- 6
- Episodes
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2026
- First episode
About Changing Games
The conversations athletes don't always have while they're playing. Honest conversations with elite athletes about the decisions, experiences, and challenges that shape life during and after sport.
- Publisher
- Dave Lewis
- Category
- society & culture · sports
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 3 Oct 2026
- Latest episode
- 8 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
6 episodes in the feed.
8 Nov 2026
Could a Plan B Make You a Better Athlete? | Jack Wakely - Ep5
Could preparing for life after sport actually help you perform better while you're still playing? Jack Wakely spent much of his football career at Chelsea and Wycombe Wanderers. Alongside football, he developed an interest in finance, studied economics and completed qualifications that would eventually help him move into a new career. But he didn't know exactly where those interests would take him. When injury eventually forced him to stop playing, Jack had already spent years building knowledge, relationships and opportunities outside football. In this episode of Changing Games, we discuss how that preparation helped him navigate an unexpected retirement, and why he believes having something outside football also made him a more confident player. We explore: Why Jack started studying finance while playing at Chelsea. How having a Plan B helped him deal with poor performances, selection pressure and injuries. Whether preparing for another career risks distracting athletes from their sporting ambitions. Why experimenting with different interests can be more useful than trying to create a perfect career plan. What Jack learnt from older teammates who were approaching retirement without knowing what came next. How financial security can give athletes more freedom and choice. What his experience taught him about adapting to change. We also discuss the difficult decision to stop playing after a prolonged period of injury and rehabilitation, and the importance of having people around you who understand what it's like to be a professional athlete. A conversation about football, confidence, financial security and creating opportunities before you need them. Jack can be found on the usual social media channels: Instagram: @jackwakelyy Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jackwakely Weatherbys Private Bank: https://www.weatherbys.bank/about-us/team/jack-wakely/ (https://www.weatherbys.bank/about-us/team/jack-wakely/) Read more from Changing Games I write about the ideas and lessons I take from these conversations, alongside financial planning, decision-making and life during and after sport. My accompanying essay explores a question Jack raised: could preparing for life after sport actually improve your performance while you're still playing? Read the essay and subscribe to Changing Games: https://substack.com/@changinggames (https://substack.com/@changinggames) Listen to Changing Games Changing Games is about the conversations athletes don't always have while they're playing. Follow the podcast for more conversations about the decisions, experiences and challenges that shape life during and after professional sport. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/changing-games/id6806969041 (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/changing-games/id6806969041) If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who might find Jack's experience useful.
25 Oct 2026
You Stop Being the Main Character | Mark Lambert - Ep4
You Stop Being the Main Character | Mark Lambert What does a successful transition from professional sport actually look like? Mark Lambert spent 17 years playing professional rugby for Harlequins. He pursued qualifications, prepared for life after rugby and appeared well placed for retirement. Yet he still found the first couple of years challenging. In this episode of Changing Games, Mark joins Dave Lewis to discuss what retirement changes beyond your job, and what athletes can do during their careers to prepare. Now working with the Rugby Players Association to support current and retired players, Mark shares his perspective on identity, relationships, health, career exploration and the importance of staying connected. We discuss: Why pursuing interests outside sport can help you perform while you're still playing. Why qualifications and financial security are important, but don't address every challenge of retirement. How to explore future careers when you don't know what you want to do. Why relationships and social connection deserve as much attention as career preparation. How retirement changes routines, family dynamics and your sense of identity. Why Mark believes he's now probably the happiest he's ever been. Mark also explains why he encourages athletes to be inquisitive, seek mentors and use their playing careers to discover what they enjoy — and what they don't. About Changing Games The conversations athletes don't always have while they're playing. Hosted by former professional rugby player Dave Lewis, Changing Games explores the decisions, experiences and challenges that shape life during and after elite sport. Links and resources Meet Your Mountain — Harlequins fundraising page: https://www.givengain.com/project/harlequins-raising-funds-for-2-causes-131783 (https://www.givengain.com/project/harlequins-raising-funds-for-2-causes-131783) Changing Games Substack https://substack.com/@changinggames (https://substack.com/@changinggames) Changing Games on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/changing-games/id6806969041 (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/changing-games/id6806969041) Chapters 00:00 Can you be fully committed to sport while preparing for life afterwards? 02:23 The pressure to make sport your entire identity 06:28 The value of stepping outside the sporting bubble 10:28 What a successful transition looks like 13:15 Prepared on paper, but not emotionally 17:14 Money, purpose and financial security 20:29 Finding out what you want to do next 24:50 Why life after rugby can be better 32:58 Why players delay preparing for retirement 36:09 What to do with one hour a week 37:44 How retirement changes relationships and routines 40:03 Understanding what motivates you 43:28 Mark's most important advice for athletes
18 Oct 2026
From Barely Posting to 100,000+ Followers | Pete Laverick - Ep3
Pete Laverick went from barely posting on Instagram to building an audience of more than 100,000 people across different platforms. But he didn't start creating content because he wanted to become an influencer. Pete wanted more opportunities to work as an MC in Hong Kong. He realised that if an event organiser looked him up online, there was very little evidence of what he could do. So he worked backwards from the outcome he wanted, opened a spreadsheet, wrote down 65 ideas and started posting one video every Wednesday. Today, Pete is a full-time content creator, MC and accountability coach, working with global brands and major sporting events. In this episode, we talk about what happened between those two points — and what athletes can learn from it. We explore: Why Pete wishes he'd made more of the opportunities available to him while playing professional rugby How he went from barely posting online to building an audience of more than 100,000 The exact process he used to start creating content Why athletes shouldn't wait until they've figured out their next career before they start exploring Using small experiments to discover what you enjoy — and what you don't Why financial runway gave Pete greater freedom to leave a career that wasn't right for him The importance of systems, consistency and process-based goals Why getting more repetitions can increase your “surface area of luck” What Pete would do with three hours if he were a professional athlete thinking about life after sport today Find Pete Pete's website: https://www.petelaverick.com/ (https://www.petelaverick.com/) Instagram: @petelaverick LinkedIn: Pete Laverick Get the ideas from Changing Games I write regularly about the ideas and lessons I take from these conversations, alongside money, decision-making and life transitions. Subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@changinggames (https://substack.com/@changinggames) Listen to Changing Games Follow the podcast for future conversations with elite athletes and people working with them about the decisions, experiences and challenges that shape life during and after sport.
11 Oct 2026
You Don't Have Transferable Skills | Tim Stoller - Ep2
Elite athletes are often told that the skills that made them successful in sport will transfer naturally into whatever comes next. Tim Stoller thinks that's a misconception. Tim is the founder of Forged in Sport, where he works with elite athletes who want to build businesses alongside and after their sporting careers. In this episode, we talk about the difference between transferable skills and transferable behaviours, and why some of the behaviours that help athletes succeed in sport may actually need to be unlearned in business. We also explore: Why the hardest move is often going from zero to one How to test a business idea before spending significant time or money on it The three questions Tim asks athletes who want to start a business Why perfectionism can hold athletes back after sport How to create your own scoreboard when there isn't an obvious measure of success Why your sporting network might not be the network you need for your future The relationship between status and identity after elite sport How athletes can use the access their sporting career gives them before it disappears Find Tim & Forged in Sport Forged in Sport: https://www.forgedinsport.com/ (https://www.forgedinsport.com/) Tim also talks about the free Forged in Sport community and tools available to athletes who are thinking about starting a business or already building one. Get more from Changing Games I write regularly about the ideas and lessons I take from these conversations, alongside financial planning, decision-making and life transitions. Subscribe to my writing: (1) Davey Lewis | Substack (https://substack.com/@changinggames) Listen to Changing Games Follow the podcast to hear future conversations with elite athletes and people working with them about the decisions, experiences and challenges that shape life during and after sport.
4 Oct 2026
People Forget About You When You Retire | Will Hooley - Ep1
What if the best time to prepare for life after sport is while you're still playing? In the first episode of Changing Games, former professional rugby player and broadcaster Will Hooley shares how he deliberately prepared for his transition long before hanging up his boots. Rather than waiting until retirement, Will used his playing career to build relationships, gain experience in broadcasting, and create opportunities beyond the game. Today, he's a broadcaster and Technical Director for Major League Rugby, but his second career didn't begin when rugby ended. It began years earlier. In this conversation, we explore: Why athletes should start preparing long before retirement. How curiosity creates career opportunities. The importance of building relationships while you're still playing. Why taking control of your own future matters. How Will transitioned from professional rugby to broadcasting. Whether you're a current athlete, recently retired, or navigating uncertainty in your own career, this episode offers practical lessons on preparing for what's next—before you have to. Go deeper Subscribe on Changing Games Substack for practical insights on athlete transition, decision-making under uncertainty, human behaviour, and personal finance. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with someone who'd benefit from the conversation.
3 Oct 2026
Changing | Games
Changing Games: Honest conversations about life during and after sport What happens when the thing you’ve spent most of your life pursuing comes to an end? After 12 years in professional sport, host Dave Lewis. knows how valuable honest conversations about life during and after a career can be. Through Changing Games, he brings those conversations to a wider audience, exploring the decisions, experiences, and challenges that shape elite athletes’ lives beyond the game. In the first episode, Dave speaks with his good friend Will Hooley. Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you don’t miss it, and share it with an athlete or someone you think would benefit from these conversations.
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