SportsParenthood

Is "The Tiger Effect" still relevant for sports parents?

This week, you'll hear from John Serhan, one of Australia's most successful golf coaches who is currently head teaching professional at St Michael's Golf Club in Sydney's east, having previously won NSW PGA Coach of the Year. Now, he coaches juniors right through to touring professionals. He knows all too well that people like Tiger Woods are the exception, not the rule. In June this year, a report by Forbes, estimated Tiger Woods' net worth to be at least $US 1 billion, including $121 million in prize money. There's certainly dollar signs in the eyes of some parents, who'd love for their kids to follow in these footsteps by taking up the game of golf. So, what does it take to be a professional golfer? How important are role models like Australia's Minjee Lee, who recently won the US Women's Open? And, why golf is a great sport for young athletes, in the final episode for this season. HOSTS: John and Tiffany Bonasera PRODUCER: Tiffany Bonasera CONTACT US: tiffany@sportsparenthood.com.au

How do we build character in our sports kids with David King

This week on SportsParenthood, our guest David King, speaks honestly and openly about his early success as an athlete, his natural talent, and in his words, "being washed up" by the time he was just 15 years old. He talks about his world imploding. Then, coming back to sport where he was on the cusp of a professional career in rugby league, before deciding to walk away. You'll hear how he reflects on that moment now. For David, a mental skills coach, director of administration at a school in Sydney, teacher, endurance athlete and charity director, his early experiences have led him to appreciate the importance of character strengths over skill. He's developed a new program called WISPA, which he'll be launching in the USA this month. To give you a taste of David's work, John and I did a short survey prior to the interview, and he unpacks our answers on the show. You'll find them interesting - and spot on! Plus, listen in for David's story about an extraordinary situation he found himself in at an ultra endurance event. It's unbelievable! MORE INFORMATION: WISPA Wellbeing | Have Bear Will Run HOSTS: John and Tiffany Bonasera PRODUCER: Tiffany Bonasera CONTACT US: tiffany@sportsparenthood.com.au

What's a sports parent to do when your child stops playing?

What's a sports parent to do when your child stops playing? How are we supposed to feel about it? What are we supposed to do? What role should we play? These are just some of the questions we've been asking ourselves in the last month or so since one of our kids made the really hard decision to stop competitive swimming. While it's not for us to go into the details of her decision, which she'd made with careful consideration and lots of maturity - today, we're going to reflect on how it impacted on us, and how we've processed the situation that has been a huge part of our lives, too. Interestingly, we're processing it differently, and this is something we'd like to share with you in this episode. HOSTS: John and Tiffany Bonasera PRODUCER: Tiffany Bonasera CONTACT US: tiffany@sportsparenthood.com.au

Is freedom the greatest gift we can give our sports kids with cricketer Nicola Carey?

This week on SportsParenthood, we go a bit rogue at the start of the episode, because we were still on a high after watching Top Gun: Maverick. please make a date with your local cinema and WATCH THIS MOVIE. Speaking of legendary Top Gun quotes, "I feel the need, the need for speed" might be a good one to set the scene for today's conversation where you'll meet Australian cricketer Nicola Carey. She currently plays in the Women's Big Bash League - or domestic T20 competition - for the Hobart Hurricanes, which is an exhilarating and fast-paced style of the game. Earlier this month, Nicola was also named in the Australian Cricket squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, another exciting step in her career, since her international debut in 2018. So, how did this talented athlete from Kingsgrove in Sydney end up playing cricket, and what influence have her parents had on her career? HOSTS: John and Tiffany Bonasera PRODUCER: Tiffany Bonasera CONTACT US: tiffany@sportsparenthood.com.au

What do our sports kids mean when they say they're nervous?

Do your sports kids feel nervous, even anxious, before they play a game or line up to compete? What does this mean? Why does it happen? As sports parents, what can we do to help? In this episode, we speak with Rory Darkins - a high-performance coach and positive psychology researcher who transitioned into the mental side of sport while playing high-level cricket. He started asking important questions such as: Do athletes have to sacrifice their wellbeing to get to the top of their sport. Is there a better way? Well, the short answer is, yes. Currently, Rory is the training partner of two-time Olympic distance runner Eloise Wellings, who we interviewed in episode 54 of the show, and they co-host the "What's Right Within' podcast. Today, Rory talks us through nerves and shares with us one of the most powerful but underrated tools we have to regulate our nervous system. What is it? And what impact can it have on our kids, and us, too. Plus, he's just launched a new app called In8. HOSTS: John and Tiffany Bonasera PRODUCER: Tiffany Bonasera CONTACT US: tiffany@sportsparenthood.com.au