Working with Parents in Sport

‘Working with Parents in Sport’ supports organisations, coaches and parents in working together to provide children with the best possible sporting experiences.

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

'THE COMPLETE PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME'
(Supporting organisations, coaches, parents and children to work effectively together to help young people fulfil their potential both in and out of sport.)

Check out our latest video and brochures for NGB's, Sporting Organisations, Clubs and Schools.

https://t.co/FcSMO2w8Dw

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

BLOG - 'Growth Spurts and Changing Nutrition Needs'
Growth is a full time job and there’s no one-size-fits-all rule for energy needs so, as parents, we have to be good at recognising the signs that they’re growing, or are about to. Some are more obvious than others which can leave parents unsure of how much food is either ‘too much’ or ‘not enough.'
https://t.co/G9ClZE4EgH

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

NEW PARENTS IN SPORT PODCAST - 'A conversation with Betsy Butterick'

'Supporting Gen Z and Gen Alpha to thrive both in and out of their sport’ and what that potentially means for coaches, teachers and parents

We were delighted to be joined by 'The Coaches' coach', communication specialist and author Betsy Butterick on the latest episode of the podcast.

During the conversation we discussed amongst other things:

The Coaching Crisis of coaches leaving the profession and struggling to connect with Gen Z
The importance of understanding Gen Z rather than judging them
Connection as the foundation to all great coaching
The shift from telling to asking
Making sense of expectations both spoken and unspoken
Accountability vs. Responsibility
Generational Traits - are they myths or reality?
Honesty with Empathy - being kind rather than just nice, allows for honest caring conversations
Managing Dreams, Expectations and Realities
The Coach–Parent–Athlete Triangle and communication skills applying across all three relationships
Connection, co-creation and choices

https://t.co/GK1En2B9ji

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

'VIDEO – Psychology of Performance'

CEO Gordon MacLelland joined James Barraclough and Tom Mitchell to chat about the work of WWPIS, sports parents and how the work links together featuring elements across sport psychology, coaching and performance.

Key themes of the discussion included:

Developing the young person comes first—character traits and life skills matter beyond sport
Parent–coach–athlete relationships must be aligned to avoid mixed messages
Parental pressure can unintentionally hinder development; education and perspective are essential
Enjoyment of the journey is crucial for both athletes and families
Release processes must be handled with care to support wellbeing
Early specialisation differs across sports; balance, rest, and variety are beneficial
Effective environments depend on context—there is no universal approach

https://t.co/V3lN8AsW7w

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

'What motivates your children to play sport?'

Have you ever asked them this question?
Do you regularly check in as their responses may change over time?

https://t.co/I8ClO4Zgfj

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

NEW PARENTS IN SPORT PODCAST - 'A conversation with Betsy Butterick'

'Supporting Gen Z and Gen Alpha to thrive both in and out of their sport’ and what that potentially means for coaches, teachers and parents

We were delighted to be joined by 'The Coaches' coach', communication specialist and author Betsy Butterick on the latest episode of the podcast.

During the conversation we discussed amongst other things:

The Coaching Crisis of coaches leaving the profession and struggling to connect with Gen Z
The importance of understanding Gen Z rather than judging them
Connection as the foundation to all great coaching
The shift from telling to asking
Making sense of expectations both spoken and unspoken
Accountability vs. Responsibility
Generational Traits - are they myths or reality?
Honesty with Empathy - being kind rather than just nice, allows for honest caring conversations
Managing Dreams, Expectations and Realities
The Coach–Parent–Athlete Triangle and communication skills applying across all three relationships
Connection, co-creation and choices

https://t.co/GK1En2B9ji

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

BLOG - 'Are we all delusional to some extent when it comes to our children’s sport?'

The most difficult thing is being able to remain as objective as possible, not always an easy task, particularly with the sacrifices, cost, and emotional investment that many families make to support their young people on their sporting journey.

Delusional Parents are those who have false or unrealistic beliefs or opinions about their children even when confronted with facts. Most parents are pretty balanced and only suffer from a mild form of delusion, which I probably suffer from as well. However, there will always be some extreme cases.

https://t.co/LCm1tYaSk9

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

'Sports Performance Parenting' - used by some of the highest performing youth teams in the world

Have you got your copy of our bestselling book for sporting parents used by high performing teams as part of their programmes for parents?

Sports Parenting can be one of the most challenging parental journeys, there is no such thing as a perfect sports parent.

There is very rarely a one size fits all approach and yet there are so many things for us to navigate as parents in order to give our young sports people the very best support that we can.

https://t.co/pAYmQRKY3s

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

'VIDEO – Psychology of Performance'

CEO Gordon MacLelland joined James Barraclough and Tom Mitchell to chat about the work of WWPIS, sports parents and how the work links together featuring elements across sport psychology, coaching and performance.

Key themes of the discussion included:

Developing the young person comes first—character traits and life skills matter beyond sport
Parent–coach–athlete relationships must be aligned to avoid mixed messages
Parental pressure can unintentionally hinder development; education and perspective are essential
Enjoyment of the journey is crucial for both athletes and families
Release processes must be handled with care to support wellbeing
Early specialisation differs across sports; balance, rest, and variety are beneficial
Effective environments depend on context—there is no universal approach

https://t.co/V3lN8AsW7w

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

BLOG - 'Growth Spurts and Changing Nutrition Needs'
Growth is a full time job and there’s no one-size-fits-all rule for energy needs so, as parents, we have to be good at recognising the signs that they’re growing, or are about to. Some are more obvious than others which can leave parents unsure of how much food is either ‘too much’ or ‘not enough.'
https://t.co/G9ClZE4EgH

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JOINS THE PARENT IN SPORT PODCAST - BRAD STULBERG

'The Way of Excellence'

Brad Stulberg joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss his new book ‘The Way of Excellence’ which explores what sustainable excellence really looks like and what it potentially means for us all in supporting young athletes.

During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:

Building excellence through rhythm and balance
The dangers of outcome obsession
Supporting our young people to build and maintain a ‘stable sense of self’
Helping our young people build confidence through effective preparation
The importance of discomfort for growth but not chaos
Helping young people interpret failure as information, not a final verdict
Creating support systems and environments full of clarity and consistency that help develop resilience and self-awareness

https://t.co/xyu984aQ7o
@brad stulberg

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

PARENTS IN SPORT PODCAST - ‘THE REAL MANOSPHERE'

'Supporting teenage boys to fulfil their potential both in and out of their sport'

An incredibly real dialogue between Rick Copper and Gordon MacLelland on one of today's hottest topics including:

Moving past ‘Manosphere’ headlines
The important distinction between ‘fitting in’ and ‘belonging’
Filling the connection void – being seen, valued and heard
The importance of strong and effective role modelling
Agreements over expectations
Strategies for sporting parents to try and implement immediately to support their teenage sons
Everybody’s role in providing emotionally intelligent leadership that teenage boys need to navigate the modern world

https://t.co/hu6jHbxUXS

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

NEW BLOG FOR MEMBERS - 'Do you really know the answer?'

When you sit in some youth sport environments it is easy to get confused by all the jargon and opinions being shared around you. In these spaces you may find yourself sharing information while also trying to take on board a lot and learn about your child’s sport and how to do the best thing for them.

https://t.co/hb1bsHX1QF

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

'BRITISH GYMNASTICS WORK THRIVING'

Our work with @britishgymnasticsofficial continues to grow and thrive. This month saw us deliver a number of sessions with pathway parents and these continue to be really well attended and without a doubt the levels of interaction have increased hugely from when we started working with the organisation 4 years ago.

It was also great to see some of the parents of the senior teams attending and sharing their experiences with the group whilst admitting there is always another perspective and something to learn for themselves.

Our project with the organisation sees targeted webinars delivered throughout the year and parents given a customised version of ‘Sports Performance Parenting’ which includes interviews from leading sports stars and their families which dovetails the webinars delivered.

We are not only just working with the performance pathway. We have been out and about delivering to parents, coaches and young gymnasts in a growing number of clubs and a new collaboration for every member will be announced in the coming weeks......

We are incredibly proud of what we have built together.

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

Have you got your copy yet?

“How to Feed A Young Athlete: a parents’ handbook – a comprehensive, practical and easy to read guide answering the most common questions every families ask, including:

How much is enough?
What should they eat before training?
What about supplements?
Managing fussy eaters who train intensively
Warning signs your athlete isn’t eating enough

The book also features interviews and nutritional tips from sporting parents of youth athletes across a range of performance pathways.
@performance canteen

https://t.co/OuP9lBzCYn

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

PARENTS IN SPORT PODCAST - ‘THE REAL MANOSPHERE'

'Supporting teenage boys to fulfil their potential both in and out of their sport'

An incredibly real dialogue between Rick Copper and Gordon MacLelland on one of today's hottest topics including:

Moving past ‘Manosphere’ headlines
The important distinction between ‘fitting in’ and ‘belonging’
Filling the connection void – being seen, valued and heard
The importance of strong and effective role modelling
Agreements over expectations
Strategies for sporting parents to try and implement immediately to support their teenage sons
Everybody’s role in providing emotionally intelligent leadership that teenage boys need to navigate the modern world

https://t.co/hu6jHbxUXS

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

'The Best Priced Annual Membership for Sporting Parents'

The WWPIS Members Area is used by sporting teams all over the world from grassroots level to international teams.

In the ‘Members Area’ you will find three different sections designed to support clubs, parents, coaches and athletes.

For sporting parents it provides information, support, resources and knowledge that will help in providing an amazing environment for young athletes.

A lot of this material has never been made available to parents and coaches before unless they are playing at elite level or playing professionally in the world of sport.

Get your membership today.
https://t.co/TS4U3J8SDy

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JOINS THE PARENT IN SPORT PODCAST - BRAD STULBERG

'The Way of Excellence'

Brad Stulberg joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss his new book ‘The Way of Excellence’ which explores what sustainable excellence really looks like and what it potentially means for us all in supporting young athletes.

During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:

Building excellence through rhythm and balance
The dangers of outcome obsession
Supporting our young people to build and maintain a ‘stable sense of self’
Helping our young people build confidence through effective preparation
The importance of discomfort for growth but not chaos
Helping young people interpret failure as information, not a final verdict
Creating support systems and environments full of clarity and consistency that help develop resilience and self-awareness

https://t.co/xyu984aQ7o
@brad stulberg

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

NEW BLOG FOR MEMBERS - 'Do you really know the answer?'

When you sit in some youth sport environments it is easy to get confused by all the jargon and opinions being shared around you. In these spaces you may find yourself sharing information while also trying to take on board a lot and learn about your child’s sport and how to do the best thing for them.

https://t.co/hb1bsHX1QF

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

BLOG - 'Encouraging persistence in a world of instant gratification'

In an ever changing world there are a number of key building blocks that are going to remain an integral part of sporting development and persistence is certainly one of those.

'Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent'. (Calvin Coolidge, US President)

'Permanence, perseverance, and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.'(Thomas Carlyle)

https://t.co/UHSbbJRHBB

[Working with Parents in Sport @_WWPIS]

PARENTS IN SPORT PODCAST - ‘THE REAL MANOSPHERE'

'Supporting teenage boys to fulfil their potential both in and out of their sport'

An incredibly real dialogue between Rick Copper and Gordon MacLelland on one of today's hottest topics including:

Moving past ‘Manosphere’ headlines
The important distinction between ‘fitting in’ and ‘belonging’
Filling the connection void – being seen, valued and heard
The importance of strong and effective role modelling
Agreements over expectations
Strategies for sporting parents to try and implement immediately to support their teenage sons
Everybody’s role in providing emotionally intelligent leadership that teenage boys need to navigate the modern world

https://t.co/hu6jHbxUXS