Women's Football Hub

Podcast Guest: Mark Eastup, Sport and Exercise Psychologist in Training
Editor & Host: Dr Ian Cookson

When it comes to sport psychology in football, most people think of mental skills like confidence, focus, or handling nerves. But what if the real work starts not with technique, but with authenticity?

In this week’s Women’s Football Hub podcast, Dr Ian Cookson sits down with Mark Eastup, a sport and exercise psychologist in training, to explore Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) a modern approach that is gaining traction in both clinical settings and high-performance sport. Mark brings a unique perspective, blending his background in mental health services with practical experience in women’s football, netball, and rugby league.

What is ACT – and Why Should Football Care?

ACT (pronounced as a word, not an acronym) is part of the “third wave” of cognitive behavioural therapies. Where traditional CBT might ask you to change your negative thoughts, ACT focuses on helping you accept them and move forward in line with your values.

It all comes down to psychological flexibility: the ability to stay present, make room for difficult feelings, and still act in ways that matter to you. This makes ACT a natural fit for football, where players, coaches, and teams face pressure, setbacks, and emotionally-charged environments week after week.

“It’s about how you want to treat yourself and others,” says Mark. “Your values become your compass not a destination, but a direction to keep you grounded.”

From the Dugout to the Dressing Room: Real-Life Impact

One of the standout themes of the episode is how ACT works in practice. Mark shares a compelling case of working with a coach who was struggling with consistency in his emotional responses during matches.

What began as casual side-of-the-pitch conversations evolved into a deeper exploration of his coaching philosophy. Together, they unpacked the coach’s core values things like honesty, compassion, and composure and then identified the real-life behaviours that would embody these on the pitch.

“We weren’t just talking psychology,” Mark explains. “We were aligning who he wanted to be with how he behaved in high-pressure moments. ACT helped create that bridge.”

This wasn’t about enforcing a model or delivering ‘interventions’. It was about relationship-building, listening, and providing support that fit the person a truly person-centred approach. And while the work was done with the coach, the ripple effect was felt throughout the team.

Players, Coaches, Parents: It’s a System

What’s especially refreshing about this episode is its emphasis on the football ecosystem. Often, sport psychology is seen as something done one-on-one with elite players. But Mark argues for a broader lens.

Coaches, players, and parents all form part of a young athlete’s environment. The way a coach reacts on the sidelines, or how a parent talks about setbacks in the car ride home, can shape how a player views pressure, performance, and self-worth.

“Psychology should trickle through the system,” Mark notes. “By working with coaches, we can influence how players think and feel about their own game.”

Can ACT Work with Children?

Yes but it needs adaptation. When working with youth players, Mark suggests avoiding clinical terms like “values” and instead using questions like:

What do you care about?

What kind of teammate do you want to be?

How do you want people to talk about you when you move clubs?

These prompts can form the basis for team-wide discussions that build shared values and deeper relationships. It’s not about forcing maturity but helping young athletes start reflecting on what matters to them on and off the pitch.

Why Values Matter

At the core of ACT is the concept of values-led behaviour. This isn’t just about picking abstract words and sticking them on a locker room wall. It’s about defining what those words look like in action.

So if a player chooses “honesty” as a core value, they might ask:

Am I open about my performance even when it’s poor?

Do I give honest feedback to teammates in a constructive way?

Do I admit when I’m struggling or need help?

This practical grounding helps players and coaches behave in ways that align with who they want to be even when things get tough.

“Be yourself,” Mark says. “That’s the takeaway. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.”

It sounds simple, but in a world where pressure to perform can force athletes into roles that don’t feel true to them, it’s a powerful message.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

ACT isn’t about eliminating negative thoughts it’s about accepting them and staying true to your values
Coaches are key influencers in player behaviour and mindset
Working with values helps teams build a shared identity
Sport psychology isn’t just for players it can support parents and coaches too
ACT is flexible and humanistic, making it ideal for long-term athlete development

Listen to the full episode on your favourite platform and visit www.womensfootballhub.com for more content on the intersection of performance, wellbeing, and women’s football.

Hashtags: #WomensFootball #ACTinSport #SportPsychology #FootballCoaching #PlayerDevelopment #MentalHealthInSport
Acknowledgement: This blog was created with support from ChatGPT and checked and edited by the podcast host.