Brain In The Game Sport Mind Coaching Podcast
Episodes
105: How to Manage BIG Changes
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Adapting when the goalposts suddenly move in high-performance sport (and life) In Episode 105, we explore what happens when a well-designed long-...
104: From Talent to Asset – The Real Business of Sports Management
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How Modern Sports Management Really Works for Young Athletes In this episode of Brain in the Game, Dave Diggle sits down with Kym Cheeseman from Athle...
103: Parents in Sport – The Biggest Reason Athlete–Coach Relationships Break Down (and How to Repair Them)
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The One Mistake Almost Every Sports Parent Makes In this powerful episode of Brain in the Game, we dig into one of the most emotionally charged dynami...
102: Understanding Extreme Pressure
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Brain in the Game is a little different. It’s personal. In this episode I share a story from a time when I worked in high-risk...
101: Breaking the Performance Anxiety Cycle and Performing When It Counts
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Performance anxiety is not a sign of weakness. It’s a cycle. And you can break it. In this episode of Brain in the Game, we go deep into the Pe...
100: Building a Better Coach-Athlete Dynamic
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Collaboration – The Secret Ingredient to Consistent High Performance In this milestone 100th episode of Brain in the Game, we dive deep into the ess...
099: Knowing Your Role in High Performance Sport
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Navigating Roles and Expectations During the Olympics: Parent, Coach, Athlete As the 2024 Paris Olympics approach, the crucial question arises: "What'...
098: Effective Leadership, and Leadership Shock with Pete Steinberg
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a real pleasure to have Pete Steinberg join us on this episode of Brain in the Game, where we have a lively and varied discussion on the univer...
097: Control vs Collaboration – Adapting Coaching to the Changing Athletic Landscape
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"It's such a fine balance in creating the right technical, physical, and mentally prepared athlete to perform." In this episode of Brain in the Game, ...
096: Controlling the Critical Balance Between Confidence and Self-Belief
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Brain in the Game we dissect the critical differences between confidence and self-belief. This episode is a little more perso...
095: Staying on Track in Those Big Moments – Navigating High-pressure Situations
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Navigating High-Pressure Situations Competition pressure can have a huge impact on your ability to perform in those big moments. Learning how to...
094: Three Crucial Ingredients to Performing Under Pressure
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 94 we explore the crucial ingredients that matter the most to every athlete when facing high-pressure situations and performing your best. ...
093: Why Do Athletes Get So Anxious? Cracking the Code of Pre-Competition Nerves
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The role of mental conditioning in helping athletes develop the tools they need to combat feelings of anxiousness In this episode of Brain in the Game...
092: Why Most High Performing Athletes Fall Short of Their Full Potential
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this Episode 92, we dive into the reason why many high performing athletes don't achieve their full potential. High performance can be tough;...
091: An Old Mindset Killing the Performance of Today's Athlete
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Protecting Your Competitive Edge: The Alarming Impact This One Habit Can Have On Human Performance We have done so many wonderful things to promote th...
090: What If I Don't Trust My Coach? Strategies for Athletes and Coaches
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Relationships Move at the Speed of Trust I've witnessed the crucial role trust plays in the coach-athlete relationship. It's more than just a prof...
089: A Coach's Role in Managing an Athlete's Mental Block
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Crucial Role of Coaches in Mental Block Management of Athletes Managing athletes with mental blocks requires a coach’s immediate attention. In t...
088: Goal Setting – Does it Work?
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Inside the Mind of High Performance Athletes and Coaches: The Science and Strategy of Goal Setting In this episode of Brain in the Game, we talk about...
087: Are Superheroes Real?
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are superheroes real? We're not talking about the web-flinging, cape-wearing, spandex-clad ones we see in movies. We're referring to our internal supe...
086: Coaching in a Team vs Coaching an Individual Athlete – Is there a difference?
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is coaching as part of a team or coaching an individual different? And as an athlete, is competing as an individual or in a team different? Yes and No...
085: How Do I Stay Focused as an Athlete When There are so Many Distractions
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mastering Your Focal Currency: Controlling Where You Put Your Focus On our latest episode of Brain in the Game, we answer the question: How Do I Stay ...
084: Why Modern Day Coaches Need Modern Day Coaching
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
High performance coaching has evolved significantly, driven by advancements in sports science and an understanding of athlete development. In thi...
083: How Coaches Build an Effective Leadership Group – and Why it's so Important for the Development of You, Your Team and Your Athletes
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Brain in the Game, we look at something that is a bit controversial when you're trying to create an organisation or a club or a group tha...
082: How Do I Turn My Performance Around When I Am In A Slump?
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How to Turn Around Your Performance When You're in a Slump In this episode of Brain in the Game, we discuss how both athletes and coaches can tur...
081: Why Do Athletes Choke Under Pressure
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why do athletes choke under pressure? And why would a coach also choke under pressure? In fact, the reason a coach chokes and the reason an...
080: How Coaches Can Improve the Mental Performance and Confidence of their Athletes
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Building Athlete Confidence: The Role of Coaches Coaching is a challenging occupation, and coaches can struggle to understand their role and responsib...
079: Momentum, Confidence and Snowballs
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Athletes, learn how to put into practice a successful framework to maintain momentum, in order to continue making progress, even if you face setbacks?...
078: How to Effectively Use Mental Performance Training as an Athlete
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mental Performance can sometimes be mistakenly used as a paracetamol, to be “only used in the case of emergency”. However, when built into your d...
077: On Leadership with Michael Hooper, Captain of the Australian Wallabies
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Australian Wallaby captain, Michael Hooper is the most capped Australian rugby union captain in Wallaby history. Michael has made 118 International ap...
076: Selection vs Growth – Do I need to choose?
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Selection vs Growth – What is the right option? In episode #76 we unpack the conundrum all athletes experience, “Do I focus on selection, or...
075: Team Culture – Building a Successful Culture in Your Team
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Building a Successful Team Culture – How to get your team to fire on cue Much is made of the importance of a team culture when it comes to succes...
074: Cycle of Performance – When is the right time to improve, to perform, or to recover?
18 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Cycle of Performance – When is the right time to improve, to perform, or to recover? By taking a deep look at the typical yearly cycle most athletes...
073: Effective Emotional Management – Where to put your emotion to springboard you forward with purpose and control
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Where you choose to focus your emotions will dictate the quality and consistency of your performance In this episode of Brain in the Game, we loo...
072: Sustainable Performance – 4 Key Frames to Optimise Our Own Unique Characteristics
15 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sustainable Performance – 4 Key Frames to Optimise Our Own Unique Characteristics How to set sustainable objectives and goals, and 4 Key Frames n...
071: Pre-Season Goal Setting – 5 key steps to staying on track
04 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Good intentions are not good enough. "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." – James Clear, Ato...
070: Mental Blocks and How we Can Better Deal with Them – FOREVER
22 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why are mental blocks such an issue for athletes? Almost every coach will understand the frustration and pain that comes from an athlete being mentall...
069: Re-thinking the Blame Game
15 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Blame Game – Whose fault was it, really? Whose fault was it, really? When things are going well and athletes are winning, people lo...
068: Do I fit the selectors' mould, or do I create my own style?
14 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do I fit the selectors' mould, or do I create my own style? Who are you playing for? It’s an age-old conundrum for elite and professional athletes. ...
067: Building Sustainable Self-Belief – Self-belief is a system, not a feeling
21 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Building Sustainable Self-Belief – Self-belief is a system, not a feeling Believe it or not, athletes – more than others – tend to suffer ...
066: Four steps to Beat Mental Fatigue – An Athletes Guide to Managing Your Brain
30 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Four steps to Beat Mental Fatigue Every athlete gets fatigued. Heck! We train hard, we push ourselves to the limits and beyond – so it’s no sur...
065: The Three Steps to Effective Performance Preparation
25 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The three steps to effective performance preparation The second in our series of podcasts on the global tour, this week coming from Dublin. As t...
064: The Perils of Diving for the Line – Taking your eye off the ball
21 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Perils of Diving for the Line – Taking Your Eye off the Ball A message from Tokyo: As the end of many athletes seasons approaches and w...
063: Control your Performance – Control what you can control, let go of what you cannot
22 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Control your Performance – Control what you can control, let go of what you cannot Our sense of “Control” or at the very least our sense of t...
062: Five Steps to Handling Big Competition Pressure – How to value every performance
08 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Five Steps To Handling Big Competition Pressure – How To Value Every Performance As we settle into the 2016 Rio Olympics and we are consume...
061: Controlling your Performance Outcomes with a 3-Legged Stool – Effectively managing your thoughts, feelings and actions
20 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Controlling your Performance Outcomes with a Three-Legged Stool – Effectively managing your thoughts, feelings and actions Download Your Own...
060: Recognising your Performance Patterns
01 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Recognising your Performance Patterns – Understanding how your behavioural patterns influence your performance, your mindset, your choices and yo...
059: Athletes and Emotions – The deep connection between our emotions and our performance
04 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Athletes and Emotions – The deep connection between our emotions and our performance What are you feeding your emotional monster? Keeping an athl...
058: Why Some Competitive Athletes Start Slow – A good start can lead to a great finish
15 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Why Some Competitive Athletes Start Slow – A good start can lead to a great finish In this episode we look at why some competitive athletes adopt...
057: Building a Successful Life on the Road as a Professional Athlete
05 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Successful Professional Athletes Learn To Build A Life On The Road – How to travel the world and perform without wanting to kill your teamma...
056: Remembering Your Best Performance Under Competition Pressure
26 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Remembering Your Best Performance Under Competition Pressure – Remember what you need to remember, when you need to remember it, without tha...
055: Slaying your Performance Demons
02 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Slaying your Performance Demons We all have those demons that hold us back and stop us performing – it's what we do with them that makes th...
054: Athletes: How do you Measure your Success in Sport?
20 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Athletes – How do you Measure your Success in Sport? How do you measure your sporting success? Your gauge on success is as individual as your fin...
053: Male vs Female Athletes – Is there a difference in coaching them?
29 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Is there more to the sexes than we were lead to believe, from a coaches perspective? We often gravitate to either coaching boys or girls in our chosen...
052: Sporting Performance Failures – How do you manage the inevitable?
16 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Sporting Performance Failures - It’s all about practical perspective. Elite, professional and extreme sport is a high investment way of life, not on...
051: Your Sustainability as an Athlete – What you do in the shower could hold the key!
20 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Your Sustainability as an Athlete – What you do in the shower could hold the key! There is no denying it we are creatures of habit and how we do ...
050: Using Emotions to Overcome Performance Anxiety and Build Motivation
18 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Emotions: Rocket fuel or Kryptonite? Your choice. Our emotions are an integral part of our sporting and performance success strategy. When used correc...
049: How to be the Parent of an Elite Athlete
02 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Being A Parent versus Being A Parent Of An Athlete When we become parents it is often a culture shock. We don’t get that all-imp...
048: Sporting Success – Six steps to your best season ever
30 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Sporting Success – 6 steps to your best season ever Start the season the way you want it every time! We naturally gravitate towards wha...
047: How to Keep Your Mental Machine Ticking Over and Still Enjoy the Silly Season
09 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
How to Keep Your Mental Machine Ticking Over and Still Enjoy the Silly Season How do you keep athletes ticking over when everyone else is switched off...
046: Mind Games and How to Protect Yourself Against Them
18 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Mind Games and How to Protect Yourself Against Them – The Ethical use of Mind Games We have all fell victim to letting someone getting inside our...
045: Athletes, How to Upgrade Your Coach and Feel Good About It
18 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Athletes, How to Upgrade Your Coach and Feel Good About ItUpskilling or Upgrading your Coaching Team – Building the Right Team at the Right ...
044: You Have the Skills, but do you Have the Mindset to be a Consistent Performer?
30 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You have the skills but do you have the mindset to be a consistent performer? – Lewis Hamilton, you need a Mind Coach Lewis Hamilton is (...
043: The ONLY 10 Questions a Coach Should Ask Athletes When Planning
08 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The ONLY 10 Questions a Coach Should Ask Athletes When Planning As coaches we are used to being the ring master, the fountain of all knowledge, knowin...
042: Hit the Wall? Getting you back in the mental game
05 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
If you have ever hit the wall, been dragged down or lost your Mojo, then this podcast is for you. Getting back in the mental game is all about becomin...
041: How to Manage Stress, Expectation and Performance Anxiety in Sport
03 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Begin by knowing where it comes from and how it impacts you. We are all impacted on some level by stress and anxiety caused by expectations – tha...
040: Three Key Lessons Learnt on Tour that Every Athlete and Coach Should Know
03 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Three Key Lessons Learnt on Tour that Every Athlete and Coach Should Know I recently visited the Sepang F1 International Circuit in Malaysia wit...
039: Four Key Stages of Consistent Performance – Consistent outcomes need constant actions
08 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
No magic wand supplied. When building for or engulfed in competition, it can be easy to forget to do stuff – and it is not until it comes back an...
038: You've Reached the Top of Your Sport! Now, how do you stay there?
22 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Staying on Track – the view from the front As an athlete much of our focus from an early stage is getting to the top of our sport, being number...
037: Understanding the Importance of FOCUS for Athletes
15 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Check out this short, sharp, FOCUSSED episode and see how you can better prepare for competition. During a recent athlete and coach elite development ...
036: Consistent Preparation = Consistent Performance
15 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Building effective performance strategies that last Athletes and coaches strive for consistency in performance. We know in order to be successful we m...
035: Do Mothers Make Good Athletes?
08 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
As the modern face of sport continues to evolve and with the innovations in science allowing our athletes to not only achieve younger, they are allowi...
034: Are you a Voodoo Parent?
30 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we are going to look at a less desirable aspect of modern day sport, one that is growing and unfortunately in some cases, defining an ...
033: The Top 5 Things We Can Learn From Sport
23 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Five lessons we can take from our sport and use in the "real" world. Too often we are told sport isn’t a real positive influence for when we de...
032: The Fear of Breaking a Winning Performance
23 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Looking closely at the flip-side of managing unsuccessful performance strategies: the unspoken mental and emotional pitfalls of success. As an athlete...
031: Business and Sport – Is it really that different?
23 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I have a treat for you. I wanted to replay a recent interview I did on Make it Simple TV. Heather Porter and Andrew McCauley of Autopi...
030: Effective Time Management of Athletes
03 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
When we hear the phrase "Time Management" it is normally in the context of business – either from our boss questioning the management of our time...
029: Attention Coaches: I do NOT want your job
07 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We will be looking at the fast and dynamic shift in the coaching profession In this the first episode of the year, I share some of the observations I ...
028: Sport Has Changed, So We Need To Work Together
04 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
[NEWS FLASH] Sport has changed! The world of sport today is a far cry from the world of sport 20, 15 even 10 years ago. Today it is a high pressure, h...
027: How to Use Hypnosis in Sport – Giving athletes the edge
24 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Hypnosis is one of the fastest growing tools being used by elite and professional athletes to help overcome performance issues and build sustainabilit...
026: Understanding and Building Performance Consistency
22 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
As a coach, you know it’s what makes champions - consistency in placing and performing. As an athlete we hear it all the time, 'You need t...
025: Recognising and Dealing with Athletes Bouts of Self Doubt
18 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Do you find yourself regularly second guessing or doubting yourself? It is somewhat accepted human nature to occasionally catch yourself doubting some...
024: Balancing the Relationship Between Coach, Athlete and Parent
08 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
When you commit to that three way relationship of coach, athlete and parent it should be a wonderfully dynamic and rewarding trip. However it is ...
023: Building Mental and Emotional Resilience in Athletes
27 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
As an athlete, does your coach sometimes say things to you that confuses you and changes the way you perceive their coaching? Do you sometimes miss th...
022: Understanding Mental Imagery in Sport – Seeing isn't always believing
01 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Is what you see, really what you see... or what you think you see? In this episode of Brain in the Game we explore how we can embed better c...
021: Athletes and Confidence – Becoming a confident athlete
24 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we seek to understand what makes an athlete confident, how to identify it and how to own it. We also look at different ways of sustain...
020: Your Sport – Finding that lost performance
24 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Not all performances are equal After reaching a milestone or having a stellar season, many athletes fear losing skills or losing the ability to perfor...
019: Preparation and Performance – Don't fear the grey blobs
26 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we talk preparation and performance strategy. We combat the competitor's influence over your performance. We introduce little grey bl...
018: The 3D Coach – A complete how-to process
26 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Just when you thought you knew how to process information, in comes the 3D Coach – Check it out and add measurable depth to your current coaching...
017: Selling isn't Selling, if it's Solving – A coach's view
26 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Brain in the Game we take a look at just how we change the way we, as coaches, view our role and take a closer look at so...
016: Knowing and Doing – What is the difference
12 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this ever increasing accessibility to knowledge through the open portal that is the web, we have more information at our fingertips today abou...
015: Athletes Need Balance – and why ON isn't always ON!
26 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Brain in the Game episode #15, we look at how we create realistic sustainability and longevity in our athlete's career. Teaching th...
014: Getting Results – The patterns and triggers of a successful performance
03 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
So you're not getting the results you were looking for as an athlete, a coach or even in life. And maybe you know you can achieve much, much more but ...
013: Visualisation – The 5 most common mistakes made by athletes and coaches
23 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we seek to understand why this most important coaching and performing tool isn’t utilised to its full potential and what are the mos...
012: Moving Athletes from Amateur to Professional Thinking – How to build the team to do it
14 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Unpacking the steps to take to traverse from amateur athlete, to professional athlete thinking. We look at the specific steps an athlete can to follow...
011.2: Top 10 Questions Asked by Elite Athletes & Coaches the World Over – Part B
01 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Clarification allows us to better understand and apply our interpretations So having an opportunity to ask key questions, gain specificity and identif...
011.1: Top 10 Questions Asked by Elite Athletes & Coaches the World Over – Part A
28 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of emphasis is traditionally placed on the physical aspect of coaching athletes as coaches are taught how to identify, prepare and manage an ath...
010: Anchoring – The neurological triggering of specifically designed behaviours
08 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Anchoring is one of those skills innate to us all. To create an anchor builds a cognitive link between our behaviours, our patterns, our emotions...
009: A Lesson in Mental Toughness
25 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of emphasis is placed on the mental toughness of athletes these days, so in this episode we explore what it takes for an athlete to push through...
008: Understanding Momentum – How to craft it, manage it, maintain it
13 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We explore that fickle thing called momentum and why it is so important to understand in order to stay on the sporting trajectory we have planned for ...
007: Visualisation Techniques for Athletes – Why is visualisation so effective for athletes?
02 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Visualisation and why it is so effective for athletes for building replicable Neural Pathways This episode is an eye-opening look into the world ...