Episode 77: Season 5: In Conversation... with Emily Tillman What you need to know about Mental Performance for coaches and young athletes

Episode 77: Season 5: In Conversation... with Emily Tillman What you need to know about Mental Performance for coaches and young athletes

The Pro Player Soccer Podcast | Emily Tillman – Unlocking Elite Performance Through the Mind What separates good players from great players? Is it talent, physical ability, or something much deeper? In this episode of The Pro Player Soccer Podcast, host David Gough sits down with Emily Tillman, founder of Body Mind Performance, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), UEFA B Licensed coach, and performance specialist whose work bridges sports psychology, coaching, and athletic development. Emily has built her career around helping athletes maximize their potential by developing not only stronger bodies, but stronger minds. Drawing from her experience in elite soccer environments across the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as her graduate education in sport psychology from Liverpool John Moores University, Emily shares why mental performance is no longer optional for athletes striving to compete at the highest level. Her research has focused on the professionalization of women's football and how it influences coaching philosophy, giving her a unique perspective on player development in today's game. Throughout the conversation, we explore what it truly means to train the complete athlete. Emily discusses the importance of confidence, resilience, communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, and creating habits that translate into consistent performance on the field. Whether you're a youth player chasing your first college opportunity, a professional looking for the next competitive edge, or a coach trying to build stronger athletes, this episode delivers practical insights that apply at every level of the game. Body Mind Performance was created with the belief that elite performance starts long before kickoff. Success is built through intentional preparation, quality coaching, physical readiness, and a mindset capable of handling pressure, adversity, and the demands of competition. Emily's holistic approach has helped athletes develop the confidence and mental tools needed to perform when it matters most. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why mindset is one of the biggest competitive advantages in soccer. • How mental performance training impacts confidence and consistency. • The connection between physical preparation and psychological readiness. • Practical strategies for handling pressure, setbacks, and adversity. • What coaches can do to create environments where athletes thrive. • Why long-term development is more important than chasing short-term results. Whether you're striving to earn a scholarship, break into the professional game, or simply become the best version of yourself as a player, this conversation offers valuable lessons that extend far beyond the soccer field. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to The Pro Player Soccer Podcast, leave a five-star review, and share this conversation with teammates, coaches, and anyone passionate about soccer development. Every episode is dedicated to bringing you conversations with top professionals, coaches, athletes, and performance experts who are shaping the future of the beautiful game. Connect with Emily Tillman & Body Mind Performance * LinkedIn: Emily Tillman * Body Mind Performance Follow The Pro Player Soccer Podcast Subscribe for weekly conversations featuring professional players, coaches, performance experts, and industry leaders, all focused on helping you elevate your game on and off the field.

Episode 76: Season 5: In Conversation with...Rusell Earnshaw If you want to change what people do, change what they see. Coaching the future instead of coaching the present & the art of noticing...from one of the worlds best coach developers

Welcome to The Pro Player Podcast, the show where we go beyond the scoreboard to explore what it really takes to perform at the highest level. Every episode features conversations with the athletes, coaches, innovators, and leaders who are shaping the future of sport and high performance. Whether you're chasing excellence on the field, developing the next generation of players, or leading a team in business, our mission is to bring you practical insights and inspiring stories that help you improve every single day. I'm your host, and today we have a very special guest whose influence reaches far beyond the world of sport. Joining us is Russell Earnshaw, one of the world's most respected coach developers. For decades, Russell has worked alongside coaches, athletes, and organizations, helping them rethink how people learn, perform, and grow. His impact has been felt across elite sport and grassroots coaching alike, challenging conventional thinking and encouraging coaches to focus not only on performance, but on the people behind it. Russell is known for asking better questions rather than offering easy answers. His philosophy is built around curiosity, reflection, collaboration, and creating environments where athletes feel empowered to learn, make decisions, and take ownership of their development. It's an approach that has influenced coaches across multiple sports and has helped shape modern coaching around the world. In today's conversation, we'll explore what great coaching really looks like in today's game. We'll talk about leadership, communication, learning, resilience, culture, and why the best coaches aren't just experts in tactics—they're experts in developing people. We'll discuss how trust becomes the foundation of every successful team, why psychological safety matters in high-performance environments, and how coaches can create cultures where athletes thrive instead of simply survive. Russell also shares his thoughts on decision-making under pressure, embracing failure as part of the learning process, and why curiosity remains one of the greatest competitive advantages any coach can have. One of the things that makes Russell's work so powerful is that his lessons extend well beyond sport. Whether you're coaching a professional team, leading a business, teaching in a classroom, or raising a family, the principles of communication, trust, accountability, and continuous learning remain exactly the same. That's what makes conversations like this so valuable. Here on The Pro Player Podcast, we're passionate about discovering what separates good from great. Not just in terms of results, but in the way leaders inspire others, the way coaches build relationships, and the way high performers continue to evolve long after they've achieved success. Because excellence isn't a destination—it's a commitment to learning, adapting, and improving every single day. If you're new to the show, welcome. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode as we continue bringing you conversations with some of the most influential voices in sport and performance. And if you've been listening from the beginning, thank you for being part of this growing community. Your support allows us to continue sharing conversations that educate, challenge, and inspire. If today's episode resonates with you, share it with a teammate, a fellow coach, a colleague, or anyone who's passionate about becoming better. The best ideas are the ones that spark conversations far beyond this podcast. So settle in, keep an open mind, and get ready for an insightful discussion with one of the most influential coach developers of our time. This is The Pro Player Podcast, where great players, great coaches, and great leaders share the lessons behind elite performance.

Episode 75: Season 5: In conversation with...Dave Jones "Soccer after 40...and your chance to be involved in an over 40s World Cup in 2027

The Pro Player Podcast – Introduction Featuring Dave Jones Welcome back to The Pro Player Podcast, where we sit down with the people who have lived the game at the highest levels and are now shaping its future. Whether you're a current player, a former pro, a coach, or someone who simply loves the beautiful game, this show is about the stories, lessons, and opportunities that continue long after the final whistle. Today's guest is someone whose soccer journey has taken him across continents, cultures, and levels of the game that few people ever experience. Joining us today is David Jones, Head Coach of the U.S. Senior National Soccer Legacy Program. Dave is a former professional player whose career began at Manchester United before taking him to top leagues in Hong Kong, Spain, Germany, and the United States. After a 16-year professional playing career, he transitioned into coaching and built an impressive résumé that includes international work with American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Belize, professional clubs, and collegiate programs. But what makes this conversation especially important isn't just Dave's experience. It's his mission. Too many athletes believe that once they reach a certain age, their competitive career is over. Dave is helping prove that's simply not true. Through the U.S. Senior National Soccer Legacy Program, elite players over 40 and over 50 have a structured pathway to continue competing at a national and international level. The program provides player identification events, national team selection opportunities, international tours, exhibition matches, and participation in global competitions. It was built to honor the past while creating meaningful opportunities for players who still have the passion, commitment, and ability to compete. In this episode, we'll talk about Dave's incredible journey from professional player to international coach, the lessons he's learned from working around the world, and what separates athletes who continue to perform at a high level from those who stop challenging themselves. We'll also discuss the growth of senior soccer in the United States, why competitive opportunities for experienced players matter, and how the game can continue to impact people's lives well beyond their twenties and thirties. Dave shares his vision for creating a true legacy pathway—one that allows former college players, former professionals, military veterans, and elite amateur players to continue pursuing excellence while representing something bigger than themselves. Most importantly, Dave wants people to get involved. Whether you're a former player wondering if you still have one more chapter left in your soccer story, a coach looking to contribute, a supporter who believes in growing the game, or someone who wants to help create opportunities for the next generation, this conversation is an invitation. An invitation to reconnect with competition, community, and the passion that brought us all to soccer in the first place. The game doesn't end when you stop playing professionally. It evolves. It creates new challenges, new teammates, and new opportunities to represent something meaningful. Today, we're talking about that next chapter. So if you've ever asked yourself, "Could I still compete?" or "How can I stay involved in the game I love?" this is an episode you won't want to miss. This is The Pro Player Podcast.

Episode 74: Season 5: In conversation with...Matthew Clement, Training Centre Manager FIFA

Welcome back to the Pro Player Podcast, the show where we explore the journeys, philosophies, and experiences of the people helping shape the future of elite sport. Today's guest is Matthew Clement, a football development leader whose work sits at the intersection of coaching, player development, education, and long-term strategic thinking within the global game. Matt has built a career around one of the most important questions in football: how do we create environments that help players reach their full potential? Whether that's through coaching methodology, talent development pathways, coach education, or building systems that support sustainable success, his work has consistently focused on helping people and organisations develop at the highest level. Currently working with FIFA and the FIFA Training Centre, Matt plays an important role in sharing knowledge, expertise, and best practices with coaches, practitioners, and football professionals across the world. Through educational programmes, webinars, learning resources, and collaborations with some of the game's leading minds, he has helped contribute to the ongoing evolution of football development on a global scale. What makes Matt's perspective particularly valuable is his ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice. He understands the realities of player development from the grassroots level all the way through to the professional game, and he brings a strategic lens that looks beyond short-term results toward long-term growth and sustainable excellence. Alongside his practical experience, Matt has also continued to invest in his own education and development. He recently completed a Master's degree in Sports Directorship, deepening his understanding of football strategy, governance, recruitment, talent identification, succession planning, squad building, and organisational leadership. This combination of practical experience and academic insight gives him a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing modern football. In this conversation, we explore the realities of developing players in today's game, the importance of creating effective learning environments, how coaches can continue to evolve their craft, and what the future of football development might look like as the sport continues to change at an unprecedented pace. We also discuss leadership, decision-making, talent pathways, and the lessons Matt has learned from working alongside some of the most respected coaches, educators, and practitioners in football. Whether you're a player looking to maximise your potential, a coach searching for new ideas, a practitioner working in performance environments, or simply someone fascinated by the process of developing talent, there is a huge amount to take away from this conversation. So sit back, enjoy the episode, and get ready for an insightful discussion with a man who is helping shape how football learns, develops, and grows around the world. This is the Pro Player Podcast with Matthew Clement.

Episode 73: Season 5: In conversation with...Jake Lister "Who am I when..." (Youth Pathway Lead Sheffield United Women FC)

Welcome back to The Pro Player Podcast, the show where we explore the stories, experiences, and lessons from the people shaping the future of sport and performance. Today's guest is someone who represents the evolving face of modern coaching—where performance excellence and human development go hand in hand. Joining us is Jake Lister, a coach, educator, and developer whose work spans academy football, coach education, and athlete development. Throughout his career, Jake has built a reputation for looking beyond the traditional metrics of success and focusing on what truly drives long-term performance: people. In a sporting landscape often dominated by tactics, results, and outcomes, Jake brings a refreshing perspective. His philosophy centers on creating environments where players can thrive not only as athletes, but as individuals. Whether working with developing players, supporting coaches, or helping shape football environments, he has consistently championed the idea that great coaching extends far beyond the technical and tactical aspects of the game. What makes Jake's journey particularly compelling is the breadth of experiences that have shaped his approach. From grassroots football to elite development environments, from coaching on the pitch to mentoring the next generation of coaches, he has developed a unique understanding of the challenges facing athletes and practitioners in today's game. Along the way, he has navigated personal challenges, professional growth, and the ongoing balancing act that comes with pursuing excellence while maintaining perspective and wellbeing. In this conversation, we're going to explore some of the most important topics facing modern sport. We'll discuss how coaching has evolved over the last decade, the role of emotional intelligence in player development, and why the best coaches are often the best communicators. We'll dive into the importance of creating psychologically safe environments where athletes can learn, grow, and perform at their highest level. We'll also talk about leadership, identity, resilience, and the responsibility coaches have in shaping the experiences of young athletes. Jake shares valuable insights into what separates good coaches from great coaches, how to build meaningful relationships with players, and why performance and wellbeing should never be viewed as competing priorities. For players, coaches, practitioners, and anyone working within high-performance environments, this episode offers practical lessons and thought-provoking perspectives that extend well beyond sport itself. It's a conversation about growth, purpose, self-awareness, and the human side of performance—topics that are becoming increasingly important as we continue to redefine what success looks like in modern sport. Whether you're working in professional football, coaching at the grassroots level, supporting athletes behind the scenes, or simply interested in leadership and human performance, there is something in this episode for you. So settle in as we dive into a fascinating conversation with a coach who is helping shape the future of player development by putting people at the center of the process. This is The Pro Player Podcast, and today's guest is Jake Lister. Enjoy the show.