How to overcome mental blocks, burnout & being dropped from a county panel (twice)
About this episode
In this episode, Tony Óg Regan shares his journey from playing in All-Ireland hurling finals with Galway, to dealing with being dropped from the panel multiple times and becoming one of Ireland’s top high-performance coaches .
He discusses mental resilience, overcoming self-doubt, burnout, and the mindset needed to thrive in sport and life.
In this episode, we break down:
- How burnout at 23 almost derailed his career
- The mindset shift that helped him recover from setbacks
- Why he struggled in big finals and how he overcame mental blocks
- The power of sports psychology, self-talk, and visualisation
- Lessons from working with All-Ireland-winning teams
- How top teams like Limerick & Tipperary manage pressure and expectations
- Social media's impact on players and how to handle criticism
Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction
3:45 – Losing the love for the game & overcoming burnout
8:20 – The mental impact of setbacks & self-worth in sport
14:30 – How testing and training smarter transformed his game
21:15 – Handling pressure in big games & breaking mental barriers
30:40 – The importance of mentors, sports psychology & mindset work
40:15 – What makes top teams like Limerick, Ballygunner and Tipp different
50:00 – Navigating retirement and finding purpose beyond sport
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