The updated, expanded edition of the go-to guide for sporting families everywhere is here.
Since the original Sports Performance Parenting landed in 2022, Gordon MacLelland and Sarah Murray have continued to work with sporting organisations, families and athletes across the globe. The sporting world hasn’t stood still, and neither has this book.
Sports Performance Parenting 2.0 is a fully upgraded edition, built for the world sporting families are navigating today. Alongside enhanced content across every original topic, this edition adds brand-new sections on parenting in a digital age, balancing education with sporting ambition, and supporting your child’s wider wellbeing.
It also includes new interviews with British Lions, Olympians preparing for Los Angeles 2028, and seasoned internationals across a whole host of sports.
There is no such thing as a perfect sports parent and rarely a one-size-fits-all approach.
Sporting parents are asked to navigate more than almost any other role in their child’s life. Working alongside coaches, supporting the healthy use of comparison, managing disappointment, supporting a healthy identity, managing technology usage, navigating the ups and downs of selection to name but a few.
This book walks alongside parents through every stage of that journey. It offers space for honest reflection, works through the real scenarios you are likely to face, and hands you practical tools and strategies. By no means is it a rigid formula, but options to experiment with and adapt to your own child, your own family and your own sport.
Ultimately, this book isn’t just about performance. It’s about helping your child reach their potential both in and out of their sport, while making sure you get to enjoy the journey alongside them by guiding, encouraging, and hopefully setting them up for success in whatever walk of life they end up in.
What’s inside:
- Enhanced, updated content across every topic from the original edition
- New chapters on digital-age parenting, balancing sport with education, and holistic wellbeing
- Brand-new interviews with British Lions, LA 2028 Olympic hopefuls, and international athletes from a range of sports
- Practical tools, reflection points and strategies for every stage of the sporting journey
Without sporting parents, there is no youth sport. This book exists to acknowledge that and to make sure you feel equipped, supported, and a little less alone on the journey.
Here is what people are saying.
Judy Murray OBE
‘There has never been enough support, information, tips and independent advice for sports parents. Until now. I’m delighted to endorse the great work that Gordon and his team have undertaken to provide guidance. It’s all based on common sense and lived experiences of teaching sport, parenting athletes and understanding human behaviour.’
Dr Kate Hays – Head of Women’s Psychology at The FA | Speaker, Facilitator, Leadership Coach, Author of How to Win
‘Having seen first-hand the vital role parents play in a young athlete’s experience and development, I strongly support work that helps them feel informed and empowered. This is an important contribution to a vital area of sport.’
Danny Kerry MBE – Coaching Lead at UK Sport and former Great Britain and England Hockey Head Coach
‘This book touches on an area that has remained largely untapped but to me remains one of, if not the most, key aspect in the complex picture of talent development – that of the role of parents/guardians. It is full of rich experiential learning, written in a manner that captures the important aspects whilst being easy to understand and apply. Gordon and Sarah have produced a timely and usable text that can help any parent/guardian whose child is involved in a sports performance environment.’
To be one of the first in the world to receive your copy click here.
