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 coaches and...

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. Siblings. The dad with...

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, costumes to buy,...