Helen Richardson-Walsh relishing her role with Spurs Women
Mon 08 March 2021, 11:30|
Tottenham Hotspur
After winning Olympic gold, Helen Richardson-Walsh has changed goals.
Seen as one of the all-time great British sportswomen after her illustrious career spanning over 17 years on the hockey field, Helen has turned her sporting knowledge to football in a new part-time role as Performance Psychologist with Tottenham Hotspur Women.
Helen won 293 international caps and 17 medals representing England and Great Britain Hockey. She helped GB to Olympic bronze in London in 2012, took her first major gold with England at the 2015 European Championship and then the pinnacle, gold for GB at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
A lifelong Spurs fan, the role is a natural fit for Helen, who managed to balance studying a degree in psychology alongside her playing career. She completed a Master’s degree in the subject last year.
Back in 2018, Helen and her wife, Kate, captain of the GB team that triumphed in Rio, visited Hotspur Way to give a motivational talk to a squad of players who went on to secure promotion to the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.
After returning to the Club she loves in a professional capacity, Helen took time out to reflect on her first six months in the role, and expressed her excitement at how circumstances have brought her journey full circle.
At the elite level where games are won and lost on small margins, instilling a winning mentality is a key component to creating a successful team. Helen’s role sees her work closely with the players to develop and enhance their psychological performance.
“As an athlete myself, we went through loads of psychological training and exercises,” added Helen. “When you get to the very top level, the difference does come down to what goes on between your ears - technically, tactically - it’s very, very close and the margin for error is tiny.
“I’m working with the team individually to help them to understand themselves better, how to get to their performance mindset and create consistency within their game, as well working with the full squad and developing a whole, solid team culture that people want to be a part of, so they are also getting the best out of themselves and each other.”
Head Coach Rehanne Skinner added: “Helen is a fantastic asset to our staff team. She is relatable for players, has valuable first-hand experience and is excellent in supporting me and the staff to drive the culture we want to create here at Spurs.
“Her understanding of what it takes to win, high performance environments and dealing with pressure at the highest level is providing key support to the players in the journey that we are on as a team. In any sport at an elite level, improving the psychological tools players are able to utilise plays a major part in the success of the individual and the team, I am really pleased to have her on board.”
The medals are only half the story for Helen, who had to overcome a serious back injury that required surgery in 2013 and 2014. She returned to action in January, 2015, earned a place back in the international set-up, won gold at the Euros and then scored in the penalty shoot-out at the Rio Olympics after the final finished 3-3 – watched live back in the UK by a reported audience of nine million on BBC.
Awarded an MBE in 2017, Helen is a lifelong Spurs fan, and Patron of Proud Lilywhites, our LGBT supporters’ group, since 2014.
“It is incredibly important that people can be themselves, whatever it is and the more that people are able to welcome that and encourage and celebrate our difference the greater our team’s success will be. It goes hand in hand, if someone feels comfortable and is able to be themselves, the more successful that team will be.”
