In this episode rugby league legend and sports parent Martin Offiah joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss aspects of his career, how it has shaped him and his approach today and his role as a father supporting his two sons Tyler (Professional Player at Bath Rugby) and Phoenix (Academy Scholar Tottenham Hotspur) on their sporting journey.
During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:
- The power of storytelling and legacy in motivating young athletes
- Why comparison should be “self to self for improvement, not self to others”
- Engineering resilience and adversity into a child’s daily routine
- The contrast between coaching a child in your own sport and parenting a child in a sport you don’t know
- Using leverage, reward and consistency to build skills and motivation
- The role of validation from other athletes and mentors in landing a message with teenagers
- Documenting a child’s sporting journey to build belief and connection over time
- Honest reflections on the hardest, least “rosy” parts of being a sports parent
Martin Offiah MBE is one of rugby league’s all-time greats. He began his rugby journey at Ipswich and Roslyn Park before becoming a legend with Widnes and Wigan, scoring over 500 tries and earning a statue outside Wembley for his iconic 1994 try. Inducted into the Hall of Fame, he also appeared on reality TV, including Strictly Come Dancing. From 2018 to 2025, he was a Brand Ambassador for Connected Kerb, helping them grow from startup to the UK’s second-largest public EV charging provider. He also co-created the Offiah Activ mattress with Romantica Beds and now supports businesses through BDC. Across sport and business, he continues to inspire.
Martin’s approach to sports parenting draws directly on his own journey from a state school in Hackney to the top of professional sport, and on what he has learned navigating two sons through two very different sporting pathways. His philosophy centres on consistency, resilience, self-belief and the importance of helping young people find their own drive built through story, connection and the lived, daily habits of a sporting household.
