Hello and welcome!
I’m El Sharp, a Sports Mindset Coach who helps tween and teen team athletes strengthen their sports mindset.
I’m a former elite athlete; I’ve coached junior athletes for over 20 years and I have a Bachelor’s degree with a Psychology Major.
I am passionate about helping young athletes learn mindset skills that will help transform their experience of sport.
I developed the online version of my coaching - SPORTS MINDSET BOOTCAMP- after years of face-to-face coaching junior athletes, to create a more accessible, self-paced way for more young athletes to have the opportunity to experience the power of mindset skills for themselves.
A self-paced, evidence-based online course for tweens and teens who play team sport that shows them a step-by-step process for strengthening their sports mindset so they can improve their game, enjoy sport more and reach their sports goals. Students learn:
WHAT is The Sports Mindset Bootcamp?
The 4 KEY sports mindset skills for junior team athletes
AND
Quick and easy Mindset Exercises to use in games & training
WHY do junior athletes need Sports Mindset Skills?
ENJOY SPORT
Mindset skills help juniors enjoy sport on a consistent basis, whatever level of sport they play.
BOOST SKILLS
Mindset skills help juniors improve their physical sports skills and their overall game.
CONFIDENCE & MOTIVATION
Mindset Skills help juniors maintain a steady level of confidence and motivation.
Mindset skills are just as important as physical skills in sport
In fact many elite and pro athletes say that mindset skills are more important than physical skills at the highest levels of the game.
Now, more than ever, mindset skills should be a standard part of the development and training of junior athletes for 2 main reasons:
1. The overwhelming scientific data proving the benefits of mindset skills training for athletes.
2. Junior athletes face more challenges and external pressures playing sport today than ever before, and this is reflected across international youth sport participation data.
of kids drop out of sport by the age of 13 *
70%
Drop out of kids in sport is strongly influenced by motivation, psycho-social factors and kid’s experiences of sport**
How do you strengthen sports mindset skills?
The same way you strengthen physical sports skills - learn the skills, use drills and exercises to practice and strengthen them at training, and transfer them into games.
Why aren’t mindset skills taught by coaches?
I’ve coached junior athletes for over 20 years. Most junior club coaches have limited time with players, and access to training facilities, so we tend to prioritise physical skill development. Mindset skills are something that players can work on independently, with the right guidance.
How can juniors learn these skills?
Through a simple, age-appropriate and evidence-based coaching program, specifically developed for the needs of tween and teen athletes.
References::
*Battaglia, A., Kerr, G., Tamminen, K. (2024). The Dropout From Youth Sport Crisis: Not as Simple as It Appears. Kinesiology Review, 13 (3), 345–356.
**Back, J., Johnson, U., Svedberg, P., McCall, A., Ivarsson, A. (2022). Drop-out from team sport among adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, (61), 102255.