Startseite
Podcasts
Humans of Gaelic Podcast
Sports psychologist behind Dublin's 5-in-a-row | Why teams collapse under pressure | Danger of 'gurus'

Sports psychologist behind Dublin's 5-in-a-row | Why teams collapse under pressure | Danger of 'gurus'

Humans of Gaelic vor 1 Monat

0:00

45:17

Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and
Coaching newsletter:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter⁠

Why do talented teams suddenly collapse under pressure? Can
players train concentration in the same way they train strength
or speed? And are GAA teams taking risks by hiring unqualified
people to deliver sports psychology?

Anne-Marie Kennedy has spent more than a decade working in elite
sport, including roles with the Dublin footballers, Galway
footballers, Clare hurlers, Cricket Ireland, Cycling Ireland and
Swim Ireland.

She joins this week’s episode of Humans of Gaelic to explain what
sports psychology actually looks like inside a high-performance
team.

Anne-Marie discusses the Mindful Athlete programme developed
during Jim Gavin’s time with Dublin, how the players trained
concentration and emotional regulation, and why visualisation
must prepare athletes for realistic challenges rather than
perfect performances.

She also breaks down the psychology of a collective team
collapse, what happens to decision-making when panic spreads
through a team, and how coaches can prepare players for momentum
shifts before match day.

We also cover:

• How Anne-Marie moved from finance into yoga and sports
psychology

• Why Jim Gavin was ahead of his time in developing Dublin’s
mental preparation

• The role of mindfulness, breathwork and visualisation in high
performance

• Why concentration may be the most important mental skill in
sport

• How routines can help free-takers perform under pressure

• What happens inside the brain when a team begins to panic

• Why teams must prepare for opposition purple patches and
momentum shifts

• The dangers of unqualified people working as sports
psychologists

• What an embedded sports psychologist does during a typical
inter-county week

• Why trust, relationships and time inside the environment are
essential

Whether you are a player trying to handle pressure, a coach
shaping a team environment, or someone interested in how elite
teams prepare mentally, this episode provides a rare look inside
the work of a sports psychologist.

I've got some great guests coming up. Make sure to
subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes.

Stay Connected

Subscribe to the Humans of Gaelic podcast
wherever you're listening.

Leave a Review: If you found value in this
episode, please give it a rating and review - it helps me get
more top guests. Share the Episode: Know someone
who’d benefit from this? Share it to help spread the word!

Follow Along

Website: ⁠humansofgaelic.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠@humansofgaelic⁠

Facebook: ⁠Humans of Gaelic⁠

TikTok: ⁠@humansofgaelic