The Sporting Failures Club: Recent Episodes
Michael Roberts and Jack Hicks-Flynn
All too often we only get the rose-tinted version of success. The trophies lifted, medals won, and podiums climbed. Triumph in professional sport does not come easy however. For every light cast on an elite coach or athlete, there is a shadow. And it is this shadow that we want to explore further. The Sporting Failures Club is a podcast that facilitates conversations with elite coaches and athletes in which we discuss the failures and challenges which have helped them get to where they are today. We are Michael Roberts and Jack Hicks-Flynn, a pair of Sport & Exercise Psychologists in training with the aim of unearthing and examining the secrets of growth-related failure.
In our long awaited fifth episode (joking), we are joined by the former professional rugby player and Amazon best-selling author, Ben Mercer. We really enjoyed exploring the alternative narrative presented by Ben and his fascinating story showcasing the ups and downs of professional rugby and the thrills of becoming an award-winning writer. We have a chat around the idea of 'tiny habits theory' and also how athletes perceive situations as both a challenge and/or threat.
Happy hump day people and thanks for the patience. It's been a busy time but we're happy to release our fourth episode of the Sporting Failures Club podcast. This week, we are joined by former Wallaby and current London Irish scrum-half, Nick Phipps! Nick played over 70 times for Australia and represented his country in the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. After an illustrious career at the NSW Waratahs, where he won the Super Rugby competition in 2014, Nick took on the challenge of northern-hemisphere rugby with London Irish and has continued to grow and develop as a player, despite his record and experience . His journey has not been without challenge or adversity however, and in this episode we delve into Nick's experience of failures, what it means to be a 'team player' and the outrageous debut of one of his fellow wallabies. Enjoy!
In our third episode, we are joined by ex-AFL star Dan Jackson. Over the course of his career, Dan made over 150 appearances for Richmond Footy Cub, otherwise known as the Tigers, picking up various accolades along the way. In 2013, he won the Jack Dyer Medal making him the oldest player to win the Tigers’ Best and Fairest for the first time since Matthew Richardson in 2007. He also won the club’s Jack Titus medal for runner-up Best and Fairest in 2009.
Dan has continued to go strength to strength since his playing career – gaining an MSc in Performance Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, working as the Director of his own company, Integrative Performance, and excelling in his role as Leadership Development Manager at the Adelaide Crows Football Club.
As we know however, with success, comes failure. And in this episode, we hear Dan talk candidly about his relationship with failure, notably: how he matured as a player through his mistakes, how his playing career has informed the work that he does now, and what, for him, contributes to a more psychologically-informed playing environment. For the boffins amongst you, who enjoy some of the more theoretical lessons we’re trying to bring across, we also delve a little into attribution theory. Enjoy!!
In our second episode, we are joined by the swashbuckling and attack-destroying former England batsman Michael Carberry! Michael is a legendary former Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, Leicestershire and England batsman, who went on to play more than 200 First Class matches at an average of over 41. With highest scores of 300 and 150 in First Class and List A cricket respectively, it is fair to say that Michael, or ‘Carbs’ as he is invariably known, has had an illustrious career in the game. Despite of this however, and despite representing England in one-day and test cricket, notably playing in the 2013/14 Ashes series down under, Carbs’ journey has been one of challenge from the start. During this interview, he opens up about his difficult early years, the dangers of social media and expectations, the parallels between life and cricket and his challenges with confidence. We hope you enjoy!
In our first ever episode we are lucky enough to be joined by the London Irish legend, Declan Danaher! The flanker is the Club’s longest serving player in the professional era and was London Irish's Young Player of the Season in 2000/01 and 2001/02. He has represented Ireland at U19 level, Irish Exiles at U19 & U21 level, England at U21, England A and the Barbarians. In this episode we discuss failed dreams, injury-related growth, societal pressures and how Declan's playing career has influenced his approach to his current role as Assistant Coach at London Irish.