In this episode of Mindclickers, I’m joined by Jacqui Louder, Sports Psychologist for both Collingwood Football Club (AFL) and Melbourne Storm (NRL). With decades of experience working with elite athletes, Jacqui brings deep insight into the mental side of high-performance sport from dealing with pressure in front of massive crowds to identity struggles after injury or retirement.

We break down:
Her journey into elite sport psychology
How to support athletes new to performance mindset work
Resistance to change and "I've always done it this way" thinking
Managing ego, team culture, and communication
Burnout recognition and mental fatigue
The power of staying present and reframing pressure
And the importance of psychological flexibility across teams

Whether you’re an athlete, coach, or esports competitor, this episode is filled with powerful tools and reflections on what it means to perform at your best mentally and emotionally.

0:00 - Introduction
1:10 - Jacqui's Introduction to High Performance
6:00 - First experiences with someone not having had performance support
8:22 - Multidisciplinary team provision
9:20 - Resistance to support & behaviour change principles
11:20 - Traditional sport teammate connections
13:00 - Individualised approach to performance vs teams
14:30 - Dealing with a loss individually
17:00 - Expectations and results pressure
18:30 - No underdog mindset
20:20 - “Can’t lose” reframing approach
21:00 - Being in the moment
23:00 - Placebo effects in performance
25:40 - Performing in front of a crowd
27:00 - “Control what you can control”
28:45 - Navigating social media as a professional player
32:00 - Managing ego in high-performance teams
32:45 - Identity challenges after injury/retirement
34:30 - Personal identity vs professional identity
36:00 - Personality traits & team culture development
39:00 - Communication as a growth tool
41:00 - “No yeah but” syndrome
42:00 - Understanding and accepting compliments
43:20 - Feedback delivery frameworks
45:30 - Getting feedback from athletes first
47:00 - “What did I do wrong?” reframes
47:40 - Timeout dynamics and decision making
49:00 - 5 types of one-minute timeouts
52:00 - Recognising and managing burnout patterns
53:50 - “Manage your moments, or they manage you”
55:00 - Advice for younger athletes
58:00 - “Delayed doesn’t mean denied”

🔗 Jacqui Louder Socials
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-louder-74680a4a/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacquilouder/?hl=en

🎧 Mindclickers Podcast
Website: https://www.mindclickers.com/
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