Marnie Merrilees, Psychologist.

01/05/2026

Meet the owners, Rhys & Joe.

What began in 2012 with just a bag of rugby balls and three schools has grown into something far bigger. By 2026, the company is working with over 150 schools, running 8 HAF club locations, delivering a thriving holiday club programme, and expanding an impactful behaviour management programme.

Both Rhys and Joe bring strong professional rugby league backgrounds. Rhys played just under 300 games across the Championship and League 1, representing teams including Newcastle Thunder, York City Knights, Workington Town, and Whitehaven.

Joe, a former London Broncos academy player, has made over 300 appearances for Newcastle Thunder, Doncaster, and Workington Town. He was part of the Jamaica squad that made history by competing in their first-ever Rugby League World Cup in 2021, facing some of the world’s top teams, including New Zealand.

In recent years, they’ve driven significant growth—building a larger team, partnering with more schools, and delivering more programmes than ever before.

The 2026/27 academic year is set to be the biggest yet, with plans to surpass all previous milestones. There’s plenty of exciting news on the horizon—watch this space.

30/04/2026

BKFC 👊🏼💥

27/04/2026

Proud to announce I am now part of Bang Al .al_ Fight Team 🧠 🥊💥 Excited to be part of your journey 💪🏼 🚀 🙌

27/04/2026

Proud to announce I am now part of Bang Al .al Fight Team 🧠 🥊💥 Excited to be part of your journey 💪🏼 🚀 🙌

24/04/2026

15/04/2026

This podcast episode features host Marnie Merrilees, High Performance Psychologist, in conversation with professional kickboxer Jamie Bates.

They discuss the psychological and physical demands of elite kickboxing, focusing on Bates's performance at the Rome Sports Palace (1:36).

Key highlights include:
Performance & Preparation: Bates reflects on his recent fight after an 18-month hiatus (1:41), emphasizing the importance of mental preparation. Merrilees and Bates detail the use of performance profiling (9:23), Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR) (14:57), and advanced visualization techniques— incorporating all senses and environmental factors—to prepare for the reality of competition (19:15-24:00).
Overcoming Adversity: The discussion covers the "highs and lows" of a professional career, including managing injuries, surgeries, and the mental toll of long periods out of the ring (58:25-1:01:26). Bates shares his strategies for maintaining resilience and self-sufficiency when competing internationally.
Work-Life Balance & Discipline: As a professional athlete and father, Bates explains the extreme discipline required to manage Work-Life Balance & Discipline: As a professional athlete and father, Bates explains the extreme discipline required to manage a hectic training schedule alongside personal responsibilities (1:21:40-1:23:05).
Psychological Techniques: They delve into the use of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to reframe negative thoughts (124:41) and the importance of having a supportive network, including coaches and family (1:11:16-1:14:39).
• Future Goals: Bates remains committed to his long-standing dream of becoming a world champion with a top-tier organisation like
Glory (1:10:45).

We discuss the highs and lows of Jamies professional kickboxing career; What it takes to come back from injury; Work life balance;
Relationships inside and outside of sport; Fatherhood and much more!
We also talk about the psychology of high performance and give insight into some of the psychological techniques we used to help Jamie mentally prepare for his most recent fight after being out of the ring for 18 months.

It's a discussion I am sure you will enjoy and find extremely informative.
Jamie gives great behind the scenes insights

Jamie is very open and honest and the information Jamie shares will be invaluable to fellow kickboxers and fighters alike wanting to work their way up the ranks. Jamies story truly is a journey of dedication, commitment, hard work and resilience... Dream Big and Go Make it Happen!

Meanwhile, put any questions you have in the comments section and as always, thank you for your interest in high performance psychology!

LISTEN ON:
Apple podcast
Spotify

FOLLOW:



https://open.spotify.com/episode/ 5aFBarz9asM2A9|0eh3D5w?
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isQ_1Qfg&pi=JkMIYrpiQh2th&t=

10/04/2026

Progress made with consistency, still much to do 🥵 heading in the right direction 💪🏼
Getting my body back 🥰🙏

I’ve been to hell and back over the past 10 years, more times than I care to mention. The thing is The Body Keeps the Score (great book I recommend to my clients btw). When you have no choice but to battle on through 🧠💪🏼 all the stress/trauma showed. Emotional trauma stored in my body & high cortisol caused inflammation.

I’ve clawed myself back 🐾 I’ve done the psychological work 🧠, the physical work 💪🏼 and the spiritual work 🧚not only for myself but also for my clients 🥰 💻 most importantly I never gave up on myself and my dreams 🧘🏻‍♀️🙏 to be the best version of myself.

It’s a journey, I am a work in progress. I am grateful for everything I have been through and everything I have overcame. I have learned a great many lessons and I am still learning. I am proud of the women I am today🥰 I am sovereign 🙏 🧚 🐾

Progress made with consistency, still much to do 🥵 heading in the
right direction 💪🏼
Getting my body back 🥰🙏

I’ve been to hell and back over the past 10 years, more times than I care to mention. The thing is The Body Keeps the Score (great book I recommend to my clients btw). When you have no choice but to battle on through 🧠💪🏼 all the stress/trauma showed. Emotional trauma stored in my body & high cortisol caused inflammation.

I’ve clawed myself back 🐾 I’ve done the psychological work 🧠, the physical work 💪🏼 and the spiritual work 🧚not only for myself but also for my clients 🥰 💻 most importantly I never gave up on myself and my dreams 🧘🏻‍♀️🙏 to be the best version of myself.

Life’s a journey, I am a work in progress. I am grateful for everything I have been through and everything I have overcame. With love ❤️ I send gratitude to the Universe 🙏 I have learned a great many lessons and I am still learning. I am proud of the women I am today🥰 I am sovereign 🙏 🧚 🐾