'A conversation with Danny and Kate Cowley' - Working together to support young high performers

In this episode sporting parents Danny and Kate Cowley join Gordon MacLelland to discuss the value of working together as a parent team to support a young high performing athlete.

Together, Danny and Kate offer a dual perspective as coaches, educators, parents, and lifelong learners. Their daughter, a youth international footballer, and their son an ex gymnast have given them valuable insight into the experiences of young people navigating elite sport.

They bring a wealth of lived experience to the show with Danny a highly respected professional football manager and Kate a former international athlete, both with backgrounds in education.

During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:

• The importance of context with no one-size-fits-all approach to sports parenting
• Having distinct parent roles matter based on relationships with the child and individual strengths and weaknesses
• The importance of proactive and clear communication between clubs, coaches, teachers, parents and children
• Understanding the nuances of feedback
• Recognising mistakes, setbacks, and disappointment are normal and vital for development
• Helping to build confidence by reinforcing hard work and repetition and highlighting evidence of progress
• The continuous balancing act of tough love vs unhealthy pressure
• Focussing more on role modelling over lecturing

Both Danny and Kate share a passion for sport, education, and supporting young people to reach their potential both on and off the field.

Having been together since childhood, their shared love of sport has shaped both their personal and professional journeys. They began their careers working together at The FitzWimarc School, one of the UK’s top-performing secondary schools, where they combined their experience in teaching, coaching, and athlete development to help students grow and succeed.

Danny has since built a respected career in professional football management, recognised for his people-focused approach and commitment to developing players and teams. His time at clubs including Lincoln City, Huddersfield Town, and Portsmouth has been defined by an emphasis on teamwork, learning, and creating positive environments.

Kate’s career has also been in high-performance sport and education. A former senior international athlete supported by the National Lottery’s Podium Potential programme, she has worked across elite sport and athlete development.