Listen Now

Will Moulton hosts the latest episode of SportSpiel with GB Hockey stars Emily Defroand and Tess Howard. Like many athletes both Emily and Tess were gearing up towards Tokyo 2020, along with the rest of the GB Hockey team - a competition that would be the pinnacle of their careers. Of course, the global pandemic had other ideas with the Olympic Games postponed until next year. But rather than let that delay disillusion them, the GB squad have turned that into a huge positive. It means they will have another year to prepare to fight for a medal at consecutive Games. On this episode both Emily and Tess explain how they have used the time to educate themselves on social injustices and explore other passions outside of the playing field.  Both of them are part of the Women's Sport Trust's #UNLOCKED campaign and they have also each launched exciting individual projects - Tess' Freesolo Hockey, and Emily's popular Cuppa N Natter podcast.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Images: With thanks to GB HockeyMusic: Otis McDonald

Changing Lives FC are a football team with a story. Every training session, and during every game, you can hear around a dozen different languages – that’s because each member of the squad is a migrant, refugee or asylum seeker. All of them have fled war, terror or they are in desperate search for a better life. They are all young men who would be extremely vulnerable if left to fend for themselves. Joining us on this podcast is their manager David Simmons, a PE teacher living in Harlow, in Essex, who is also the founder of Changing Lives Community Services – a project dedicated to keeping vulnerable youngsters out of the hands of gangs and violence. David is no stranger to extraordinary journeys – he was once threatened by a six-year-old with a knife, which is partly what motivated him to step up and make a difference. But this football team has been a challenge like no other. Getting a group of players who don’t all speak the same language is difficult enough in itself but that’s made all the more harder by the discrimination that swirls them. According to David, the team have been plagued by incidents of racist abuse and further discrimination from some opponents – he has even had to invest in a video camera he feels he needs to protect his players.  As David says – racism is still happening every Sunday, and it’s something that needs kicking out of the game.*** NOTE ***SportSpiel also approached the Harlow and District Football League for a response but received it after episode production had concluded. You can find the response below:League secretary, Alvyn Charles, said: "I am deeply saddened to hear that Mr Simmons has made these comments about the racism his team has experienced.  "The two incidents that have been brought to my attention by Mr Simmons were deemed on both occasions to not be of a racist content. As HDFL is a multi-cultural league, if there were any forms of racism we instruct all teams that if/when it occurs we have procedures in place and always have informed the Essex FA who themselves would conduct their own investigation." MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Images: With thanks to Changing Lives FCMusic: Otis McDonald

Will Moulton hosts this episode of SportSpiel with We are Girls in Sport founders Caroline Kings and Jo Wimble-Groves. The pair have an identical vision on the importance of sport to girls and that was how We are Girls in Sport was born in early 2020. The global movement looks to share the stories and remarkable achievements of girls and women in every sport you could possibly imagine. Put simply, you have to seem them to be them and through that ethos We are Girls in Sport are looking to increase the participation and retention of females in sport.  There has been such a growth in women's sport recently - now is the time to keep pushing it more than ever.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Music: Otis McDonald

Alasdair Hooper hosts the latest episode of The Women's Football Diary with Aston Villa defender Anita Asante.The England international, and former Arsenal and Chelsea player, is one of the most successful players around but her journey has coincided with plenty of personal realisations along the way. Right now she is homing in on the norm, or rather society’s perception of what is normal. That ranges from body image to the current situation around the Black Lives Matter movement and is why she says those perceptions need to change. She’s had plenty of personal experience with going against the perceived norm - she knew herself that she was different from an early age, but it wasn’t until her football career took her outside of this country that she actually openly came out to her parents. A large part of that was that word again – the norm.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/Join the conversation on social media using #WomensFootballDiary Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credit: With thanks to Jules PRMusic: Dan Henig

Alasdair Hooper and Will Moulton host a special discussion episode on body image in women's sport, in association with The Mintridge Foundation and Limitless. Joining us to pick apart the issue and share their own experiences are Olympic gold medal-winning Great Britain hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh as well as England Rugby internationals Justine Lucas and Zoe Harrison. Body image is an incredibly complex issue that impacts so many in sport and society - and it's widespread.Just last week MPs warned that closing gyms during lockdown led to rise in people feeling insecure about their bodies. According to an online poll by the Women and Equalities Committee two-thirds of under-18s and 61 per cent of adults feel negative or very negative about their body image most of the time. Throughout this discussion so many things come to light - the problems with kit, the pressure to look a certain way and also the stereotype for women that being muscly means you might be gay. But ultimately there is one massive takeaway everyone should be able to agree on. It's time we stopped forgetting about women in sport.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Extended thanks go to The Mintridge Foundation and Limitless for organising this podcastMusic: Otis McDonald

Alasdair Hooper hosts the fourth episode of The Women's Football Diary with West Ham United defender Maz Pacheco.The USA scholarship system has long been a huge draw for promising women’s footballers in this country – but Pacheco did things her own way. Eleven days after signing for West Ham in the summer, the left-back graduated from Sheffield University with a law degree. That was the culmination of three years of incredibly hard work.  A law degree is no easy feat anyway but it was made much harder by the fact she was playing professionally for Reading in the WSL during those last two years.But at the heart of that dedication, other than obviously wanting it for herself and her family, was to prove to other players that you didn’t have to go the States to get an education and play football. Pacheco herself even turned down a scholarship at Harvard in order to pursue her career at home.Ultimately that decision also shows the pull power the WSL has in this country – not only is the league attracting players from abroad now, but it is also keeping players here.Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/Join the conversation on social media using #WomensFootballDiary Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credit: With thanks to Forte Sports ManagementMusic: Dan Henig  

Alasdair Hooper hosts the third episode of The Women's Football Diary with former Wolfsburg, PSG and FC Rosengard forward Ella Masar.Masar is currently on one of the biggest journeys of her life right now as she currently gets to grips with being a mum for the very first time alongside her partner, Real Madrid defender Babett Peter. Their son was born earlier in September and, just as with any new parents, it is sure to be challenge particularly with the small matter of a global pandemic still going on in the background. But Masar has already experienced massive challenges in her life – from struggling to accept her own sexuality by the age of 25 to the difficulties presented in her teenage years where money was tight, and her mum was battling with bipolar disorder. But throughout it all Masar has always held on during the tough times for that light at the end of the tunnel. In this podcast we spoke a matter of days before the US international was due to give birth and it’s clear just how much the 34-year-old has learnt from her incredible life experiences already.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/Join the conversation on social media using #WomensFootballDiary Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credit: With thanks to Doyenne SportMusic: Dan Henig

Alasdair Hooper hosts the first episode of The Women's Football Diary with Wales' record goalscorer Helen Ward.In an open conversation the Watford captain tells us about her career, including the biggest challenge of them all - motherhood. The 34-year-old is a mum of two and also explains just how tough it was to get back to playing after becoming a mum in the first place.Ward also tells us about life in lockdown and how the Welsh setup has changed in her time with the national team.She also talks about Watford's aims for the season and how body image issues in women's football have gone under the radar.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/Join the conversation on social media using #WomensFootballDiary Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credit: With thanks to NA SportMusic: Dan HenigExtended thanks goes to NA Sport for their help in securing this interview

Will Moulton hosts this latest episode of SportSpiel with Scotland Rugby stars Rhona Lloyd and Sarah Bonar. Alongside their exploits in rugby the duo are also known for hosting the Women Who Sport podcast, designed to raise the platform and showcase the journeys of talented women in sport. In this episode the pair take us through their sport and what makes it truly inclusive for everyone regardless of their body size as well as touching on their own personal careers. They also talk about the aims of Women Who Sport and what platform the podcast has given them.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credit: With thanks to Rhona Lloyd and Sarah BonarMusic: Otis McDonald

Open water swimmer Alice Dearing is often asked the same questions about being the black swimmer from Britain. According to figures from Sport England, 95% of black adults and 80% of black children in England do not swim. Meanwhile just 1% of registered competitive swimmers with Swim England identify as black or mixed race. Those numbers mean that 23-year-old Alice has essentially become the poster girl for black swimming. It’s a role she takes in her stride. She co-founded the Black Swimming Association in March this year and has teamed up with SOUL CAP, a black-owned brand that creates larger swimming caps for those with larger hair. In light of the Black Lives Matter movement too, questions about race and equality are rightly on the agenda. For Alice that means talking about those issues whenever it arises but it’s something that shouldn’t really exist in the first place. In this podcast Alice also takes us through her most challenging moment when she was taken off of funding and left the national swimming centre back in 2017. As she says, her self-worth was wrapped up in swimming and that was a lesson she probably needed. She also talks about sexism in women’s sport and the pressures from society that dictate sportswomen should look a certain way.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credit: With thanks to Alice DearingMusic: Otis McDonald

When you ask Livvy Breen what her biggest challenge has been the answer is almost like a reflex - Rio 2016 Going into those Paralympic Games, Livvy was one of the breakout stars to watch but things didn’t exactly go to plan. Yet from that lowest low came her highest high. The Rio experience led to her changing coach, changing her training location and essentially changing her life. 10 months later she became World Champion. These days Livvy is one of the most recognisable British athletes and has been a fighter right from day one. But even with the weird circumstances we find ourselves in right now with all things coronavirus, even now the 24-year-old is doing what she can to raise awareness. Her particular focus right now is on face masks, something we all have to get used to, but face masks make it very difficult if you’re deaf and reliant on lip reading, just like Livvy. In this episode Livvy takes us through these important issues, the high and lows of her career and she explains why you should always keep fighting no matter what.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credit: With thanks to Olivia BreenMusic: Otis McDonald

This weekend's episode of SportSpiel is a little bit different - but arguably one of our most important shows. On July 10 we hosted a live panel organised by our wonderful charity partners The Mintridge Foundation as part of their 28NotOut campaign – all about Mental Health and sport. The event was held to raise money for the Max Hunter fund, and Max was a hugely important person to a lot of people. Tragically last year he died by suicide at the age of just 28. So that was one of the aims of this live panel – to normalise the conversations around mental health and the benefit of sport. Helping us do that were four amazing panellists. First up we had England Rugby and Leicester Tigers star Dan Cole who told us about some of his own experiences as well as plenty of rugby conversation along the way – from the highs of the 2019 World Cup to the lows of the 2015 tournament and battles with injury. As well as Dan we were also joined by psychotherapist Gemma Saggers, Liam Durkin from the Papyrus charity who focus on the prevention of young suicide and also Dan Griffin from Stamford Rugby club who was a close friend of Max. There’s a lot to learn from this live panel and we hope you enjoy the evening as much as we did.MessagesFor more information on #28NotOut click hereFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com

Alasdair Hooper and Will Moulton host this special episode with former cricketer Patrick Foster as part of The Mintridge Foundation’s #28NotOut – raising money for the Max Hunter Fund. This is one of the most eye-opening and honest accounts we have ever hosted on this podcast as Patrick takes us through his journey with a severe gambling addiction. It’s an addiction that has plagued his life for years and drove him to the brink of suicide. But it all changed with a truly vital phone call to his brother – and that’s what led him down the road to recovery. Now the ambassador for The Mintridge Foundation uses his experiences to educate others to the dangers and also to push for a greater understanding of mental health. That’s the overall message we want to send as part of #28NotOut – to normalise these types of conversations.MessagesFor more information on #28NotOut click hereFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Music: Otis McDonald

Katie Taylor needs no introduction to sports fans.  The two-weight World Champion is a boxing pioneer, transcends her sport in ways few can match and has inspired thousands of people. One of those thousands was a 16-year-old Shamrock Rovers footballer who dreamt of playing for Arsenal - Gráinne Walsh. After meeting Taylor, the now 24-year-old was inspired to take up the sport and, just four years later, they were competing on the same team as each other.It's the perfect example of how a role model can change what you want from life.Gráinne's own career is also picking up pace after winning bronze at the 2019 European Games in Minsk. The dream is now very much centred on Olympic qualification - a dream that remains alive after a ruptured thumb ligament in January this year.For Gráinne, she was incredibly thankful when Tokyo 2020 became Tokyo 2021.MessagesFor tickets and information about our #28NotOut event with England Rugby star Dan Cole click here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/28-not-out-mental-health-sport-panel-with-sportspiel-tickets-107528791510?aff=ebdssbonlinesearchFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credits: With thanks to Gráinne WalshMusic: Otis McDonald

Depression, anxiety, stress and self-doubt – these are just some of your mind’s monsters. It’s something Hazel Gale is all too familiar with, having been plagued by her doubting voice during her boxing and kickboxing career. The voice is one thing, but it’s the impact it has on the rest of the body that proved to be her undoing. Hazel was petrified of looking weak and that fear took over. It resulted in overtraining, chronic fatigue, stress and depression. Eventually boxing ‘broke her’. Today, Hazel is a cognitive hypnotherapist having discovered the form of therapy when she was at her lowest. She’s also the author of the book The Mind Monster Solution: How to overcome self-sabotage & reclaim your life. She’s now in a position to help others tame their own mind monsters, but it’s been a long road to get to this position.MessagesFor more information on cognitive hypnotherapy and Hazel’s book you can do so here - https://hazelgale.com/For tickets and information about our #28NotOut event with England Rugby star Dan Cole click here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/28-not-out-mental-health-sport-panel-with-sportspiel-tickets-107528791510?aff=ebdssbonlinesearchFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credits: With thanks to Greg Funnell and Hazel GaleMusic: Otis McDonald

Will Moulton hosts this SportSpiel feature interview with England cricketers - and best friends - Alex Hartley and Kate Cross. Together Alex and Kate host the No Balls podcast and they give us an insight into how their popular podcast came about. We also hear the origins of some of the more unique features of their show - such as the ever-popular relationship advice.Their friendship may be best described as a 'car crash' by Kate - after it started with an actual car crash - but the inseparable pair also explain just how important their relationship is. No matter how difficult something is, they always have their friendship to lean on.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Music: Otis McDonald

Alasdair Hooper and Will Moulton host the 100th episode of SportSpiel. To mark the occasion this edition of the podcast is a special compilation show made up of six interviews that had an impact on us and on our listeners. They are interviews where we learned something for the first time, where we were taught how to battle back in the face of adversity and how the word 'no' doesn't have to mean 'no'. They are stories that needed to be told, and stories that required immense bravery to open up about. With the world now completely changed thanks to a virus, they are messages we could all do with hearing right now. Featuring: Beth Dobbin - Listen to the full interview here Sammi Kinghorn - Listen to the full interview here Ruth Fox - Listen to the full interview here Marilyn Okoro and Laura Sugar - Listen to the full interview here Stacey Copeland - Listen to the full interview hereMessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com CreditsMusic: Otis McDonald

Alasdair Hooper hosts this SportSpiel feature interview with Middlesex and Scotland cricketer Olivia Rae. Life in coronavirus lockdown has had an impact on everyone, but what happens when you’ve put so much effort towards achieving your dream of playing your sport professionally and then this happens? On this edition of the podcast, Olivia takes us through exactly that. After working so hard towards becoming a professional player everything is now on hold thanks to the current situation we all find ourselves in But this is just a small part of the conversation on this episode, as Olivia takes us through the mental health and anxiety battles she has gone through over the last few years. She’s in a positive place now, but that wasn’t the case a few months back. Here she details what happened to her and – more importantly – how she managed to build herself a support network to help herself out of it.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image credit: With thanks to Middlesex Cricket Music: Otis McDonald

Will Moulton hosts this SportSpiel feature interview with former British athlete Jenny Meadows. In the first episode recorded since the UK-wide lockdown was imposed the World and European 800m medalist tells all about life right now in these unprecedented times. But the Olympian also takes us through her role with social enterprise Totally Runable. Together with fellow Olympian Emily Freeman, Jenny is launching a new initiative aimed at inspiring girls to get active. The poster campaign on crowdfunding site Kickstarter asks supporters to pledge anything from £3 up to £5,000 to be a part of the project with rewards for those who pledge The aim is to raise a total of £6,000 that will allow the team to share photos of girls aged 10-15 doing sports they love with an initial round of 2,500 UK primary schools, aiming to help close the Gender Sport Gap.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits A special thank you to goes to Totally Runable for their ongoing work Music: Otis McDonald

Alasdair Hooper hosts this SportSpiel feature interview with basketball player, poet and campaigner Asma Elbadawi. From a very young age, Asma has always been someone to highlight any inequalities she saw. As it says in her Twitter bio, reframing stereotypes is part of who she is. To many people she is the person who successfully campaigned for the International Basketball Federation to allow the hijab. As she says in this episode, she never wanted someone younger than her to say they couldn’t compete in the sport because they weren’t allowed to wear the hijab. If you take it back even further, to when Asma was younger, she never saw women – specifically muslim women – in sport. The restrictions in place were a large part of the reason as to why that was the case. It takes a lot for someone to recognise those issues in the first place but it also takes a lot for someone to make a move and change them. That’s what Asma Elbadawi did - she fought for, and made, those changes.MessagesFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportspielpod/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits A special thank you to The Mintridge Foundation for helping us secure this interviewMusic: Otis McDonald