Explore resources to help children and young adults build lasting sporting confidence and self-belief. Many talented young athletes struggle because they are overly self-critical, engage in negative self-talk, or fail to recognise their abilities. Parents often describe them as “their own worst critic,” “too hard on themselves,” or “they don’t believe in their ability.” Our guides and podcasts show how to replace self-doubt with self-compassion, a can-do attitude, resilience and self-confidence in sport and life.
Supporting Highly-Driven Young Adult Athletes A Guide For Sport Coaches Highly driven athletes aged 17 and above are often seen as the “easy” ones to coach. They’re committed, organised, and willing to do whatever it takes to improve. But at this stage of their development, the pressures are higher. Selection, progression, scholarships, contracts, or career …
Conversations with Kids: Conversations with Kids: When Goals Feel Like Pressure For parents and guardians where we give you prompts so that you can have more meaningful conversations with your children to help them build key characteristics such as mental toughness, resilience, confidence, creativity, focus and so on. A Questions for Your Kids When someone …
Conversations with Kids: Why Some Kids Believe They Can and Others Don’t For parents and guardians where we give you prompts so that you can have more meaningful conversations with your children to help them build key characteristics such as mental toughness, resilience, confidence, creativity, focus and so on. A Questions for Your Kids When …
Why 12–16 Is A Very Important Age for Mental Toughness Lessons From Doug Strycharczyk If you coach children aged 12–16, you’ll know something important: their skills are improving fast, but their minds can be over the place. One week they look confident, brave and creative. The next week they freeze, hide or panic under pressure. …
Conversations with Kids: When School and Sport Collide For parents and guardians where we give you prompts so that you can have more meaningful conversations with your children to help them build key characteristics such as mental toughness, resilience, confidence, creativity, focus and so on. A Questions for Your Kids “When schoolwork, exams, and sport …
Mental Toughness in Youth Sport: Words of Wisdom Every Sport Coach Needs to Hear Coaching teenagers and young athletes has never been more complex. This is the stage where talent begins to separate, expectations increase, selection pressure intensifies, and confidence can fluctuate wildly from week to week. Many young athletes look physically capable but are …
Book Review – Thinking, Fast and Slow By Daniel Kahneman Thinking Fast and Slow in Youth Sport This is a book I’ve recently read and it made me consider how it can apply to youth sport. So I thought I’d share my musings…. Teenagers who are doing well in sport often face a unique and …
Conversations with Kids: A Parents Guide On Communicating With Teenagers For parents and guardians where we give you prompts so that you can have more meaningful conversations with your children to help them build key characteristics such as mental toughness, resilience, confidence, creativity, focus and so on. A Questions for Your Kids What’s one part …
Book Review – How to Talk So Teens Will Listen and Listen So Teens Will Talk By Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlis How to Talk So Teens Will Listen in Sport I’ve put a Sports Psychologist’s slant on this review to assist parents and youth sport coaches. Supporting young athletes aged 12–16 can be one …
Book Review – Motor Preferences for Baseball: A Coach’s Guide to Identifying and Respecting Player Strengths to Enhance Performance and Reduce Injury by David Genest and Matthew Swope Introduction: Why Motor Preferences Matter in Modern UK Sport Throughout the United Kingdom, numerous adolescents and young adults engage in organised competitive sports each week, including academy …