Performing Under Pressure: Conversations With Those That Know
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The 2022 World Cup final. With 1.5 billion people watching, Kylian Mbappé steps up to take a penalty against Emiliano Martínez for the second time in a matter of minutes… as high-pressure a moment as sport can produce. But what enables someone to deliver in a moment like that, while others crumble?
Drawn from over 80 hours of interviews recorded for their acclaimed podcast, sport and performance psychology experts Dr Paul Mansell and Prof Matt Slater distil conversations with dozens of elite performers – footballers, Olympians, coaches, and the psychologists who work alongside them – into 17 core themes, from mindset, preparation, belief, and self-compassion, right through to leadership, teamwork, and recovery.
Sport psychologist Chris Shambrook pushes back on the very idea that “pressure is a privilege”. Kate Richardson-Walsh, captain of Team GB’s gold medal-winning Rio 2016 hockey team, reflects on leadership as something the whole team shares, not just the armband-wearer. Premier League footballer and England international Conor Coady explains how a group of individuals can forge a sense of togetherness. Former football international Matilde Fidalgo explains how a mistake only becomes a downward spiral if you let it define you. Their stories sit alongside the research and applied practice that explain why they work – theory grounded in lived experience.
Every chapter of Performing Under Pressure closes with a “Try this now” section – three practical, immediately usable techniques. The psychology of performing under pressure belongs to everyone facing expectation, novelty, and uncertainty, not just elite athletes. Whether stepping up to take the winning shot, leading a team, negotiating a deal, or handling a crisis, this book offers a way to think, feel, and perform better when it matters most.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Performing (Under Pressure)
2. Challenging (vs. Threating)
3. Mindsetting
4. Rationalising
5. Preparing
6. Believing
7. Controlling
8. Imaging
9. Breathing
10. Compassioning
11. Staying (in the moment)
12. Responding
13. Teaming (connecting and supporting)
14. Leading
15. Improving
16. Recovering and Resting
17. Transitioning
References
Contributors
Dan Abrahams, Azeem Amir, Harry Baker, Meg Baldwin, Dr Jamie Barker, Dr Tom Bates, Emma Biggin, Jacob Brown, Maisie Brown, Lee Burch, Stuart Carrington, Chris Casper, Seb de Chaves, Mackenzie Cherry, Tawanda Chirewa, Dr Phil Clarke, Rhian Cleverly, Conor Coady, Ryan Cockbill, Karl Colley, Jack Cuthbertson, Helen Davis, Professor Tracey Devonport, Melissa Dhillon, Dr Karla Drew, Adam Evans, Matilde Fidalgo, Joe Ford, Nicky Forster, Beatriz Gandra, Faye Gaskin, Josh Gordon, Jamie Ingram, Luther James-Wildin, Matt Jarvis, Jake Jervis, Professor Marc Jones, Professor Geir Jordet, Nathan Judah, Edgar Kazibwe, Dr Sofie Kent, Professor Andy Lane, Dave Lawrence, Greg Leigh, Lizzie Lewandowski, Nathan Magill, Kelly Massey, Jamille Matt, Dr James Maurice, Jack McMillan, Paul McVeigh, Dr Sara Mesquita, Morgan Milne, Dr Amber Mosewich, Angelina Nixon, Mark O’Brien, Andy and Issy Pearce, Courtney Pitt, Emma Quinn, Ashley Reece, Helen Richardson-Walsh MBE, Kate Richardson-Walsh OBE, Mark Roberts, Shaun Rogers, Danny Schofield, Dr Chris Shambrook, Matt Smith, Dr Katie Sparks, Sara Svoboda, Dr Ella Tagliavini, Dr Martin Turner, Robbie Udberg, Phil Walklate, Nick Welch, Merrick Will, Ben Williams, Dr Mark Williams, Ellie Wilson, Kane Wilson, Sam Winnall, Dr Andrew Wood
Publication date: 30 October 2026 | Print and eBook formats | 324 pages / 118,000 words | £24.99 paperback | £12.99 eBook | ISBN: 9781914066566
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