Science for Sport Podcast

296: The Mental Game: What Athletes Really Carry with Them

December 1st, 2025  |  27 mins 36 secs

athlete support, athlete welfare, athlete wellbeing, british basketball, elite sport, high performance, kofi josephs, mental health, performance psychology, preventative mental health, psychology in sport, richard graves, science for sport, sport, sports science, whynoti

Former GB basketball player Kofi Josephs joins Richard Graves to share his powerful journey through elite sport, opening up about injury, pressure, mental health, and the reality behind performance. He also reveals how his platform WhyNotI is helping teams take a preventative, data-driven approach to athlete wellbeing.

289: What Sport Teaches Us About Leadership, Culture & the Human Mind

October 13th, 2025  |  29 mins 23 secs

accountability, athlete transition, athlete wellbeing, brisbane broncos, career transition, catalan dragons, courage, david mead, elite performance, leadership, life after sport, mental health in sport, nrl, performance coaching, professional sport, resilience, respect, rugby league, sports psychology, sports science, team culture

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Former NRL and Super League star David Mead joins host Richard Graves to share his journey from elite sport to business, exploring how athletes can successfully navigate life after competition. He reveals how the principles of courage, respect, and accountability learned on the field can drive leadership and performance beyond sport.

277: Is Youth Football in Crisis? With Andrew Hyde

July 21st, 2025  |  31 mins 54 secs

academy football, athlete wellbeing, coaching, early specialisation, football, long-term athlete development, maturation, multisport, parental pressure, performance, social media in sport, sport psychology, strength and conditioning, talent development, youth development

In this episode, strength and conditioning coach Andrew Hyde explores the pressures facing young footballers, from early specialisation to social media and parental expectations. He shares practical insights on how coaches and parents can better support long-term athlete development while keeping the joy in sport.

275: What It Really Takes: A Look at Life as a Professional Footballer

July 7th, 2025  |  33 mins 48 secs

acl recovery, athlete mental health, athlete mindset, athlete wellbeing, career transition, elite sport, football, football career, football injuries, football mentorship, football nutrition, football training, life after sport, player development, professional footballer, resilience in sport, sam winnall, science for sport, sports performance, sports psychology, sports science

Former professional footballer Sam Winnall joins the Science for Sport podcast to share honest insights from his 15-year career, including the highs, lows, and mental demands of life in elite football. He also discusses his transition into mentoring athletes and the importance of mindset, resilience, and life beyond sport.

273: Creating Complete Athletes

June 23rd, 2025  |  34 mins 46 secs

athlete development, athlete wellbeing, coaching athletes, coaching science, elite athletes, elite performance, extrinsic motivation, high performance sport, imposter syndrome, intrinsic motivation, mental performance, motivation in sport, performance mindset, psychological safety, sport coaching, sport neuroscience, sports psychology, sports science, strength and conditioning, youth athlete development

Sports scientist and psychologist Julia Eyre joins Richard Graves to explore what it really takes to develop complete, high-performing athletes. From motivation and mindset to imposter syndrome and psychological safety, this episode challenges conventional thinking in elite sport.

268: From Wembley to Wake-Up Calls: Stevie Ward on Concussion, Courage & Life Beyond the Game

May 19th, 2025  |  45 mins 30 secs

athlete mental health, athlete transition, athlete wellbeing, concussion in sport, elite performance, emotional intelligence, fear in sport, grand final rugby, high performance mindset, leadership in sport, leeds rhinos, psychological safety, rugby concussion, rugby league, rugby retirement, sport and identity, sport injury recovery, sports psychology, sports science, stevie ward

In this episode, former Leeds Rhinos captain Stevie Ward shares the highs and lows of his rugby career, from debuting at 18 to retiring at 27 due to concussion. He opens up about fear, injury, identity, and how emotional intelligence and psychological safety are critical in elite sport.

267: Athletes Aren’t Robots. Here’s What You’re Missing

May 12th, 2025  |  28 mins 36 secs

athlete mental health, athlete transition, athlete wellbeing, brain injury in sport, burnout in sport, clinical sports psychologist, concussion recovery, elite athlete mindset, high performance sport, identity after sport, mental health in sport, mental resilience, olympic athlete support, panic attacks in athletes, performance anxiety, psychology of performance, sport retirement challenges, sports psychology, sports science, working with elite athletes

Clinical sports psychologist Dr. Kristin Keim shares raw insights from working with elite athletes, tackling everything from panic attacks and concussion recovery to identity loss and career transition. This episode breaks down the myths of sports psychology and explores the real mental demands behind high performance.

266: Blending Science, Rehab and Reality in Elite Football

May 5th, 2025  |  30 mins 33 secs

athlete wellbeing, athletic training, catapult sports, elite sport, football analytics, football performance, injury prevention, load management, mls, multidisciplinary teams, performance coaching, performance optimisation, player monitoring, rehabilitation, return to play, seattle sounders, sports medicine, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning

Athletic Trainer Scott Armistead joins the Science for Sport podcast to share his journey from New Zealand to the MLS, offering candid insights into injury rehab, player trust, and performance optimisation. With real-world examples from FC Cincinnati and Seattle Sounders, this episode explores the power of multidisciplinary teamwork and cutting through data overload.