The Positive Sports Education (PSE) team – Kerry O’Neill, Jamie Sun Chung, and Danny Fung – recently appeared on the “Beyond the Scoreboard” podcast, hosted by Coach Justin Furtado. Coach Justin is the Founder and Athletic Director of BTG Basketball based in Los Angeles, California. They talked about PSE’s mission to transform youth sports by integrating well-being education.
You can watch the full episode here.
The motivation for starting PSE stems from alarming statistics and observations in youth sports. A significant concern is that 70% of youth quit sports by the age of 13 due to burnout and pressure. The culture in youth sports has shifted towards being monetized and highly competitive, leading to packed schedules with too many games and not enough time for genuine play and skill development. Also, are we doing enough to upskill coaches to support youth mental health, especially in the post-COVID era? Research shows only 5-10% coaches receive such training. Going forward, the PSE team believes there needs to be a fundamental change in this culture.
The current emphasis on competition, winning and the increasing commercialization of youth sports contribute to the problem. This focus on the scoreboard overlooks long-term skill development and the wellbeing of athletes. PSE aims to address this by integrating well-being and performance, arguing that they can and should complement one another. They believe that focusing solely on winning comes at the expense of well-being.
PSE’s approach is grounded in positive psychology and focuses on helping coaches think differently and create positive environments for players. Their work centres on three main pillars:
- Building a positive culture for the team, emphasising things like gratitude and positive feedback.
- Developing resilience, teaching players the skills to deal with losses and learn from challenging experiences.
- Utilising and building character strengths in young athletes.
Key concepts discussed include the importance of giving positive feedback and distinguishing between labelling a player’s behavior versus labelling the person themselves. They advocate for fostering a growth mindset by rewarding effort and process rather than the outcome. Research supports that positivity, positive culture, and building character and resilience all enhance performance. The well-being and performance of athletes are seen as “two sides of the same coin”.
PSE uses tools like resilience assessments to understand the strengths and challenges of individual players and teams. This data can help coaches identify areas to work on, such as self-efficacy, emotional regulation, optimism, and empathy. Using the popular Ted Lasso as an example and inspiration, the team emphasizes the importance of coaches becoming mentors who guide and support athletes. Focusing on the person first, rather than just the performance, is believed to lead to better performance and a stronger individual.
The vision for the future of youth sports, championed by PSE, is to bring back joy and play into the experience. This fosters intrinsic motivation, reduces the high dropout rate, and helps kids develop a lifelong passion for physical activity and well-being. PSE aims to contribute to this revolution by raising awareness among coaches, providing tools and resources like assessments and workshops, and helping coaches model well-being themselves. They believe it is possible to have both joy in the gym and be highly competitive.
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