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.
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 …
Case Study: Helping a Netball Player When Shooting in Matches So That She Can Overcome Fear and Build Confidence This case study explores the journey of Olivia (pseudonym), a talented 10-year-old trampolinist experiencing fear, hesitation and mental blocks when working on backward moves. An issue common among young trampolinists and gymnasts. Over several weeks, we …
Book Review – How the Body Knows Its Mind by Sian Beilock Introduction: Why This Book Matters for Young Athletes Today For children and young athletes, sport is becoming faster, more competitive, more public, and more emotionally demanding than ever. Whether they’re transitioning into new sports or squads, experiencing professional contracts for the first time, …
Conversations with Kids: Helping Young Athletes with ADHD Build Confidence, Focus & Resilience in Sport 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 Question for …
Case Study: Helping a Neurodivergent 14-Year-Old Footballer Strengthen His Confidence, Emotions and Match Performances Ethan, aged 14, came to sessions struggling with confidence, emotional overwhelm, and inconsistency in football. As a neurodivergent young player, he often felt things more intensely than his teammates frustration after mistakes, anxiety before big games, self-criticism, and difficulty letting go …
Conversations with Kids: For Sports Parents: Helping Young Athletes Take Ownership 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 Question for your Kids When things …
Coaching Young Footballers: How Personal Responsibility, Resilience & Reality Shape Success Lessons From Peter Ramage Developing young professional footballers is no longer just about tactics, technique, and physical preparation. For players aged in their late teens and early twenties, the psychological side of the game often becomes the defining factor in whether they progress into …
Book Review: Soccer Tough 1 and 2 with Dan Abrahams A Sports Psychology Guide for Young Footballers Introduction In the competitive world of professional football, especially for younger players aged 18+ striving to break into the first team, the physical, technical and tactical demands are fierce. But one area often under-emphasised is the mental game. …
Emotional Flexibility & Adaptability: Inside the Minds of Professional Footballers on Loan Peter Ramage – Assistant Loans Manager, Newcastle United Peter Ramage is the Assistant Loans Manager at Newcastle United Football Club and a UEFA A Licensed Coach with over 14 years of professional playing experience. During his career, he represented clubs including Newcastle United, …
Run Your Race: Helping Young Athletes Avoid the Comparison Trap A Question for your Kids I’m sure as a parent you will have caught your child scrolling through social media, comparing themselves to teammates or athletes online? Maybe they’ve said things like, “I’ll never be as fast as them” or “They’re miles ahead of me.” …