This paper outlines the connections between three problems which are deeply interlinked, growing in influence, and shaping many aspects of social and cultural life, including football: The paper argues that these problems are each made worse by the commodification of young football players within an overly competitive and individualistic football culture. It points to opportunities to change club structures and coaching practice, highlighting these as important steps in changing wider football culture, and it argues that changing football culture would, in turn, create widespread social…
mental health
PDP Co-Founder Dave Wright & Positive Psychology expert Lara Mossman discussing how to control emotions in sports. We can’t expect youth soccer players to show great emotional control all of the time. It’s sometimes easy to forget, but they’re not mini-adults — they don’t have the same capacity to control their emotions as we do, and we shouldn’t expect them to. But that doesn’t mean we can’t help. We can still teach our young players how to understand and manage their emotions. And this education…
Masculinity plays a huge role in how male coaches communicate and behave and how young men and boys express themselves in sporting environments. Sports teacher & rugby coach, David Sharkey shares a blog about his own ambitions to redefine masculinity in rugby and some of the personal motivations behind his reason for wanting to shift the paradigm. “You have my whole heart. You always did.” – Cormac McCarthy, The Road. I had just turned 12 when my father passed away from a sudden heart…