This week I'd the pleasure to sit down and chat with ex pro rugby player Steven McMahon and it's a very very interesting conversation.
Steven is incredibly open & honest in this one and tell all about his professional career and his experience in it!
Steven was the golden boy of Dungarvan Rugby and became the golden boy for Rockwell when he moved there. He went on to play for Munster, get cut from Munster and move to France to play with Carcassonne.
Steven experienced some of those lows that pro rugby has to offer from injuries to mental health issues and he shares those with us.
But from bad can come good and Steven now has his own player development company reach and coaches with Rockwell, Munster and Dungarvan.
He is now sharing the lessons he's learned through playing the game to the next generation and is developing some serious future talent.
We chat all things coaching and reach sports also and how he hopes to change the way in which young players can make a profession in sport a reality!
All in all I found this one really really interesting and I hope you do to!
You can find Steven and ReachSports on Instagram here: StevenMcMahon & ReachSports.ie
Also follow my Instagram for health & fitness content, along with more podcast updates: @functionality_unlocked
Disclaimer: this podcast represents the opinions of Eoghan and his guests to the show. The content here should not be taken as medical advice.
Time Stamps:
0.31 – Introduction.
1.47 – Stevens early playing career.
6.15 – Difference between Munster clubs and Munster schools.
14.30 – Getting recruited to Rockwell and the progressing to play with Munster.
22.17 – Struggling in the Munster setup and getting to overanalytical about the game.
26.25 – Not getting a senior contract with Munster last minute in the season and moving to France.
28.34 – Injury troubles in France, not being listened to and getting medically retired.
46.39 – Bad ending to Rockwell playing career with a red card and losing the Munster cup and as a result of the ban missing out on the playing for (and potentially captaining) Ireland.
51.42 – Development of mental health issue following that time.
58.30 – Starting Reach Sport and the mission behind it.
1.01.40 – Finding his French agent, not speaking French and what French rugby was like.
1.07.00 – Irish producing so much talent and expecting to see so many Irish players play in France in the future as an outlet for those not making the mark for Irish teams.
1.10.00 – Reaches current outlook and future plans.
1.16.10 – The impact that teaching players/athletes soft skills can have on their career and development.
1.21.32 – Getting into coaching and the different rewards of it, wanting to focus on player development.
1.22.18 - Breaking down some rugby tactics.
1.26.55 – Current coaching roles.
1.30.10 – What Steven brings to coaching.
1.34.10 – What Steven would like to achieve in the future and highlight of career to date.