Dr Suzanne Brown is a Clinical Psychologist and Emotional Fitness Consultant. With over 15 years of experience, including time as Lead Psychologist for Sunderland Football Club in the UK, she has pioneered a new way of working that bridges clinical psychology with elite performance.

Suzanne studied at the University of Birmingham, earning her undergrad and Master's degrees with top honours, and she completed her Doctorate at Coventry & Warwick University.

This episode is full of gold, including an inside look at Suzanne’s practice and how it has evolved over time, the complexities of developmental transitions, the need for attachment and autonomy in personal relationships, and the importance of free play and downtime for children to protect their natural curiosity.

Suzanne discusses the tension between individuality and conformity, particularly in the context of adolescence and sport. She also shares her experience of setting up a coach's resilience group at Sunderland AFC which provided a space for coaches to discuss their experiences and challenges.

And we discuss the role of storytelling in development, including the importance of exploring your own inner experiences and emotions to help your athletes reach their full potential.

Enjoy!

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Dr John Alder (@JohnAlderWRU) is a development practitioner whose life mission is to help individuals, teams, and organisations flourish while promoting culture-driven leadership. He has worked with Professional, Olympic, and Paralympic sports on and across six continents, throughout the pathway, from regional development through to a World Cup and Olympic Games.

John is currently the Head of Player Development at the Welsh Rugby Union, responsible for cultivating a development rich environment for Wales’s most promising female and male rugby players on their journey from talented juniors to world class international performers.

In this conversation, we discuss how to manage change, the human side of development and performance, how best we can support leaders and coaches to develop inspired and inspiring people and build great teams, and much more.

Enjoy!

Sign up for Craig's newsletter (Beyond the Game) at athletedevelopmentproject.com/newsletter

Get Craig to speak at your club or school here.

Connect with Craig:

Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/
Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrison
Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrison

Support the Show.

Dr Ffion Thompson is a post-doctoral researcher in youth athletic development at Leeds Beckett University in the UK, where she is module lead on the science of sport performance course, as well as a leader within the Centre of Child and Adolescent Physical Literacy. Ffion also serves as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Queen Ethelburga’s School, Pathway Strength and Conditioning Coach at Leeds Rhinos Netball, and Women’s Head of Athletic and Physical Development at Wales Lacrosse.

Ffion's focus lies in holistic and dual career development, aiming to enhance experiences and opportunities for children and adolescents. In this conversation, Ffion shares some of her latest research looking at the academic, athletic, psychosocial and psychological impacts of being a sport school student-athlete, and how she is implementing the findings in her own work as a school strength and conditioning coach.

Enjoy!

Sign up for Craig's newsletter (Beyond the Game) at athletedevelopmentproject.com/newsletter

Get Craig to speak at your club or school here.

Connect with Craig:

Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/
Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrison
Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrison

Support the Show.