Parents in Sport Podcast

In this episode Michelin starred chef and sports parent Tom Kitchin joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss high performance and sports parenting. Tom has lived experience as a parent going through the football academy journey and it was great to discuss how his own working life in high performance has influenced his ongoing approach with his four children.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The realities and complexities of being a sport parentKeeping as balanced as possible in our approach throughout the ups and downs of the journeyThe importance of parental role modelling in shaping key character traits in our young peopleUsing the big challenges and moments to help fire drive, desire and determinationThe art of picking the right time to have the best conversations with our childrenAdapting and changing our approach as our children get olderThe similarities between high performance sport and high performance restaurantsThe importance of helping to instil the right attitude and discipline and being honest with our childrenBuilding confidence in our young peopleThe vital role of nutrition in fuelling our young people to help them achieve their bestTom Kitchin opened his first restaurant The Kitchin, on Edinburgh’s Leith waterfront in June 2006. The Kitchin was awarded an acclaimed Michelin Star just six months after opening - an accolade that has been retained now every year since. The award-winning restaurant has been consistently voted one the UK’s best restaurants since its opening whilst Tom and his wife Michaela were also named ‘UK Restauranteurs of the Year’ in 2019 at the prestigious UK Restaurant Awards.Tom has become a well-known face on television, having appeared on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, UKTV Food’s Market Kitchen, in BBC2’s successful series and BBC2’s Remarkable Places to Eat.Tom has, on many occasions, joined some of the UK’s most renowned chefs on the MasterChef FinalChef’s Table panel as a judge.

In this episode author and sports parent Catherine Baker joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss being a sports parent and the complexities of the role based on her experiences of parenting three sporting children, one of whom is currently involved in professional rugby.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The realities of being a sports parentLearning on the job and navigating the role of a sports parentThinking about our communication, our language and the messages we give our childrenReinforcing hard work and effortWorking alongside our own children's goals and motivationsThe importance of connectionThe challenge of navigating our children being injured or not being selectedPassing the baton to our teenage children and giving them a greater agency over the experiencePicking the moments to have important conversations with our teenagersThe lessons we can apply from Catherine's book 'Staying the Distance'Author, coach, and Keynote Speaker Catherine is relentless on the benefits of sport and movement. Catherine is a parent of three boys, all of whom have played sport at a high level. Through her business Sport and Beyond she has had the privilege of working with many elite athletes, elite coaches, and senior leaders across sport and business, with a focus on mindset and leadership. She is also a non-executive Director on various Boards, including the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust. Catherine's debut book, Staying the Distance: The Lessons From Sport That Business Leaders Have Been Missing, published by Bloomsbury Business, came out on 20th March 2023.

In this episode author and founder of 'The Changing the Game Project' joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss being a champion teammate, what that actually means and how we as parents can support our children to fulfil this role.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The importance of being a teammate in life, not just in sportHow we all need to learn to connect, compete and leadMaking the choice to be a 'Champion Teammate'Recognising the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and those around you'What can I give' as opposed to 'what can I get' in a society that promotes the latterThe challenges of technology in developing key character traits in young peopleThe importance of real connection and face to face conversationsPositive team dynamics and creating environments for this to flourishBeing the parent and the adult in the room particularly during times of adversityJohn O'Sullivan is the Founder of the Changing the Game Project and Host of the Way of Champions Podcast. He is the author of three #1 Bestselling books on parenting, coaching and team culture, and consults with sporting organisations across the globe including US Soccer, USOPC, USA Swimming, US Ski and Snowboard, Ireland Rugby, Australian Rugby League, the PGA, and numerous other schools, clubs and sporting organisations. A former collegiate and professional soccer player and a coach for three decades, his work has been featured by CNN, Outside Magazine, the Boston Globe, and his 2014 TED talk on "Changing the Game in Youth Sports" been viewed nearly 500,000 times. In The Champion Teammate, Jerry Lynch and John O’Sullivan share wisdom accrued from decades of consultation with well over 100 conference, national, and world championship teams and dozens of Hall of Fame coaches; interviews with hundreds of athletes, coaches, and leadership experts on their Way of Champions Podcast; and hundreds of workshops on being an exceptional teammate, leader, coach, and parent.

In this episode Motivational Interviewing expert and trainer and sports parent Orla Adams joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss 'Motivational Interviewing' and how it can help us as sports parents enhance the quality of conversations and navigate some of the difficult moments we face with our young people around their sporting experience.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:'Motivational Interviewing' and its place in sports parenting and the world of sportThe importance of identifying strengths, skills and abilities in our young peopleCreating space for our children to share their perspectives and points of viewHow we can become more self-aware of the moments and approach we take to have the most impactful conversationsHow instilling a fear of failure, focussing on weaknesses and making comparisons may have such negative connotationsTips and strategies for setting up the most difficult conversations that we can't avoid with our childrenHow using scaling techniques may help us communicate effectively with our children whilst encouraging self-evaluationThe importance of being able to listen well and what does that actually mean?Orla  Adams is the Dietetic Lead for Maternal Weight Management in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and she divides her time between this and delivering Motivational Interviewing (MI) training across the UK to various disciplines.  Orla attended her first MI workshop in 2006, became a member of MINT (Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers) in 2011, and gained MINT certification as an MI Trainer in 2023.  Orla is originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland and lives in Cardiff with her husband and two sons.  She is a sports parent and has been finding value in how MI has been helpful in some of the more challenging conversations.  

In this episode educational consultant, coach and parent Larissa Mills joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss ‘Effectively managing social media and setting up positive phone routines with our sporting children’.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:Helping our children to develop 'real focus' in today's tech worldWorking on creating a healthy routine around devices at homeHow the brain and nervous systems are affected by the use of devices on a physical and mental levelSetting phone rules and standards at home and positively role modelling the rules as parentsHow the random use of phones can lead to a poor work ethicEducating our children about followers and enhanced safety around their social media accountsThe negative impact of device usage on communication skills and self-worth in young peopleThe perils of running a social media account for your sporting childrenDevice usage before competition - what physical and mental changes are children making to their bodies and what is a healthy pre-competition routine?Larissa Mills is the founder and Director of the Mental Game Academy.Leveraging a diverse educational background, Larissa is an esteemed Educational Behavioral Consultant holding a BA in Sociology, Psychology, and a Masters of Science in Education, specializing in brain functionality and learning mechanisms. With over 25 years of coaching experience across various sports, Larissa’s insights have been honed through a deep understanding of athletic dynamics.

In this episode former NFL coach, Captain of GB Women's team and Sky Sports and Talk Sport Broadcaster Phoebe Schecter joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss her varied life in sport, being a strong role model and how parents can support and inspire their daughters on their sporting journey.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:Phoebe's experience of coaching in the NFLThe importance of trust and humility in any organisationTaking opportunities when doors are opened for youBody image and the importance of young girls having access to the correct equipment and clothingThe increasing challenges of technology for young females todayCoaches understanding the importance of meeting the needs of female players and creating the right environments for themSupporting our daughters to develop key building blocks including resilience and effective conversation skillsThe value of role models and allowing our children to dreamPhoebe Schecter is a former NFL coach, Britain's first female coach in the sport, captain of the GB women's team, a flag football ambassador and now a broadcaster with Sky Sports and talkSPORT.

In this episode High Performance Consultant, Sports Physiotherapist and Former International Gymnast Rachel Vickery joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss high performance, character development and empowering self-advocacy in high performing young athletes.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The human stress responseThe true meaning of High Performance - excellence in craft, character and cultureThe importance of 'Character Development'Not expecting perfection as a sports parent and having high expectations of the right thingsThe value of intrinsic motivation and the mastery of craftHelping support a healthy identity in our young childrenThe impact of fear and how it can derail sporting performanceEmpowering our children to have a 'choice and a voice' in their journey and advocate for themselvesHelping support our children to understand the choices they make and the potential consequencesAligning our support to the goals and aspirations of our childrenRecognising and understanding that everyone has power and everyone has a voice in the process at a variety of points within the sporting journey (Organisations, coaches, parents and children)Rachel Vickery is a Human Behaviour and High-Performance Consultant, optimising performance, culture, communication and resilience in high pressure, high-stress and high stakes scenarios. She consults with Professional and Elite athletes, coaches and organisations; and other high-performance arenas including C-suite execs, trauma and emergency medicine personnel, elite military teams and tactical professionals as examples.In the sports world Rachel has worked with individuals and teams in the NBA (Golden State Warriors USA), the NRL (Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters) and the AFL (Brisbane Lions and Adelaide Crows) and numerous National, Olympic and World Champion level athletes, coaches and organisations from NZ, Australia and the USA, and is a performance ambassador for the global Leaders in Sport organisation. Rachel was an elite Gymnast on the New Zealand team for 6 years (Commonwealth Games and World Championships) before qualifying as a Sports Physiotherapist, then adding a few more qualifications to the toolkit to transition to her current field.To find out more about Rachel and to get in touch with her visit  www.breathingandperformance.com.

In this episode coach and author Reed Maltbie joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss the importance of language and how we as sports parents can help shape powerful and impactful conversations with our children.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:Understanding key words and picking the correct moments to have conversations that have the maximum impactThe role of language and self-talk in high pressure situationsRecognising the power of 'Pause' and not jumping in to solve every challenging moment for our childrenPositive body language around matches and competitionSelf-awareness around the pros and cons of the 'Car Journey Home'Encouraging our children to seek support and have both positive and challenging conversations with the key people in their livesOur voice becoming our children's internal dialogue and the importance of our role-modellingBeing comfortable with telling our children how we feel about our own challengesTry to become a 'Reward Hunter' as a sports parent"Coach Reed" Maltbie is a bestselling author, TED speaker, educator, and optimum performance specialist, is a thought leader in his field. With dual master's degrees in sports psychology and early childhood development, combined with three decades of professional coaching experience, Coach Reed has established himself as a global authority on cultivating and achieving peak performance, creating cultures of excellence, and developing leaders who transform lives.His new book, "The Spartan Mindset: Mastering the Language of Excellence," became an overnight international bestseller, emphasising the impact of language on performance.

In this episode former international cricketer, coach and broadcaster Lydia Greenway joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss growing female sport and how we can best support and inspire the young females in our lives.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The variation in cultures around the cricketing worldLydia's book 'Women and Girls' Cricket' which aims to support clubs, coaches and parentsThe difference between how we support young boy's and girls in sportProviding a range of sporting opportunities for young children to lay really good foundationsThe value of informal playThe benefits of girls playing with and against the boys in the early stages of their developmentThe huge influence of parents and their role modelling in how they shape the values and beliefs of young peopleThe massive impact that Lydia's family had on her developmentManaging the aftermath of a poor performance as a parentAlways striving to be better every day and developing this positive type of focus and mindset with our childrenRecognising that development in cricket can be a 'slow burn' and littered with failureEncouraging parents to focus on the processes and building blocks of developmentLydia Greenway is a former cricketer who represented England, Kent and the Southern Vipers.  In 2017 she launched 'Cricket for Girls' focussing on training teachers and coaches. Since then she has launched the 'Girls Cricket Club' to focus on developing female cricketers at grassroots level.  Lydia is also a broadcaster and has recently been an assistant coach with the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural women's IPL.

In this episode author, teacher and consultant James Nottingham joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss 'The Learning Pit' - understanding how our children learn and what that may mean for us as sports parents.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The fact that we are all capable of improvement and progressUnderstanding the importance of self-efficacy and helping to develop it with our childrenAsking great questions and developing our listening skills as sports parentsEmbracing the reality of disappointment and setbacksNormalising with our children the ups, downs and cha-cha's of learning and sporting developmentHow we can help our children analyse, respond and effectively plan the next stages following disappointment and any mistakes they makeSupporting our children to be brave to step out of their comfort zonesHelping our children take ownership of their learning and developmentUnderstanding the motivations of our childrenJames Nottingham is the creator of the Learning Pit, a model used widely to help students articulate their learning progress. He is also the author of 11 books on teaching and leading.He started life by failing – firstly at school (he was expelled from two high schools) and then at pig farming and factory work. However, after some charity work in apartheid South Africa gave him the shake he needed, he returned to the UK to work as a teaching assistant in a school for deaf children.Growing up, James was one of the ‘naughty kids’ at school; he spent more time on detention than he cares to remember and was expelled twice from secondary school. In 1999, James appeared in a TV documentary about Philosophy for Children (P4C), leading to an invitation to set up a social regeneration project in North East England. This multi-million-pound initiative won many prestigious awards for strengthening young people’s lives, including “helping young people to become clearer, more accurate, less self-contradictory and more aware of other arguments and values before reaching a conclusion.” Independent research by two universities also found strong correlations between project inputs and national test improvements.As the European funding for this project wound down, James set up an independent consultancy to share the best practices with a wider audience. This company engages with educators on every continent (except Antarctica!). James splits his time between giving keynote speeches, leading his team, writing books, and offering demonstration lessons (give him any class, any age, and he’ll show some of the best ways to move students from surface to deep learning).James has written 11 books for teachers, leaders, support staff, and parents. Many are bestsellers, and most have been translated into Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish (with Japanese titles coming soon) 

In this episode Professor and head of the Lifespan Performance Laboratory at York University, Canada Dr. Joe Baker joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss 'The Tyranny of Talent'- how it limits and compels athletic achievement.....and why you should largely ignore it.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:Trying to define talent and our misused application as coaches and parentsThe challenges of Talent IdentificationThe 'label of talent' and how it can potentially hinder motivationThe importance of the role of parents in the sporting systemOptimising talent development environments, putting the person at the centre of our thinking and not treating athletes as commoditiesPrioritising the sporting journey over any potential outcomesUndermining the power of sport by having unrealistic expectationsThe limitations of the 'Nature v Nurture' debateThe importance of an individualised approach with each athlete alongside a wider coaching frameworkThoughts on the development of the youth sporting landscape over the next decadeDr. Joe Baker is Professor and head of the Lifespan Performance Laboratory at York University, Canada. His research considers the varying influences on optimal human development, ranging from issues affecting athlete development and skill acquisition to barriers and facilitators of optimal ageing. He has worked with a range of teams and organisations around the world at the amateur and professional levels. He has published 12 books, the latest of which is The Tyranny of Talent: How it compels and limits athlete achievement… and why you should ignore it. In addition, he has published over 300 scientific articles, book chapters and commentaries. More info on his research can be found at https://www.yorku.ca/professor/bakerj/ or on Twitter @bakerjyorku.

In this episode sleep expert James Wilson(AKA The Sleep Geek) joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss supporting our children to sleep well for competitive sport. We are all too aware as sports parents of the many challenges that we face when it comes to sleep with our own children.James does a great job in dispelling a few myths and helping us all feel better about the challenges we face as well as giving us a few tips to point us in the right direction.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The importance of quality sleep and embedding it across whole sporting environmentsThe benefits of higher quality sleep as opposed to focussing on the quantity of sleepTrying not to be too prescriptive when discussing sleep with our childrenUnderstanding that sleep is a feeling rather than a numberSetting a sleep time that fits with our children's body rhythm Setting a realistic and thought out bedtime routine with our children rather than enforcing strict rulesHaving compassionate conversations and recognising that our teenagers may need to go to bed later than usUsing light boxes and sunshine alarm clocks to help our children have effective wake ups Working towards a consistency of sleepUsing 'naps' in a positive wayEffective tools for setting up a healthy bedtime routineHelping our children not to get too stressed if their sleep the night before and after competition is not as effective as the rest of the week The importance of effective mattresses, pillows and duvets as well as thinking about our body positions when sleepingJames Wilson (AKA The Sleep Geek) is the Founder and CEO of Kip Mate, a company that helps organisations, sports teams and poor sleepers get better kip, through realistic and simple advice, delivered via seminars, webinars, one on sessions and via their digital tool. As a sleep expert, he is  geared towards helping people understand their sleep, and helps crate cultures that support people’s sleep.  with the likes of Coca Cola Hellenic, Red Bull, Zurich Insurance, Pret A Manger, Stagecoach, the NHS and Ernst and Young amongst his clients. In sport he is Sports Aid’s sleep expert and has spent the last 5 years working in football with the like of Lincoln City, Rotherham United and Sheffield United and this season is continuing his partnership with West Ham, supporting the Men’s and Women’s teams and also the rest of the club. To find our more about how Kip Mate can help you sleep better go to www.kipmate,com and for more information on James’ work go to www.thesleepgeek.co.uk

In this episode Head of Women's Psychology at the Football Association Dr. Kate Hays joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss life with the Lionesses and supporting and inspiring young girls to a life in sport.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:Memories of last Summer's success with the LionessesCreating a bubble around athletes at high profile events to help them focus on performanceCreating safe spaces for athletes to process success, manage the aftermath of highly emotional events and helping to support the resetting of new goals to move forwardThe power of sport to inspire, create opportunities and provide amazing role modelsUnderstanding the individual needs of young performers in sport whether we are coaches or parentsThe importance of youth sport and facilitating safe environments for children to learn, develop as individuals and make mistakesFraming winning and competition in a positive manner whilst supporting our children to understand why and how they perhaps achieve specific outcomesCommon traits in top athletes and their drive to be the best, their drive to improve, their relentless focus on success, their ability to be objective in reviewing performances and how they leave no stone unturnedEveryone wants to win - so how do we win?Intrinsic v Extrinsic motivationThe potential job opportunities in sport for young females in sportDr Kate Hays is the Head of Women’s Performance Psychology at the Football Association. Previously, she spent more than seven years in a similar role with the English Institute of Sport [EIS]. She has worked as a sport psychologist and been part of multidisciplinary teams for 20 years. During this time Kate has worked across a range of different sports and supported athletes competing in major global events including World Championships, Olympics and the professional equivalent – most recently among the team behind the team at the Tokyo Games.Her current role includes working closely with elite England players in an on-camp role as a key part of head coach Sarina Wiegman’s support team. Day to day, she is responsible for ensuring a consistent approach is introduced across all development sides as part of a commitment to strengthening the women’s player pathway.

In this episode author and world-renowned performance expert Steve Magness joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss 'Do Hard Things', his latest book, which takes a deep dive into real toughness and how we can get resilience so very wrong.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The motivation for writing‘Do Hard Things’ Defining 'resilience' and what it actually means and looks like in realityDealing with the reality of the 'struggle' and embracing itHelping our children develop a toolbox to navigate the inevitable obstacles and challenges they will encounter during their sporting journeyNormalising the experience of loss and disappointment and giving our children space to process these moments whilst recognising our role in supporting themRecognising the sensitive period immediately after competition and reacting accordingly as sports parentsGiving our children the opportunity to share their perspectives and experiencesHelping our children 'raise the floor' and recognise the importance of improving the consistency of their performanceRecognising the importance of intrinsic motivation and the drive for sporting success coming from our childrenSteve Magness is a world-renowned expert on performance, well-being, and sustainable success. His most recent work is Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness. He is coauthor of the best selling Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox. In his coaching practice, Steve has worked with some of the best athletes in the world. 

In this episode Stuart Lancaster joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss sports parenting, working with and engaging parents early in the process and creating great sporting environments for young people.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:His new role at Racing 92 announced just hours before the podcast was recordedA coaching career that encompassed so many different roles across different age groups and different levelsClub rugby on a Sunday morning and helping develop coaches whilst supporting parents to support effectivelyRecognising that a lot of parents are hungry to learn and love being supportedThe importance of early parental engagement in helping to create healthy sporting environmentsStriking the sweet spot between development and winningThe importance of multi-sport participation at a young ageThe black hole of sports participation post 18The importance of connection, purpose and belonging in keeping young people involved in sportThe importance of developing effective sustainable sports systemsMotivating young people by understanding their needs and motivationsStuart Lancaster is the current senior coach at Leinster Rugby and will be joining Racing 92 as Director of Rugby at the end of this season.He was formerly the England Head Coach from 2011-2015. Prior to that he held numerous positions which included coaching the England Saxons and leading the England U20 side to a Grand Slam and 3 finals in the IRB World Junior Championships. 

In this episode Dr Amy Whitehead and Jenny Coe join Gordon MacLelland to discuss some of the myths of coaching in the sporting world and what it means for us as parents in trying to navigate the experience of youth sport.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:Their motivations for editing and putting together 'The Myths of Sports Coaching'How myths come about and gain momentumThe 10,000 hour mythFinding the balance between science and the craft of coachingThe dangers of copying and pasting coaching content from social mediaNot putting all parents into the same category of being badly behavedThe importance of autonomy and enjoyment in the youth sporting experienceThe social and cultural influences that can direct behaviour in sports parentingRaising self-awareness and helping to change the narrative of success in youth sportWhat we should be looking for in a good coach as sports parentsWhat constitutes a really good coaching session for our childrenAmy is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Sport Psychology and Coaching at Liverpool John Moores University and is the lead of the Coaching and Pedagogy Research Group at LJMU. Amy is also a BPS Accredited and HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and works as a sport psychology consultant with a range of sports and athletes.Jenny Coe has spent 25 years in different sporting roles from playground to podium she seen, heard and felt the importance of understanding the individuals and relationships within each environment. She values connections and the underpinning care that supports people in working towards and maintaining their why. She aims to nourish the relationships so the trust and openness can empower those she works with to embrace the new challenges.Jenny’s current role is working as a Head of Performance and Wellbeing with West Ham Women’s Football Team. A role where she is shifting the mindset in women’s football to consider the idea of performance through wellbeing.

In this episode director of coaching and performance at Setanta College Des Ryan joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss  strength and conditioning for young athletes, how we can best support our children and dispels a few myths along the way.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The strength and conditioning minefield for parents of young athletesThe importance of regular activity (structured and unstructured)Early specialisation and a wider understanding of the debateBeing aware and managing training routines alongside growth spurtsStories of great practise and outcomes at Arsenal AcademyImproving speed and movement is possible for everyoneThe importance of individual values and disciplineHopes for the future for S & C coaches and how they may be able to benefit whole communitiesHere are a number of the links that Des recommended during the podcast.World Rugby Passport - Conditioning for RugbySetanta Academy Courses | Setanta College AcademyGrowth & Maturation | Player Development Insights Series #2 - YouTubeGrowth and maturity | FA Learning webinar - YouTubeDes Ryan works for Setanta College as Director of Coaching & Performance. Des is one of the leading youth coaches and performance managers in sport and a world-renowned practitioner and speaker in the field of youth athletic development. Des joined Setanta from his position as Head of Sport Medicine & Athletic Development at Arsenal Football Club Academy, a position he held for over 8 years where he re-shaped the concept of player development within the world of football. He has also previously worked as Head of S&C at Connacht Rugby, S&C to Ireland and as Fitness Education Manager within the IRFU, where he spent over 13 years developing the IRFU’s coach and player development system.Des has a Masters in Strength and Conditioning and is also an Accredited Strength and Conditioning coach with the UKSCA. He also has achieved the High Performance Sports Accreditation from the British Association of Sports and Exercise Science and is a chartered scientist.

In this episode author, head of mentoring at the True Athlete Project and Olympian Laurence Halsted joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss the True Athlete Project, it's philosophy and where sport currently fits in society.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:'The True Athlete Project' and it's philosophyWhat it was like for Laurence growing up in a house of OlympiansLaurences' motivations for writing 'Becoming a True Athlete'Ethics in elite sportHaving a 'human first, athlete second' approach and how this does not need to compromise performanceUsing sport to as a vehicle to equip young sports people with skills for lifeThe power of sport in society and how it can bring communities togetherLaurence's first memory of being inspired by sportLaurence Halsted is a two-time British Olympic fencer and multiple European medallist, who competed in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games. After more than a decade of performing at the highest levels of sport, Laurence hung up his swords and took on a role as the Performance Director of a national federation alongside becoming the head of mentoring at UK non-profit, The True Athlete Project. In 2021 Laurence published his first book - Becoming a True Athlete - which introduces and describes a practical philosophy for flourishing in sport, one that goes far beyond the results and medals to rediscover the true value of being an athlete. 

In this episode former Great Britain and England hockey coach Danny Kerry MBE joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss high performance sport, creating amazing cultures and sports parenting.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:Danny's fondest memories of professional sportCreating a values based culture based on behaviours and actionsThe importance of 'Psychologically Safe' environmentsHaving a clear vision of the aims of our children's sporting programmes The importance of equipping our children with a range of character and life skills along the sporting journeyBeing prepared to sacrifice a short term win for a longer term successThe challenges of sports parenting and having really good conversations with our childrenThe differing demands of professional sport to a performance pathwayDanny's key learnings from his sporting experience as a childDanny Kerry has had a prolific career involved in high performance sport.During his career he has coached both the Great Britain and England Mens and Women's teams.Highlights include an Olympic bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games, at that time the first British Olympic hockey medal in 20 years. Post London 2012 Danny was appointed Performance Director to England and Great Britain Hockey and was responsible for the national teams and strategic development of performance hockey across the UK. In late 2014 Danny once again took on the role of Head Coach to the England & GB Women’s hockey teams, winning historic Gold medals in the European Nations Cup in 2015 with England and at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with Great Britain. Danny was voted FIH World Coach of the Year for 2016 and Team GB coach of the year 2016. Subsequent to the Rio Olympic Games Danny has been awarded an MBE for services to hockey and Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Loughborough and Roehampton.

In this episode speaker, author and award winning educator Dr Jennifer Fraser joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss neuroscience,  what we know now,  what the research shows us and discuss what this means for sporting organisations, coaches and parents.During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:The ability to evolve, train and rewire our brainTom Brady and his use of brain trainingResilience and how eliminating threat can help develop this sought after skillThe importance of healthy and effective environmentsJennifer's new book 'The Bullied Brain'The value in parents celebrating the process of  holistic and character developmentHelping to foster intrinsic drive and motivationThe teenage brain and understanding the importance of peer connection for teenagersThe early adopters of brain training and the successes associated with itSporting organisations using the happiness of children as a key measuring stick in youth sport to help prevent drop-outCoaches adapting their approach to suit all of the different individuals within a group and leading with empathyThe challenges for parents in supporting their teenagers through adolescent development Developing 'empathic' listening skills when talking with our teenagersAre we 'watching' or 'observing' our children play sport?Jennifer Fraser is an award-winning educator and best-selling author. Her fourth book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health, came out in April 2022 with Prometheus Books. It draws on advancements in neuroscience and medicine in order to share evidence-based ways we can all strive to have healthier, happier, more high-performing brains even if we have suffered harm done by bullying and abuse. A science-informed approach, The Bullied Brain is meant to be a useful and practical guide for coaches, teachers and parents. You can find out more at bulliedbrain.com.