February 2nd - Children´s and youth sports / Íþróttir barna og unglinga
"Empowering Coaches and Parents towards the Psychological Development of Young Athletes"
Youth sport contexts represent a rich opportunity to influence significant psychological growth and change in athletes. However, coaches and parents as key social agents require the knowledge and confidence to optimally support the psychosocial development of young people. In this presentation, Professor Harwood will present the underpinning principles and aims of his 5C’s framework (commitment, communication, concentration, control, confidence; Harwood, 2008; Harwood & Anderson, 2015) and illustrate how coaches can integrate psychology into their day to day coaching practice. Using examples from practice, he will also contend how supporting parents on a journey towards sport parenting expertise and applying their resource empathically can facilitate the parent-coach relationship in addition to the psychological development of the athlete.
Chris Harwood, PhD is a Professor of Sport Psychology at Loughborough University. His research interests and expertise lie in the psychosocial aspects of youth sport and athlete development with a particular focus on the socio-environmental influence of parents and coaches. He has particularly focused his applied research in the fields of achievement motivation, sport parenting, and the 5Cs approach (www.the5Cs.co.uk) to athlete development. As a scientist-practitioner, he is also noted for his work in professional practice and the study of factors related to the training and development of applied sport psychologists. As a practicing consultant in sport psychology, he has worked extensively with the Lawn Tennis Association, the Football Association, and several professional sporting bodies and clubs including his work with Icelandic colleagues on the 5Cs approach.
