Going Upstairs

We spoke to Yapa founder Jack Knowles about the new social media app designed to put mental health at the heart of online interactions. Support the show

From playing for fun to sport as his living, when retirement was forced upon Adam Canning it was the end he never expected. We chatted about life in sport- rugby union in this case- from pressure, the influence of coaches and dealing with the impact of the concussion that ended his career. Support the show

This podcast episode is all about the player with the gloves on- the wicket or goal keeper- and the challenges they face. A great chat with Lee Herring, a man who coaches keepers in both cricket and football, who has a refreshingly upbeat and fun first approach to sport. You can follow him on twitter @dual_role Support the show

The must see film of the year for cricket fans is "The Edge" and we were very pleased to chat with the director Barney Douglas. Learn more about the mental fitness and health of the world number one England side of Cook, Trott, Pietersen and Panesar. Watch the trailer here and go to watch it when is out! Support the show

John Fuller runs the very popular Cricket Yorkshire website and we chatted about many aspects of the sport in the county. From the changing face of club cricket to the Scarborough Festival via volunteers and Ray Illingworth, this focus on a very special cricketing county is for insiders and outsiders alike! You can buy John's latest book- Last of the Summer Wickets- tales from the Scarborough...

Tatenda Taibu shared with us his fascinating story of his time in Zimbabwe cricket, from making the national squad at 16 to being forced to quit after threats to him and his family. He speaks freely and wisely about the mental demands he has faced and what he has done to keep moving forward in life. His autobiography, where he goes further to explain his life experiences, has recently been release...

Alan Tonge was signed by Manchester United in 1986 at the very start of Alex Ferguson's time at the club. By the age of 24 his career was over due to injury and in the time that has passed since he has become a sports lecturer and researcher, with a particular interest in sports psychology and player welfare. In this podcast we discussed; * the culture present at Manchester United in Ferguson...

Daniel Dodds is Nottingham Forest's Head of Academy recruitment having previously been Talent ID manager for England's under 15-17 men's teams, during which the under 17s won the world cup. We discussed the process of identifying talent in football, drawing parallels with cricket and other sports as well as the various factors that contribute to talent getting results. This is an ab...

Some thoughts and strategies on the concept of resilience and how to build it in sport and life. Further reading: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_science_backed_strategies_to_build_resilience https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/fred_luskin_explains_how_to_forgive https://davealred.com/ Support the show

Author of 'Pressure Myths' Rich Hudson spoke with us about the myths of pressure, the nature of thoughts and how approaching things inside-out can make big changes to how you play and live. A must listen for those looking to go deeper with their understanding of cricket and the mind! Further Reading..... Read Rich's article for the Opening Up website here You can buy the book here ...

Former Sky Sports Cricket Correspondent Tim Abraham popped in for a chat about his life following England across land and sea. The pressures of touring, the realities of broadcast journalism and the lessons from the star players across twenty plus years were shared in this episode. Support the show

Paul Johnson talks us through the ups and downs of his twenty one year first class career. He share examples of leadership, mental toughness and the transitions that defined the era he played in. You can read more about Paul here http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/15520.html and follow him on twitter @pjcricket492 Support the show

Ross Dewar, strength and conditioning coach to Vitality T20 blast champions Worcestershire, talked with us about his role and how professional players use training effectively. This episode features a quality insight to how resilience is built in cricket and the benefits of a strong team culture. See more about Ross' work via www.cricketstrength.com Support the show

A perspective on the mental health continuum and how focusing more on improving mental fitness will surely reduce the impact of illness. Support the show

Former Middlesex batsman and Cricket Mentoring director Tom Scollay chatted with us about the ups and downs of his life in cricket. We went from his early days to the present, understanding the philosophy that underpins his coaching business that reaches players all over the world. Get involved with Tom's coaching at https://cricketmentoring.com/ Support the show

After joining staff at the WACA for 'R U Ok?' day we sat down with Bhavi Devchand to talk about the challenges of women's cricket in Australia and what she does to deal with the ups and downs associated with sport. You can read more about Bhavi here https://www.waca.com.au/news/bhavis-hope-for-mental-health/2017-09-14 Support the show

Former Western Australia and Tasmania bowler, now WA women's bowling coach Tim MacDonald joined us for a coffee in Perth CBD to talk about his career. We looked at the theme of change and transition with Tim giving some important insights as to how this can be dealt with positively. Tim is on twitter @timmacs Support the show

With the news of Alastair Cook's retirement from international cricket in the headlines, we look at what can be picked up from the great batsman from his mental strengths. Some links to explore further... England yo yo test Choir boy, farmer, England's record test run-scorer Support the show

A look at the impact of social media on mental health Support the show

An introduction to the concept of growth mindset and how it offers opportunities to improve performance and wellbeing. Support the show

Mark runs through ten ideas that can be easily used to promote mental fitness. Support the show

Mark looks at the concept of forgiveness and how important it is to mental fitness. Support the show

Mark looks at how Richmond used mindfulness and meditation to win 2017's AFL. The mindfulness guru behind Richmond's AFL success How vulnerability became sport's winning weapon Support the show

Mark goes through a brief history of mental health, considering the change and continuities of how illness has been viewed and treated. Support the show

Matt and John talk with Mark about alcohol, addiction and mental health with searing honesty Support the show