Off The Bench

Off The Ball

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Off the Bench - a podcast about women in sport but not exclusively for them. Brought to you by OTB Sports.

2021-06-13

Reframing how they see failure | Supporting kids who are aspiring athletes

Coach Sally Batley and mum Deirdre Slevin on how best to support outstanding teenage athletes like Ireland’s top gymnast Emma Slevin, especially when they face challenges. Coaches and parents never make the podium but no athlete gets there without great ones. Their relationship is even more important in individual sports so we asked Sally and Deirdre how they make it work.

38 min
2021-03-08

WNBA star Ruth Bolton on overcoming domestic abuse & Olympic glory

To celebrate International Women's Day, Off The Bench spoke to the wonderful Ruth Bolton. Ruth overcame many odds to become a WNBA star and Olympic champion but her biggest battle of all was with domestic abuse. Basketball Ireland and the Jr NBA recently launched a four-part ‘Her Time To Play’ documentary series featuring two-time Olympic gold medallist and two-time WNBA All-Star Ruthie Bolton. The topics discussed in this interview coincide with the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum that is currently in place. Basketball Ireland is encouraging any SPHE, Transition Year, PE teachers and basketball coaches to check out the Basketball Ireland website for more information on how to avail of the resource.

38 min
2021-01-27

The postponed Six Nations & the future direction of women's rugby

For the first Off The Bench of 2021, we have a rugby special about postponement of women's Six Nations. Our guest is Alison Donnelly, editor of 'Scrum Queens' and renowned expert on the women's game who juggles that voluntary role with working full-time for Sport England. She argues that separating women's Six Nations from running parallel to the men's could actually be a good thing and the best way to grow it further. Included also is a discussion on how the postponement impacts Ireland's 2021 World Cup hopes, the recent #icare campaign that followed Six Nations postponement and we ask why the women's Six Nations still has no title sponsor. Cliona and Alison also discussed the fear that women's sport may be worst hit by the negative effects of COVID-19.

29 min
2020-10-28

Off The Bench: Trailblazing rower Frances Cryan on competing at Moscow 1980

Cliona Foley speaks to Irish Olympic rower Frances Cryan about her success at Moscow 1980. Frances competed in Russia, where she just missed a place in the single sculls final by 1600th of a second. She was only 20 at the time and actually trained with Steve Redgrave and the Americans in subsequent years yet, despite going to Dublin to get her Olympic uniform in 1984 - she wasn't sent to the Los Angeles Olympics! The decision on Los Angeles was made only six weeks beforehand and made because those choosing 'didn't think she'd make the final'. It soured her relationship with the sport and she quit some years later but she is still very passionate about rowing and the Olympics. Give it a listen!

35 min
2020-09-23

Connacht Rugby president Ann Heneghan: 'Real women play rugby'

On Off The Bench this week, Connacht Rugby president Ann Heneghan joins Cliona Foley to discuss her role and her hopes for the province. Heneghan is the first female president of a provincial rugby body, making history in the sport, and Cliona looks into all manner of the sport - it is well worth your time. Download the brand new OTB Sports App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered! Subscribe to Off The Ball's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.

26 min
2020-08-20

Rugby player Sorcha MacLaimhin on why her new group 'Mama Loves Sport' is so badly needed

We are joined this week by rugby player Sorcha MacLaimhin, who tells us why her support group 'Mama Loves Sport' is so badly needed by sporty mums. Sorcha discusses why 'snapping back' - the desire to get back to a pre-pregnancy body shape - is a misplaced pressure on new mothers, and the information vacuum that sporty mums face going back to sport. She also talks about why it is much harder for ordinary mums to get back into sport than professionals like Serena and Jessica Ennis. Is post-maternity advice about returning to ‘exercise’ but rarely geared towards getting back into competitive sport? Download the brand new OTB Sports App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered! Subscribe to Off The Ball's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.

33 min
2020-08-11

Athlone Town's Paula Doran on living in the Bible Belt & life in the WNL

Cliona Foley is joined by Paula Doran of Athlone Town, one of two new teams in the Women's National League (WNL). Athlone Town is the oldest town in League of Ireland, now 133 years old but this is the first season they have had a women's team in the WNL. Paula pent five years playing soccer in America, and is only back in this season. She is one of only 17 players in this year's WNL who took part in inaugural season 10 years ago.

32 min
2020-07-09

Basketball player Mimi Troy on the death of her mother and racism in Ireland

Former Killester and Belfast Rockets basketball player Mimi Troy joins Cliona Foley this week on Off The Bench. Mimi went to America on scholarship, but opted not to take a sports one because her mother was diagnosed with cancer just before she left. When she returned in 2016, Mimi's mother took a very bad turn and was particularly bad before the 2017 Cup finals, where Mimi was playing for Belfast Rockets in Division 1. Mimi was literally checking her watch during the final to check if her mum was alive. She passed away two weeks later and Mimi hasn't played basketball since. Her own identity, and the family's, was so tied to basketball and sport that she just couldn't face it. Mimi tells the story of her own identity as a young, mixed-race woman in Ireland, including some horrifying incidents of racism - including one recently. Mimi still hasn't gone back to basketball but, thanks to the 20x20 movement, has gone back to training and keeping fit and is a really strong advocate for 20x20's new campaign 'No Proving - Just Moving.' Download the brand new OTB Sports App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered! Subscribe to Off The Ball's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.

36 min

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Introducing 'OTB Rugby' - the home of Rugby from Off The Ball and OTB Sport, where you'll hear the voices of Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara, Stuart Lancaster, Keith Wood, Alan Quinlan, Stuart Barnes, Andy Dunne and many more besides. Subscribe for the most comprehensive audio channel for Rugby that you're going to get anywhere. From legends interviews to live roadshows, analysis, depth charts, reviews, and weekly news. It's the home of Monday Night Rugby, Wednesday Night Rugby, the BODcast, Leaders Questions with Stuart Lancaster as well as Rugby on OTB AM.

4.1 (16)

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Welcome to OTB Football. It's where you'll get the finest football analysis with some of the sharpest minds in the game, we'll throw in some nostalgia, transfer nonsense and legends interviews too. Gary Breen, John Giles, Pat Nevin, Kevin Kilbane, Kenny Cunningham, Graham Hunter, David Meyler, and much more too! The Football Show on Off The Ball with Nathan and Joe. Saturday Football with JD, Dan and Johnny. Football on OTB AM (Deal or No Deal and much more too!) OTB Roadshows. Subscribe for all of that and much more.

4.5 (17)

SOCCER
Subscribe to OTB Daily for the finest selection of podcasts from Ireland's biggest sports network. Everyday we'll supply you with our most interesting interviews, the latest sports news, and the moments that matter from the biggest sports stars and regular voices of OTB. OTB Daily is the home for the Performance Rankings, A Slight Tangent, the Newsround and so much more from across our schedule. You'll get much of our podcasts too in OTB Rugby, OTB GAA and OTB Football. Just search, subscribe, and enjoy.

4.6 (7)

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Friend of the Pod? If not, then why not?! Golf Weekly is the number one golf podcast, brought to you by Joe Molloy, Nathan Murphy, Fionn Davenport and OTB Sports. Subscribe for our weekly episode, the Golf Weekly archive, plus bonus episodes around the majors!

4.4 (10)

GOLF
Welcome to The Football Pod - Paddy Andrews and James O'Donoghue join Tommy Rooney to talk Gaelic Football every Monday. You can also listen back to our episodes from Season 2 with Paddy and James, and Season 1 too where Andy Moran joined Paddy and Tommy every week - there's plenty of interviews, stories and insights around the game.. You'll find the podcast in the 'OTB GAA' stream or by searching for 'The Football Pod'. Available on Apple Podcasts and all other platforms too. You can watch the show on YouTube every Tuesday night from 10pm. Follow our social accounts @footballpod_gaa to get in contact with the show!

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Subscribe to 'OTB GAA' for the very best GAA coverage from OTB Sports. Bringing you the insights and stories from the top names in Gaelic Games - from Tommy Walsh to The Football Pod with Paddy and Andy, and much more besides. With OTB AM, Off The Ball, live GAA coverage and our w0rld famous roadshows, we'll be bringing you the yarns, the tales, the fallouts and the analysis right across Hurling, Camogie, the LGFA championships and Gaelic Football.

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