Parents in Sport Podcast

'A conversation with Dr Amy Whitehead and Jenny Coe'

In this episode Dr Amy Whitehead and Jenny Coe join Gordon MacLelland to discuss some of the myths of coaching in the sporting world and what it means for us as parents in trying to navigate the experience of youth sport.

During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:

  • Their motivations for editing and putting together 'The Myths of Sports Coaching'
  • How myths come about and gain momentum
  • The 10,000 hour myth
  • Finding the balance between science and the craft of coaching
  • The dangers of copying and pasting coaching content from social media
  • Not putting all parents into the same category of being badly behaved
  • The importance of autonomy and enjoyment in the youth sporting experience
  • The social and cultural influences that can direct behaviour in sports parenting
  • Raising self-awareness and helping to change the narrative of success in youth sport
  • What we should be looking for in a good coach as sports parents
  • What constitutes a really good coaching session for our children

Amy is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Sport Psychology and Coaching at Liverpool John Moores University and is the lead of the Coaching and Pedagogy Research Group at LJMU. Amy is also a BPS Accredited and HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and works as a sport psychology consultant with a range of sports and athletes.

Jenny Coe has spent 25 years in different sporting roles from playground to podium she seen, heard and felt the importance of understanding the individuals and relationships within each environment. She values connections and the underpinning care that supports people in working towards and maintaining their why. She aims to nourish the relationships so the trust and openness can empower those she works with to embrace the new challenges.

Jenny’s current role is working as a Head of Performance and Wellbeing with West Ham Women’s Football Team. A role where she is shifting the mindset in women’s football to consider the idea of performance through wellbeing.