Listen up! Five podcasts to kickstart your season

words by Bree Van Ryswyk, Friday 18 March 2022

It’s official! Pre-season has drawn to a close, the AFL Men’s season has kicked off, and the community season start is just around the corner. As coaches, players, and supporters we experience mixed emotions around this time; game day nerves, excitement of putting on your jumper, disgust from the combination of sweat and deep heat in the rooms, or optimism that your team won’t be awarded the wooden spoon yet again (I’m a North supporter!). Whatever emotion you might be feeling, podcasts are a great way to wind down and practice self care as they offer an infusion of knowledge, humour, opinion or relaxation. With the recent launch of the Tackle Your Feelings podcast, The Coaches’ Box, we wanted to share some other podcasts that we think you might enjoy. We have chosen a variety of episodes with some applicable takeaways for you and your playing group. Happy listening!

*These episodes are available where you listen to your podcasts. 

All in the Mind
Habits and Making Them Stick
We have all tried to change habits in our lives – exercise more, reduce chocolate intake, practice calmness, the list goes on. As our New Years Eve resolutions fade into the horizon, this episode might be just what you need! Bernard Balleine, Director of the Decision Neuroscience Lab at UNSW and B J Fogg, founder of the Behaviour Design Lab at Stanford University, delves into ways to make our habits stick, including linking habits to existing ones and setting yourself up to achieve.

The Tim Ferriss Show
#490 – Dr. Jim Loehr on Mental Toughness, Energy Management, the power of Journaling and Olympic Gold Medals
We don’t often think about the role that players have in coaching themselves. Dr. Loehr, a renowned performance psychologist and author, discusses an athlete’s ultimate coach being their private voice, that is, their self-talk. He touches on the impact of the tone and content of self-talk and how changing this language can affect not only performance but overall well-being.

The Sport Psych Show
#181 Dr. Colum Cronin – Care in Sport Coaching
At TYF we know that coaching is more than just putting magnets on the whiteboard and the occasional spray at half time – coaches act as a mentor, a role model, and friend. Dr. Cronin discusses the concept of care within the role of a coach. He talks on the importance of the coach-player relationship, particularly, in assessing player needs. He ties this into the vital role of the club environment, ensuring that it fosters openness for players to discuss all matters, from performance to well-being.

Dyl & Friends
#37 Dr. Zac Seidler
Our TYF Ambassador, Dylan Buckley, hosts Dr. Zac Seidler, a clinical psychologist, researcher, and leading mental health expert. Despite having returned back to a ‘COVID normal’ since this was recorded, it is a timely listen as your club plans for the season ahead with Dr. Seildler discussing goal setting, specifically tips for setting SMART goals. Dr. Seidler additionally shares insights on mindfulness and where to start if you’re new to the concept.

Coaches’ Box
Luke Jankie
Shameless plug alert! We couldn’t finish this list without recommending one of our own podcasts. Tackle Your Feelings psychologist Luke Jankie talks about the role of a coach when it comes to supporting the mental health of players, and how they can be therapeutic without needing to be a therapist. He also provides an insight into his journey as a psychologist and his experiences working with athletes. 

Disclaimer: These are five podcasts we listened to and loved, however, this should not be taken as an endorsement by the Tackle Your Feelings program for the talent or the specifics of the content.