A young talent leaving home: moving to a club at sixteen
When a young athlete moves to a club or academy at sixteen, they go through two transitions at once. On homesickness, parents at a distance and what happens when the answer is…
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Mental health in sport: pressure, injury, the end of a career, the body and identity. Posts for athletes, their parents and partners - about what lies behind the result.
Defeat, mistakes and shame: how athletes process failure
After a defeat, “I made a mistake” quickly turns into “I am a mistake”. On shame and guilt, public criticism, self-compassion in athletes and analysis without self-flagellation.
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Athletes and relationships: love between training, travel and competition
When sport is almost a third member of the relationship: the partner as support and as the one who waits, invisible work, one career at the other's expense, and the couple after…
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Young athletes and parents: the pressure we don't see
The drive home after a match, a face in the stands, early specialisation. How the parents of young athletes create pressure without meaning to, and what a child really needs.
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On the bench: when you don’t play and wonder what you’re worth
For a substitute athlete, a selection decision can quickly turn into a verdict on yourself. How to separate a fact about the match from your sense of worth.
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Depression in athletes: when “mental toughness” becomes a reason to stay silent
Around a third of elite athletes report symptoms of anxiety or depression, yet many stay silent. On the stigma of toughness, hidden signs and who is the right person to turn to.
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Body, food and sport: when weight becomes part of the result
In some sports the body is not just a tool but part of the result. Why athletes are more vulnerable to eating disorders, what energy deficiency is and when to see a…
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Burnout in athletes: when the love of sport fades
Exhaustion, the sense that you are not improving, and a sport you no longer care about. What athlete burnout is, how it differs from overtraining and what perfectionism has to do with…
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Pre-competition anxiety: when nerves help and when they get in the way
Pre-match nerves are your body getting ready for effort. When they help you play, when they stop you — and what they say about what is really at stake for you.
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Injury and mental health: when your body stops you
A sports injury is more than a torn ligament. It takes your rhythm, your team, your goal and part of your identity — and fear of re-injury can linger long after the…
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