2) What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport? I think my biggest accomplishment in my sport is the fact that I have continued to play it for so long. I love this game. 3) What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success? I am currently working on my explosive power as well as my speed. These are keys to the success of a goalkeeper to be able to get up and down to make saves and speed is important all around but particularly when coming off your line. 4) What would be your ultimate achievement? My ultimate achievement at the present time would be to make the World Cup 2015 in Canada and then to be selected to be apart of the team that goes. 5) What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge? As the second goalkeeper for Scotland, I believe my biggest challenge is continuing to stay on top of my game, in hope that my chance to play comes. With the ability and talent of the goalkeepers coming up behind me, my challenge is to make sure I keep myself fit and healthy and play to the best of my ability, always. 6) What 1-2 things do you believe makes you different from fellow competitors who have tailed off in their athletic participation and abilities? I think my love for the game mostly. But also my willingness and commitment to do whatever it takes. 7) Do you have any recommended resources to share (books, seminars, websites, coaches)? I really enjoy reading articles on goalkeeping. One I read recently was this, http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/15126/9282212/hart-to-heart Joe Hart speaking about his experiences and thoughts on goalkeeping. 8) What was the best advice you were ever given? I think the best advice I have ever been given is to always be my best self. This is something that can inspire you in all aspects of life. Even when things do not seem to be going your way, to stay true to yourself and believe in yourself. 9) Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by? oh yellow. everyday. 10) Where do you draw your inspiration from? I draw my inspiration from the amazing people I have the privilege of having in my life. I am me, because of them. 11) How has sport psychology helped you with your performance? I believe the mental side of sports is so important. As I have gotten older I have taken a lot more appreciation towards sports psychology and how much it can help. I think it is something that is bypassed far too easily, because when we are physically injured, there is no stigma towards going to see a Physio, but, there is still that lack of openness to get help for the mind. I think sport psychology has helped me to feel more calm and free about training and playing. Which then helps me to be able to use my energy in more powerful ways. 12) What do you think athlete’s opinion of hiring a sport psychologist is? And what benefits do you think people would gain from having sport psychology support? My opinion is, do it. If you feel there is something holding you back, then I think there is no harm in speaking about it and getting help to understand more about the way your mind works. It can help you in so many aspects of your game and life in general. 13) What type of things do you think a sport psychologist can help with? Or what things has being involved in sport psychology helped you with? It can help you put your mind in the right direction. For instance, if you tell yourself you can't do something, then you won't be able to.. With help in sport psychology, they can help you to tell yourself things like, I will score a goal today, or I can make that top corner save. It is all about believing in yourself, that helps you achieve the unexpected. 14) What things can coaches do to motivate you and make you perform at your best? What things does your coach (previous coach) do to build your confidence and motivate you? I think coaches can motivate by being supportive and approachable. And then in turn, that they are motivated and excited to be coaching you. My goalkeeper coach in particular has helped my confidence in telling me to believe in myself. Their motivation towards goalkeeping helps my motivation in wanting to be better and be the best I can be. 15) What things does your coach (and previous coaches) do that makes you feel worse about performing/distract you/make your performance decrease? I think something that has made me feel worse in the past is when a coach has told me something I am doing wrong, but then not helped me to fix it. I had a conditioning coach once make the whole team continue running because I could not make the line fast enough for any sprint. Even though I was working the hardest I could. I think sometimes coaches need to realise when their player is working to the highest of their ability instead of embarrassing them in front of everyone. 16) What advice would you give coaches to help get the best out of their athletes? My advice would be to keep a disciplined yet open environment. I think that there should always be standards set but that a coach should also be approachable. I think that no matter what level a coach is at, they should always be open to learn more and more and not think they are always right. 17) What advice would you give athletes to help them perform at their best? I would tell athletes to try and be as free and calm as they can be. To believe in themselves and their ability to be the best. Wake up in the morning and tell yourself what you are going to achieve. Be you. 18) How would you like to see womens' sport in years to come? What progress have you noticed in recent years? I would like to see women's sport continue to grow the way I have seen it progress in recent years. It would be fantastic to see people take more interest and awareness in the women's game and to see the numbers at games rise.
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2) What is your biggest accomplishment in your sports?
3) What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success? The quality, quantity and detailed nature of my sessions on a weekly basis are key to allowing me to perform to the best of my ability and for a long period of time. 4) What would be your ultimate achievement? To play professionally. 5) What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge? I am probably my biggest challenge. I need to manage everything I do, from my diet, my lifestyle, my training, everything to the last detail has to be thought about and worked on so I can ultimately achieve my goal. 6) What 1-2 things do you believe makes you different from fellow competitors who have tailed off in their athletic participation and abilities? Fearless on the pitch, and I really focus on my technical ability. I am a perfectionist on the pitch, always expect the best at everything I do. 7) Do you have any recommended resources to share (books, seminars, websites, coaches)? I’m always looking for different things that would improve my game, I religiously get the 442 magazine and go straight to the performance chapter. 8) What was the best advice you were ever given? It is such a simple thing that was said to me, by a coach I really admire and has helped a lot, but it was just "put your head down, do the hard work and you will get there". 9) Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by? Not particularly, I try to just be laid back, which proved to be a challenge for me. 10) Where do you draw your inspiration from? Wanting to win! 11) How has sport psychology helped you with your performance? Personally sports psychology has helped my performances because it has helped me improve my character on the pitch, with the help of psychologists I have learned to be more calm, and to just keep digging away at my goals. 12) What do you think athlete’s opinion of hiring a sport psychologist is? And what benefits do you think people would gain from having sport psychology support? I know some athletes believe that it is useless, people think sport is soley based on physical, technical and tactic aspects. I believe that the mental aspect is one of the biggest factors in high level sport. In my opinion hiring a sports psychologist isn’t going to ever have a detrimental effect on your performance, so at the end of the day you either listen and apply it or don’t. 13) What type of things do you think a sport psychologist can help with? Or what things has being involved in sport psychology helped you with? A sports psychologist can help you in more ways than I ever thought they could, sport psychology plays a part in your character building, your technical performance, your tactical ability and your physical capacity. 14) What things can coaches do to motivate you and make you perform at your best? What things does your coach (previous coach) do to build your confidence and motivate you? To be honest, when it comes to game days I like to be left and not bombarred with information and inspirational speeches. Training is when I like to be given information whether its about how I have to play, or improvements I need to make on my game. I'm not big on praise being given to me and a pat on the back everytime I do something good. I'm at the stage in my career that I know myself if I have done bad or good. All the coaches I work with now or recently know this about me, so I am normally just left to get on with things. 15) What things does your coach (and previous coaches) do that makes you feel worse about performing/distract you/make your performance decrease? I used to get so worked up if I was getting shouted at for doing something wrong and used to think that coaches were on my case all the time, which did have a detrimental effect on my performances. But through growing up and maturing, and also the help of sports psychology that isn’t the case anymore. 16) What advice would you give coaches to help get the best out of their players? The one bit of advice for coaches would be that they have to learn the needs of each individual player and work around that, some players like/need praise to perform at their best, other don’t. Some need motivated others don’t. It's all about learning about each individual and what works best for them. 17) What advice would you give players to help them perform at their best? Block out what they don’t what or what is going to have a negative effect on them and seek what they know will allow them to perform at their best. |
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