The FX Factor

To kick off season three of The FX Factor, Kelly chats with Angelica, known as Gel, from This Is Your Body. Together, they explore food, body image and growing up surrounded by advice about what to eat and how to look.

From fuelling busy young athletes to navigating social media and everyday comments at home, this conversation looks at how we can support young people without adding pressure.

Gel also shares the story behind her work, why she’s passionate about working in schools, and the programs she offers to help teens build a more positive relationship with food and their bodies.

An honest, practical conversation for parents, coaches and anyone working with young people.

Find out more: https://www.thisisyourbody.com.au

We spend so much time preparing young athletes for what’s next that sometimes we forget there’s real value in how they finish what they’re already doing.

In the final episode of Season 2 of The FX Factor, I look at what finishing a sporting season really means — from the way we leave teams, clubs and coaches, to how we handle winning, disappointment and the decisions that didn’t go our way.

We also get into what happens after that final game or competition. Young bodies and minds need time to recover. Rest, fun, sleep and time away from structured sport matter, but so does making sure young athletes are physically ready when the next opportunity arrives. How do we find the balance between giving kids a genuine break and preparing their bodies with strength, fitness and movement for what’s ahead?

And perhaps most importantly, how do we stop racing towards the next team, trial, season or opportunity long enough to appreciate the one that’s finishing?

After 50 episodes, it feels like the perfect way to close Season 2.

Because how you finish one thing has a pretty big impact on how you walk into the next.

Thank you for being part of The FX Factor. Season 3 is going to look a little different — and I can’t wait to bring some new voices into the conversation.

Trial season is here. Teams are changing, programs are restructuring, selections are being made — and suddenly everyone seems to know exactly what should happen.

In Episode 49 of The FX Factor, I look at the noise surrounding youth sport at this time of year. The car-park conversations, group-chat rumours, confusing communication, disappointed parents, selection decisions and the constant question of whether our kids are getting the opportunities they deserve.

But what does a fair opportunity actually mean? Does every child deserve the same outcome? When should parents question a decision, and when do we need to accept that we might not have the full picture?

This episode isn't about blindly trusting coaches or telling parents to stay quiet. Clubs need to communicate better, selection processes need to be fair, and parents should absolutely advocate when something isn't right. But we also need to recognise the difference between wanting an opportunity for our child and believing they're entitled to an outcome.

As trials and selections begin for another year, this is a conversation for parents, coaches, clubs and anyone trying to navigate the increasingly complicated world of youth sport.

How do you know if your child has had a good season?

Is it the wins, the times, the goals, the scores, the selections, the levels or the medals? They all matter — that's sport. But they don't always tell us whether a young athlete is actually developing.

In Episode 48 of The FX Factor, I take the scoreboard away and look at what progress can really look like across youth sport. We talk about the seasons where results go backwards while development moves forward, the importance of independence and coachability, why comparing kids can give us a completely false picture, and the qualities that will never appear on a results sheet.

Because a scoreboard can tell you what happened on the day. It can't tell you everything that happened while your child was getting there.

Maybe it's time we started measuring a little more than the result.

As parents, we spend a lot of time worrying about the pressure we put on our children.

But what if the biggest pressure they feel isn't coming from us at all?

In this episode, I explore the quiet, unseen burdens that many young athletes carry without ever saying a word. The pressure to make the sacrifices worthwhile. The guilt of family time, travel and money. The fear of disappointing the people who support them most.

Drawing on my experiences as both a parent and a coach, I ask an important question: Have our children started carrying responsibilities that were never theirs to carry?

This isn't about blaming parents. It's about becoming more aware of what our kids might be feeling beneath the surface—and making sure they know that our love, our support and our presence have never been something they have to earn.

If you've ever invested your weekends, your time and your heart into your child's sporting journey, this episode might just change the way you see the drive home.

Some of the most important moments in youth sport don't happen on the field. They happen afterwards.

In this episode, I explore the conversations parents often struggle with most. The ones after disappointment. The ones after selection. The ones where we wonder whether to speak, stay quiet, offer advice or simply listen.

Drawing on my experiences as both a coach and a parent, I discuss why there isn't a perfect script for these moments, why every child responds differently, and how our role isn't always to solve the problem—but to stay connected while our kids work through it.

This isn't an episode about having all the answers.

It's about recognising that the conversations we have at home often shape our children far more than the result on the scoreboard ever will.

If you've ever driven home wondering, "Did I say the right thing?" this episode is for you.

It's one of the hardest questions every sporting parent asks.

Should I push them to train? Should I back off? Am I helping them grow, or am I putting too much pressure on them?

In this episode of The FX Factor, Kelly draws on nearly 30 years of coaching experience, combined with current sports psychology research, to explore why there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

You'll discover why some young athletes need accountability, while others need encouragement. Why motivation can't be forced. Why confidence isn't built by avoiding challenges. And why comparing your child—to teammates, social media or even their own siblings—can lead you further away from the answer you're searching for.

Because the best parents don't have all the answers.

They simply learn to read their child better than anyone else.

"She's naturally talented." "He's a superstar." "She's not confident." "He's not ready."

They might seem like harmless words, but what if the labels we give young athletes quietly shape the way they see themselves?

In this episode of The FX Factor, Kelly explores how labels from parents, coaches, teammates—and even the ones children place on themselves—can influence confidence, development and identity. From the pressure of always being "the talented one" to the resilience of the late bloomer, this episode challenges us to rethink the words we use and the expectations we create.

Because children aren't finished products. They're still growing, still changing, and still discovering who they are. The question is… are our words giving them the freedom to grow, or asking them to live up to a label they never chose?

Who is your child when you take away the uniform, the team, the trophies and the competition?

In this episode of The FX Factor, Kelly explores one of the most important questions every sporting parent should ask. Have we helped our children build an identity beyond their sport? Together, we'll unpack the difference between passion and identity, the dreams we have for our kids versus the dreams they have for themselves, and why sport should be a vehicle for developing great people—not just great athletes.

Because one day every child will play their last game... but the person they become through sport will stay with them forever.

Why do some athletes play freely one day and freeze the next?

In this episode of The FX Factor, Kelly explores the psychology behind performance anxiety and the expectations young athletes place on themselves. From the fear of making mistakes to the pressure of letting teammates, coaches and family down, this episode looks at why so many kids carry an emotional weight far greater than we realise.

Through personal experience, practical insights and honest conversation, Kelly challenges parents to rethink success, understand what their children are really experiencing, and recognise that development—not perfection—is what sport is truly about.

Because sometimes the biggest opponent our kids face isn't the one standing in front of them... it's the one inside their own head.