The Reality & The Research

How a 90s rock anthem, a tough year and forty minutes on an elliptical became a reminder about courage, failure and choosing your own path. ❌Spoiler alert❌: this blog isn’t entirely about sport parenting! I will try to make a few connections, but really this is a story about life, courage, and deciding that you get to choose your own path. The inspiration came from a moment last year when things in my professional life had become… complicated. I found myself in a situation th

Why “Just Do the Opposite” Doesn’t Work in Youth Sport I’ve just been asked to deliver a workshop for coaches. My first reaction? A quiet wave of imposter syndrome. I’ve never played competitive sport. I’ve never been coached. I’ve never stood pitch-side with a whistle. So who am I to help coaches? Then I reminded myself of something important. I’ve spent years studying the psychology of sport parenting. I’ve listened to hundreds of parents. I’ve sat in the tension between co

I’ve delivered five SUPER-P workshops in the last week alone .It’s been a busy start to the year. At the beginning of every workshop, we break into small groups. Parents chat among themselves about the challenges they’ve faced. These are workshops, not lectures  - space to talk, reflect, and realise you’re not the only one feeling this way. And in every single workshop , the same theme has come up. Not pressure. Not competition anxiety. Not even car-ride conversations. Siblin

This Christmas, I went to my village carol service for the first time in 15 years. Not because I don’t enjoy carols Not because I didn’t want to be there. Simply because, for the last decade and a half, it always clashed with my daughter’s Christmas show. If you’re a sport parent, you’ll already understand what that really means. Her Christmas show wasn’t just one evening in December. It took over our lives for weeks. Extra rehearsals layered on top of normal training, costum

Last week, I walked across a stage at the University of Edinburgh and collected my doctoral scroll. If you saw the photos, you probably saw the smiles, the cap, the gown, my kids shouting “Go on Mum!” - the triumphant moment. But as with all triumphs, what you didn’t see is the gravity I had to fight to get there. Because I’m not an “academic type.” I hated school. I struggled in school. And for five long years of my PhD, imposter syndrome sat on my shoulder like a constant s

Last week, Felix Smith made history - becoming the first junior British male aerobic gymnast ever to win an individual medal at the European Championships. A bronze that represents far more than a place on the podium; it represents years of invisible work carried out not just by Felix, but by the three essential pillars of youth sport: the coach, the athlete, and the parent. This trio; sometimes called the coach–athlete–parent triangle isn’t glamorous, but it is everything. A

I see this time and time again in social media groups - desperate parents reaching out for help because they feel their child is being bullied by their coach. It’s heartbreaking, and sadly, it’s more common than many realise. From my research, I’ve seen how incredibly resilient children can be in sport. They’ll handle the boring, repetitive training sessions. They’ll sacrifice weekends and miss out on parties. If they’re passionate about their sport, they’re all in. But the o

QUESTION: What challenge have you faced as a sport parent? (Real Answers from my Research) “I don’t know good training from bad - especially early on in the journey.” “When my daughter gets upset after a competition, I don’t know how to support her - and I end up anxious too.” “The pushy parents shouting from the sidelines are hard to watch.” “Sometimes I ask too many questions.” “When she was facing a mental block, I didn’t know how to help.” "First competition - overwhelmin

Yesterday my daughter retired from gymnastics. After 15 years of training, competing, and dedicating herself to the sport, she is hanging...