Join us for an honest and insightful conversation with Skye Eddy, the founder of Soccer Parenting, about her journey as a sports parent, what gets left out of the conversation in child-first coaching and the balance between competition and play. If you're a coach looking to build better bridges with parents, this episode is for you. We'll be taking a break from the #PlayTheirWay podcast over Christmas, wishing you all a lovely holiday! Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
In this week's episode, host Laura-Jane Jones interviews Robin Watkins-Davis about how yoga can be an essential part of the toolkit for getting through early adulthood. When Robin qualified as a yoga teacher in 2016, she was the youngest in the UK. She then went onto bring yoga to schools, training over 200 teachers and facilitating peer-led yoga sessions too. In this episode, Robin talks about the power of non-competitive activity, body image and bullying through the teenage years - and how yoga can have a positive impact. If you're looking to widen the scope of what physical activity and sport can look like so that every child and teenager can #PlayTheirWay, this episode is for you! Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
In host Laura-Jane Jones’ words, join us for a ‘life affirming’ conversation with the legendary Ladi Ajayi, Head of Sport at AKD Solutions, Chair of UK Coaching’s Diversity Expert Group and contestant in Race Across the World alongside his daughter, Monique. We talk about Ladi’s journey in sports, and what it means to be intentional about inclusivity as coaches and coaching organisations so that every child can #PlayTheirWay. If you’re a coach looking to be inspired and reinvigorated, this episode is for you! Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
This week, join us as host Laura-Jane Jones chats with CEO of ParkPlay, Rick Jenner, about how "we’ve become serious and structured about too many things" and how play - both for adults and children - could be the antidote to a modern life which expects too much of us all. Tune in, inspire, and let children #PlayTheirWay! Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
In the last episode of season 2 of the Play Their Way podcast, we speak to the one and only Russell Earnshaw (better known as Rusty)! Rusty is a Rugby coach and Founder of the Magic Academy, and says his favourite feedback he's received is, 'I like Russell Earnshaw, he treads a fine line between genius and nutcase.’ In this episode, we talk about why Rusty is so passionate about child-first coaching, how humour can help deliver a message and how young people will challenge themselves more when they're in charge of the challenge. If you want to reflect on what 'stick' and 'carrot' really mean in coaching, this episode is for you. Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
This week, we speak to Twickenham Swans and Signets FC Chairman and Founder, Eamonn Newell, about how their club’s inspirational journey from using jumpers for goalposts to taking over Wembley Stadium with 400 Swans members! Eamonn talks about how his own daughter’s interest in football sparked the idea to build a girls’ football team based on the values of inclusivity and child-first practice. Their website reads: “Never played before? Now's you chance. Used to play? Welcome back. Just keen to know more about the game your child may play? That's great too. Twickenham Swans FC is open to everyone with no age limits.” If you want to be inspired by the impact child-first coaching can have on an entire community, this episode is for you. Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Join Laura-Jane Jones in conversation with the inspirational, multi-medal winning age group England and GB rower, Scarlett Dewar. Scarlett joins the Play Their Way podcast ‘crew’ (excuse the pun!) to talk about her journey in the sport, the lessons she’s learnt along the way and the challenges she has faced, including her experiences with relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs). If you’re a coach who wants to learn more about REDs and is up for an inspiring and thought-provoking listen, then this episode is for you.
This week, sit down with host Laura-Jane Jones and Jack Rolfe, Founder of The Coaching Lab, for a conversation about coaching with dyslexia, the opportunities of halftime, and the transformative impact of child-first coaching. Jack discusses his personal journey which led him to develop his 'dyslexia-proof' matchplay cards which are often image-based and easy for children to understand, adapt and run with. If you’re a coach looking to expand the ways you engage with the children you coach, this episode is for you! Join the movement here. Find out more about The Coaching Lab: www.thecoachinglab.org Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Join host Laura-Jane Jones in conversation with Dr Alex Twitchen about his coaching philosophy and why children’s rights are central to everything he does. Dr Alex Twitchen is Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching Practice and Learning at the Open University, and has worked alongside FIFA, UNICEF and our team at Play Their Way on embedding children’s rights in practice. If you’re a coach looking to embed child-first coaching theory into practice, this is for you. Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
This week, join Laura-Jane Jones in conversation with Rashan McDonald about the possibilities which arise when we encourage children and young people to be leaders in sporting environments – and the implications that has for society as a whole. Rashan is a Sport for Good Development Manager for StreetGames, which are one of 17 partners which make up the Children’s Coaching Collaborative, the driving force behind the Play Their Way movement. Rashan’s passion for youth advocacy in sport was borne out of the encouragement and leadership opportunities he himself received at a young age from the TNG Youth and Community Centre. If you’re a coach looking to uplift the next generation to #PlayTheirWay, this episode is for you! Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Join host Laura-Jane Jones in conversation with two incredible sisters, Siham and Sagal Abdullahi, about creating safe spaces for Muslim girls in sport. Siham and Sagal are the founders of Barakah LDN, a grassroots community space for women and girls to play football for free every Saturday in Fulham. These sisters reflect on their experiences from growing up loving football, to feeling excluded and dropping out, to coming full circle to create a new inclusive space for Muslim girls in their community to play football. We can’t #PlayTheirWay unless every child is included. If you're a coach who wants to learn how to decrease the barriers facing girls from ethnic minority backgrounds in sport, this is for you. Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Dive deep into the theory behind child-first coaching with a conversation between host Laura-Jane Jones and this week’s guest, Professor Adam Nicholls. Professor Nicholls is a leading voice in sports psychology, having published over 90 papers and written four books, including Psychology for Coaches: Theory and Practice. In this week’s episode, we discuss the psychology behind sports coaching, why child-first coaching is important for children’s physical and mental health, as well as Professor Nicholls’ first-hand experience of the impact of negative coaching behaviours. If you’re looking to uncover the psychology behind child-first coaching, this episode is for you. Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Sit down for a chat with host Laura-Jane Jones and Ryan Miskovics, a brilliant young coach and disability advocate. Ryan coaches football and wheelchair basketball and is Vice Chairman of the London Youth Games LYG33 Leadership Team. Ryan shares his lived experiences of being a young disabled athlete, his journey into coaching and why listening to young people should be at the heart of your sessions. This episode provides plenty of food for thought for any coach seeking to be more inclusive and child-first in their practice. If you’re wondering how to #PlayTheirWay for every child, this episode is for you! Join the movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Join host Laura-Jane Jones and award-winning coach Pete Sturgess for the first episode of season 2 of the Play Their Way podcast. Reflect on a lifetime of coaching, and how Pete’s coaching philosophy evolved over the years to focus squarely on children’s voices, rights and experiences in sport. Pete shares the pivotal moments which changed his coaching philosophy, the highlights of a legendary career at the Football Association and beyond, and why he believes that child-first coaching leaves a legacy spanning entire lifetimes. If you’re a coach looking to build a meaningful career like Pete, this episode is for you. On the first ever International Day of Play - and every day – let’s #PlayTheirWay! Join the #PlayTheirWay movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Join us for the last episode of season 1 of the Play Their Way podcast, where host Laura-Jane Jones talks to Luke Carpenter about holistic coaching, keeping a positive and open attitude and coaching in deprived communities. Luke Carpenter is a grassroots coach at Valleys Gymnastics, which have been brilliant advocates for the Play Their Way movement. Luke also won the 2023 Community Coach of the Year for Children and Young People at the UK Coaching Awards a couple of weeks ago for his child-first approach to coaching. If you’re looking for first-hand experience of how to #PlayTheirWay in a holistic way, this episode is for you! Thank you for joining us for season 1 of the Play Their Way podcast - we can't wait to return in 2024 with more amazing episodes to help you play their way. Join the #PlayTheirWay movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Join us on this week's podcast with upcoming charity League Leaders and host Laura-Jane Jones as we dive into what it means to champion every child's voice, choice and journey in sport and physical activity. We're joined by Founder and CEO of League Leaders, Paul Jenkins, as well as young leaders Adbul-Razak Rakhis and Lereece Patrick. They talk about how their positive and negative experiences of sport growing up has shaped their attitudes now, the art of working with young people and the balance of competition and play. If you want to get inspired on how to build young leaders in sport, this episode is for you! Join the #PlayTheirWay movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Join host Laura-Jane Jones and this week’s guest, Nicky Harverson for an impassioned conversation about the joy of play and how to help children and young people find their voice in sport and physical activity. Nicky is a Physical Activity Specialist (Strategic Lead for Children and Young People) at Active Lives Gloucestershire as well as a cycling coach & Coach Developer. Nicky is passionate about play and has recently been supporting us to launch a pilot programme to support grassroots coaches – stay tuned for more on this! If you’re looking to up your game, this episode is packed with practical tips to help you #PlayTheirWay! Join the #PlayTheirWay movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Two hosts come together in this episode of the Play Their Way Podcast, as our host Laura-Jane Jones is joined by host of the Talent Equation Podcast, Stuart Armstrong! Join them for a discussion on how the perception of children’s play has transformed in our society over the past few generations, the role of the coach in child-first coaching and the creation of the Children’s Coaching Collaborative, 17 charities and organisations driving the Play Their Way movement. Stuart is the Strategic Lead for Coaching and Workforce Transformation, who still finds time to coach at a grassroots level and host The Talent Equation. He is a vocal advocate for child-first coaching and has been a crucial driver of the Play Their Way campaign. If you want to understand both the origin and the future of the #PlayTheirWay movement, this episode is for you! Join the #PlayTheirWay movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Join Poppy and Samuela (known as Sam) in conversation with host Laura-Jane Jones about serving on UNICEF UK’s Youth Advisory Board, as well as the potential and power of championing young people’s voices in sport and physical activity. Poppy is a 16-year-old from Fife, with a passion for young people’s mental and physical health and education, as well as upholding the best interests of children. Samuela is 18 years old, with a focus on social issues from mental health to homelessness, and a drive to be the change she wants to see in the world. If you’re a coach curious about what young people want and need from you in sport, this episode will help you #PlayTheirWay. Join the #PlayTheirWay movement here. Learn more about UNICEF UK's Youth Advisory Board here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
Dive into a conversation on inclusivity and intersectionality in children’s sport with Zoya Zia and host Laura-Jane Jones. Zoya discusses how to listen to young people’s voices and act on their wishes in meaningful ways, how to start when it comes to understanding and embedding children’s rights in coaching, and the long-term impact of positive (and negative) early experiences in sport and physical exercise – including her personal story. Zoya is the Senior Impact and Evaluation Officer at Chance to Shine, one of the members of the Children’s Coaching Collaborative (17 organisations which drive the Play Their Way movement). Originally from Pakistan and Texas, Zoya has found her place in between. She has an MSc Human Rights and Politics from the London School of Economics, and is interested in the relationship between sport and children's rights worldwide. If you want to #PlayTheirWay for every child, this episode offers a glimpse into a more inclusive, hopeful future for children’s coaching. Join the #PlayTheirWay movement here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.