Staffordshire University's Performing Under Pressure Podcast

About Staffordshire University's Performing Under Pressure Podcast

The need to perform under pressure in sport is undeniable. At the University of Staffordshire, we use our expertise in high performance to delve into the psyche of individuals connected to sport to understand how they are able to perform well when the stakes are high. We interview athletes from a variety of sports, sport psychologists, coaches, and other professions to provide a variety of perspectives on coping under pressure, strategies that are effective immediately prior to performance and how they react adaptively to mistakes.

Publisher

Dr Paul Mansell

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Feb 2024

Latest episode

5 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

140 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Nov 2026

   EP130: Dr Nikita Rowley (Chartered Psychologist)

   Dr Nikita Rowley is a Chartered Psychologist, researcher, and academic at Coventry University, where she is Course Director for Sport and Exercise Psychology. In this episode, we focus on the the role of psychology in physical activity. We discuss the role of confidence, motivation, and behaviour change techniques in participating in exercise. Nikita shares her reflections on organisational and cultural influences on physical activity and why we need to go beyond simply telling someone that they need to be more active. Nikita also describes the characteristics of an effective intervention to promote physical activity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2. 

   29 Oct 2026

   EP129: Sam Holden (Entrepreneur)

   Sam Holden is an ex-academy footballer who, like many, had an up and down experience - from illness to being released from Manchester United’s academy. He turned his experiences and frustrations into a product to help athletes with their mental performance, creating ‘Unlock’ alongside respected sport psychologists. Unfortunately Unlock has now come to an end but in this episode, Sam shares some of the learnings. Alongside co-host Will Boyle, we focus on some of the challenges involved with being an entrepreneur, such as how to network, how to have difficult conversations, and how self-belief in your product is so important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3. 

   22 Oct 2026

   EP128: Will Boyle (Captain of Shrewsbury Town)

   Will Boyle is an experienced professional footballer and has represented clubs including Huddersfield Town, Cheltenham Town, Wrexham, and Shrewsbury Town. Will is also Vice-Chair of the Players Board at the PFA. In this bumper episode, hosts Dr Paul Mansell and Sam Holden encourage Will to open up about his challenges as an academy footballer at Sheffield Wednesday. Will explains where he experienced the best sense of togetherness during his career, and we debate topics such as the influence of social media, team bonding, and the role of ego. Will also candidly speaks about why working with a sport psychologist has been so valuable for him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who has been a guest on Staffordshire University's Performing Under Pressure Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Katie Sparks
• Jack McMillan
• Jake Jervis
• Jacob Brown
• Dr Andrew Wood

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 53 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

82

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

Contact Staffordshire University's Performing Under Pressure Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Staffordshire University's Performing Under Pressure Podcast