
Why GAA players don’t need to feel confident to perform — mental tools that actually work
From Humans of Gaelic by Kevin O'Brien
March 27, 2025 · 52 min · Season 1 · Episode 16
About this episode
Sports psychologist Eddy Sheeky discusses the importance of mental tools over confidence for GAA players' performance.
We’ve all heard it: “he’s low on confidence.” But what if confidence isn’t actually the key to playing well? Sports psychologist Eddy Sheeky breaks down why elite players perform regardless of how they feel — and how you can too. We discuss: The myth of confidence — and why elite players perform without it The reset triggers, breathing drills, and mindset habits used at inter-county level How stress outside of sport is secretly killing recovery and performance Tools for players who get sick with nerves or lose control mid-game What separates consistent performers at club vs county level The mindset mistakes most GAA players make when things go wrong You can follow Eddy on Instagram here: @esperformancepsychology ➕ We've got some great guests coming up. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any episodes. **************************** 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 **************************** Subscribe to the Humans of Gaelic podcast wherever you're listening. Leave a Review : If you found value in this episode, please give it a rating and review. It helps us hugely Share the Episode : Know someone who'd enjoy this show? Share it and help us spread the word…
People in this episode
Host: Kevin O'Brien
Guest: Eddy Sheeky
Topics covered
- confidence in sports
- mental performance
- GAA players
- mindset tools
- stress management
- elite performance
Keywords
- GAA
- sports psychology
- performance tools
- mindset
- confidence
- elite athletes
- breathing drills
- stress management
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: humansofgaelic.com, Humans of Gaelic, esperformancepsychology
More episodes of Humans of Gaelic
- What GPS gets wrong | The reality of coaching in pro sport | GAA life in Sydney · May 20, 2026 · 1h 4m
- Mental health in the GAA: Why players are struggling · April 15, 2026 · 38 min
- What inter-county S&C is really like, the art of man marking & Achilles rehab · March 25, 2026 · 1h 4m
- The hidden reason for ACL injuries in GAA & why females are far more at risk · November 13, 2025 · 45 min
- The truth about half-time team talks: from an expert with Brazil & GAA counties · July 9, 2025 · 54 min
- Sleep expert for GAA: The truth about Whoop, naps, blue light, caffeine & alcohol · June 5, 2025 · 50 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Humans of Gaelic podcast page.