Join us for an inspiring episode as we welcome Gayatri Bhushan, HCPC-registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, who shares her deeply personal journey into the world of sports psychology. Born in India and now based in New Delhi, Gayatri reflects on her early years as a national-level 400-metre athlete and the pivotal challenges she faced, from performance pressures to the lack of mental health support. Her story of searching for guidance—often in vain—sparked a passion for ensuring no athlete is left without support, especially young girls navigating the complex intersection of sport and well-being.

Having studied at Loughborough University and worked with Premier League clubs in London, Gayatri discusses the profound impact of being immersed in diverse sporting environments. She highlights the crucial role of equality, diversity, and inclusion in building mental toughness, emphasising that access to psychological support should not be a privilege but a right for all athletes. Tune in to gain insight into the challenges, learnings, and the ongoing journey toward a more inclusive and resilient sporting world.

Key Learning Points:

·        The implementation of regulations and standards to protect the title of Sport Psychologist in India is important.

·        Advocate for more inclusive and diverse staffing policies in sports organisations to improve relatability and representation.

·        Encourage athletes to be comfortable in their own skin and not suppress their emotions and cultural identity.

Connect with Gayatri Bhushan

Mind Matter Performance Website

Connect with David Charlton

The Mental Edge with David Charlton

Instagram

LinkedIN

Podcast Episodes To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience For All Athletes and Participants

Ep290: Gordon MacLelland - Stop Focusing On Results: Developing Life Skills Through Sport

Ep287: Duncan O’Brien - Is A Blame Culture In Team Sports Helpful For Performance?

Ep286: Nathan Sherratt - How To Understand Neurodiversity Better In Football Refereeing

Ep285: Adam Batstone - Football Coaches: How To Help Neurodiverse Players Thrive

Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport

Other Valuable Resources To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Podcasts for Sport Coach Development

Cricket Psychology Resources

Hockey Psychology Resources

Rugby Psychology Resources

Soccer Psychology Resources

In the second part of a dialog with Parents in Sport founder, Gordon MacLelland, the conversation goes onto discuss the importance of resilience and normalising failure in sports when communicating with children.   Such discussions between parents, coaches and children can help kids develop positive coping mechanisms.  David and Gordon also touched on the potential risks of early specialisation in sports at a young age, such as burnout, overuse injuries and the potential to drop out from the sport altogether.  The benefits of diversifying sports participation and the importance of developing multifaceted kids were also talked about.

Key Learning Points:

·        Seek to focus on long-term development, such as aspects of mental toughness and resilience, rather than just results and outcomes.

·       Get to know yourself as a parent  as well as your child, seeking to improve your self-awareness.

·        Understand what burnout in sport symptoms are for your children.

·        Encourage regular check-ins between coaches/organisations and parents to manage expectations.

·        Explore ways to better support and train coaches and volunteers in sports clubs to have more effective conversations with parents.

Connect with Gordon MacLelland

Parents In Sport Website

Connect with David Charlton

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Useful Youth Sport Psychology Resource 

Youth Sport Motivation Checklist

Parental Sport Motivation Checklist

Podcast Episodes To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience For Children

Ep289: Gordon MacLelland – How To Support Children To Enjoy A Positive Relationship With Sport

Ep288: Duncan O’Brien - How To Overcome Intense Emotions From Football

Ep285: Adam Batstone - Football Coaches: How To Help Neurodiverse Players Thrive

Ep280: Colm O'Donoghue - How To Help A Young Golfer Who Struggles Playing Strokeplay

Ep279: Ger Fitzgerald - How To Help A Young Cricketer Overcome Selection Difficulties

Relevant Resources To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience For Children

Blog – 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment

Blog - 9 Tips for Children from Olympians

Blog - 5 Tips for Parents to Help their Children Perform with Confidence

Blog – How to Help Young Footballers Find the Zone

Blog – How do You Give a Young Golfer Self Confidence

Youth Sports Psychology Library – For Parents

Stuart Brown PHD – Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul

Susan Jackson, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Flow In Sports

In episode 289 of Demystifying Mental Toughness, the founder of Parents in Sport, Gordon MacLelland, shared his journey from having a promising sports career, to coaching and teaching to supporting parenting in sports.   He emphasized the importance of understanding individual children's motivations when considering their sporting experience.   Also highlighted were the challenges of balancing fun and competitive pressures.  The conversation underscored the importance of self-awareness as a parent and being an intentional in the love and support that you offer your children, as a parent in sports, whilst accepting that you and your child are human.

Additionally, David and Gordon stress the benefits of participating in sports on child’s character and mental toughness development, over winning, and the need for realistic expectations.

Key Learning Points:

·        Understand your child's motivations for playing sports and why they do it.

·        Have regular check-ins with your child to understand how their motivations may change over time.

·        Avoid asking questions like "Did you win?" or "Were you the best?" and instead focus on character traits with questions such as “When were you brave?” or statements “I noticed how you bounced back positively after your team lost the first goal by the way you were calling for the ball.

·        Be mindful of the timing and approach when having difficult conversations with your child about their sports performance.

·        Recognize that success in sports should not be solely defined by performance outcomes, and focus on the wider benefits of participation.

Connect with Gordon MacLelland

Parents In Sport Website

Connect with David Charlton

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Useful Youth Sport Psychology Resource 

Youth Sport Motivation Checklist

Parental Sport Motivation Checklist

Podcast Episodes To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience For Children

Ep288: Duncan O’Brien - How To Overcome Intense Emotions From Football

Ep285: Adam Batstone - Football Coaches: How To Help Neurodiverse Players Thrive

Ep280: Colm O'Donoghue - How To Help A Young Golfer Who Struggles Playing Strokeplay

Ep279: Ger Fitzgerald - How To Help A Young Cricketer Overcome Selection Difficulties

Ep233: David Charlton - How To Help A Young Footballer Overcome Fear

Relevant Resources To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience For Children

Blog – 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment

Blog - 9 Tips for Children from Olympians

Blog - 5 Tips for Parents to Help their Children Perform with Confidence

Blog – How to Help Young Footballers Find the Zone

Blog – How do You Give a Young Golfer Self Confidence

Youth Sports Psychology Library – For Parents

In a continuation of last week’s conversation, David Charlton and Duncan O'Brien discuss the impact of shame on athletes, particularly footballers.   Self-esteem, the self-recognition of multiple-selves and self-compassion are also features of the conversation.  They go on to discuss the impact of poor performances on an athletes’ mood.  Solutions to shift perspective are discussed to aid the understanding of sport coaches and parents to support athletes effectively.  They also touch on other strong emotions, such as anger and how to harness it.

Key Learning Points:

·        Explore ways to normalise emotions and have open conversations about them.

·        Developing an openness to learn more about yourself, your athletes or children is vital.

·        Understanding and connect with the state of being at you best can transform your mindset.

·        Potential dynamics where an athletic identity can become entangled with self-esteem and confidence resulting in negative mental health implications should be considered.

·        Athletes should be aware of their own triggers and to have strategies for managing anger effectively.

Connect with Duncan O’Brien

LinkedIN

Connect with David Charlton

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Podcast Episodes To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Ep287: Duncan O’Brien - Is A Blame Culture In Team Sports Helpful For Performance?

Ep286: Nathan Sherratt - How To Understand Neurodiversity Better In Football Refereeing

Ep285: Adam Batstone - Football Coaches: How To Help Neurodiverse Players Thrive

Ep249: Dr Edward Hall – Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports

Ep105: Hannah Bromley – Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women’s Football

Other Valuable Resources To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Podcasts for Sport Coach Development

Cricket Psychology Resources

Hockey Psychology Resources

Rugby Psychology Resources

Soccer Psychology Resources

David Charlton and Duncan O'Brien discuss the emotional challenges in football, focusing on blame, shame, guilt, and anger in this week’s episode of Demystifying Mental Toughness.  Duncan, influenced by Brene Brown's work, emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and collaboration in coaching.  He highlights the need for coaches to create supportive yet challenging environments, using tools like Clean Language to foster self-awareness and resilience.  They explore how emotions like shame can manifest in players, affecting their performance and behaviour.  The conversation underscores the significance of coaches communicating effectively and setting clear expectations to help players navigate stress and criticism, ultimately fostering a more supportive and effective coaching dynamic.

Key Learning Points:

·        Explore using clean language techniques in football coaching to help players develop self-awareness.

·        Encourage players to ask questions of each other rather than giving direct orders or criticism during challenging situations.

·        Educate coaches and players on the difference between shame and guilt, and how to address feelings of shame in a constructive way.

·        Mistakes are common in football and pointing the fingers, blaming can lead to guilt, impacting players' confidence and bravery.

·        Vulnerability is essential to encourage courageous behaviours and collaboration, however it is dependent on the relationship and trust developed between coaches and players.

Connect with Duncan O’Brien

LinkedIN

Connect with David Charlton

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Podcast Episodes To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Ep286: Nathan Sherratt - How To Understand Neurodiversity Better In Football Refereeing

Ep285: Adam Batstone - Football Coaches: How To Help Neurodiverse Players Thrive

Ep249: Dr Edward Hall – Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports

Ep105: Hannah Bromley – Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women’s Football

Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport

Other Valuable Resources To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Podcasts for Sport Coach Development

Cricket Psychology Resources

Hockey Psychology Resources

Rugby Psychology Resources

Soccer Psychology Resources

Today, the conversation delves into the experiences of a neurodiverse referee, referee educator and coach, Nathan Sherratt, the owner of The Third Team.  We discuss the challenges faced in education, the workplace, and on the pitch, highlighting the importance of structure and accountability.   David and Nathan also emphasise the need for understanding and support, particularly from clubs, organisations and governing bodies such as the FA, to better accommodate neurodivergent individuals in sports.   Nathan goes on to share personal strategies for managing sensory challenges and the significance of self-care, including physical activities like walking and golf.   The importance of continuous learning, adaptability, and the value of support networks in achieving success is also a feature of the episode.

Key Learning Points:

·        Explore ways to manage the sensory challenges, such as the cold weather or noisy crowds.

·        Neurodiverse traits can change over time.

·        Every individual’s experience of living with autism is different.

·        Adapting the use of comms kits in professional games and the difficulty of managing multiple conversations simultaneously should be considered by the FA when thinking about supporting Neurodiverse referees and assistant referees.

·        It is important for governing bodies to invest in supporting and educating people who are neurodiverse to future-proof specific individuals in sports.

Connect with Nathan Sherratt

Instagram

Website - The Third Team

Connect with David Charlton

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Podcast Episodes To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Ep285: Adam Batstone - Football Coaches: How To Help Neurodiverse Players Thrive

Ep249: Dr Edward Hall – Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports

Ep105: Hannah Bromley – Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women’s Football

Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport

Other Valuable Resources To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Podcasts for Sport Coach Development

Cricket Psychology Resources

Hockey Psychology Resources

Rugby Psychology Resources

Soccer Psychology Resources

In today’s episode David Charlton and his colleague Adam Batstone emphasised the importance of psychological support in football and sport coaching with children.  They particularly acknowledged the need to foster rapport with parents to address their concerns about disclosing their child's challenges.   David and Adam highlighted the need for adaptability in coaching methods, especially for neurodivergent children, who may require more personalised approaches.  They discussed strategies like framing sessions, providing clear routines, and using non-confrontational prompts to maintain engagement.  The conversation also touched on the significance of life skills development beyond football, noting that coaches can help children build resilience and emotional flexibility, crucial for their future success in various fields.

Key Learning Points:

·         Seek to explore ways to incorporate more flexibility and adaptability in training sessions to better accommodate neurodivergent players.

·         Develop strategies to build trust with parents, encouraging them to openly share information about their child's needs.

·         Provide training for coaches on recognizing and supporting neurodivergent behaviours, and implementing effective intervention techniques.

·         Investigate the feasibility of creating designated "safe spaces" within the training environment for players to self-regulate when needed.

·         Factor in the psychological planning of training sessions to consider the emotional responses of players.

·         Utilise additional coaching resources to provide one-on-one support for players who may need it during sessions.

Connect with David Charlton

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Podcast Episodes To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Ep249: Dr Edward Hall – Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports

Ep105: Hannah Bromley – Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women’s Football

Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport

Other Valuable Resources To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Podcasts for Sport Coach Development

Cricket Psychology Resources

Hockey Psychology Resources

Rugby Psychology Resources

Soccer Psychology Resources

Podcast Episodes To Help Children Have A Positive Sporting Experience

Ep074: David Charlton – How Can I Make My Child Feel Confident?

Ep112: David Charlton – How to Deal with Physical Insecurities as a Young Athlete

Ep217: Chris Cook – How A Marginal Gains Approach Can Help You Perform Better

Resources To Help Children Have A Positive Sporting Experience

Helping Young Athletes Manage Emotions

Does Your Child Worry Too Much About What Others Think?

My Child Can’t Find “The Zone”

Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches

Youth Sports Psychology Library

Conversations With Kids Ideas

Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents

David Charlton introduces the next phase of the "Demystifying Mental Toughness" podcast, where episodes will address various contemporary issues, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly for underrepresented groups like BAME athletes and neurodivergent individuals.  The podcast will also discuss the impact of social media and the problematic cultures of blaming and shaming in sports.  David emphasizes the importance of recognizing individual differences and avoiding stereotyping, advocating for a more inclusive and supportive approach to enhance the everyone’s overall sporting experience.

Connect with David Charlton

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIN

Podcast Episodes To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Ep249: Dr Edward Hall – Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports

Ep105: Hannah Bromley – Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women’s Football

Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport

Other Valuable Resources To Encourage A Positive Sporting Experience

Podcasts for Sport Coach Development

Cricket Psychology Resources

Hockey Psychology Resources

Rugby Psychology Resources

Soccer Psychology Resources

Today, the case study that David Charlton and his colleague Colm O’Donoghue discuss is connected to a 16-year-old swimmer who spends a lot of time online checking his rivals out, be that on social media or reviewing stats and results.  The implication is that his motivation and focus when training fluctuates and negative emotions such as jealousy and anxiety are triggered.   As well, potential challenges with his own self-esteem and how he feels about himself can be evident. 

David and Colm offer some ideas to shift his focus so that he is able to enhance his motivation and feel better in himself.

Key Learning Points:

• Social comparison theory, proposed by Leon Festinger, suggests that individuals evaluate their own abilities, opinions, and accomplishments by comparing themselves to other people.  This theory suggests that we have an natural drive to evaluate ourselves, and social comparison is a primary method we use to do so.
• Develop a pre-race routine to get into the right mindset, consider when you want to be online and not especially as the race draws closer.
• Set SMART goals focused on personal improvement.
• Review your emotional experience and self-talk when your online, how does it make your feel? What are you telling yourself about situations that you come across?

Connect with David Charlton

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Podcast Episodes To Help Children Have A Positive Sporting Experience

Ep074: David Charlton – How Can I Make My Child Feel Confident?

Ep112: David Charlton – How to Deal with Physical Insecurities as a Young Athlete

Ep217: Chris Cook – How A Marginal Gains Approach Can Help You Perform Better

Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches

Youth Sports Psychology Library

Conversations With Kids Ideas

Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents

Resources To Help Children Have A Positive Sporting Experience

Helping Young Athletes Manage Emotions

Does Your Child Worry Too Much About What Others Think?

My Child Can’t Find “The Zone”

In this episode, David Charlton and his colleague Colm O’Donoghue discussed a case study of a 12-year-old tennis player who struggled with her emotions on the court.   She often became overwhelmed by with anger and frustration or disappointment after making mistakes or losing points, leading to a loss of focus, poor performance and less enjoyment.  Her parents also found it very difficult to watch her play and contain themselves as a result too.  David and Colm go on to offer some advice for managing these strong emotional responses so that she can perform better and enjoy her tennis more.

 Key Learning Points:

·       Improving her emotional regulation is key to her success and enjoyment.

·       Find ways to focus on the present such as breathing techniques can be useful.

·       David emphasizes the importance of consistent practice and viewing breathing as a life skill.

·       Seeing the alignment of the parasympathetic nervous system as a vital component in playing your best by strategically finding ways to slow down can be helpful.

·       Plan B thinking by using visualisation, where she sees herself making mistakes and feels the emotions that comes with this, then recovering more positively can help her improve her composure in difficult moments.

Connect with David Charlton

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Podcast Episodes To Help You Regulate Your Emotions

Ep071 - James Lau: Mastering The Mental Side Of Tennis

Ep232 – Andy Elleray - How To Remain Composed As a Goalkeeper Under Pressure

Ep256 – David Charlton - The Immature Brain: How To Help An Emotional Child

Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches

Youth Sports Psychology Library

Conversations With Kids Ideas

Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents

Resources To Support Tennis Players Perform Better

How To Regain Momentum In Tennis So That You Win More Matches

How to Let Go of Mistakes when Playing Tennis

How Tennis Players Can Stay Confident Under Pressure