Welcome to Slice of PIE episode 32. Stuart Holliday (CPsychol) is a Sport Psychologist for GB Olympic Swimming, and runs his own practice Focused Mind Coaching with clients in sport, music, and business. He has worked in elite sport environments for over 10 years at Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth, and Premiership experience for Archery, Swimming, England Netball, and Liverpool Football Club. His real passion and area of expertise is Endurance sport, which is why he has a subsidiary of Focused Mind Coaching called Endurance Mind Coaching for runners, swimmers, cyclists and triathletes. He has co-written ‘The Psychology of Running’ with Dr Noel Brick, and in the music industry, the ‘Touring Manual’.

In this conversation we really lean into the endurance side of his practice, and I was very fortunate to catch Stuart late at night after we’d put each of our two kids to bed. Despite being two tired Dads I am delighted with the conversation and look forward to hearing what people take from it.

Details about Stuart, his company, his book and other various recommendations from the podcast:

Websites:

Focused mind coaching: https://www.focusedmindcoaching.co.uk/

Endurance mind coaching: https://www.endurancemindcoaching.com/

Stuart’s social presence:

linkedin.com/in/stuartholliday

Focused Mind Coaching:

https://www.instagram.com/focusedmindcoaching/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/focusedmindcoaching/

Podcast:

https://www.focusedmindcoaching.co.uk/podcasts/

Endurance mind courses:

https://www.endurancemindcoaching.com/sport-psychology/online-courses/

Referenced papers:

Integrating sport psychology work:

• McHugh, Mason & Jeffreys (2022) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366988120_Psychosocial_coaching_practices_An_interim_report_on_UKSCA_stakeholders%27_perception
• Ford, Masters & Vosloo (2022) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/17479541221101226 - trying to get it from ResearchGate

A 2022 paper by the R.E.S.I.S.T working group on psychological strategies to employ to resist slowing down: https://explore.bps.org.uk/content/bpssepr/18/1/4

The book ENDURE by Alex Hutchinson, reviewed by chartered sport psychologist Josephine Perry: https://performanceinmind.co.uk/2018/06/09/review-endure-alex-hutchinson/

The Psychology of Running, by Noel Brick and Stuart Holliday

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003204206/psychology-running-noel-brick-stuart-holliday

Other Misc. Recommendations:

• Podcast - Finding Mastery with Des Linden: https://findingmastery.com/podcasts/des-linden/

In the fourth Slice of PIE of 2024, we get the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Will McConn Palfreyman, Head of Psychology at Scottish Golf, and lecturer in Sport Psychology at the University of Sterling. A chartered sport & exercise psychologist through the British Psychological Society – Will has worked with a number of sporting organisations including sportscotland Institute of Sport, Scottish Golf, Scottish Cycling, the Scottish Rugby Union, Racing Welfare, the National Trainers Federation, the Arsenal F.C. Psychology Network and the Scottish Women’s National Volleyball team.

Will is such an affable and engaging guy – someone I’ve always gravitated to at conferences and enjoyed speaking to. I was really looking forward to this conversation, and it didn’t disappoint – as we traversed the topics of learning and mastery, coaching, and golf’s “psychological fingerprint.”

You can follow Will here:

Social networks:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-will-mcconn-palfreyman-18a54433/?originalSubdomain=uk

Twitter/X: https://x.com/WillMcConn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drwillmcconn/

Article in The Psychologist

https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/five-inch-course

Documentaries:

Hoop Dreams (film): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tciknLFw8GE

Jerome Betis, A Football Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lODsFL8BJHs

Referenced papers:

Lubker et al. (2008). https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/sphhs_exer_facpubs/240/

Woolway, Chris Harwood (2020): https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/Consultant_characteristics_in_sport_psychology_service_provision_a_critical_review_and_future_research_directions/13233998?file=25491536

In the third Slice of PIE of 2024, we get the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Duncan Simpson.

Duncan joined IMG from Barry University in Miami in 2017 - providing mental conditioning services for tennis, golf, and soccer. Originally from England, he received his Ph.D in Sport Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He’s a Certified Consultant with the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and has been conducting mental skills training with athletes and coaches since 2005 - from a range of sports and varying in talent and ability from beginners to professional and Olympic athletes.

Most recently, Duncan along with co-host Dr. Greg Young have originated the Performers podcast, dissecting the autobiographical accounts of famous athletes, coaches practitioners and performers – including Dan Carter, Andre Agassi and most recently, Bubba Watson. As of this recording Duncan and Greg have produced 18 fantastic episodes, decoding the tips and tricks of high level performers – using their knowledge of sport psychology theory and practice to connect the dots. The link to the podcast is below, and I would highly recommend listening to it.

In this conversation with Duncan we talk about the podcast, as well as his experience leading a team of mental performance consultants at the IMG Academy, a private school based in Florida, as well as his insights and observations of what makes a psychologically informed environment – along with a few good book recommendation (again linked below).

You can follow Duncan here:

Social networks:
https://x.com/sportpsychdunc?lang=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-simpson-ph-d-cmpc-76244b1a


The Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@PerformersPod?app=desktop

Listen to it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/56cK91sh2F1FzXXmbx1ECt?si=bba76a5f19584b10

A life without limits - Chrissie Wellington
https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-life-without-limits/chrissie-wellington/9781780338712