Matthew McErlain

"I am currently Northern Ireland’s most capped goalkeeper in one of the country's biggest growth sports."

"Since switching from football and Gaelic football, I became the first goalkeeper in Ireland, North or South, to play back-to-back UEFA Champions League qualifying campaigns (5 now in total), 2 European Championship qualifying campaigns, 2 World Cup qualifying campaigns, 2 Home International tournaments, and be selected in NI Futsal League’s Team of the Season by my peers in my first year of competing, as well as winning 28 international caps.

My rapid rise to the top in a brand-new sport is testimony to Coaching NI's ability to help talent to flourish mentally no matter the odds."

“The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is the pinnacle of mixed-martial arts, so when the call came from out of the blue, I immediately answered. I was already working closely with Coaching NI to devise a 3-tier strategy uniquely designed to:

1. Expand the mental-side of my game during each stage of my rise through the MMA ranks.
2. Re-evaluate my team, associates, and all service providers in terms of their effectiveness regarding my goals.
3. Help manage the growth of my successful businesses @stlthtraining and TheFightProject by offsetting the demands of being a professional fighter.

A series of insightful conversations helped steer me towards my first (and now second) fight-contract with the UFC, whilst up-sizing my business interests to include a state-of-the-art fitness facility, and lay the foundations for a successful fight promotion franchise. All at the ripe old age of 24, incredible really."

When I first met David I wasn’t sure what our meeting was going to be about as it was arranged by a mutual friend. We spoke widely about my role as a goalkeeper and sports person and what drives me to want to succeed. 

We broke off into talking about superstition (the subject of David's new book) and this is where my sports life (and life in general) changed for good. I had been bogged down in a number of rituals which I would perform pre-game or prior to certain actions within a game.

Our conversation helped me to realise that I was relying on an unquantifiable means to achieve my results instead of focusing on what was actually within my control. I began placing more focus on my process for preparation and how I actually carried out my skills and my performance progressed more than ever before.

Yes I still make mistakes, concede goals, and miss freekicks but that happens to everyone. David helped me to realise the importance of my next action and not to allow my future to be determined by my past. His book 'Superstitionism - The Psychology of Sport' gave me a deeper understanding of rituals etc and I would recommend it to anyone.