happiness

Jack Burns is a Kinesiology student at Jacksonville University and former Chelsea & Portsmouth Academy player. Jack opens up about the harsh realities around pursuing football as a career & how athlete welfare and happiness should be at the centre of a coaches approach. Within the sporting realm there is often ample talk pertaining to words that centre around ideas of psychology, be it mental toughness, grit, confidence, resilience, or assertiveness. As I progress through my undergraduate education in kinesiology at Jacksonville University, Florida, I…

The psychological corner of player development can be seen as the most complex. It is dynamic and very much has to be catered towards the individual. In a coaching context it is a fundamental part of our roles but often one of the most overlooked. Join PDP Editor Dave Wright as he engages in an informative discussion with John Haime, President of New Edge Performance in Canada. John and Dave discuss a range of key points and practical advice including: Don’t miss this wide ranging…

Paule Miquelon and Robert J. Vallerand The Big Idea The good news coming out of the general field of psychology since the beginning of the 21st Century is what is called positive psychology. Instead of primary preoccupation with the pathology of mental illness, understanding human well-being and happiness is attracting increasing numbers of scholars and practitioners. In particular, and related directly to this research paper, there is continuing empirical interest in learning more about the relationship between various psychological factors and improvements in physical health. In…

Can happiness impact performance? Former Professional golfer and President of New Edge Performance, John Haime explains how putting enjoyment before achievement can maximise performance. Sometimes things get fuzzy in sports and a reset is exactly what you need. Very often my phone will ring, or I’ll get an “emergency” text and an athlete client will be in a funk. Their focus unconsciously shifts to the many distractions around them – often to things they have no control over. Alternatively, an obsession starts with the outcome…

Dave Wright discusses the power of play and how a learning environment that allows play and creativity but challenges players to grow through adversity and failure is key to long term success. In issue 1 of Player Development Project Magazine, I wrote an article called Fighting the Fear Factor, challenging the environments that many coaches still create despite the knowledge we have in modern football and coach education. It’s an absolute passion of mine to develop environments for players where they can be free, to learn,…

People who know their values are often happier; they’re more focused, and live a more meaningful life. This month Lara Mossman met with AHPRA endorsed sports psychologist Michael Inglis to discuss values and the important role they play in youth development. Inglis, who has a Masters in sports and exercise psychology, supports a holistic approach to sports medicine and is an advocate of values in sport. LM: Can you a tell me a bit about your experience working with athletes?  MI: I work with a range of…

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