 Pre Season Series sessions. Topics discussed included: - Routines for batting - The challenges of The Hundred - Switching off from the game Support the show

Kent keeper/batter Ollie joined us for the first of the 2022 Pre Season Series sessions. We discussed: Managing the demands of professional cricket Preparation as a keeper/batter Staying mentally healthy Support the show

Derbyshire pace bowler Dustin opened up on the realities of dealing with injuries. He spoke about the impact at the time, through rehab to the longer term mental challenges. An important insight to a topic that needs more discussion. Support the show

Jon Northcroft is an Opening Up Cricket trustee and football writer. In this episode he talks us the art of ghost writing, something he has done most recently for Peter Schmeichel, including: What it actually is and the process involved Staying true to what the person is saying Listening skills The parallels with counselling and therapy Lessons learned from hearing the inner thoughts of someone el...

Primary school teacher Peter has a mission to increase physical activity in young people to the benefit of their mind and body. We discussed the impact of covid, barriers to promoting activity, teacher wellbeing and his initiative Prime Fitness & Education. You can find out more here Support the show

Middlesex bowler Ethan chatted with Mark about how he has managed performance anxiety during his career so far. Support the show

The term 'coaching' is subject to lots of different interpretations, especially in the world outside of sport. Mark spoke with Jim Hughes about what he sees it as in his work coaching high performers. It was thought provoking to consider how we consider the role of someone who is there to help... Find out more about Untamed here   Support the show

Mark gives his perspective on what he has learned from the experience of depressive illness. Support the show

Paul Smith played for Warwickshire from 1982 and 1996, featuring as a key member of the famous treble winning side of 1994. Here he spoke about the influence of Bob Woolmer, how mental health was looked after in his career as well as the challenges post retirement.  Support the show

Northern Diamonds bowler Phoebe joined us for the eight Pre Season Series session back in March. We discussed her unusual journey to being a professional athlete via themes of embracing challenges, perseverance and finding your own way. Support the show

Hampshire's Tom Alsop chatted with Mark about the reasons behind him joining our team to host sessions. The insight to the personal and professional contexts of mental health and wellbeing are well worth a listen... Support the show

West Indies Director of Cricket Jimmy joined us in March for the seventh Pre Season Series session. The main themes discussed were managing stress, dealing with burnout and fatigue and adapting to different conditions. Support the show

Abi joined Mark to share his thoughts on the importance of being truly listened to. He reflects on his personal experience of being supported following the loss of his Mum as well as communication in cricket, drawing on his time as a professional player with Sussex. Support the show

Northamptonshire bowling coach Chris  joined us live in February for the sixth of our 'Pre Season Series' sessions so here it is for you to catch up on. The theme we explored was meditation in cricket.  Support the show

Kent batter Daniel  joined us live in February for the fifth of our 'Pre Season Series' sessions so here it is for you to catch up on. The themes discussed were: Mental strategies to bat long Overcoming adversity Maintaining good mental health Support the show

Southern Vipers bowler Tara  joined us live in January for the fourth of our 'Pre Season Series' sessions so here it is for you to catch up on. The themes discussed were: Sport/life balance Mindful cricket Looking out for team mates. Support the show

Surrey all-rounder Rikki  joined us live in January for the third of our 'Pre Season Series' sessions so here it is for you to catch up on. The themes discussed were: Fielding focus Motivation to keep improving Overcoming setbacks Support the show

Derbyshire all-rounder Luis joined us live in January for the second of our 'Pre Season Series' sessions so here it is for you to catch up on. The themes discussed were: Mindset as an all rounder Managing anxiety Positive team environments Support the show

Derbyshire all-rounder Fynn joined us live in January for the first of our 'Pre Season Series' sessions so here it is for you to catch up on. The themes discussed were: Dealing with setbacks Focus in games Supporting team mates Support the show

Kate shared her experiences of how the measures in place to facilitate international cricket during the pandemic have impacted her wellbeing. She provides an honest, balanced account of the realities of such an unusual situation. Well worth a listen! Support the show

Rich Hudson, managing director of Buckinghamshire Cricket and author of 'Perform Beyond Pressure' discussed some key themes from his book with Mark. Key topics include: How pressure as a concept is inhibiting Connecting with why we play the game The natural ebb and flow of how we feel Moving beyond the labels we give ourselves You can buy the book here   and find Rich on twitter @rdhudso...

The importance of talking to maintaining good mental health is well established. What about how we listen to enable those conversations? Mark has a think about this in the final episode of the year. Support the show

Former Jamaica spinner Ryan Cunningham chatted with Mark about mindfulness, particularly using coffee to refine his practice. Alongside this we covered the mental approaches to cricket in the West Indies, dealing with setbacks as a bowler and adapting to life playing in English leagues. Check out his coffee here   Support the show

Former Scotland batsman turned podcast host Qasim Sheikh was our guest as we talked about: * His experiences in international cricket * The differences between playing in the UK and Pakistan * Dealing with mental ill health * The power of talking for wellbeing Check out his show- Sheikys Sports Journeys- on YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Support the show

We look at the power of vulnerability and how this term can be looked at differently to benefit sport and life. Links from the episode: How vulnerability became sport's winning weapon Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability Headfirst- Wellbeing & Rugby Support the show