MAY 2023
Gordon MacLelland
CEO at Working with Parents in Sport (WWPIS) - 'Supporting organisations, coaches, parents and children to work effectively together to help young people fulfil their potential both in and out of their sport.'
Dear Subscriber,
We have had a wonderful month here at WWPIS including some incredible moments that will live long in the memory.
In two of our most recent workshops in football academies we have had over half of the parents come and shake hands afterwards and thank us for trying to support and make sense of what the sporting experience looks like to them.
However, a couple of parents took this one stage further. Halfway through a session a parent said, ‘Gordon, this is me, I know that it is wrong but I just find it really hard to stop myself.’
I thanked this parent for being so open and honest and reflecting so bravely on how he was supporting his child. At the end of the workshop this same parent stood up and addressed the whole group. He simply said, ‘We have all got to be better, not just today and forgetting it two weeks from now but keep supporting and helping each other around some of the things we have heard today.’
What a powerful moment it was!
In another session a parent came up at the end, shook my hand and said, ‘Thank you for changing my life.’ To say I was blown away and speechless was an understatement.
We did not set up WWPIS or do this work for pats on the back, but we wanted to have an impact on parents and the support we provide around young people's sport on a huge scale and we are thrilled to be heading in the right direction.
The Parents in Sport podcast this month saw us joined by James Nottingham to talk about ‘The Learning Pit' - understanding how our children learn.....and what that may mean for us as sports parents.’ This is such a complex topic but one worth trying to unravel and is certainly worth a listen.
We have been out on the road a lot in the last month which has been great for building stronger relationships and there is no doubt that live work is becoming more popular once again.
You can find out more about all of these items in this month’s newsletter.
BRITISH SAILING PARTNERSHIP
Working with Parents in Sport are delighted to announce a new partnership with British Sailing.
The first stage of the partnership will see a customised WWPIS and British Sailing Platform being made available to all coaches and parents involved in the performance pathway to help support the journey of young sailors both on and off the water.
Throughout the next year there will be a series of workshops and webinars delivered across the whole sailing community as well as the development of further support as both parties work together to maximise the benefits of the partnership.
To find out more click here.
LIVE WORKSHOPS IN FOOTBALL ACADEMIES
As well as some virtual sessions with football clubs this month, the last few weeks have seen us visit Wolverhampton Wanderers, Milton Keynes Dons and Shrewsbury Town for face to face sessions.
Our work at Wolverhampton Wanderers continues to grow and develop and it was a productive visit speaking to foundation staff, academy management, coaches and parents.
As part of our partnership with League Football Education we delivered a number of parent sessions across age groups at MK Dons and Shrewsbury Town and it was great to see the positive levels of interactions from parents.
BADMINTON ENGLAND VISIT
Our partnership and work with Badminton England continues to grow and it was great to visit the National Centre in Milton Keynes once again.
Due to the nature of our work and the annual program that we are running with them, it was nice to see so many parents returning for their second session in our ‘Sports Performance Parenting Series’ with many sharing things they had experienced and tried since our initial sessions.
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We are providing support across their ‘progress’ and ‘discover’ group parents which is certainly beneficial in providing continuity across the whole pathway programs.
PARENTS IN SPORT PODCAST - JAMES NOTTINGHAM
In this episode author, teacher and consultant James Nottingham joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss 'The Learning Pit' - understanding how our children learn.....and what that may mean for us as sports parents.
During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:
To listen to the episode click here.
MARKETING VIDEO AND BROCHURE
We have recently added some new products and services to both our Company Brochure and National Governing Body Brochure.
Be sure to check out our video and brochure highlighting the many services that we offer.? We have worked really hard to ensure that there is so much flexibility in the product that we can really customise it for every individual need whether you are a sporting organisation, coach or parent.
A large part of the success of WWPIS has been to relay information specific to the environments and contexts that people find themselves in and that is something that we will continue to work hard to achieve through as many different mediums as possible.
To watch the video and read the interactive brochure please click here.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like us to design something specifically for you and your requirements.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
We are now taking face to face bookings for the remainder of 2023 with many people already booking slots for the final quarter of this year.
The next three months are already filling up fast as is September, so please get in touch as soon as possible if you are thinking of running something in those months.
Virtual and face to face engagements are already in the diary including dates with British Gymnastics, British Sailing, Cricket Scotland, Sunderland Football Club, Hamilton Gymnastics Club, Welsh Gymnastics, Bath Rugby, Wolverhampton Wanderers, South Essex and Meapa Gymnastics Club, IAPS, Badminton England, Radnor House School, Sherborne School, Edinburgh Academy, George Watson’s, Pocklington School and Scottish Curling.
Please contact [email protected] or call us directly on (+44) 7897517671 if you would like to discuss specific requirements or make a booking.
We hope that you have enjoyed this mini-edition of the newsletter. To see the full newsletter you will need to subscribe at www.parentsinsport.co.uk.
If you would like to leave us any feedback, a review either on the website or on facebook, or even contact me directly on [email protected] about any aspect of our work then we would love to hear from you.
Gordon MacLelland CEO