Supporting Youth Athletes

In a recent conversation on my YouTube channel with Pujji, we spoke about something very close to our hearts: the role corporates can play in helping cricketers upskill and stay ready for the next phase of their careers. Today, so many young players give everything to domestic cricket. But once that chapter ends, many of them are unsure about what comes next. Not because they lack talent or commitment, but because they never had access to structured training in areas outside cricket. This is where corporate involvement can create real impact. Whether it’s: career guidance, management education, training, leadership and communication workshops, fitness, wellness, or mental conditioning sessions, exposure to job opportunities after retirement. All of these can give players the confidence and choice they deserve. If we can create programs where corporates, state associations, and the BCCI work together, identifying players early (U-16, U-19, U-23) and supporting them through their journey, it can transform the ecosystem. Players will not only be better cricketers, they will become more prepared human beings. I truly believe that with the right support, many domestic players can go on to become successful coaches, managers, administrators, and leaders. Education opens those doors. This is why conversations like these matter. And this is why I hope more organisations step forward to build long-term, meaningful initiatives for our cricketers, the sport in general.

"If you only make them a better player on the field, boy, you have lost a great opportunity" Tony Dungy was head coach for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts. In this video he provides some guidance for young coaches. Personally, I think this is great information for coaches of all ages and leaders in industry. Coach Dungy speaks about the importance of: 1) Getting to know your players 2) Connecting with players This approach fits very nicely with Ryan and Deci's (2000) model of self-determination theory, and in particular the basic psychological need of relatedness. When a coach gets to know his or her players and has a connection, it fulfils an athlete's basic psychological need of relatedness. The need for relatedness includes an athlete’s need to feel cared for by significant others such as a coach or team mates (Duda, 2013) and a secure sense of belongingness (Amorose, 2007). Techniques for coaches to enhance perceptions of relatedness 1) Develop the coach-athlete relationship The coach-athlete relationship is key to an athlete’s psychological needs being met (Amorose, 2007; Meageau and Vallerand, 2003), so coaches could work on developing their relationship with players and managing any conflict when or if it arises. 2) Promote positive relationships with other players  Coaches who work in team sports could devise activities that foster camaraderie among players to ensure that all players feel valued. This could also be achieved by not encouraging competition among team mates, or placing very little emphasis on the results of such competitions. Team building activities may also help athletes feel a sense of relatedness. 3) Listen and acknowledge – Coaches should listen to what their athletes say and acknowledge the feelings of athletes, rather than disregard such feelings (Amorose, 2007). This will help create trust between athletes and coaches, which is important in helping people feel cared for (Tessier et al., 2010). 4) Involve parents (IF COACHING YOUNG ATHLETES)  Amorose (2007) suggested that coaches should play an active role in involving an athlete’s parents, especially among younger athletes. This is supported by more recent research (e.g., Amorose et al., 2016; Gaudreau et al., 2016) who demonstrated the importance of autonomy support from parents. As such, coaches could provide information to parents regarding how they can be more supportive to their children and fulfil their basic psychological needs better. 

10 years ago, EY & ESPN teamed up to understand the impact that sports have on shaping women leaders. They found that 94% of female c-suite execs played sports.💪 Fast forward, and the Women's Sports Foundation took a refreshed look at the connection between sports & leadership for women today. ⬇️ The new report from titled, "Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sport on Women's Leadership," is a refreshed look at how the skills, traits, and experiences gained from playing sports helps girls become leaders in the workforce and beyond. Specifically, the study looks at the impact of Title IX, and how the expansion in school-sponsored teams for girls & women brought about by Title IX correlate with increased adult leadership roles, reinforcing the need to fully protect & enforce Title IX. Some key findings include: 🏅 71% of women with formal leadership roles held titles like Manager, Director, President, or C-suite Executive, and the longer girls play sports, the more likely they are to hold these leadership roles. 🏆 A significant 67% of women believe the skills they learned from sports carried into adulthood. 💪 Half of women credit the skills acquired through sports for their leadership development. 💼 69% of women who played sports held at least one formal leadership role outside of the family. ✨Why is this research important?✨ These findings from the are the latest proof points for the prioritization of youth sport participation - especially for girls. When girls play sports it creates a vibrant leadership pipeline that benefits society & bolsters the economy. This research emphasizes why Title IX is so important and why sports are not a nice-to-have, but a must-have for all girls. It underscores why we all need to be working together to create a future where the playing field is truly equitable for all. Because when girls play sports, everyone wins.⚡️ Read the full report from the Women's Sports Foundation here: https://lnkd.in/ej9kipXs

Why Schools Must Rethink Physical Education I was the Chief Guest at the Sports Day of one of our newer schools in the suburbs, which had classes only up to Grade 4. I was fascinated by seven-year-olds proudly leading me as pilots. An eight-year-old carrying the torch. Every child participating, not to win, but with visible pride. It took me back to the story of Neeraj Chopra. As a child, Neeraj struggled with his weight. Like many children, he was comfortable with routine and limited movement. His family pushed him to the stadium, not with ambition, but with intent. There, he watched senior athletes doing basic drills and throwing the javelin. He tried it too. What the coach noticed was not an overweight child. He noticed flexibility, a natural shoulder rotation, stamina, torque. That moment changed everything. Neeraj was placed into a structured training environment where timings and distances were recorded. Within months, his stamina transformed. He did not just lose weight. He found purpose. He found direction. Champions are not born on podiums. They are born the moment a teacher or coach looks closely and says, “Look at this potential.” This is why schools must rethink physical education. Structure is often mistaken for rigidity. In reality, it brings clarity. It reveals talent. It highlights gaps before they become limitations. Sport, when taught professionally, becomes a diagnostic tool for physical and mental development. When a child shows interest, it must be met with intent. Rigorous, patient, month-by-month training that builds stamina, flexibility, balance, agility, and endurance. Growth becomes visible only when effort is guided. We must move from chance to choice, from exposure to direction. If we want to see more athletes on international podiums, sport cannot remain an afterthought squeezed between tuition classes. Schools and parents must see physical education as a radar for wellbeing, confidence, and discipline. Because sometimes, all it takes is one observant coach and one structured playground to change a life. #SchoolSports #ACTIVEProgram #ChildHealth #PhysicalEducation #DigitalDetox #HolisticLearning

For so long, the Olympics got one thing very wrong: While we loved hearing vulnerable stories that led favorite athletes to the world stage, we failed to accept anything less than superhuman performance once there. Until now. As the head of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee mental health task force said: “We’re just understanding that these are whole human beings.” One of the biggest sources of that understanding is undoubtedly Simone Biles, who famously stepped off the Tokyo mat to protect her body and mind. The moment stood in stark contrast to two decades earlier in Atlanta, when US gymnast Kerri Strug vaulted with a severe injury to avoid risking losing any medals. As the Paris Olympics begin, I'm hopeful Simone's example paves the way for better athlete support. It's helpful that Paris, unlike Tokyo, athletes families can now join them, and stands will once again be full of fans. And beyond that, the USOPC mental health task force is focused on better knowing the athletes and removing barriers to help, including before the games even begin. Olympic athletes have superhuman talent but they are very much human. And it is up to all of us - teammates, coaches, and everyday fans like us - to honor that. Reflecting on Simone's example in Tokyo, I created a list of hopes for the Paris athletes. Rereading it now, these feel as relevant to our work teams as to the Olympians: 1. Empower others to ask for help and support. 2. Trust anyone who shares (invisible) struggles. 3. Honor everyone’s vulnerability – even the GOATs! 4. Listen to your gut: our mind/body connection is real. 5. Cheer for all: A team is much more than any one “star.” What would you add? #Olympics2024 #leadership #mentalhealth

It’s the uncertainty that can kill in competitive sport. It peppers with doubt and worry. It salts with anxiety and stress… How will I play? What will the opposition be like? Will my teammates turn up? What if we fall behind early? Questions…questions…exposing the soft underbelly of a performer’s mindset pre-game. But…no worries…we got this! Going into a game of importance, ambitious competitors need a mental framework in order to deal with the game’s inevitable vicissitudes - for they come think and fast. A High Performance Mindset (HPM) A Low Performance Mindset (LPM) “My job when I compete is to first and foremost find my HPM. It’s to recognise when I drop down to my LPM and to shift with speed back to my HPM” An inner narrative…an internal story…one that is proactive rather than reactive. One that makes me a participant rather than a recipient… “I’m in charge…I’m in control. There will be tough moments - mistakes made, momentum against, duels lost - that’s ok, I stay HPM no matter what…” Of course, competitors need a breadth and depth to their HPM in order to manage themselves as they’re exposed to the heat of battle. And so with that in mind, let’s start to build out HPM with 5 quick tools, techniques, philosophies, and ideas: Remove performance - the daily grind of ‘gotta win’ and ‘gotta perform’ turns up the volume of anxiety…so remove much of performance. Specifically performance that cannot be controlled such as completed passes, goals scored, points won, fairways hit and so on. They will take care of themselves - sometimes in the way we want, at other times not how we’d like. And that’s ok Add performance - but we can’t completely ignore performance can we? So tune into those performance factors that have an air of control about them. Scanning behaviour, mini actions that make up a move, a skill, or a tactical responsibility...as examples. Be task-focused! Make small moments count - 10 seconds of intense, appropriate action can secure momentum for the next 10 minutes of the game. Be ready to be action-oriented no matter what’s thrown at you as competition unfolds. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes - keep great body language irrespective of the way the game is running. Irrespective of how others are playing. Irrespective of your mistakes and errors. Cognition is embodied (our mental processes are of the body as much as of the mind) so hold ocused, confident, and ready at all times…no matter what Feedback loops - consider process post game. Mark out of 10 - what went well and what can go better next time. Everyone loses…a key is keeping emotional chemistry reasonably consistent and a mind attuned to the rational. Learn then next game, next game, next game… Having sophisticated HPM frameworks in your teams’ locker room reduces a sense of uncertainty. It increases a sense of control and readiness. At the very elite end of sport too many teams and too many coaches and too many organisations compromise here

𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭. In today’s competitive sporting environment, integrating performance psychology into a team’s culture is no longer optional; it’s essential and we’re now seeing this recognised at the very top level. The National Football League (NFL) recently approved a mandate requiring all teams to employ full-time mental health clinicians. This is a clear signal that psychological support is no longer a “nice to have,” but a performance necessity. When athletes are supported mentally as well as physically, everything changes: ⚽Pressure becomes an opportunity, not a threat 🏈Setbacks turn into learning moments 🎾Confidence becomes consistent, not conditional Performance psychology helps athletes develop focus, resilience, emotional control, and self-belief, the traits that separate the good from the geat. The real impact goes beyond the individual. When an entire team embraces psychological principles, you create: ✔ Stronger communication ✔ Greater trust and cohesion ✔ A shared ability to stay composed under pressure It’s not just about winning more games, it’s about building an environment where people thrive, grow, and sustain excellence. The question isn’t whether teams can afford to invest in performance psychology…it’s whether they can afford not to. ‼️𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐈’𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭. 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲‼️ #PerformancePsychology #HighPerformance #TeamCulture #MentalHealth #SportsLeadership

The athletes winning in NIL aren’t the loudest. They’re the most prepared. When you look at the top NIL earners in college football, the money isn’t random. It’s the result of preparation and programs that are developing scholar athletes at a high level. What those athletes are prepared in: Brand readiness They know who they are, what they represent, and how to show up consistently. Their image is clean and market ready. Media and communication skills They’re comfortable on camera and clear in interviews. Brands can activate immediately. Professional infrastructure Agents, advisors, compliance, and financial guidance are already in place, protecting the athlete and speeding execution. Performance and visibility alignment They produce on the field and operate in high exposure environments. Performance creates demand. Visibility multiplies it. Decision making and reliability They’re selective, consistent, and deliver on what they commit to. Here’s the part that gets missed: Schools doing scholar athlete development at a high level are preparing athletes in these same areas holistically. They’re teaching communication, financial literacy, professionalism, and identity alongside performance. That preparation doesn’t just drive NIL success. It prepares athletes for leadership and life beyond sport. #NIL #ScholarAthlete #AthleteDevelopment #CollegeFootball #HolisticDevelopment #PlayerDevelopment #Leadership #FinancialLiterac

I regularly get asked what my role is, and often find it difficult to explain, a lot of the work that player support/care professionals do often goes under the radar as it can be sensitive and confidential to the needs of the player. It’s certainly a role that deserves more recognition for the impact they have within a high performance environment. Like so many roles, if people do not see it or experiance it themselves then it’s hard to relate or understand. To summarise some key points of my role to date: A player support/care officer generally focuses on managing the well-being and needs of the players & serves as a bridge between the players and the club, acting as a point of contact and support for the players in various aspects of their professional and personal lives. 🗣️Communication and Relationship Building: I help to establish and maintain open lines of communication between the players, coaching staff, and club management, build strong relationships with the players, gaining their trust and ensuring that their concerns and needs are heard and addressed. 🤝Player Support: I provide support to players in various areas, including relocation assistance, and accommodation arrangements, help navigate administrative processes and ensure they have access to necessary resource and services. 💼Personal and Professional Development: I assist players in their personal and professional development. This may involve workshops or training sessions on topics such as financial management, media training, career transition, and education opportunities. I also offer guidance and advice around opportunities beyond football. 🫶🏻Player Welfare and Well-being: I’m responsible for the welfare and well-being of the players. I coordinate with the club's medical staff to ensure players receive appropriate physical and mental health care. I also provide support in managing stress, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and accessing external support services if needed. 🤗Cultural Integration and Community Engagement: I support our international players & players from different cultural backgrounds, assisting in their cultural integration and adjustment to the new environment, as well as introducing them to community engagement opportunities. ‼️Crisis Management: I am responsible for dealing with any crisis situations that may arise in the players' lives, such as personal emergencies, legal issues, or media controversies. I provide guidance, support, and confidentiality, ensuring that players receive the necessary assistance while minimising negative impacts on their professional careers. Overall, my role is to be a dedicated support system for players, aiming to enhance their overall experience, well-being, and performance within the club. Creating a positive and supportive environment where players can thrive both on and off the pitch. It’s often a thankless job, but the intrinsic wins that only I see, makes it worthwhile. #football

Norway consistently wins the most medals at the Winter Olympic Games. With a population of just 5.6 million people, a big part of their success is how they treat youth sports—and it’s the opposite of what we do in the US. Here’s what we can learn from Norway: 1. Scorekeeping: In the US: Youth sports tend to be hyper competitive even at early ages. Leagues almost always keep score. In Norway: Scorekeeping isn’t even allowed until age 13. Removing winners and losers keeps the focus on the process not outcomes. It keeps kids engaged longer because it minimizes pressure (and tears) and maximizes fun, learning, and growth. The goal isn’t to win a third grade championship. It’s to love sport and keep playing. 2. Trophies: In the US: If you give everyone a trophy, you’re creating snowflakes who will never gain a competitive edge. In Norway: Whenever trophies are awarded, they are handed out to everyone. If getting a trophy makes young kids feel good, we should give them trophies. Maybe they’ll come back and play again next year!! As for the creation of snowflakes with no competitive edge—Norway’s athletes are tough as nails and all they do is win. 3. Prioritizing Fun: In the US: Far too often, the goal is to win. In Norway: The national philosophy is “joy of sport.” Youth sports in the US are driven by adults, ego, and money. Youth sports in Norway are driven by fun. Only half of kids in the US participate in sports. The number one reason they drop out: because they aren’t having fun anymore. In Norway, 93% of kids participate in youth sports. Fun is the foremost goal. 4. Playing Multiple Sports: In the US: There’s pressure to specialize early and play your best sport year round. In Norway: Try as many sports as you can before specializing as late as college. Norway encourages kids to try all types of sport. This reduces injury and burnout and increases all-around athleticism. It also helps promotes match quality, or finding the sport you are best suited for as your body develops, which is impossible if you commit to a single sport too early. 5. Affordability In the US: There is increasingly a pay-to-play model with high fees for leagues, equipment, and travel. This excludes many kids from playing. In Norway: It’s a national priority to keep youth sports affordable and therefore accessible for all. Kids aren’t priced out, which creates opportunities for everyone to participate (and develop into athletes), regardless of their parents’ income level. We could learn a lot from Norway: In the US, 70% of kids drop out of youth sports by age 13. This not only diminishes an elite-athlete pipeline, but it also destroys an opportunity for healthy habits and all the character lessons kids can learn from sport. In Norway, lifelong participation in sport is the norm. The goal isn’t to have the best 9U team. It’s to develop the best athletes. Those are two very different things. And Norway has the gold medals to prove it.