'Soft psychologists', concussion concerns and AI's brush with boxing

From head injury cover ups to AI-informed analysis of boxing bouts, a round up of the latest sport psychology news and views

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Sometimes, resorting to cliche is essential. Whenever Sean Dyche, Everton’s unmistakeable manager, is mentioned in the media, the accompanying narrative tends to be about caveman tactics or his penchant for gruff soundbites. There’s rarely a discussion about his appreciation of sport psychology.

More’s the pity. Following his team’s defeat against Bournemouth, Dyche - who has repeatedly stated the importance of psychological support in sport - once again banged the drum:

‘The game has changed radically. Part of your role now is soft psychologist. I’m not a trained psychologist, but you’re kind of a psychologist from years of doing what you do.'

It’s a salient point. All coaches are psychologists to some degree, whether they want to be or not. In this issue of the Mind Room, we’ll be looking at examples of the support managers are providing to teams on both sides of the Atlantic, as well diving into the mental training undertaken by NFL kickers and a new study of AI’s ability to analyse a boxer’s psyche.