In this episode, I have an engaging conversation with Ben Ryan, the Director of Elite Performance at Brentford FC. With a background in teaching, professional rugby, and being the most successful men's rugby sevens coach in the world, Ben has a wealth of experience in handling pressure.
His book, Sevens Heaven, recounts his incredible journey coaching the under-resourced Fiji 7s team to their first-ever Olympic Gold in 2016. This achievement led to numerous accolades, including his face being featured on Fijian banknotes and coins, as well as being named a Fijian tribal chief.
During our discussion, Ben shares valuable insights on:
Outline📍
00:00 Intro
02:33 What does pressure mean to you?
04:14 Do you remember the first time you felt pressure?
06:43 Constructive failure: Did that help you manage the pressure?
08:59 How do you spot players who are starting to be under pressure?
12:08 What are your top interventions when you see a player under pressure?
14:40 Transferrable skills between sports and business
19:48 Consistency
24:33 What pushed to you go into the job in Fiji?
30:11 Insight 1: Lessons learned
36:12 How do you promote the value of enjoying the game at Brentford FC?
41:45 Personally, what was the worst pressure you ever faced?
45:17 External perspective
50:00 The relationship between recovery and performance
51:08 Insight 2: Lessons learned
54:06 What would be your advice to people, on how to be better under pressure?
57:35 Outro
