RU Sport Psych Podcast

In this episode, Daði Rafnsson from Reykjavík University discusses the professionalization of children’s and youth sports with internationally renowned experts. It was recorded in connection with the Reykjavik International Games in January 2026. Guests are Mark O’Sullivan, Martin Camiré and Siubhéan Crowne.  Professionalization in youth sport refers to the increasing adoption of adult professiona...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Geir Jordet, a leading international expert in the psychology of football, focusing on decision-making, leadership, and performance under pressure. He is a professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, where his research has explored topics such as pre-performance routines, penalty shootouts, and the role of visual perception and body language in elite-level...

Peter O’Donoghue talks to Daði Rafnsson about a newly published study that aimed to develop a method based on Chris Harwood’s 5Cs framework to help coaches articulate how football players should demonstrate psychological skills through behaviours on the field. Eight professional coaches and one academic expert collaborated with the researchers in a focus group to design psychological role descript...

In this episode, we are joined by two internationally renowned sport psychology experts: Dr. Peter Haberl and Dr. Göran Kenttä.  Dr. Peter Haberl, former senior sport psychologist with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, shares his insights into attention, mindfulness, and performance under pressure. Drawing on decades of experience supporting Olympic athletes, Peter discusses how athlete...

Kristoffer Henriksen er íþróttasálfræðingur og prófessor við Háskólann í Suður-Danmörku (SDU). Hann er einnig yfirmaður rannsóknardeildar í íþróttavísindum og er jafnframt þróttasálfræðingur hjá Team Danmark, stofnuninni sem ber ábyrgð á afreksíþróttum í Danmörku. Áhugasvið hans snýr að hæfileikamótun, frammistöðuþáttum og sálfélagslegum þáttum íþrótta. Henriksen hefur lagt mikið af mörkum til fræ...

Í þessum þætti ræða Daði Rafnsson og Chris Harwood um áskoranir og tækifæri í markvissri sálrænni færniþjálfun. Chris Harwood er í fremstu röð meðal fræðimanna í íþróttasálfræði og starfar sem forstöðumaður rannsóknarmiðstöðvar íþrótta, heilsu og frammistöðuvísinda við Nottingham Trent háskólann í Bretlandi þar sem hann er jafnframt prófessor.  Chris þróaði 5C aðferðafræðina sem er líklega útbreid...

Í þessum þætti ræðir Daði Rafnsson við tvo reynslumikla fræðimenn á sviði hæfileikamótunar og íþróttasálfræði um snemmbundna afreksþjálfun og hvernig umhverfið hefur áhrif á íþróttafólk.  Carsten Hvid Larsen er yfirsálfræðingur hjá danska knattspyrnusambandinu (DBU) og dósent við Háskólann í Suður-Danmörku. Rannsóknir hans beinast að andlegri heilsu, hæfileikamótun, afreksmenningu og sálfélagslegr...

Chris Harwood is the guest of the RU Sport Psych Podcas this time. He is a leading scholar in sports psychology and works as the director of the Research Centre for Sport, Health and Performance Sciences at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, where he is also a professor. Chris developed the 5C framework, the most widespread method for teaching psychological skills training for children, adoles...

In this episode, we discuss the athlete's lifespan, from how children can be introduced to sports in a positive way to what characterizes good talent development, what it takes to succeed, and finally, what challenges lie ahead at the end of their careers. Paul Wylleman is a clinical psychologist and professor at the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels. He is one of the world's leading schola...

We speak with William Low who is an assistant professor at Herion Watts University in Scotland. He is an expert on pressure training and a guest lecturer in the master’s program at Reykjavik University’s Department of Sport Science. Through pressure training, coaches and sports psychology experts work systematically to increase pressure in training to prepare for the challenges of competition. Dað...

The guests of the RU Sport Psych Podcast at this time are professors Daniel Gould and Robert Weinberg. Weinberg and Gould are well-known for their work in sports psychology, and it is probably no exaggeration to say that they are among the most respected sports psychologists of all time. Both have been named to the top 10 list of the most influential sports psychologists in the United States. They...

Katie Castle is a Canadian psychologist who specializes in working with children and adolescents in sports. She has a background in gymnastics as an athlete and coach and uses it to help athletes find a balance between sports and private life. She presented her research on the negative psychological consequences of early attainment among young people at the FEPSAC Conference in 2024 and the Reykja...