Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Elite Professional Women’s Football

Hannah Bromley is a Sport Performance Psychologist and former professional and international athlete. Hannah is on a mission to help athletes put the stoke back in their game and reach their peak performance by using mindset insights, tools and techniques. When Hannah’s not consulting with athletes via hbathletemindset.com you’ll find her chasing waves up and down the east coast of Australia and around the world.
In this episode I was joined by former professional footballer Hannah Bromley where we had a fascinating conversation. We discussed the pressures of playing international football, playing overseas in different cultures and how this went on to impact her performance levels. Coach communication was part of our conversation too as well as mental health, bulimia, bullying and her passion for sports psychology. It’s well worth a listen!
Key Learning Points:
- The highs and the lows of professional sport were a big part of the conversation and in Hannah’s words were “incredible.”
- Not knowing the language when playing overseas can be a barrier and impact your confidence levels.
- The younger Hannah would have benefitted by having better daily habits and reaching out for support.
- Conflict resolution is a skill that can be developed.
- Effective coach communication is vital and has a big influence on a players’ welfare, mindset and performance levels.
- Seeing the coach as a person and not placing them on a pedestal is helpful for a player.
- Developing a psychologically safe environment is essential for players to be able to fully express themselves.
Connect with Hannah Bromley
Connect with David Charlton
Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST
Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub
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To Listen to Football or Soccer Podcast Episodes
Ep027: Natalie Henderson – How to Develop Mental Toughness with Young Footballers
Ep064: Edu Rubio – How to Support Young Footballers
Ep069: David Charlton – David on Being Tough Vs Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin Part 1
Ep093: Dan Abrahams – How to Overcome Mental Blocks in Football
Ep096: Gary Curneen – Developing Mentally Strong Footballers
Other Football or Soccer Resources
Psychology in Football or Soccer Blogs
Blog 5 Coaching Tips to Develop Mentally Tough Footballers
Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform?
Blog: 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment
Blog: Supporting a Professional Footballer during Challenging Times
Blog: 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport
Vlog: How Mental Toughness Helps us Understand Psychological Safety with Doug Strycharczyk
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Best Wishes
David Charlton
Global Sports Psychologist who is located near Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK and willing to travel Internationally. David also uses online video conferencing software (Zoom, Facetime, WhatsApp) on a regular basis and has clients who he has supported in USA, Canada, South America, UAE, Australian and New Zealand.
Managing Director – Inspiring Sporting Excellence and Founder of The Sports Psychology Hub. With over 10 years experience supporting athletes, coaches, parents and teams to achieve their goals, quickly.
T: +44 7734 697769