PROGRAMME
SPORTING CHANCE SUMMIT 2023 GUEST SPEAKERS
AMA AGBEZE
Ama Agbeze has been dubbed 'a marvel of the modern netball world’, having played in Australia, New Zealand and England, and across five positions on the court. She made her international debut in 2001 and has won 100 England caps to date.
A great orator and motivator, Ama was named England captain in 2016 and led the Vitality Roses to their historic gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was inducted into the England Netball Hall of Fame in testament to her contribution to the sport in England.
Since 2001 she has committed herself to England Netball with one driving ambition; to reach the very pinnacle of her sport regardless of the sacrifices she has had to make. Along the way there have been moments when she has been dropped from the squad and had to battle her way back in, there have been moves to Australia and New Zealand to take advantage of the higher level of club competition, and there has been the challenge of being apart from her Kiwi husband when her career brought her back to the UK.
Throughout all of this there has also been the need to maintain her income through work outside netball – with Ama practicing as a lawyer alongside her sport. In 2016 Ama was named as England captain, a position that allowed her to motivate the team to their victory on the Gold Coast in 2018, turning around the disappointing 4th place finish at Glasgow 2014.
Having observed the approaches of many captains before her she made the conscious decision to be an empathetic leader – someone who wasn’t the loudest in the room or the team superstar, but who was able to motivate each person as an individual by giving them her time, understanding what each person brings and selecting the right person for the right situation.
ABBE BRADY
Abbe Brady is the Head of Department for Psychology and Pedagogic Science at St Mary’s University and has held this position for 3 years. Before joining St Mary’s, Abbe was Head of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Gloucestershire. Abbe is an HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and has 20 years of experience as a BASES accredited Sport Scientist. Abbe is also an ICCE International Coach Developer graduating from the Nippon Coach Development Academy in 2019 and having 20 plus years of coach developer experience with Sports Coach UK and UK Coaching.
Abbe is the Director of the SWIFT (Sport, Well-being, Inclusion, and FaiTh) Research Centre launched in 2019. Abbe achieved her HEA fellowship in 2012. Abbe's research interests fall broadly into three areas: athlete/coach well-being, mentoring and social learning in coach development, and positive psychology interventions in sport and business settings.
Presently Abbe is leading two contracted research projects with the Football Association. The first is a follow-up study of effective coaching in the women’s and girls’ game which draws upon the success of an earlier FA project which has informed an innovative coach and coach developer programme. The second project is an evaluation of the FA’s Coaching Excellence Initiative during 2021-2023.
Abbe has 15 years of experience as a guest reviewer for a series of journals, publishers, and funding organisations for work in the areas of sports coaching, sport science & sport psychology and safeguarding in sport. Abbe is presently co-editor of a Frontiers Special Edition 2021-22 for the topic of Wellbeing and Quality of Life in Elite Sports: Towards Evidence-Based Approaches for Psychological Health Promotion and Proactive Support.
LUCIE CLEMENTS
Lucie is a British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist and Psychological Coach who has lived experience of mental ill health. Lucie specialises in psychological health and wellbeing of people in the performing arts industry, with expertise in dancers.
She delivers evidence-based workshops and consultancy to performing arts schools, companies and producers, and has worked with clients including Equity, Sadler’s Wells and the British Army Band.
Lucie is a British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist and Psychological Coach who has lived experience of mental ill health. Lucie specialises in psychological health and wellbeing of people in the performing arts industry, with expertise in dancers.
She delivers evidence-based workshops and consultancy to performing arts schools, companies and producers, and has worked with clients including Equity, Sadler’s Wells and the British Army Band.
'My expertise lies in the psychosocial underpinnings of optimal dance performance - which means the role of the training environment, teachers, parents, and peers in nurturing healthy dance engagement. Research helps me to understand the role of psychology in achieving both technical and creative excellence, and to develop coaching, consultancy and workshops that are grounded in the latest science.
I love my job and still can’t believe that I get to work with such incredible dancers and organisations. Whether working with an individual coachee or advising on systemic changes - every piece of work is of equal importance to me and the push for better mental health support in the performing arts sector.'
NICK LITTLEHALES
Nick is recognised as the world’s first and leading Elite Sport Sleep
Coach, probably the world’s first Sleep Coach and regarded as a
leading human recovery innovator. He has over 35 years’ experience within the sleep and sleeping product industry and over 24 years dedicated to elite sport.
As a former aspiring professional golfer onto International Sales & Marketing Director of the Slumberland Group and Chairman of the UK Sleep Council, Nick has conducted many practical and clinical research projects into the varied sleeping habits adopted by the modern-day sleeper and athlete.
Nick is recognised as the world’s first and leading Elite Sport Sleep Coach, probably the world’s first Sleep Coach and regarded as a leading human recovery innovator. He has over 35 years’ experience within the sleep and sleeping product industry and over 24 years dedicated to elite sport. His unique, passionate, and proven approach, is endorsed by leading sport science professionals, managers, coaches,
organisations in sport and now business, health, and education worldwide.
As a former aspiring professional golfer onto International Sales & Marketing Director of the Slumberland Group and Chairman of the UK Sleep Council, Nick has conducted many practical and clinical research projects into the varied sleeping habits adopted by the modern-day sleeper and athlete.
Nick is an experienced International keynote speaker, joint presenter and has appeared on numerous television shows and radio programmes. As well as being recognised as a leading sleep recovery commentator continuing to be featured by all of the leading media titles and podcasters.
STEVEN FINN
Capped 126 times across all formats for England, Steven made his international debut aged just 20 in 2010, becoming the 647th man to play test cricket for England. By the end of that year, Steven had become a key part of the test side, and took 14 wickets in the Ashes series down under that England won 3-1 – their first victory in Australia for 24 years.
Steven’s international career continued to grow, going on to become the youngest ever bowler to take fifty Test wickets for England, as well as becoming a part of both the ODI and T20 sides, featuring in the 2012 T20 World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
Capped 126 times across all formats for England, Steven made his international debut aged just 20 in 2010, becoming the 647th man to play test cricket for England. By the end of that year, Steven had become a key part of the test side, and took 14 wickets in the Ashes series down under that England won 3-1 – their first victory in Australia for 24 years.
Steven’s international career continued to grow, going on to become the youngest ever bowler to take fifty Test wickets for England, as well as becoming a part of both the ODI and T20 sides, featuring in the 2012 T20 World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
But during the 2013/14 Ashes tour, Steven was sent home, with then coach Ashley Giles stating “Steven is not selectable at the moment”. Steven had a period of confidence rebuilding, but successfully made a return to the national side with a player of the match performance v Australia in 2015, and continued to play a key role in the Ashes series that England went on to win 3-1.
Steven has spoken candidly about the pressures he faced, and how this leaked into his personal life and the difficulties of how your mental state can affect your performance.
NICK MERCER
Nick Mercer is an experienced psychoanalytic psychotherapist and addictions counsellor who has written, managed and established total abstinence programmes in a wide variety of locations. Alongside his consultancy work and a private practice, he has adapted and successfully delivered a 12 step programme for young offenders in Reading HMYOI and Aylesbury HMYOI and was instrumental in delivering the first 12 step easy access day programme in Liverpool.
His mission is to extend to clients the same opportunities for spiritual and personal growth that were extended to him.
"When I was 37 years old I reached university via an access course and gained a BA and an MA in English. After a number of years working in harm minimisation for Turning Point, Addaction, Richmond Fellowship and the Blenheim Project I completed my counsellor training and spent the next 7 years working in prisons for RAPt. As a manager I customised and delivered the first 12 step programme for young offenders in Reading and Aylesbury prisons. In 2005 I helped deliver the first easy-access non-residential 12-step programme in Liverpool (SHARP) and went on to manage SHARP London. In 2007 I worked on a similiar programme in Oldham incorporating all that we'd learned previously re the efficacy of recovery communities.
I then returned to RAPt (now Forward Trust) as a treatment consultant for HMP Everthorpe and led the clinical team in the successful establishment of the HART day programme in Hull. During this time I completed a long and arduous training at the Philadelphia Association of which I am a member and a trustee. I have a small practice in London where I see individual clients and couples. My interest is in providing a safe space where clients can speak fearlessly and where change becomes an organic process as they begin to see themselves. Whether people come for a single consultation or for a long time the same challenging rigour of engagement applies."
SIMON SHEPARD
Simon has worked at Lord’s cricket ground for the past 30 years, firstly as a physiotherapist, thens as head of player health, wellbeing and sports science and currently he leads on organisational development across the club.
Alongside his work in sport, he delivers coaching and training to organisations that are serious about their people.
He is a faculty member for The National Leadership Centre and has won awards for his work in supporting The NHS workforce. He is an Amazon Top 10 best-selling author and, if the truth be known, he is often described as a bit of a nuisance.
Simon has worked at Lord’s cricket ground for the past 30 years, firstly as a physiotherapist, thens as head of player health, wellbeing and sports science and currently he leads on organisational development across the club.
Alongside his work in sport, he delivers coaching and training to organisations that are serious about their people. He is a faculty member for The National Leadership Centre and has won awards for his work in supporting The NHS workforce. He is an Amazon Top 10 best-selling author and, if the truth be known, he is often described as a bit of a nuisance.
With clients, from public and private sectors, based in locations around the world his message is consistent and clear – if organisations want to progress in a world of flux the leaders of today need to look after themselves, their teams and their communities.
To facilitate progress Simon uses an approach that he refers to as MAINframe (Measurement and Analysis to understand, Inspiration to ignite and Nurture to enable sustained success). This combination of data, talking and coaching addresses the Key Human Performance Indicators that are essential in delivering personal energy, focused teams and resilient organisations.
STEVEN REID
Steven Reid made his professional debut at 17 for Millwall, before moving to Premier League side Blackburn Rovers in 2003, going on to make 399 club appearances in a 17 year career that included spells at QPR, West Brom and Burnley. In 2001, Steven made his international debut for Republic of Ireland, and was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Squad, in all making 23 international appearances including 2 goals.
Following his playing career, Steven stepped straight into a successful coaching career, with spells at Reading, Crystal Palace, AFC Wimbledon, West Brom and Scotland working alongside top level managers Steve Clarke, Roy Hodgson and Chris Hughton.
Steven Reid made his professional debut at 17 for Millwall, before moving to Premier League side Blackburn Rovers in 2003, going on to make 399 club appearances in a 17 year career that included spells at QPR, West Brom and Burnley. In 2001, Steven made his international debut for Republic of Ireland, and was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Squad, in all making 23 international appearances including 2 goals.
Following his playing career, Steven stepped straight into a successful coaching career, with spells at Reading, Crystal Palace, AFC Wimbledon, West Brom and Scotland working alongside top level managers Steve Clarke, Roy Hodgson and Chris Hughton. In 2022, Steven stepped away from his role as assistant manager to Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest, following their promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.
Despite his successful career as both player and coach, Steven has stepped away to pursue a career in counselling, to draw upon his own experiences of mental health in elite football, and support around mental well-being, confidence and leadership.
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