The ProPlayer Podcast

by David Gough

Season 3

Episode 48: Season 3...In Conversation with...Stuart Mclaren..."Emotion (just like ego) is the enemy of the Coach"

Stuart McLaren is a Scottish-Australian football player and coach, who is currently assistant coach for the Northern Ireland national women's team. As a player Queensland Roar signed McLaren on a short-term contract in early November 2005. He was signed due to Josh McCloughlan's injury, playing as a defender as he did when he was a former player-coach with the Brisbane Strikers in the NSL in Australia. He was then signed as a permanent player and regularly played in the starting eleven, occasionally captaining the Queensland Roar. McLaren left Australia in early 2011 returning to the United Kingdom to be nearer his place of birth with his family. In June 2011, he was appointed as head of Football at the world renowned Loughborough University in England. Following a very successful stint in British University Sport, McLaren began his journey in mens professional football when he was appointed manager of Stirling Albion in November 2014, where he experienced relegation from Scottish League One at the end of the 2014–15 season. He left Stirling Albion by mutual consent in September 2016, following a 4–0 defeat by Elgin City. In October 2018, McLaren was appointed by the Scottish Football Association to be a national youth team coach, with responsibility for the Scotland U16 team. McLaren was appointed interim manager of the Scotland women's national football team in January 2021 where he remained in the role until the appointment of permanent manager Pedro Martinez Losa at the end of 2021. In January 2022, one of the legacy football clubs from Glasgow, Scotland called on him. Celtic announced McLaren had joined them as their under-18s manager. He is here to share all that experience and knowledge with aspiring coaches and to offer strength and support to people already in the industry.

S3 · E48

Aug 9, 2024

1:06:37

Episode 47: Season 3...In Conversation with...Rae Dower Football Australia Technical Director - Women's Football and Head Coach Women's U17 National Team

Football Australia is pleased to advise the appointment of highly regarded coach and women’s football specialist, Rae Dower, to the role of Technical Director – Women’s Football. Dower, who is also Head Coach of the Australian U-17 Women’s National Team – a position she will retain alongside this newly created position at Football Australia – will provide a position of leadership on women’s football matters relating to pathways, competitions, national teams, coach development, and participation. In her role as Technical Director – Women’s Football, Dower will also deliver advice on technical matters across the women’s game to all parts of the governing body, encompassing women’s national teams (senior and youth) and programs including pathways through to Future Matildas. Additionally, Dower will provide expertise in the implementation of the women’s football development elements of Football Australia’s XI Principles for the future of Australian football. Upon making the appointment, Football Australia Chief Football Officer, Ernie Merrick, said the creation of this role reflects the ambition of the governing body and its focus on the growth and development of the women’s game from grassroots to the elite throughout Australia. Rae is 18 months into her newly designed role with Football Federation of Australia. She is not just an ambassador for our sport but someone who represents everything thats right with the game, coaching, dealing with adversity and she is for sure leaving it better than she found it. Rae has done it all and remains at the pinnacle of the sport in a country that loves sport as much as anyone in the world. She joins us from Brisbane, Australia and tackles the real issues head on in this amazing special episode of the Pro Player Podcast. She goes deep into "being the only woman in the room", stepping outside your comfort zone, empowering people within the high performance team, bringing experience from outside football to aid decision making, following your passion and life in this industry. The game in Australia is clearly in great hands as you will hear from our extended special episode....

S3 · E47

Aug 5, 2024

1:34:03

Episode 46: Season 3...In Conversation with...Jade Moore "England Lioness & Cardiac Risk in the Young Ambassador"

Someone who needs no introduction. FA WSL legend and England Lioness great Jade Moore joins us on a very special episode of the Pro Player Podcast. Jade talks everything from her glittering career all round the world, representing England at Major tournaments like the FIFA Womens World Cup and her important role as Cardiac Risk in the Young Ambassador. Jade is authentic as she is inspiring - enjoy this very special extended episode... Cardia Risk in the Young https://www.c-r-y.org.uk Preventing young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research, and supporting affected families Cardiac Screening CRY offers subsidized ECG and Echocardiogram screening to all young people between the ages of 14 & 35 in the UK. There is a simple way to diagnose most cardiac abnormalities. This is by having an ECG (electrocardiogram) test. Results should be read by a cardiologist. For extra clarity an Echocardiogram (ultrasound scan) can also be done.If there has been a young (under 35) sudden death in the family, the family is entitled to be screened on the NHS. All of CRY’s public events are free to attend.

S3 · E46

Jul 25, 2024

1:40:51

Episode 45: Season 3...UEFA Euro 2024 Special in association with Coachbetter - "Tournament football and implications for coaches"

We kick off our special episode series with this offering in partnership with "Coachbetter" Team management, performance tracking, educational resources, and more – our app will elevate your coaching skills to the next level. Reimagine soccer success with coachbetter and redefine your team's journey to excellence today. https://www.coachbetter.com Special guest host Mark Sampson is Chief Football Officer at Coachbetter. Mark is an accomplished leader in both sporting and business environments. A UEFA Pro Licence Coach with over 20 years experience in elite football at both youth and senior level in the make and female game. Achieved success at the highest level of the women’s game leading the National Team of England to the World Cup Bronze medal in 2015 and reaching two FA Women's Cup Finals and UEFA Women's Champion’s League at club level. Combined with experience as a first team manager and Academy Manager in the EFL. Founded and ran own business for ten years while working as a head coach in football and now part of the executive team at SAAS company "coach better". Playing a key role in the companies growth and most recent investment round of over $4 million. Delve into UEFA Euro 2024 with Mark and and David (The Pro Player Podcast) as they talk all things Euro 2024, their own major tournament football experiences and implications for elite coaches everywhere in this special hour long episode that will get you thinking about your own practice and leave you glad you tuned in... The first 0f 6 special episodes of the Pro Player Podcast to round out the summer of 2024 for you.

S3 · E45

Jul 13, 2024

1:08:55

Episode 44: Season 3...In Conversation with...Ellie Maybury "Life in the USWNT and High Performance Leadership"

Ellie is a high performance consultant with extensive experience in women's sports. Today she is the founder and owner of Soccer "her" formance. Website: soccerherformance.com Instagram: @Soccerherformance X: @soccerherform Ellie is highly endorsed by major names in the game including Laura Harvey, Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma. She has perhaps one of the most illustrious backgrounds of any guest we have had on the podcast spending almost a decade at the pinnacle of womens soccer with US Soccer and the world renowned USA Womens National Team and youth teams. Her passion lies in developing female-specific health, wellness, and performance initiatives. Through consulting, She aims to provide performance services to athletes, coaches, practitioners, teams, and organizations and drive research and innovation throughout the women’s sporting landscape. Today she opens up to us about the journey in a refreshingly authentic account that she hopes will help offer you strength and support to continue down the path your on or make the changes you need to get where you want to go.

S3 · E44

Jul 6, 2024

1:10:29

Episode 43: Season 3...In Conversation with...Dave Copeland Smith "Beast Mode Soccer"

"Daily meetings with Beast Mode Soccer to track my progress. Dave you are legit, thank you for the training" Alex Morgan - 2x World Cup Winner United States. Training with BMS since 2012 "Working with David has given my game another dimension. He is always pushing me to become better and add little things to my game" Jodie Taylor - World Cup Player England, Champions League Winner Lyon, Training with BMS since 2016 "Since working with David I have become an All-American and been called up to the England National Team, played in the World Cup and was selected for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics. His passion to improve players is unbelievable" Rachel Daly - World Cup Player England, Training with BMS since 2014 "I have been working with David for over 16 years. In that time I have gone from High School to Stanford to pro, played in 4 World Cup & Olympics!" Ali Riley - 4 Time Olympian 4 Time World Cup, Training with BMS since 2005 The Story: Nowhere in the world other than Beast Mode Soccer (BMS) will you find a more diverse and driven group of vibrant skills specialists united by a shared passion for sport. Their players and trainers are passionate, highly motivated individuals, who have dedicated their lives to pursuing greatness and transformation in all aspects of life. Here, they transform young athletes into technical, confident soccer players. Whether you are a youth club player looking to raise your game to the next level, a collegiate or professional athlete looking to fulfill your playing potential, Beast Mode Soccer will be your guide to help you accomplish your goals. At Beast Mode Soccer, they show you how you can become a better soccer player, a better soccer coach and how to smash your most desired career goals. They uphold the belief that it all starts with individual player development. Today we go into extra time "Because development takes time" with Founder and Owner of Beast Mode Soccer Dave Copeland Smith and its another very special episode.

S3 · E43

Jul 6, 2024

1:35:37

Episode 42: Season 3...In Conversation with..Neil Moore "Experience, Interviews and Surviving in professional football"

Join us as we talk to the vastly experienced Neil Moore about everything from coming up, surviving in the game, the sacrifices you will make and what its like to balance learning and developing with professional competence as you climb the ladder yourself. A deep episode with a thinker who takes the tempo down a little, so you a truly reflect on your journey and forge your own path. A great episode for aspiring coaches all around the world from a man who is in touch with his authentic self and understands the importance of vulnerability and reflection and wants to leave it better than he found it by helping you get a step up on the ladder.

S3 · E42

Jul 3, 2024

1:02:19

Episode 41: Season 3...In Conversation with...Adam Streeter Head of Leadership & Culture at Primark

Adam Streeter Linkedin Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamstreeter/?originalSubdomain=uk Adam Streeter on Team Culture is an absolutely must listen for anyone interested in high performing teams or managing people. Its literally as simple as that. If we achieve nothing else but provide a platform for people to hear from experts like Adam we are winning. His experience and insight and more than that. His ideas, which he shares with you in this episode are gold that you can take straight into your practice and will literally put more goals in, stop them at the other end and win you more games. He is that good. Adam has taken his recently taken his expertise from the football world into the business world and is the leading light on team culture for a huge company like Primark, which has 80,000 employees all over the world. This is THE episode on culture an high performance and you dont need anything else, just listen and apply...

S3 · E41

Jun 29, 2024

53:15

Episode 40: Season 3...In Conversation with... Steve Guinan, Senior Professional Game Player to Coach Lead at The Football Association

Steve is an extremely experienced former professional footballer and coach, playing in excess of 500 Football League games for a variety of clubs including Nottingham Forest, Crewe, Plymouth, Burnley, Hereford United and Cheltenham Town. He possess nearly 25 years coaching experience across a broad spectrum of roles such as within the first team environment at professional football clubs with Hereford United, Cheltenham Town, Forest Green Rovers and Kidderminster Harriers in addition to leading the football programme at nationally renowned Hartpury College and University and in more recent years, across coach education and development with the FA and PFA. He currently holds the position of "Player to Coach" lead, playing a key role in the FA’s strategy of delivering more EQC (English Qualified coaches) working across the highest level of the game and lead on a high profile, bespoke coach development programme for current and former senior England players that is named "International Player to Coach" (IP2C). Graduates from the programme include Ashely Cole, Michael Dawson, Wayne Rooney, Jack Wilshere, Leighton Baines and Carlton Cole. He takes lead responsibility for the development and delivery of the Football Association’s pathway for current and ex professional players who are transitioning from playing into coaching, facilitating the design and implementation of the FA’s elite coach qualifications and programme of continuous professional development, taking a needs-led approach in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the PL, LMA, EFL and PFA. Furthermore, He is a qualified tutor and deliverer across both the FA Level 4/UEFA A Licence and FA L5/UEFA Pro Licence qualifications plus FA Talent Identification qualifications L4 and L5 for Technical Directors, supporting learners at the highest levels of the game. He also has coaching experience at international level, leading England Universities Football plus the role of Assistant Coach to Great Britain Universities (Team GBR) Football Team at the World University Games before becoming Head Coach. Team GBR gained a silver medal at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia, 2013. As if that isn't enough credibility in itself, he is also a holder of the UEFA Pro Licence through the English FA in addition to further qualifications such as the Premier League’s Elite Head of Coaching award, Advanced Youth Award, the League Managers Association's Diploma in Football Management, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Elite Coach Development and a BSc in Sports Science. He wanted to devote his time to help aspiring coaches all across the world by coming on the podcast and its right here for you - he also provided his Linkedin page (Search Steve Guinan) for any of our listeners who wish to reach out in the future. A top football man and another amazing guest...

S3 · E40

Jun 15, 2024

1:08:00

Episode 39: Season 3...In Conversation with...the amazing Chloe McBratney "Dont let anyone tell you that you cant"

The story of todays guest Chloe McBratney, is one that will inspire millions of people around the world in the coming. months and years. She has defied all expectations in her young life to date and continues to shine as a guiding light that your circumstances do not have to define your future. In her formative years, she was formally diagnosed with bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia at just 18 months old, a condition that under develops the optic discs causing challenges to vision. One day Chloe knows she will loose her sight all together and, as she faces that fact, she intends to do as much good as she can to leave the game in a better place than she found it for her and millions of others. Now 27, today Chloe is an UEFA B coach, Welsh club Cardiff City's under-19s assistant goalkeeper coach, head coach of Barry Town FCs pan-disability team and a full-time special education needs multi-sport coach for Cardiff City Foundation. Chloe, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, first became aware of her visual impairment in primary school. She had a specialist teacher assigned to her to teach her and the teachers themselves. "My eyes themselves are healthy, but it's the optic nerves that are damaged - the visual pathway from your eyes to your brain," she explains. "As you get older you learn a lot more, I didn't understand really what a visual impairment was. To me it was just that I was half blind and couldn't see out of one eye and can kind of see out of the other. I adapted really well. I was always really adventurous, I would still go out. I would go to the park and climb trees," she said. Her parents encouraged her to do everything every other child did. "They didn't stop me from doing anything," she says. "They said 'you have to experience the world like everybody else'. "As I've got older my sight has deteriorated and I've lost more sight." Chloe has also been diagnosed with neurological condition Grey matter heterotopia, which causes her to have seizures, as well chronic illnesses including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which affects the connective tissue in her body. Chloe also lives with chronic fatigue, brain fog and chronic pain. Notwithstanding all this, Chloe has coaching dreams and aspirations and wants to inspire and offer strength to the coaching community, so she shares her story and her philosophy with us today in this very special episode of the pro player podcast.

S3 · E39

Jun 5, 2024

38:41

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