Performing Under Pressure

Conversations With Those That Know
How do some people deliver under pressure while others crumble? From 80+ hours of podcast interviews with Olympians, footballers, coaches and psychologists, Dr Paul Mansell and Professor Matt Slater distil 17 core themes - from mindset and belief to leadership and recovery - to help anyone perform when it matters most.

The 2022 WorldCup final. With 1.5 billion people watching, Kylian Mbappé steps up to take apenalty against Emiliano Martínez for the second time in a matter of minutes…as high-pressure a moment as sport can produce. But what enables someone todeliver in a moment like that, while others crumble?

Drawing on over80 hours of interviews recorded for their acclaimed podcast, sport andperformance psychology experts Dr Paul Mansell and Prof Matt Slater distilconversations with dozens of elite performers – footballers, Olympians,coaches, and the psychologists who work alongside them – into 17 core themes,from mindset, preparation, belief, and self-compassion, right through toleadership, teamwork, and recovery.

Sportpsychologist Dr Chris Shambrook pushes back on the very idea that “pressure isa privilege”. Kate Richardson-Walsh, captain of Team GB’s gold medal-winningRio 2016 hockey team, reflects on leadership as something the whole teamshares, not just the armband-wearer. Premier League footballer and Englandinternational Conor Coady explains how a group of individuals can forge a senseof togetherness. Former football international Matilde Fidalgo reflects on howa mistake only becomes a downward spiral if you let it define you. Theirstories sit alongside the research and applied practice that explain why theywork – theory grounded in lived experience.

Every chapter of PerformingUnder Pressure closes with a “Try this now” section – three practical,immediately usable techniques. The psychology of performing under pressurebelongs to everyone facing expectation, novelty, and uncertainty, not justelite athletes. Whether stepping up to take the winning shot, leading a team,negotiating a deal, or handling a crisis, this book offers a way to think,feel, and perform better when it matters most.

Dr Paul Mansellis an academic and researcher specialising in how athletes and performersrespond to pressure and adversity. His work explores the psychological factorsthat influence performance and wellbeing, with particular interest in stressmindset and mentoring. Through his time in academia and applied research, Paulhas worked with athletes, coaches, and performers across a range ofhigh-performance environments. He is the co-creator and co-host of the Universityof Staffordshire’s Performing Under Pressure podcast, bringing togetherconversations with people who have experienced pressure at the highest levelsof sport and performance.

Prof Matt Slateris a Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology and Deputy Director of theResearch Centre for Health and Development at the University of Staffordshire,UK. Matt is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society andhas 15 years’ experience working in professional sport, business, health, andthe military. He is an expert on the psychology of leadership and team dynamicsin sport with a particular focus on the social identity approach, and inapplied performance psychology, publishing 60+ research articles and a book inthese areas. He has completed projects with The Football Association, theEngland and Wales Cricket Board, Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Stoke CityFootball Club (across men’s and women’s teams), the Royal Air Force, the UKShared Prosperity Fund, Impact International, and most recently, the RugbyFootball Union. Matt is the co-creator and co-host of the University ofStaffordshire’s Performing Under Pressure podcast.

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