Beyond the Game: Masculinity & Mental Health in Sport Part 1

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=4tVUzsxlCCFind us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.podWrite to us: longgamepod2481@gmail.comFind Lizzy:The shelf aware podcastInstagram: @ shelfawarepodcast and @ lizzyb_readsFind Declan: Instagram: declan712Tiktok: declanmccallion1Find Silvan:Instagram: SilvatesTiktok: silvates1Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast here:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/gufn8ixF5z0Chapters00:00 Welcome to the Podcast01:21 Exploring Masculinity in Sports03:08 Lizzie's Background in Sports and Coaching06:46 The Role of Coaches in Athlete Development08:35 Differences in College Sports: US vs UK12:40 NIL Deals and Athlete Compensation16:50 The Pressure of Being a Student-Athlete20:37 Behavioral Expectations in Sports24:53 Anxiety and Performance in Athletes30:33 Mental Health Awareness in Sports36:20 The Role of the Therapist in Psychodynamic Therapy37:26 Impact of External Factors on Athletic Performance38:25 The Need for Emotional Role Models in Sports39:52 Coaching Beyond the Game: Building Relationships41:19 The Evolution of Coaching Methodologies42:24 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Coaching45:28 Challenging Traditional Gender Roles in Coaching49:29 Empowerment Through Coaching: A New Perspective54:33 The Future of Coaching: Teaching Beyond the Sport