A Sports-focused English-learning podcast for sports professionals, athletes and fans featuring real conversations with native and non-native speaking athletes, coaches, and other people in sports from around the world, along with strategies and tips to help you improve your communication skills in English for sports..
A Sports-focused English-learning podcast for sports professionals, athletes and fans featuring real conversations with native and non-native speaking athletes, coaches, and other people in sports from around the world, along with strategies and tips to help you improve your communication skills in English for sports..
Prepare for race day like a pro- and improve your English at the same time!
In this episode of Accents in Sports, Ashley guides runners, triathletes, and cyclists through race day preparation, including athlete check-in, timing chips, gear bags, course recon, and race nutrition prep.
Learn the essential sports English vocabulary and phrases to describe your pre-race routine, boost your confidence in English, and speak like a seasoned athlete.
How will this episode help you improve your English?
✅ Authentic Language – Learn the real phrases athletes use before races
✅ Real context + Vocabulary – Understand words in action, not isolation
✅ Confidence & Connection – Feel more fluent when speaking in English and talking about your sport and routine
Follow Breakaway English for more strategies to improve your communication in English for international and high-performance sports:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – weekly tips, stories, and bonuses
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
In this practical and engaging episode of Accents in Sports, Ashley continues her series on phrasal verbs used in sports—and today, it’s all about expressions we use for performance and pressure during competitions.
You’ll learn three powerful and natural phrasal verbs in English that athletes, coaches, sports pros and fans can use every day in sports.
With clear examples, guided practice, and model sentences, this episode is perfect for improving your fluency and sounding more natural in conversations.
How will this episode help you improve your English?
✅ Real Conversation – Learn how phrasal verbs work in real situations
✅ Guided Speaking – Practice with model answers to boost fluency
✅ Confidence Building – Understand and use expressions you’ll hear in sports and daily life
Follow Breakaway English for more on strategies to improve your communication skills in English in international and high performance sports enviro:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle (tips, strategies, and bonuses every week)
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
In this episode of Accents in Sports, Ashley Shoemaker speaks with Holly Zimmermann- ultra-endurance runner, adventurer, author, and coach who has raced across deserts, mountains, and embraced discomfort in the most extreme environments on Earth.
They explore the role of mindset, cultural experiences while racing internationally, and how even the best-trained runners can struggle without self-belief. Holly shares personal stories, coaching insights, and what must go in the race pack (hint: not peanut butter!).
Plus, they play "Finish the Phrase" and "Pack or Pass," two fun games packed with sports English expressions.
🌍 Connect with Holly Zimmermann
Website: hollyzimmermann.com
Instagram: @holly.zimmermann
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle (tips, strategies, and bonuses every week)
In this fun and interactive episode of Accents in Sports, Ashley kicks off a brand new series—Guess That Athlete! And for the inaugural episode, we're talking about the GOATs of 20th century sports! 🐐
You'll hear short clues about legendary sports figures and try to guess who they are. From slam dunks to world records, each athlete’s story is packed with powerful vocabulary and inspiring moments.
What will you learn in this episode?
How will this episode help you improve your English?
Vocabulary in Context – Hear new words in real situations
Listening Practice – Improve comprehension with past tense stories
Confidence Boost – Train your ear with natural, unscripted English
Ready to play? Let’s see how many athletes you can guess! 🏅
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
In this short solo episode of Accents in Sports, Ashley breaks down three common sports idioms in English and how they apply both in competitions and in daily situations. Whether you’re watching a game, prepping for a big challenge, or just trying to understand native speakers better, these phrases will boost your vocabulary and confidence.
What will you learn in this episode?
💨 Get a second wind – When energy comes back just when you need it
🥊 Throw in the towel – The moment you decide to give up
⏱️ Down to the wire – A race or decision that’s incredibly close
How will this episode help you improve your English?
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
In this first episode of my brand-new series on phrasal verbs in sports, we're diving into three essential expressions every athlete, coach, and sports fan should know: work out, warm up, and cool down.
You'll learn:
What phrasal verbs are
How and when to use them in sports contexts
Simple grammar tips (intransitive vs. transitive, separable vs. inseparable)
And how these verbs can help you sound more natural when you speak
Plus, stay tuned for our "Train the Brain" segment where you’ll practice using each phrase in your own context!
🧠 Download the FREE PDF worksheet:
Practice exercises, grammar tips, and prompts to help you go from passive to active learning.
👉 📄 Download the worksheet here
📄 Download the transcript here.
📬 Sign up for my newsletter The Huddle:
Get weekly strategies, vocabulary, and lessons straight to your inbox to help you speak more confidently in sports settings.
💡 Listener Challenge:
What’s YOUR favorite phrasal verb or sports expression? Comment on this episode, or send me a voice note or a message on Instagram—I’d love to hear it and maybe feature it in an upcoming episode!
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
Great teams don’t just play together- they communicate together. Whether you’re calling plays, responding to a coach, or giving a quick instruction to a teammate, clear and confident English can be the difference between winning and losing.
In this episode, we’re diving into five essential phrases that will help you think faster, speak clearly, and react quickly in English in high-pressure moments in sports. Plus, I’ll share key strategies to improve your game-time communication to help build better trust on your sports teams and with your coaches.
This is Part 1 of a two-part series on team communication in sports. Next time, we’ll focus on building strong relationships off the field through confident English.
Let’s get started!
What you’ll learn:
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
In this episode, Ashley Shoemaker is joined by Bill Prentice, a seasoned dragon boat racer and outrigger canoeist who is passionate about continuing to compete and test his limits both in competitions and personal adventures throughout his life.
Bill is from Zimbabwe, and now lives on the California coast where you can find him in the ocean paddling in his OC1 to prepare for his epic adventures and competitions.
What will you learn about in this episode?
Outrigger Canoeing: Learn some phrases and terms related to paddling in an outrigger canoe and other terms related to water sports.
How will this episode help you improve your English
Listening Comprehension: Improve your ability to follow and understand real, natural conversations and get exposure to different accents in English.
Vocabulary: Learn new expressions and words related to being outdoors, doing water sports, paddling and boat terminology, and storytelling.
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
Have you ever struggled to find the right words during a high pressure moment, like in the middle of a game or have you ever felt like there was a language barrier between you and your team during workouts or during team strategy meetings or post competition debriefs?
You are not alone.
Effective communication isn't just about having the right vocabulary. It's about clarity, confidence, and connection.
In this episode, I share three practical tips to help you start communicating more effectively in English in the middle of a competition. So whether you're an athlete, a coach, or someone supporting athletes, these tips can really make a difference.
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
In this episode, Ashley Shoemaker is joined by Finn Hovem, a lifestyle athlete who is passionate about the adventure and enjoyment of doing sports, and testing his personal limits on his own instead of competing.
Finn lives in the northern part of Norway where he practices all sorts of mountain and adventure sports.
He works as a mountain guide, is an entrepreneur with his own ski touring company, and interestingly, is also an avalanche observer.
Follow him on instagram at www.instagram.com/hallolyngen
For more information about the ski experiences he offers, visit his webpage: https://www.hallolyngen.com/
What will you learn about in this episode?
Skiing & Climbing: Find out a little bit about the phrases and terms related to the multiple sports of skiing, climbing, and other terms related to extreme mountain environments..
Avalanches: Finn shares some of his knowledge about avalanche conditions.
How will this episode help you improve your English
Listening Comprehension: Improve your ability to follow and understand real, natural conversations and get exposure to different accents in English.
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
Have you ever found yourself in a team meeting or trying to follow a conversation in English with your teammates, but the pace is just too fast?
Or maybe you’re on the field, and your coach is giving instructions in English, and you're hesitant to ask questions because you didn’t catch it all. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you!
In this episode, I'm diving into something I hear from so many of you: overcoming the fear of keeping up with fast-paced conversations in English and improving your listening. I know that improving listening comprehension is a goal for a lot of people; not just in sports, but in every field.
Still, today I’ll focus on strategies for understanding English in fast-paced sports environments. But trust me, these techniques can be applied to any situation, sector, or language!
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
In this episode, Ashley speaks with Vojta Ludvik from the Czech Republic who is the two-time Men's World Champion for Mountain Bike Orienteering (Long Distance and Team Relay). He shares about his passion for mountain bike orienteering (MTB-O), a project he's working on to help aspiring MTB-Oers improve their mapping skills, and some funny moments during races.
He also talks about how crucial English has been for him in this sports community and also for his project, O-Van.
https://www.youtube.com/@o-van
instagram.com/orienteering_van
What will you learn about in this episode?
How will this episode help you improve your English
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
Adventure sport addict Manu Perez de Ayala shares about his lifelong journey through sports, from high level judo to long expeditions skiing and cycling around the world. He talks about how English has been an essential tool for him to pursue his passion of staying active, along with communicating in his daily life in Tromso, Norway.
What will you learn about in this episode?
Expeditions: Find out a little bit about the phrases and terms related to expeditions.
English as an International Language: Manu shares his opinion about the English he speaks, and it may be surprising to some!
How will this episode help you improve your English?
Listening Comprehension: Improve your ability to follow and understand real, natural conversations and get exposure to different accents in English.
Vocabulary: Learn new expressions and words related to being outdoors, doing adventure sports and expeditions, and storytelling.
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
Seasoned adventure racer and decorated mountain bike orienteer Juanfra Marin (Granada, Spain) talks with Ashley about adventure racing, orienteering, memorable moments in the outdoors, and how important English has been in shaping his experiences at international competitions.
What will you learn about in this episode?
How will this episode help you improve your English?
Follow Breakaway English for more on sports, language, and confidence in English:
📰 Newsletter: The Huddle – Get tips + resources in your inbox every week!
🔗 Website: www.breakawayenglish.com
📸 Instagram: @breakawayenglish
A little taste of the first episode of Accents in Sports in which Ashley from Breakaway English speaks with Juanfra Marin (Spain) about adventure racing, orienteering and how important English has been in shaping his experiences at international sports competitions.