Aston Villa FC

We engaged with Think Works to help us deliver an all important part of our programme as an EPPP Category 1 Football Academy. The demands and requirements to gain that status are high and Simon came highly recommended to help us build our framework in providing mental skills and psychological development across all age groups. Simon went beyond the brief, enabling us in turn to go beyond a ‘tick in the box’ approach – delivering valuable education to players, staff and even parents.

He built relationships with all he met and worked with, including those who started out as sceptical and has been able to take the topic area and make it real and accessible to all, no matter the age or role.

The approach broke down the barriers to the application of psychology in sport and helped us to understand its role in driving high performance. The support given to players has likewise been vital in their understanding of the importance of mental skills and the tools and techniques in applying them.

Simon balances theory and practise, humility and expertise and professionalism with a down to earth approach in a way that drives real engagement in the process from all around him.

As an Academy Manager, Its important for me to be able to trust people to get on with delivering excellence on a day to day basis, external consultants have the added challenge of not only having to gain the staff and players trust but by extension manage the challenge of delivering their component message in such a fashion as it fits in with our Academies core values and beliefs Simon more than satisfied and surpassed this criteria for Aston Villa Academy. I would have no hesitation in recommending working with Simon and Think Works.