Sportspiel

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. Messages 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/ 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 here Messages Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook -

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. Messages Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Faceb

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. Messages Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow

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. Messages Follow

Alasdair Hooper and Will Moulton are joined by GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre for their live show at SuperPod 2020 in Southampton. During their chat Eilidh opens up all about her career and partnership with Hannah Mills, as the 25-year-old prepares to make her Olympic debut in Tokyo. But there's also a great deal of reflection on the pain that came before that, namely missing out on Rio 2016. That is something that still fuels Eilidh and is a time in her life that she admits broke her. Throughout the show Eilidh also talks all about what it takes to be a successful team - her and Hannah are 2019 World Champions in the 470 class - and she also talks about how she deals with the pressure of expectation. There's also chat on the influence of her dad Mike, who won Olympic gold in Seoul 1988, as well as the best places to sail across the globe. Messages Find our more about the More than a Medal event with Marilyn Okoro here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/more-than-a-medal-an-evening-with-olympic-medallist-maril

Will Moulton hosts the latest SportSpiel feature interview with Middlesex County Cricket batsman Stevie Eskinazi. For Mintridge Foundation ambassador Stevie, one thing that has proved vital in his career is momentum. It was key when Middlesex won the 2016 County Championship and it also played a part when they got relegated a year later, although a crossbow arrow also played its part.  In his conversation on the podcast Stevie explains the passion he has for his work with Mintridge and he also explains how he became a professional cricket player virtually overnight as well as moving to London without knowing a single person. The two also discuss England's World Cup winning men's team and what that could do for the popularity of the sport in this country as well as the impact of The Hundred.  Messages Find our more about SuperPod 2020 and get your tickets here: https://www.superpod.co.uk Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.faceboo

Alasdair Hooper presents the latest SportSpiel feature interview with Welsh Olympic Trap shooter Georgina Roberts. The 22-year-old is very much an athlete who knows what she wants.   She wants to change the state of play, take her sport to new levels and rewrite age-old gender-based stereotypes.   For some people shooting is considered a dangerous activity – not even a sport in some people’s eyes – and it’s certainly not a place for women. Except that’s all wrong and the Women of the Future award winner is on a mission to tell people that.   But having that ambition to transform the fortunes of a ‘neglected’, niche sport is one thing. Having the belief in yourself is something very different but that’s what has emerged from Georgina’s rollercoaster 2019.    The British shooter had to take time out from the sport. There was no training and no major competitions and that’s because family came first.   Her dad has been suffering from cancer and last year it spread. The 22-year-old took the decision to move back

Isle of Man gymnast Grace Harrison had a well-thought-out plan after her historic achievements at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.    But that plan didn’t pan out as expected. Instead it ended in retirement at the age of 23.   In 2014, Harrison became the first Manx female gymnast to make it to a Commonwealth Games final at the age of 19.   Following that piece of history, she immediately targeted the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games as her next big goal.   Injuries, however, dismantled that dream and threw a curveball in the direction of the gymnast.   It was something the Mintridge Foundation ambassador struggled to come to terms with but, incredibly, it was a serious bout of illness – namely Sepsis – that set her on the road to recovery. In this episode the former gymnast takes us through that historic achievement as well as her struggle to come to terms with her retirement. She also tells us all about that battle with sepsis, how it shaped her life and what her identity is today. Messages Donate

Will Moulton presents the first SportSpiel feature interview of 2020 with Olympic bronze medalist Marilyn Okoro and GB T44 Sprinter and Paracanoe athlete Laura Sugar. In this episode The Mintridge Foundation ambassadors and athletes talk about their ambitions to represent Team GB in Tokyo this summer. In our chat Laura explains her transition from hockey to athletics and then to canoeing as a chance viewing at London 2012 made her realise she could actually compete in parasport. We also talk to Marilyn about receiving her bronze medal 10 years after winning it and her career so far and in the future.  But both athletes have something in common - they have used the power of no to prove the doubters wrong. The pair also talk about their work with The Mintridge Foundation and the vital role the charity has to play. Messages 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.inst

Alasdair Hooper and Will Moulton are joined by talkSPORT's Jackson Cole and Love Sport Radio's Kieran Wellington for SportSpiel's Review of the Year 2019. On the last episode of 2019 the panel review the year in sport while dishing out awards in eight important categories. In doing so they look to celebrate outstanding sporting moments, inspirational characters and the athletes that gave us goosebumps. The categories on this episode: Funniest moment Unsung moment Worst moment Best moment Inspirational athlete of the year Athlete to watch in 2020 Team of the year Athlete of the year Messages 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/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Alasdair is running the Vitality Big Half on March 1 in aid of The Mintridge Foundation. Donate here: https://themintridgefou

Will Moulton presents this SportSpiel feature interview with rising British Taekwondo star Rebecca McGowan. There has been a consistent stream of talent coming through the ranks of the sport in the UK - names such as Jade Jones, Bianca Walkden and Lutalo Muhammad are just three of them.  But one person who is well on her way to making a name for herself is the Scottish-born teenager Rebecca.  In this episode the up-and-coming talent tells us all about her journey through the sport and what it is like to train and compete against some of the very best talent there is out there. She also talks about the role she can play in dispelling the myth that women are not suited to combat sports. Messages 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/ Get in touch: sportspielpod@gmail.com Visit our website: sportspielonline.com Credits Image cre

Team GB trampolinist Laura Gallagher presents a special SportSpiel episode as she interviews her teammates Bryony Page, Kat Driscoll and Izzy Songhurst. On this edition of the show Laura helps to give us a valuable insight into the team ahead of the 2019 Trampoline World Championships, which run from November 28 to December 21 in Tokyo.  In part one (3:07) Laura chats with Kat Driscoll - a legend of the sport who has been her teammate for the best part of 10 years. They talk all about her life in trampolining and experiencing London 2012, as well as what she would do if she met Lewis Hamilton tomorrow. In part two (22:09) Laura speaks with Izzy Songhurst, the youngest women's team member.  They delve into how tough it is to transition to the senior world and they talk about Izzy's comeback following a serious recent injury.  In part three (50:47) Laura speaks with Rio 2016 silver medalist Bryony Page, who became the first British trampolinist to win an Olympic medal out in Brazil.  The pa

Alasdair Hooper and Will Moulton present SportSpiel’s November discussion episode. On this edition of the show they go through and pick apart some of the biggest talking points in sport. In part one (5:02) the pair look at the inaugural Women's Football Weekend and what impact it will have long term.  With a huge effort to get the game in people's faces they ask what we can learn from this first edition of the initiative. In part two (25:28) they look at serious breaches of discipline after NFL player Myles Garrett ripped the helmet off an opponent before hitting him over the head with it on Thursday night.  They also look at the fall out from the drink-driving crash involving three Derby County players and why different punishments were dished out to those involved as well as trying to figure out how you can get greater consistency of punishment across all sport. Messages Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportS

There's been no shortage of shocks in Dartford, home of the London City Lionesses.   The brand-new FA Women’s Championship side are currently second in the league – with five wins in seven games. According to their team captain Ellie Mason, things are looking very positive.   The club was created after the decision, at the end of last season, by Millwall Lionesses to break away from Millwall and go it alone.    That saw the birth of London City, an independent side without any ties to a men’s team at all. In this episode Ellie tells us about the unique mission this club have set themselves, to prove that you can make it as an independent women's club. She tells us how they've shocked everyone so far and why, despite only being a few months old, people can keep expecting to be shocked. The 23-year-old defender also tells us about her career so far and just why football is so important to society, women and young girls who want to get involved. Messages Thanks go to Next Gen Sport Solutions for setting

Great Britain’s women’s basketball team are working wonders. The side secured a historic fourth-placed finish at the 2019 EuroBasket in July, which came off the back of England’s surprise silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. Quite simply, they are punching above their weight with the resources they have at their disposal. Yet, for those working in and around GB Basketball, as well as at Basketball England, it’s time for things to change. On this episode, Will Moulton speaks to the head coach of the GB Women's team Chema Buceta as well as CEO of Basketball England Stewart Kellett. In the show they touch on the reasons why the side are punching so far above their weight as well as the frustration over a lack of recognition and media coverage. They also discuss the desire to capitalise on this success and the launch of the All Girls campaign - designed to inspire more girls and women to get involved with the sport of basketball. Messages Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Sport

Alasdair Hooper and Will Moulton present SportSpiel's October discussion episode.  On this edition of the show they go through the biggest headlines and pick apart the most important questions in the news. In part one (6:31) the pair look at racism and football fandom after several high-profile incidents of racial abuse both abroad and in the UK.  In the discussion they try and analyse the root causes and look at what can be done to stamp out the abuse. In part two (35:00) they look back at mental health in sport as several high profile athletes chose to share their own personal struggles around World Mental Health Day, including England Hockey's Suzy Petty. Finally, in part three (50:56) they look at athletes who excelled in more than one sport after former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech starred in his ice hockey debut. Messages Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportSpielPod/ Follow us on Instagram

Jamaican diver Yona Knight-Wisdom is something of an anomaly in his sport. As the Leeds-born athlete says himself, he is almost two metres tall, is a ‘heavy diver’ and he’s black. That isn’t something you see very often. But despite the stereotype he is writing history in Jamaican sport. Not only was he the first Jamaican diver to medal at an international diving event, he was also the first Jamaican - and first to represent a Caribbean island - at the Olympics in diving. On this episode Yona takes us through the reasons why we don't often see people like him in his sport. The Leeds-born athlete also explains why he took the Jamaican route - quite simply he wouldn't be diving now if he hadn't. He also tells us about the tough lessons he learnt after Rio 2016 as well as the story behind his own podcast The Athlete's Voice. Messages 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.ins

Alasdair Hooper and Will Moulton are joined by journalists Julia Cook and Ollie Godden for SportSpiel's September discussion episode. On this edition of the show the panel go through the biggest headlines and pick apart the most important questions.  In part one (6:07) it's all about the IAAF World Championships and whether Doha - the capital of Qatar - is a suitable venue after horrible scenes during the women's marathon.  With attendances far from full, it raises doubts as to why the event is being held in the city at all.  In part two (21:08) the panel look at social media and body shaming after runner Eilish McColgan recently called out the trolls on her own account.  Finally, in part three (37:09), the four look at the cloud that is doping after the latest twist involving the Russian Anti Doping Agency Notes Make sure you catch our cameo in the short documentary One Voice, One Mic - the Rise of Podcasting Messages Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportSpielPod?lang=en Like

Lizzie Simmonds is one of Britain’s most successful swimmers.    She is a double European Champion, a 13-time British Champion, a double Olympian and a Commonwealth silver medallist – that’s just a short list of her achievements. The 28-year-old retired from the sport back in July 2018 but things have been far from simple since then.    When you’ve lived for most of your life as an elite athlete – chasing targets and aiming to go as fast as you can – there is a massive void to fill when you take it away.    That’s proved to be particularly challenging for Lizzie as she struggled to come to terms with her loss of identity.    Not only that, but the current vice chair of the BOA Athletes' Commission also admits to struggling with her emotions at competitions - too often she would believe her self-worth as a person was wrapped up with her success in the pool.  In this feature interview Lizzie speaks to Alasdair Hooper all about her life after sport – the identity crisis, the battle with self-worth, and also