Parents in Sport Podcast

'A conversation with Liz McColgan' - Coaching your own children

Liz McColgan Season 1 Episode 2

In this episode Liz McColgan and Gordon MacLelland discuss coaching your own children.  Liz shares many of her personal experiences from her running career, her transition into coaching and ultimately her own experiences on the coaching journey.

She shares a fascinating insight into the world of being a parent and coach to a high performance athlete and her personal experiences of coaching her own daughter Eilish.

During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:

  • The challenges of motivating athletes during lockdown
  • Managing the disappointment of the postponement of the Olympics as a parent and coach
  • Being adaptable as a coach
  • How it all started at home
  • Adopting a multi-sport approach at a young age
  • Helping manage the challenge for Eilish of establishing her own identity
  • Managing the emotions of being parent and coach whilst watching Eilish perform
  • Using every opportunity as a learning experience whether good or bad
  • Giving our children the time to breathe and managing the teenage years
  • Managing the expectations of parents and the importance of having honest, transparent conversations
  • The joy as a coach of former athletes staying in touch