Best Tim Harkness Podcasts (2025)

1
Exclusive: Building Chelsea's sport science & psychology setup (with Tim Harkness) 47:25

Play Pause

21d ago47:25

47:25

Sometimes, stats really help to paint a picture. Tim Harkness worked at Chelsea for 14 years, between 2009 and 2023, during which time the London club won 14 major trophies. Whilst there’s no argument that Tim’s time at the club was as significant as some of the coaches he worked with, from Jose Mourinho to Carlo Ancelotti, it’s also true that sust…

1
How to integrate sport psychology across an elite environment (with Sara Symington) 2:25

13d ago2:25

2:25

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Performance directors have a huge say in how seriously an organisation treats sport psychology. They can ensure the profession is integrated effectively alongside other support specialisms - or decide the discipline isn’t really their cup of tea. But despite thei…

1
How To Psychologically Prepare For The Ryder Cup 1:11

30d ago1:11

1:11

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “If I was Luke Donald, I would be getting together and - understanding and respecting that each individual player has their own way of mentally dealing with pressure - saying, ‘How can we share ways that each individual is going to deal with the pressure and how…

1
Sport Psychology Snapshot 3:08

2M ago3:08

3:08

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Hello Mind Room Members! In this edition of the Sport Psychology Snapshot series, I run a quick health check over the profession’s job market, analysing the organisations and teams hiring sport psychologists (as well as mental performance and player care & wellbe…

1
How sport psychologists can influence coach recruitment 2:22

2M ago2:22

2:22

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com It only takes two fingers to count the number of sport psychologists I’ve spoken to about their involvement in coach recruitment. I talked to the first of the pair, Alex Auerbach, last year, as part of a conversation in which the ex-Toronto Raptors Head of Wellne…

1
How to recover from severe sporting setbacks 1:51

2M ago1:51

1:51

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Bodies strewn across the turf. Players locked in thousand-yard stares. This wasn't how the last day of Northampton's season was meant to look. The end of the 2021-22 campaign will live with Jon Brady forever. His side were seemingly set for automatic promotion fr…

1
What coaches want from psychologists 6:20

2M ago6:20

6:20

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “I was interested in how could we move away from the experience of sport psychology we'd had - that I didn't think was particularly impactful - to one really focused on what I believed was the essence of what we were all trying to do, which was drive performance …

1
Why sport psychology's next generation need a new skillset 3:03

3M ago3:03

3:03

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Business development. Entrepreneurship. Marketing. Not three of the skills you’d necessarily associate with becoming a sport psychologist, but a trio of competencies that are increasingly important for students and trainees to understand. That’s the view of Dr Ni…

1
England vs India: psychologically preparing for the Oval Test 1:09:18

3M ago1:09:18

1:09:18

Childish. Emotional. Tiresome. Whatever your take on the antagonism that marked the end of the fourth test between England and India, it’s difficult to argue that the episode has done anything other than intensify the mental battle that will play out during the series decider at The Oval. Predicting how the two teams will psychologically prepare fo…

1
Who's taking responsibility for footballers' mental health? 1:59

3M ago1:59

1:59

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “We don’t lack care, but we lack coherence…there’s a lack of clarity, shared language and understanding…and it creates some cracks that might be not beneficial for the players and staff who actually need support.” Leif Gunnar Smerud might be the only coach in Eur…

1
Sports teams' organisational design dilemma 2:27

3M ago2:27

2:27

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Editor's note: a quick reminder that you still have a day to claim 25% off Mind Room Membership! Just hit the button below to activate your discount (and enjoy the podcast & article!) “ Clubs say to coaches, ‘You’ve go to manage all the players, the 50 staff tha…

1
How can clubs help players manage mental fatigue? 1:06

4M ago1:06

1:06

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Over the course of the 2023/24 season, Spurs defender Christian Romero travelled 162,000km to and from matches for the London club and his country, Argentina (that’s over a third of the way to the moon, for those that like a slightly tangential, space-based barom…

1
How to help players establish an identity 3:19

4M ago3:19

3:19

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com It’s hardly news to say that sport has an identity crisis. Article after article berates teams for failing to support athletes seeking to understand who they are away from the field of play. But how can coaches and backroom teams provide the type of help which wi…

1
Why 'PlayStation coaching' needs to stop 1:40

5M ago1:40

1:40

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “There’s a robotic element flooding in…where’s the freedom in that football match? The players are scared to death of making a mistake.” Gary Neville, speaking after the Manchester derby, April 2025 Pundits don’t always get it right, but Gary Neville’s comment se…

1
The Key Psychological Characteristics and Skills Driving Elite Football Performance 5:04

5M ago5:04

5:04

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “Imagine if you're offered a job where you're going to work six days a week, you won’t decide when you take holidays, you're going to have to travel twice every second week at least - spending significant time away from home - and we'll give you a one-year or pos…

1
How clubs are coaching cognitive skills 3:59

6M ago3:59

3:59

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Visual awareness. Decision making. Problem solving. Just three of the terms bandied around on a regular basis when it comes to 'training the brain'. But what are athletes and clubs concentrating on when it comes to identifying and honing cognitive skills? To answ…

1
Sport psychology's 'scientist-practitioner' problem 5:00

6M ago5:00

5:00

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “I've talked recently to sports psychologists in high-level positions within professional sports teams who are facing increasing pressure…to try to better objectively test what they're doing with teams.” Jim Doorley is speaking about an issue that’s affected many…

1
'Sport psychology is embraced here' 4:35

7M ago4:35

4:35

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “What makes this club different, for me, is how they embrace and welcome sports psychology and see it in the same way as the tactical, physical and technical stuff. A decision was taken some years ago where they said, ‘This is important and we need to implement i…

1
Andrea Furst: 'I work with coaches that care about people' 1:36

7M ago1:36

1:36

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “My job is made easier…because I've got coaches that care about people. That’s why I constantly keep coming back to the leaders of programs or the leaders of the environment and the way they operate. In blunt terms, it either helps or hinders your ability to get …

1
How a 'sport psychology canvas' can help psychologists and backroom teams 4:05

8M ago4:05

4:05

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com It’s a situation that will strike a chord with many sport psychologists. You start working with a team, hear all the right noises before joining, only to discover on day one that your handover notes are essentially a blank piece of paper. The turnover of staff in…

1
How will AI shape the future of sport? 1:37

9M ago1:37

1:37

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Artificial intelligence (AI) helps sports teams with analytics, training plans and recruitment. But is there a space for AI in a psychological context and, if so, what would that look like? In 2023, Markus Raab, Robert Schinke and Charles A. Maher wrote a paper o…

1
Inside the NBA's mental health & performance program 8:35

9M ago8:35

8:35

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com In 2018, basketball player DeMar DeRozan wrote a one-line tweet: ‘This depression gets the best of me’. Shortly after the small forward’s post, Kevin Love penned an article revealing he’d suffered a half-time panic attack during a game against the Atlanta Hawks. …

1
Why coaches should be thinking about 'psycho-social' skills and characteristics 30:13

9M ago30:13

30:13

‘Players were telling us that they felt more resilient, more confident and had better communication skills, just over one season, and some of these players can be in academy systems for 10 years, so there's a lot of time to develop them.’ Tom Mitchell’s words are striking. The Doncaster Rovers academy psychology lead is talking about the impact of…

1
John Amaechi: 'Athletes are ripe for exploitation' 1:55

11M ago1:55

1:55

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Claim 20% off an annual Mind Room subscription - offer expires on December 24! “Does anybody think that Premier League football teams are taking on psychologists who are fundamentally saying the way that your coach is treating players is dehumanizing and should s…

1
How to setup a mental health support system in a pro sport league 3:02

11M ago3:02

3:02

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com In last week’s newsletter, I highlighted some key takeaways from my discussion with Dr. Brett Haskell, the National Women’s Soccer League’s clinical mental health and performance director. Now - for Mind Room Members only - I’m releasing the full interview. The p…

1
How half-time team talks are changing 1:53

11M ago1:53

1:53

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Half-time team talks are the stuff of legend. Alex Ferguson’s ‘hairdryer’ treatment, which the former Manchester United manager reserved for unsuspecting players during his time at Old Trafford, was once seen as a vital reminder of dressing room discipline. Steve…

1
Does sport psychology have an access and inclusion problem? 48:38

1y ago48:38

48:38

Psychologists fighting for fair pay. ‘Fake psychs’ exploiting the lack of regulation governing sport psychology in the UK (and elsewhere). The exorbitant cost of training to become a sport psychologist. The issues facing the sport psychology profession are well documented (we’ve covered a whole host of them on The Mind Room over the last couple of …

1
'I had an opportunity to redefine what I do': the para rower and architect designing a route to the Paralympics and accessible sports facilities 6:06

1y ago6:06

6:06

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “I remember just being on the wards during chemotherapy, off my face on drugs, in so much pain and just sobbing uncontrollably at this documentary: that was when I was like, ‘Okay, we're doing this’” The idea of finding hope in moments of despair might sound hack…

1
'Coaching is more challenging than it's ever been' 1:54

1y ago1:54

1:54

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Teenagers on multi-million dollar contracts. Transfer systems (at least in the US) allowing college athletes to switch teams at the drop of a hat. Social media distractions - and scrutiny - coming from every possible angle. The power dynamic governing the coach-p…

1
'A lot of athletes have a skewed perception of what it is to be a person versus what it is to be a commodity' 2:20

1y ago2:20

2:20

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Elite sport’s struggle with issues such as identity is nothing new, but efforts to instill the type of self awareness and self reflection that might help young athletes are still something of a postcode lottery. In this Mind Room podcast episode, Jonathan Harding…

1
'When you have 5 minutes and $50m on the line, 'it depends' doesn't work' 4:33

1y ago4:33

4:33

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com A few weeks ago, I spoke to Alex Auerbach about his spell in the NBA, gaining coach buy-in and sport psychology regulation. During the conversation, Alex touched on the role he played in influencing the Toronto Raptors’ player recruitment, none more so than durin…

1
'Athletes don't have to be super competitive, super ruthless and win at all costs' 2:10

1y ago2:10

2:10

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com In our last newsletter, Jonathan Harding wrote about a new study examining the link between personality and performance, focusing specifically on how the ‘Dark Triad’ of narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy impacts sporting relationships. This week, we’re…

1
Embedding sport psychology across an elite European club (Part 2) 2:50

1y ago2:50

2:50

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “There are so many ways to do sports psychology: it just so happens that I believe an optimal culture for the incorporation of sports psychology bases its language and behaviours around a shared mental model. “That's because you can help the coaches, the physios,…

1
Exclusive: Dan Abrahams on Feyenoord, Arne Slot and how 'shared mental models' stand up to 70,000 fans (Part 1) 3:09

1y ago3:09

3:09

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com You’re 2-1 down to your arch rivals in a game that might decide who wins the league. You’ve played as though you’re chasing only your second title in 25 years: the nerves are palpable. You have 45 minutes to put things right. The stakes don’t get much higher than…

1
Karl Marius Aksum on transferring psychology theory from the classroom to the pitch 40:51

1y ago40:51

40:51

How do you convince an ageing centre back to swap the security of a low block for a high press that might make Ange Postecoglou blush? Karl Marius Aksum may have the answer. The Mjallby assistant coach, who is part of a backroom team that has helped the Swedish club to the highest position in its 85-year history, was refreshingly honest in an expla…

1
How do you psychologically prepare for the Olympics? 2:50

1y ago2:50

2:50

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “Most athletes compete at one Olympics, so they might have been working forever for this one moment, and then, that's it, it's gone. “There's only one heat that you get to compete in. You've only got one chance to do your beam routine. It lasts a minute, but you'…

1
'It's messy': Alex Auerbach on sport psychology regulation, gaining coach buy-in and mental health support in the NBA 2:29

1+ y ago2:29

2:29

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com “If someone calls themselves a sports psychology consultant and they're not licensed, what do you do? There's no punishment. There's nothing you can do to change that. The psychology board can send them something that says, ‘Please don't do this’ and maybe the cl…

1
'We're throwing players into a stress cage without protecting them': why football needs to mentally prepare players for penalties 4:15

1+ y ago4:15

4:15

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Geir Jordet has spent most of his professional career studying penalties. The Norwegian professor, who has worked with several of Europe's top teams over two decades in football, knows the psychological subtleties of spot kicks as well as anyone. All of which mea…

1
‘We’ve changed the club’: is it really possible to transform a Premier League team's culture? 4:34

1+ y ago4:34

4:34

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themindroom.substack.com Barely a week goes by without mentions of ‘culture change’ within sport. Some of the commentary is vital: in sports ranging from rugby to swimming, there are serious issues to confront, requiring systemic reforms and widespread behavioural change. In other instan…

1
Stoner Dadz: Where Are They Now- Sid The Kid 2:41

2+ y ago2:41

2:41

Support the Bros: patreon.com/TwoJackedBros Watch/Listen and subscribe to the Bros: https://linktr.ee/TwoJackedBros Follow Sidney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidneygantt/ Follow Sidney on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sidneygantt Sidney on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SidneyGantt/ Two Jacked Bros is the only comedy podcast that inj…

1
Stoner Dadz Ep 50 - Live from McGooby's 1:46:11

2+ y ago1:46:11

1:46:11

The Stoner Dadz are: Sidney Gantt @SidneyGantt (Instagram/Twitter) https://www.youtube.com/@TwoJackedBros Matt McCusker @MattWritesBooks- Twitter @McCuskerMatthewJ- Instagram https://www.youtube.com/@mattandshanessecretpodcast9138 Tim Butterly @TimButterly (Instagram/Twitter) https://www.twitch.tv/timbutterly https://www.youtube.com/@DadMeat Stoner…

1
Ep 49 - Best of Both Worlds 53:42

2+ y ago53:42

53:42

Get your tickets for the Stoner Dadz April 20th (4/20) live show at MaGooby’s in Baltimore. https://www.magoobysjokehouse.com/shows/201829 Patreon.com/StonerDadz 4 Bonus Content The Stoner Dadz are: Sidney Gantt @SidneyGantt (Instagram/Twitter) https://www.youtube.com/@TwoJackedBros Matt McCusker @MattWritesBooks- Twitter @McCuskerMatthewJ- Instagr…

1
Ep 48 - Drain it w/Lemaire Lee 1:00:49

2+ y ago1:00:49

1:00:49

Get your tickets for the Stoner Dadz April 20th (4/20) live show at MaGooby’s in Baltimore. https://www.magoobysjokehouse.com/shows/201829 Patreon.com/StonerDadz 4 Bonus Content The Stoner Dadz are: Sidney Gantt @SidneyGantt (Instagram/Twitter) https://www.youtube.com/@TwoJackedBros Matt McCusker @MattWritesBooks- Twitter @McCuskerMatthewJ- Instagr…

1
Ep 47 - I've Never Had Sex With a Woman w/David James 1:04:45

2+ y ago1:04:45

1:04:45

Get your tickets for the Stoner Dadz April 20th (4/20) live show at MaGooby’s in Baltimore. https://www.magoobysjokehouse.com/shows/201829 Patreon.com/StonerDadz 4 Bonus Content The Stoner Dadz are: Sidney Gantt @SidneyGantt (Instagram/Twitter) https://www.youtube.com/@TwoJackedBros Matt McCusker @MattWritesBooks- Twitter @McCuskerMatthewJ- Instagr…

1
Ep 46 - Supple 1:04:16

2+ y ago1:04:16

1:04:16

Get your tickets for the Stoner Dadz April 20th (4/20) live show at MaGooby’s in Baltimore. https://www.magoobysjokehouse.com/shows/201829 To get 20% Off your first order of Manscaped visit https://Manscaped.com and use Promo Code: Dadz Patreon.com/StonerDadz 4 Bonus Content The Stoner Dadz are: Sidney Gantt @SidneyGantt (Instagram/Twitter) https:/…

1
Ep 45 - Bombay Binky 1:06:14

2+ y ago1:06:14

1:06:14

Get your tickets for the Stoner Dadz April 20th (4/20) live show at MaGooby’s in Baltimore. https://www.magoobysjokehouse.com/shows/201829 Patreon.com/StonerDadz 4 Bonus Content The Stoner Dadz are: Sidney Gantt @SidneyGantt (Instagram/Twitter) https://www.youtube.com/@TwoJackedBros Matt McCusker @MattWritesBooks- Twitter @McCuskerMatthewJ- Instagr…

1
Ep 44 - The Trades w/Jon Delcollo 1:02:05

2+ y ago1:02:05

1:02:05

Get your tickets for the Stoner Dadz April 20th (4/20) live show at MaGooby’s in Baltimore. https://www.magoobysjokehouse.com/shows/201829 Patreon.com/StonerDadz 4 Bonus Content The Stoner Dadz are: Sidney Gantt @SidneyGantt (Instagram/Twitter) https://www.youtube.com/@TwoJackedBros Matt McCusker @MattWritesBooks- Twitter @McCuskerMatthewJ- Instagr…

1
Ep 43 - Hot Cheeks w/Crack Amico 1:07:15

2+ y ago1:07:15

1:07:15

Get your tickets for the Stoner Dadz April 20th (4/20) live show at MaGooby’s in Baltimore. https://www.magoobysjokehouse.com/shows/201829 To get 20% Off your first order of Manscaped visit https://Manscaped.com and use Promo Code: Dadz Patreon.com/StonerDadz 4 Bonus Content The Stoner Dadz are: Sidney Gantt @SidneyGantt (Instagram/Twitter) https:/…

1
Ep 42 - The Question w/Francis Ellis 1:03:00

2+ y ago1:03:00

1:03:00

Get your tickets for the Stoner Dadz April 20th (4/20) live show at MaGooby’s in Baltimore. https://www.magoobysjokehouse.com/shows/201829 This week, Francis Ellis blesses the tomb while the Stoner Dadz get high on Gelato OG. The boys discuss a father's love, PCP, Bruno Mars and so much more. To get 20% Off your first order of Manscaped visit https…

1
Ep 41 - Puddling w/Chris O'Connor 58:33

2+ y ago58:33

58:33

Get your tickets for the Stoner Dadz April 20th (4/20) live show at MaGooby’s in Baltimore. https://www.magoobysjokehouse.com/shows/201829 To get 20% Off your first order of Manscaped visit https://Manscaped.com and use Promo Code: Dadz Patreon.com/StonerDadz 4 Bonus Content The Stoner Dadz are: Sidney Gantt @SidneyGantt (Instagram/Twitter) https:/…