Show Notes
In this episode of the podcast, Silvan and Declan are joined by special guest Lizzy, who is a college athletics coach, former competitive thrower, and co-host of the Shelf aware Podcast, for a conversation about masculinity, sport, and emotional expression.
Drawing on her lived experience as both an athlete and a coach working closely with young men in sport, Lizzy offers an insider perspective on the pressures, expectations, and unspoken rules that shape male athletes. We explore how environments like hockey and elite sport more broadly, rewarding emotional suppression, reinforce narrow definitions of masculinity and often leave little room for vulnerability.
We also unpack the contrasting ways characters like Shane and Ilya navigate these pressures, linking their behaviours to real-world dynamics in coaching, team culture, and performance psychology. Our conversation moves between theory and lived experience, touching on concepts like anxiety and performance, the role of coaches as emotional role models and the long-term impact of treating athletes as commodities rather than people.
Lizzie also reflects candidly on her experience as a woman coaching in a male-dominated space, highlighting the challenges and the unique opportunities to shift culture.
This is part one of a two-part discussion, so be sure to tune in next week for part two for more analysis.
The next episode of the podcast will be published on Sunday 26th April at 10am (GMT).
Join our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCC
Find us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.pod Write to us: [email protected]
Find Lizzy: The shelf aware podcast Instagram: @ shelfawarepodcast and @ lizzyb_reads
Find Declan: Instagram: declan712 Tiktok: declanmccallion1
Find Silvan: Instagram: Silvates Tiktok: silvates1
Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697
Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/gufn8ixF5z0
Chapters 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 01:21 Exploring Masculinity in Sports 03:08 Lizzie's Background in Sports and Coaching 06:46 The Role of Coaches in Athlete Development 08:35 Differences in College Sports: US vs UK 12:40 NIL Deals and Athlete Compensation 16:50 The Pressure of Being a Student-Athlete 20:37 Behavioral Expectations in Sports 24:53 Anxiety and Performance in Athletes 30:33 Mental Health Awareness in Sports 36:20 The Role of the Therapist in Psychodynamic Therapy 37:26 Impact of External Factors on Athletic Performance 38:25 The Need for Emotional Role Models in Sports 39:52 Coaching Beyond the Game: Building Relationships 41:19 The Evolution of Coaching Methodologies 42:24 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Coaching 45:28 Challenging Traditional Gender Roles in Coaching 49:29 Empowerment Through Coaching: A New Perspective 54:33 The Future of Coaching: Teaching Beyond the Sport
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