Sport Parent Psychology
Helping Sport Parents Raise Happy, Confident and Successful Young Athletes because parents play a complex and influential role in their child’s sport - often without guidance.
SUPER-P is that guidance.
The SUPER-P Approach
SUPER-P is an evidence-based education framework designed specifically for sport parents, offering clear guidance on how to support children in sport in ways that genuinely help.
It helps parents to:
• Balance performance and well-being
• Communicate more effectively with their child and coaches
• Navigate competition, pressure and setbacks with confidence
• Create a more positive and supportive sport experience
SUPER-P has been scientifically evaluated and shown to reduce child anxiety and improve competition outcomes.
Available as a 60-minute pre-recorded workshop for families, or a live two-hour workshop for clubs, delivered face-to-face or online.
Suitable across all sports, ages and levels.
Our SUPER-P Workshop
If you're a Sport Parent this might feel familiar ..
You care deeply about your child and want sport to be a positive part of their life. But somewhere between training schedules, competitions, car journeys and conversations after tough days, sport parenting can start to feel surprisingly complex.
You might wonder what to say when things don’t go well — or whether saying nothing is better.
You might question how involved to be, how much pressure is helpful, or how to balance encouragement with independence. And even when your child seems happy, you may still feel unsure whether you’re supporting them in the best possible way.
That uncertainty doesn’t mean you’re doing a bad job. It means you’re navigating a role that carries real influence — without much guidance.
SUPER-P replaces uncertainty with clarity, confidence and evidence-based guidance.
Built Through Research, Not Guesswork
SUPER-P was created by Dr Jennifer J. Harris - psychologist, researcher and sport parent - through doctoral research in sport psychology, in response to a clear gap in how parents are supported in youth sport.
Rather than starting with theory alone, the research explored:
-
• How parents experience their role in sport
-
• Where uncertainty, pressure and misunderstanding arise
-
• How parental behaviour influences anxiety, enjoyment and outcomes
-
• What parents need to know - but are rarely taught
These insights were then combined with established sport psychology theory and behaviour-change research to create a clear, practical framework for parents.
SUPER-P was designed to be:
-
Evidence-based, but accessible
-
Practical, not prescriptive
-
Supportive, not judgemental
-
Relevant across sports, ages and levels
The result is an approach that reflects both research evidence and real-life sport parenting.
What did the research show?
Evaluation of the SUPER-P Approach showed meaningful benefits for both parents and children.
After engaging with SUPER-P:
-
62% of parents reported improved competition results within 6 weeks
-
Parents reported greater clarity and confidence in their role
-
Parents described improved communication with their child
-
Children experienced lower levels of sport-related anxiety
-
Families reported a more positive overall sport experience
-
Parents felt better equipped to manage competition, pressure and setbacks
Crucially, the research highlighted that most parents were already highly motivated and well-intentioned but had received little guidance on how to support their child effectively in sport.
SUPER-P was developed to address this gap.
Access the SUPER-P Workshop
What Parents said about their SUPER-P experience:
Super-P is a cleverly put together, interesting approach that makes a lot of sense, plus it comes from someone who actually has a child athlete herself. It’s a practical parenting framework that is very easy to implement.
The training really made me think about certain things (food, nutrition and sleep) and I’m interested to learn more about aspects of life that can really help our girls inside and outside of training. Thank you for thinking about the role of parents of child athletes, it’s really important that we get it right for them.
This is a fantastic programme, providing well-researched and insightful advice for any parent supporting a child athlete.
Jen is knowledgable and articulate, and has created a set of strategies to empower and reassure parents in a context where there is otherwise lots of pressure, and little guidance.
It has helped me, and therefore also my daughter, enormously, and I feel very lucky to have found it.
I didn’t realise I was saying the wrong things to help my child keep feeling confident. It was silly little things I would talk about which seemed encouraging but it wasn’t!
This course is very interesting and after listening to everything said I then understood were I was going wrong.
If you would like help supporting your athlete then I would highly recommend this course.
Highly recommend Jen and her super-p approach! Simple strategies to support not only the child but the parent too.
Jen’s experience and knowledge (based on the research) is invaluable, and should be a prerequisite for parents of athletes.
Thanks so much, I’m truly grateful for your expertise and support on our gymnastic journey.
The Missing Link in Youth Sport
Youth sport is shaped by the coach–athlete–parent relationship — yet parents are often the least supported part of that system.
SUPER-P strengthens the triangle by arming parents with knowledge and empowering them to understand their role.
When parents have clarity and confidence, children benefit, coaches are supported, and sport becomes a more positive experience for everyone.
Access the SUPER-P Workshop here: